Playing Her Secret Crush

by Casey Griffin

  “Will that be soon?” he asked.

  “I can’t say for sure.” She stepped through the curtains around his stretcher and shut them again, officially ending the conversation.

  Alex groaned and flopped back on the bed, instantly regretting it. His body ached, his head spun. Maybe the drugs were wearing off. He was beginning to feel all the bruises blossoming over his body, especially across his chest where the harness had squeezed the life out of him.

  Despite feeling like a tenderized chicken filet, he really did feel lucky. The last time he’d looked at the speedometer in the Ferrari, it was pushing one hundred. And that was before he’d punched it around the final corner. The realization was beginning to sink in; it really was a miracle that he’d walked away from the wreck.

  Alex stared up at the ceiling. He hadn’t been in a hospital since his brother died. It had him imagining what it must have been like for Jason, not just for the months he had to lie there with nothing to do but play Conquerors of Caroon, but especially for those last couple weeks. Once he’d set aside his gaming, his interests, any remaining goals for his nonexistent future.

  For a long time, a part of Alex had resented Jason for giving up, as though if he’d just kept fighting, kept dreaming, he could have been one of those miracle cases that they’d all been crossing their fingers for. Instead, Jason had passed the baton on to Alex, to live the life he wasn’t going to be able to. And it had nearly killed Alex.

  His near miss in the Ferrari allowed him a glimpse of what Jason must have been going through during those final weeks, after he was told he had no future. He now understood that his brother hadn’t given up at all. He’d been focusing on what was most important in his final moments. And what was most important to Alex?

  He automatically reached up and rubbed his chest only to realize the pressure wasn’t crushing him for once. And it was because he finally knew what it had been telling him to do all along, but he’d been too stupid, too scared to allow himself to do it.

  Even as Katie’s lips had been pressed against his, he’d pushed her away. He’d been keeping her at a distance, keeping himself emotionally distant, just like the therapist tried to warn him. Alex had been distracting himself with the promise he’d made to live with no regrets. Only now did he see what he’d actually been promising.

  In that moment of clarity during the wreck, Alex discovered his regret: Katie. Only, unlike his brother, he’d been given a second chance to make it right. If he wasn’t already too late.

  Feeling the light stab into his eyes like a lance, Alex closed them, hoping he hadn’t ruined everything with his best friend. That it wasn’t too late. But if his accident and his brother had taught him anything, it was that if there was still air in his lungs, it was never too late.

  Maybe it wasn’t too late for the tournament, either. Maybe the doctor would come and release him in time. Maybe that pounding in his head was nothing to worry about, and the dizziness and nausea…

  Alex must have dozed off, because he jumped when someone touched his hand. He blinked through the blurry vision and wondered if he wasn’t hallucinating. Maybe he’d been given more drugs than he’d thought.

  “Pikachu?”

  Katie’s face came into focus beneath her Pikachu hood. Her hold on his hand tightened, and she blinked rapidly, tears catching in her eyelashes. One rolled down her cheek, and Alex reached out to wipe it away. When she saw that his right arm was in a cast, she made a face and more tears fell.

  She sniffed. “You could have died.”

  “I know,” he said.

  “You’re an idiot,” she said weakly.

  He paused, and his expression was serious as he said, “I know,” hoping she understood that he didn’t mean about the racetrack.

  She leaned over the bed to hug him, and Alex couldn’t help the grunt that escaped him. She gasped and jumped back. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”

  He wrapped his arms around her before she could pull away. “No. It’s just a cracked rib or two.” He tried to laugh it off but only winced in pain. “How did you know I was here?”

  “Oh!” Her eyes widened, and she pulled out her phone. “I almost forgot.” She dialed a number and hit call.

  It didn’t even ring once before someone on the other end said, “Hello?”

  Instead of answering, Katie held the phone up to Alex’s ear. “Hello?” he said.

  “Alex? Alex?!” His mother’s screech shot like a cannonball into his brain. “Oh my God. You’re alive. Are you okay?”

