Chapter 1
19 min left
My roommate, Stacy, had this takeout–thieving habit. One day, she went too far – she scarfed the food my online gaming buddy, “ShadowStrike,” had ordered for me.
Later, ShadowStrike sends me a screen–grab from the delivery guy’s camera and hits me with, “You look like that? How dare you even talk to me? Gross!”
He dumps me and immediately hooks up with “Valkyrie,” the top female gamer in our scene.
Everyone starts posting pics of Valkyrie, laughing at me, “Look at the whale who got dumped. Serves you right!”
“You’re no match for Valkyrie! She’s gorgeous and a gaming god!”
I stare at the picture… and freeze.
Isn’t that… me?
****
I logged into the game, and bam, my gaming buddy, ShadowStrike, had cut ties with me.
I tried to message him, but he’d just sent “Disgusting” and then blocked me.
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Chapter 1
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Just then, my roommate, Stacy, saw me online and invited me, “Hey, Liv, I’m one game away from Diamond, could you carry me?”
I tried to shake off the weird feeling I had. Figured I’d help Stacy then figure out the deal with ShadowStrike.
But when I hit the group–up, someone else was already in the lobby. The ID was way too familiar: ShadowStrike.
Stacy and ShadowStrike were chatting on voice comms. When he saw I was in the room, the friendly tone he had been using turned immediately sour.
He snapped, “Ugh, why’d you invite her?”
Stacy, from her bunk above me, whined, “What’s wrong, ShadowStrike? You know her?”
ShadowStrike was blunt, “No, and I don’t want to know her. Don’t ever associate me with her.”
I frowned and asked, “What’s your problem?”
ShadowStrike’s voice was cold, “How dare you ask me that? I feel sick just thinking about us being buddies. Don’t ever say we were a thing. I’d be too embarrassed.”
With that, he muted me and said to Stacy, “I don’t want to play
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08:44
Chapter 1
with her.”
Stacy leaned over her bunk, grinning smugly. “Sorry, Liv, ShadowStrike is way better than you. Maybe next time.”
And then she booted me from the room.
19 min left
ShadowStrike was good, yeah, but it wasn’t why I was his gaming buddy. I knew him from real life.
His real name was Chad, and he was the star point guard on the basketball team at the university next door.
Once, when I was at a competition, I twisted my ankle, and he carried me to the nurse’s office. He was so worried, making jokes to keep me from freaking out. I was smitten with this kind, good–looking guy.
So when I realized that he was also ShadowStrike, I accepted his invite to game together.
We played a long time. Him the jungler, me in mid, and we clicked.
So, I said yes to being his gaming buddy.
He’d said I was the best female gamer he’d ever met and hated those cringy girls who just flirt to climb the ranks.
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Chapter 1
19 min left
But now I was hearing Stacy, up in her bed, cooing as she played support, “Oh, Chad, honey, can you give me the blue buff? Pwease?”
Chad laughed, “Sure thing.”
It was super cutesy.
I bit my lip, feeling mixed emotions.
I decided to get out of the dorm.
Just then, Stacy suddenly asked, “ShadowStrike, why do you hate Liv so much?”
Chad didn’t hold back. “She’s just plain gross. Makes my stomach turn to look at her.”
I froze.
Gross?
I’m not exactly conceited, but I had actually been runner–up in the school’s “Hottest Student” pageant last year.
This was the first time anyone had ever called me “gross.”
Stacy, hearing that, seemed taken aback for a second.
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Chapter 1
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But then she went back to her overly sweet voice. “I get it! Guys like you should be with a goddess! I hate ugly people too!”
Chad laughed. “Like you, you mean, you goddess?”
Stacy giggled like they had just shared an inside joke.
I turned to look at Stacy who was facing away from me playing the game.
Her bed was a mess.
Her sheets and pillowcases hadn’t been changed all semester; they were yellowed and dingy.
Her hair hadn’t been washed in two weeks, she probably last showered a few days ago, and her body was emitting this gross fried-food smell.
She was sitting on her pillow, all two hundred plus pounds of her, simpering to Chad, “Oh, you’re so bad!”
03
I couldn’t take it anymore, so I left to grab something from the cafeteria.
About thirty minutes later, Chad posted in our gaming squad’s Discord: “[Anyone wanna game?]”
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Chapter 1
19 min left
He was high rank, super skilled, and lots of people wanted to ride his coattails. But he had only ever played with me.
Everyone jumped at the chance. “[Carry me, Chad!]”
“[Whoa, Chad’s not playing with Liv today? What’s the occasion?]”
Chad replied, “[Don’t ever bring her up in front of me.]”
Everyone started to sniff out the gossip. “[Whoa, you guys break up?]”
“[Just checked Liv’s profile, and they aren’t gaming buddies anymore.]”
“[Man, you two seemed perfect, even from the same town. What happened? I was waiting for wedding bells.]”
Chad immediately replied with a vomit emoji.
He was making it very clear how much he disliked me.
Everyone jumped to conclusions.
“[Did Liv cheat or something?]”
I sighed.
I was curious why Chad suddenly hated me.
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Chapter 1
19 min left
So I tagged him while he was still chatting, “[Since you’re here, you should at least explain why. I don’t want people making stuff up.]”
The group immediately pounced. “[Wait, does this mean Chad cheated?]”
Chad seemed annoyed that I was getting so bold.
He sneered, “[How dare you ask me? Since you’re so desperate to know the truth, I guess I’ll spill. I’ve already given you enough chances to save face.]”
Then he posted a picture.
He quickly added, “[How could you even think of hitting on me when you look like that? So gross.]”
I clicked on the image and scowled.
It was a photo, secretly taken.
The picture showed a heavyset girl with dark hair, grinning while holding a food delivery bag like she had pulled off a heist.
It was Stacy?
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