She swallowed her fear and took off up the hill after him. By the time she made it to the top, she was out of breath and her legs burned. “I know this isn’t real, but my legs hurt.”
“Just because this is happening in your mind doesn’t make the experience any less real.” Garrett reached out and took her hand.
While his action appeared extremely casual, Ari couldn’t help but wonder what it meant. He tugged her to the edge, to a breathtaking view of water below. Vegetation surrounded the pool with a variety of colored flowers. Their tropical smells drifted up to greet her. He stepped closer to the edge, pulling her with him.
“What are you doing?”
“Jumping, of course. You’ll love it.”
“I don’t think so. What if I died here? I know I won’t really die, but it still has to hurt. Right?” Unable to control her nervous ramblings, Ari pulled against his hold.
Garrett must have seen the panic in her eyes, because he pulled her into a hug. “Don’t worry so much, Ari. Remember I said it’s all about trust?”
They were at the edge of the cliff. She didn’t know if she trusted Garrett. Granted, she was there with him, and sneaking out in the middle of the night required some trust. While the mental war waged on, Garrett held her tighter, and before she could say a word, he stepped off the cliff with Ari screaming all the way down.
Ari tried to hit Garrett several times after she recovered from the jump, but he ducked under the water out of range. Struggling to fight while staying afloat, she swam to the side and sat on the rocky deck in her wet clothes.
“Don’t be mad. I really thought you’d like it.” Garrett floated in the water in front of her.
Ari could almost admit that it had been pretty fun, but she didn’t like him making choices for her in the virtuals. She needed to learn how to do things for herself.
“I promise no more cliff jumping without your permission.”
“Oh, so cliff jumping is a regular thing for you.”
“Bungie jumping also. You should try the Eiffel Tower.”
“No thanks. I’d love to see Paris, but not in a blur as my life passes in front of my eyes.” Ari’s anger receded as her heartbeat finally slowed. The panic hadn’t left her, but it took up less residence hiding in the recesses of her mind. She didn’t know if it was Garrett’s surprises or his casual flirty behavior and she didn’t care. If she could play in here, she could work. She had to.
“Ready?” Garrett swam towards her and climbed out.
“No, but I don’t have a choice, my test is tomorrow.” Ari grabbed a small rock on the ground and threw it in the water. “I need to try this on my own.”
“Go during lunch then. It’s pretty empty.” Garrett’s wet hair dripped into his mischievous eyes.
“Garrett,” Ari swallowed unsure of what their relationship was growing into. “Thanks for everything. I couldn’t have done this without you. I owe you.”
“I can think of one way you can repay me.” Garrett eyed her in a manner that made it obvious what kind of payment he was hoping for.
She stood, nervous about what had happened the last time he tried to take things too far. “I can think of one too.” Ari shoved him back and watched as he tumbled into the water.
Chapter Ten
Living on a constant caffeine drip, Ari slept for only a couple hours and woke up early the next day. She read the school policy and learned that every student was allowed two absences a quarter, and she was cashing in that day. Coleman’s deadline was up. Messaging Tessa, Ari asked her still sleeping roommate to take notes for her morning classes and headed off to the VR lab.
Despite her lack of sleep, anxiety and fear kept her awake and followed her every step. She had to do this, before she talked herself out of it. The open lab in her dorm was next to her VR class with Dr. Coleman. The glass door slid open with a whoosh as she approached. Ari’s normal teaching assistant, Mica, wasn’t in the room, but another tall lanky guy sat behind the counter, his head in his hands.
“Wanting to check in?” His brows lowered as if wanting to ask, instead, why she was here so early.
“Yes.” She gave her full name so that it would match her HUB and waved her wrist over the black pad on the desk. Her name and picture popped up onto the screen.
The guy looked over her info and then typed something. “I’m Toby. You must be getting some last-minute cramming in for Dr. Coleman’s test. Number eight is open. What do you want to run?”
As determined as Ari was to come to the lab, she’d never thought about what VR to choose. She wanted to conquer the last one she’d run from. “Can I do the one from the first day of his class?”
“Sure. Give me a second to find it.” He focused on his screen. “Most teachers use the one from the Never-Ending War to scare all the newbies away.”
Well, it worked, but not this time.
“Okay, you’re all set.”
Ari made her way through the small cubicles filled with leather reclined chairs and VR stations. A few of them were filled with unconscious students. The smell of cleaning solution filled the air, and it reminded her of a hospital, and her father. She was determined not to lose her nerve so easily, so she continued down to number eight. She set down her bag and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. It took a moment to get settled.
“You can do this,” she reminded herself and dove into the program.
The familiar dust and noise bombarded her instantly. Voices screamed, calling for help. Bombs exploded in the distance. Her first reaction was to flee. She scurried