  He assured her that he was. When she broke down into hysterics, his father came on the line. Alex briefly told him about the incident and downplayed his injuries. No, he definitely didn’t need either of them to fly out. Yes, he’d call several times a day. Alex eventually lied and said the nurse wanted to speak with him just to get them off the phone.

  “I love you guys, too,” he said. “I’m sorry. Bye.”

  Once he hung up, Katie pocketed her phone and pulled a chair up close to his bed. She glanced around the small curtained-off space.

  “This reminds me too much of Jason,” she said eventually. “You know, all your brother wanted was for you to be happy, to live your life the best you could.” She waved a hand over him, his cast, his injuries. “But I don’t think this is what he had in mind.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t think so, either.”

  Alex watched her expression, looking for signs, wondering what she was thinking. He itched to tell her all the things he’d realized—or maybe that itch was a side effect from the painkillers. However, there was still something in the way, and he was tired of wondering and guessing and worrying. Life was too short.

  “Were you in love with Jason?” he asked.

  Katie blinked. “What?” She stared at him blankly for a moment before finally asking, “Why would you think that?”

  Disappointment sat heavily on top of him. It wasn’t exactly a no. “Because he was in love with you.”

  She started to shake her head. “Alex, I don’t think—”

  “You should have heard the things he said about you, how great you were. How sweet, kind, loyal. He told me that if he survived, you were the girl for him.”

  Her mouth opened and she inhaled, but she couldn’t seem to find a response. Was she embarrassed that Jason had confided in Alex about her, that he’d known about them all this time? Alex turned away, not wanting to watch the emotions that might flit across her face. Would she be able to move beyond the past to be with Alex? Could he move beyond it?

  “Katie…” he started, but then her phone rang.

  Reluctantly, she pulled it from her pocket and answered. “Hello?”

  “Katie?” She sat close enough to Alex’s bed that he could hear the voice on the other end clearly. It was Trevor. “Is Alex okay? What’s going on?”

  “He’s okay,” she said, “but I’m afraid we’re not going to make it to the tournament.”

  Alex sat bolt upright in the bed, making his head spin. Wincing, he laid a palm on his forehead. “No, we can make it,” he gasped through the pain. “What time is it?”

  Katie pulled the phone away from her mouth. “It’s one thirty. We’re supposed to be at the stadium checking in by now.”

  “We’ve still got time.” He threw his blankets aside.

  She laid a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve been in an accident. You’re not going anywhere.”

  He fixed her with a look that he hoped seemed more determined than delusional. “You can help me or not, but I’m going to that tournament.”

  She paused, taking in his expression before finally shaking her head. “Stubborn.” Then into the phone, she said, “Trevor, try and stall them. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  Before she’d even hung up, Alex was trying to get out of bed. Katie laid a gentle hand on his chest and pushed him back down. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  But there was no time to waste, so as she disappeared through the cur
tains, Alex jumped off the stretcher, wincing slightly as he discovered a new ache in his knee. He glanced around the curtained-off area, but all his belongings were still at the track.

  Ripping off his hospital gown, he struggled back into the Speedway’s flame-resistant jumpsuit and whipped the curtain back. When he stepped out into the main area, he nearly ran into someone.

  The man backpedaled in surprise. Alex recognized him as the doctor who’d seen him when he first arrived in the ambulance.

  The doctor blinked at Alex before pushing his glasses back up his nose. He peered down at the folder in his hands. “Mr.…Masse. I was just coming to see you. Looks like they’ve got your arm all patched up.”

  “Yup, good as new,” Alex said, slowly backing toward the waiting room exit. “Thanks a lot.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say ‘good as new.’ We’ll have to monitor you overnight—”

  “No need. I feel great, Doc.”

  He gave a dry laugh. “That’s probably the drugs talking. Or the concussion.” With a wave of his hand, he indicated the stretcher, inviting him to lie back down.

