The caffeine had not hit Ari’s system effectively enough for her to comprehend Professor Speltman’s lecture on the common templates for coding. Although she’d better figure it out by that afternoon, since she had to create a template herself. By the time she found her seat in programming, she had wiped the sleep from her eyes and the caffeine had kicked in. With thoughts of the previous night, a nervous energy kept her sitting up straight in her chair as Professor Tollingston lectured on the seven basic plots in storytelling. He claimed that there were only seven stories ever told in history, and those were retold with different variations.
Despite her interest in the topic, Ari’s mind wandered back to her night with Garrett. Part of her found hope in remaining in the VR for as long as she did. Yet leaving mid-kiss had made things a bit awkward in the lab with Garrett. Though, as they texted through the day, he had guaranteed her that he didn’t take offense at her fast departure.
While trying to keep up with her notes, thoughts of Garrett and his almost-kiss twirled around her mind. He was cute, nice, and ready to help when no one else seemed to care, but something was off. Maybe it was his objectionable methods of helping by slipping a tab in her drink or sneaking into school property in the middle of the night? That kiss wasn’t anything like she imagined her first kiss. Did that even count as a kiss if it was electronic?
She shoved the memories of the night away and focused on the lecture. Professor Tollingston was giving examples of stories told throughout history.
The red-headed kid, Rand, raised his hand. “Why does it matter if history falls into the regular stock stories?”
Gutsy to ask, Ari thought, or just stupid.
“There is a high demand for periodic pieces amongst educational institutions, and the study of military strategy and wars is extremely important to our country. Yet people want to be constantly entertained, so you must follow the plots given to you. You students are storytellers, every single one of you, and virtuals are a story taken to the ultimate platform.”
As her professor assigned homework, Ari realized why she might have been chosen for the scholarship. She loved stories, relishing the characters and intricate plots. The only problem was she preferred them on her tablet where she had more control over the experience.
The bell rang, and Ari headed to lunch. Her shoes hit the warm pavement, and she welcomed the sun as she continued on her way to grab a bite to eat.
She was surprised to find Reed approaching and wondered what he was doing near the Virtuals building. It was on the other side of the campus for him.
“Hey, Ari.” He looked good with his perfectly mussed hair and hazel eyes. She nervously touched her hair, currently wrapped in a messy bun, and wished she’d fixed it after class.
“Whatcha doing on this side of the world?”
“Not much. I had to run a couple of errands.” He looked around for a moment.
She wondered if he was meeting someone, maybe the blonde she remembered from his dorm.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” He moved to the grassy area next to the Virtual building, and Ari followed, a bit curious as why he would need to talk to her.
“Is this about Marco? I haven’t seen him for a week, and I thought he might be avoiding hanging out with his first-year sister.”
“No, it’s not about Marco.”
“Then why hasn’t he called or returned my texts?”
“He’s busy lately, studying, and he’s been in the virtual lab a lot this semester.” A chill ran up Ari’s spine at the mention of virtuals. She still needed to get used to the fact that they were a part of her daily life.
“You better tell him to text me soon.” Ari’s stomach grumbled, signaling time to go. “I’m heading to lunch.”
“No, wait.” He stopped her.
She glanced at his hand on her arm. She’s known Reed for a long time, and his touch shouldn’t affect her so much. Looking back up, she noticed color flooding his face. She’d never seen him flustered before.
“What is it?”
“It’s Garrett.”
She pulled back slightly. How could he know?
He must have seen the surprise on her face. “I saw the both of you the other day and I was a little worried.”
“What about Garrett?”
“I know Garrett. We work together.”
“Where?”
“We do a side business together to make some extra money.” Reed dropped his hand and his eyes. “It’s just that I know what kind of guy he is, and I don’t think you should be hanging out, especially with you being a first-year and all. He has a reputation with girls.”
“Really?” She bit back her frustration at being left in the dark. Why didn’t anyone tell her? She waited until Reed met her eyes before she continued. “Garrett has been the only one in this whole school to help me out and even care what’s happening to me. I can’t even get my own brother to text me back, never mind give a damn about how I’m doing.”
“I give a damn.”
“Until the next pretty blonde comes along.” Ari didn’t mean to say it. The words slipped out. She had no reason to be jealous, and she didn’t think she really was. It just felt like ammunition.
A momentary flash of surprise crossed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“The girl in your room.”
“That was work,” Reed protested.
“The work you do with Garrett?”
“Yes.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I never knew you needed help.”
“Don’t worry about it, Reed. You don’t have to tell me anything.” Tired and hungry, she wasn’t in the mood to fight anymore. “I’m going. Thanks for your concern. Tell my brother I say ‘Hi’.” Ari walked off, leaving Reed behind.
She made
