Pepper’s eyes locked onto his holodex screen and started to scroll down the list of missed messages.

[:::] Are you on your way over to the Millers yet? [:::]

[:::] Hey Pep, Tami Miller informed us she is throwing a surprise B-day party for Summer. It is at 3 PM. [:::]

[:::] Pep give me a call when you get this. [:::]

All the messages had been from his dad. A knot in his stomach immediately formed. He quickly tapped back a response. “Just woke up, on my way.” Once he’d hit send, he launched himself out of his hammock. Or at least he tried. Pepper’s angle caused him to sway and teeter too far in the hammock. He lost his balance and went tumbling to the ground.

“Ow. That sucked,” he mumbled.

He made it to his bike and went pedaling down the street and eventually made it over to the Millers’ house. He could smell the barbecue from down the street as he closed in on the location. There were a good number of cars parked out front. Pepper was happy to see the great turnout to celebrate the birthday girl.

With a quick pitch of his bike against the side of the house, he walked through the side gate and into the backyard. Music was playing, and there was mixed laughter among the people who were scattered throughout the backyard.

Pepper’s dad was standing at the grill. He noticed the Nordon’s grocery bag next to it. “Another donation from Nordon’s?” he asked.

“Well, look who decided to join the living today.”

“Sorry about that,” Pepper mumbled.

“No, you’re not. Don’t lie to me like that,” his father countered.

The hair stood up on the back of Pepper’s neck and he was sure he was done for. He glared at the fence and sighed. A nudge on his shoulder brought him back to see the grin on his dad’s face. “I’m just messing with you, Pep.”

“Gotcha.” He took a breath in relief.

“You got Summer a 30 Flex gift card to that coffee shop she likes.”

His expression quickly distorted in confusion. He thought for a second and was convinced he had not bought a gift card. “I don’t remember—” He stopped when he saw his dad’s smile appear and his eyes flutter. “Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You knew I would forget, huh?”

“Oh yeah… I remember what it was like to be sixteen… that and your mother reminded me.” Trent winked and gave Pepper another nudge as the two chuckled. “Grab a plate.”

Pepper reached over to a side table and grabbed a plate. His dad transferred a freshly grilled burger to him, and Pepper finished making himself his meal. He took his first few bites and then chuckled, imaging how JD would commentate and describe his dad’s barbecue skills.

“Also, seeing how you are late, Tami announced to all the guests that Summer got accepted into that one nursing school. So you at least have something else to congratulate the birthday girl on when you…” Trent fake dry coughed twice and then continued with emphasis, “Go talk to her.”

Pepper rolled his eyes but grinned. “Got it.”

He didn’t wait any longer and started to walk slowly through the crowd. The familiar voice of his mom drew a quick glance from him, and he saw her sitting at a table with Tami. The two were drinking what looked like wine and laughing at something. His heart sank. He was happy to see her looking and sounding happy, but he only wished he was also the recipient of that version of his mom at home.

His eyes homed in on Summer. She was surrounded by some of her friends from school. He approached and waited, not wanting to intrude on the group’s topic of discussion.

Pepper was surprised when Summer was the one who took the lead. “Pep, thanks so much for coming.” She closed the rest of the distance to him and wrapped him in a hug.

“Of course,” he replied nervously. “Looks like you got a great turnout.”

“Yeah… I mean, I know it was kinda last minute, and honestly… I didn’t even want the party. But my mom insisted. Especially with the news that just came in.”

Pepper smiled. “Yeah, congratulations on that. That’s exciting.”

Summer nodded and smiled. “Yeah, it’s really great.”

Pepper looked into her eyes and could see a heavy burden behind the veil. He didn’t want to pry, especially given the situation they were in. He merely put his observation to the back of his mind and did whatever he could to keep the mood lighthearted.

“Well, I hope my dad got the right coffee shop for my gift card for you.” He chuckled.

“You totally forgot!” She laughed for a second. “Figures you would. Seems about right for the Golem Champion.”