  Alex took another step back. “You don’t understand. I have to go. It’s a matter of life and death.” Kind of.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he said, “or it could mean life or death for you. I don’t think you’re taking this seriously enough. We’ve had to medicate you for the pain, but you also have a concussion. There’s a delicate balance between these two things that needs to be managed.”

  “I know. I’m totally taking this seriously,” he said, all the while continuing to back away. “Look, I’ll come back. I promise. Just give me a few hours.”

  The doctor didn’t seem to like it much, but since he was eighteen now, he couldn’t hold Alex against his will. With a shake of his balding head, he waved him over to the nurse’s station. Once Alex had signed the release forms, he turned to find Katie pushing a wheelchair she’d found from somewhere.

  “Get in,” she said. “I called for a cab. It’ll be out front in five minutes.”

  He obeyed and she wheeled him to the exit at top speed. When the cab pulled up, they hopped in, and Alex told the driver, “The stadium near Castle Vegas, please. And I’ll pay double if you get me there in half the time.”

  The taxi driver hit the accelerator, and Alex’s head snapped back. He rubbed his neck and added possible whiplash to the growing list of injuries. At least they’d X-rayed it, so he knew it wasn’t broken.

  He checked the time on the dash and swore. 1:40. Only twenty minutes until game time. But there was nothing he could do except sit back and hope they got to the stadium in time, that he hadn’t ruined the team’s chances. His chances with Katie, however? After everything that had gone down, he worried that might be an entirely different story.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Welcome, gaming fans! Are you ready for Conquerors of Caroon?” A voice boomed, carrying through the stadium.

  The answer was a roar of cheers and applause that sounded like a jet engine starting up even over Katie’s huffing, Alex’s grunts of pain, and their heavy footfalls. They sprinted through the empty stadium lobby to find the doors already closed.

  “Wait! We’re here!” Katie yelled. Her voice echoed off the cement and glass architecture, but the only people around to hear her were employees working the concession stands.

  Behind her, Alex cried out. Katie skidded to a stop in her slippers and turned back. He limped as he tried to keep up, grimacing with every step.

  “Where does it hurt?” she asked.

  “Everywhere,” he panted, clutching his side.

  “We can slow down. It’s fine.”

  Then the announcer’s deep voice blared again from the loudspeakers inside. “Gamers to your stations!”

  “No time.” Pushing himself, he picked up the pace, his bruised face twisting with each step.

  When Katie wrenched open the stadium doors and ran inside, the blast of sound made her flinch in surprise. She couldn’t imagine what it was doing for Alex’s head.

  They stood at the top of the tiered seating and a long descent to the floor level where a stage sat in the center of it all. In front of giant screens that nearly reached the stadium rafters, five rows of computer stations lined up to face the audience. The teams were now walking out to a mixture of roaring cheers and noisemakers.

  Katie searched for the best way to the bottom. Her eyes roamed over the packed stadium, taking in the sea of spectators trying to find their seats. The promotional banners and flashy advertisements practically screamed at her to drink this or wear that, and the jumbo screen flicked through stats of each competitor as though this were a boxing match and not an online gaming tournament.

  There must have been enough fans there to fill the Death Star. All those people were going to watch them battle it out live in Caroon—not to mention, it was being aired on all the major e-sport channels. Nerves suddenly gripping her, Katie’s footsteps slowed.

  The announcer’s voice reverberated through the arena again. “A shocking revelation, folks. I have just been informed that MegaByte will not be competing today, since two of their members are currently MIA. We are down to four teams. Let’s get started!” His voice faded and music started to play, an upbeat tune with a fast tempo.

  Alex laid a hand on Katie’s back, urging her forward. “Come on, we’ll go down the aisle and try to get their attention somehow!”

  Pushing her fear aside, she ran down the stairs. A few heads turned their way, but otherwise, all eyes were on the stage where the teams were taking their places. As each competitor sat down in front of a computer, a live image of their face popped up on a screen just in front of their station.

  Soon, all the stations had been logged into—all except for one team’s. Even from forty rows up, Katie spotted a giant green turtle, a bubblegum pink princess, and a little green Tinker Bell being consoled by a Ghostbuster.

  “Wait!” Katie yelled. “We’re here! MegaByte is here!”

  Between grunts, Alex started to call out, too, but no one could hear them. The game was booting up on the giant screens, and the crowd was going wild, shaking their noisemakers in the air. The lights dimmed, making it hard for them to see where they were going and even harder for anyone to see them. Were they already too late?

  Katie saw the rest of their team being ushered off the stage by a guy dressed in a black-and-white vertical stripped shirt, not unlike a referee. They trudged off like they were taking a walk of shame.

  Panic filled Katie. “Wait!” she cried out, despite the fact that no one could hear them. “Megabyte is here! Megabyte is here!”

  A girl seated next to the aisle glanced at them. As Katie flew past her, the girl started yelling, too.

  “Megabyte is here!”

  A few others who noticed them racing-slash-hobbling called out, too, until the trickle of sporadic shouts unified to become a chant. It grew louder and louder, rippling through the crowd, chasing Katie and Alex down to the floor level like a tidal wave through the stadium.

  “Megabyte is here! Megabyte is here!”

  When they finally reached the bottom of the long stairs, Katie noticed their friends and the refs glancing around the stadium in confusion. She surged forward.

  Security guards converged on Katie and Alex, preventing them from going any farther. She tried to explain the situation but imagined she looked like a crazed Pikachu just trying to get close to the stage. Unable to get by them, she began jumping up and down, waving her arms frantically.

  From the stage, Lexi’s head snapped toward her. Her eyes lit up. She grabbed the ref by the arm, pointing at the two of them. Trevor, Penny, and Tara finally saw them, too. The refs motioned to the security guards, and they were let through.

  Now everyone was running, and Alex wasn’t even trying to swallow his grunts of pain, but he was also laughing. So was Katie. They’d made it.

  Trevor was the first to reach them. He threw a congenial a
rm around Alex, but Katie suspected it was to catch him if he collapsed, because Alex looked rather pale.

  “Are you all right, man? You look like you stumbled into a troll’s nest.”

  “Yeah, I’m okay,” he said, but he had to brace himself on the stage to rest. “Sorry. I got a little tied up. But I’m here now.”

  “What happened?” Penny asked.

  Lexi crossed her arms, eyeing up his coveralls. “You didn’t go to that speedway, did you?” Her expression was stern, but Katie could see the concern in her eyes.

  “Yeah, I crashed a Ferrari.” He winced sheepishly, or maybe in pain. “Sorry I didn’t call. My phone was with the rest of my stuff at the track.”

  “Well, you made it just in time,” Trevor said. “We’re glad you’re okay.”

  “I wasn’t about to miss today,” he said.

  A ref pushed his way into their group, looking harassed in the pregame moments. “Is your team ready to play or not?”

  Everyone looked to Alex because the only thing he looked ready for was to pass out.

  He gave a firm nod. “We’re ready.”

  “Okay, go, go, go!” He shooed them toward their gaming station. “The fate of Caroon lies in your hands.”

  They rounded the bottom of the stage to the steps. On their way, they passed the commentators’ table. Two guys in their twenties sat in front of microphones with headphones on. Katie’s ears automatically tuned into what they were saying over their broadcast.

  “Welcome Caroonians to the ultimate gaming tournament at Las Vegas, Nevada’s Ultra Con…Con…Con! We’ve got some stiff competition this year, competitors from all over the world, including the UK, China, and Korea. But not surprisingly, we have our returning champs from the last two years in a row, CrushU.”

  “That’s right,” his partner chimed in. “We have a lot of the usual suspects here today, people we see on the e-sport circuit time and time again. But what’s surprising is one team coming out of seemingly nowhere. MegaByte. I mean, I’ve never even heard of any of these players before. But since qualifying for the tournament was no easy task, we might just have a Trojan horse on our hands.”