“The title is Golem Master.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes with a smile. Her hand reached around and gave him a side hug. “Still, whether it was from your dad or you, it means more to me that you are all here.”

“Hey, Pep,” his dad’s voice called out.

He turned around to face his dad. “Yeah?”

“Why don’t you get a fire going in the fire pit?”

Summer instantly said, “Oh my gosh, that would be perfect. Do you think you could?” she exclaimed.

“Sure… I think I can manage that.”

“Thanks, Pep. You’re the best.” She smiled and then glanced back at her friends. “Okay, I’ll come hang out in a bit once you get the fire going,” she finished and walked back over to her friends.

“Sounds good,” he replied but was sure she didn’t even realize he had responded.

It didn’t take Pepper long before the fire was up and crackling with life. He tossed his paper plate and napkin into the flames and sat in the camping chair next to the pit. He noticed Meg and Jackson running around the backyard. The two had become very close over the years and were a perfect picture of excitement whenever they were together.

He watched the two zigzag around the group but then noticed the newest arrival at the celebration. His eyes narrowed, and he felt his heart start to pump faster. Andrea had just finished wrapping her arms around Summer. He didn’t want to stare and was nervous about getting caught looking, yet he was fixated.

Her blond hair was highlighted against the black T-shirt she wore. Her rich denim jeans looked like they were painted on. She reached up and adjusted her hair, and her smile beamed as the two girls giggled.

Pepper swallowed and felt his heart pounding in his chest. He took a deep breath. He had no idea that the two girls knew each other. His mind raced with a million thoughts, and he had no idea what to do or even say. The safest thing to do was stay at the fire, and that was exactly what Pepper chose to do.

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Thankfully, Meg came to his rescue. She walked over and immediately began climbing into his lap. She snuggled up like a cat and simply rested in his arms. Pepper chuckled and began to brush her hair back with his fingers.

“What are you doing, goofball?” he jokingly asked.

“I’m not a goofball, you’re the goofball,” she replied.

A soft chuckle came over him and he wiggled her in his arms. “Oh really? And why do you say that?”

“Because Mom and Dad say that about you.”

He felt a deadpan expression come over his face and he hummed. “Mmhhmm… what else do they say about me?”

“I can’t say it… they’re naughty words.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough.” He looked down at her and she gazed back at him with her rich chocolate eyes. His mind replayed the night terror that he had experienced. Her voice calling out for his help echoed in the memory. He leaned over and planted some playful kisses on her forehead. “Love you, Meg.”

“Me too,” was all she replied.

Meg rested in his arms until she eventually fell asleep. His mom and dad walked over once they were ready to leave. Mom grabbed hold of the sleeping wildling and carried her off.

“You going to stay here for a bit?” his dad asked.

“Yeah… I think so. Maybe not too much longer.”

Trent grinned. “Not a bad decision… given the situation.” His dad looked over at the few girls who remained around Summer and winked.

“Come on, Dad…” Pepper sighed.

“Don’t be out too late, and shoot me a message once you start making your way home.”

“Okay.”

The party started to die down a few minutes later. Summer’s mom started to clean up. Pepper stood up and was about to go help when she swatted him away. “No, Pepper Walker, you sit down and enjoy that campfire.”

He chuckled. “If you say so.”

“I insist,” she said in a playful tone.

Pepper then noticed Summer and Andrea walking over to him. His palms started to sweat with nerves. He mentally reminded himself to breathe and not think too much of it.

“Hey, Pep,” Andrea greeted him.

What do I say? What do I say? Do I start with Hi, or what if I went with something cool, like What’s cracking? No, wait… that sounds ridiculous. Cracking? What even is that? Are we rodeo cowboys cracking whips? There is the standard what’s up… but that seems…

“Hello?” Summer asked. “Earth to space cadet Pepper. Do you read us?”

He felt his cheeks flush. “Sorry, I was… zoned out there.”

“No kidding, Pep.” Summer chuckled, and Andrea giggled in response as the two sat down across from him.

Smooth, Pep… real smooth.

“Pepper, you know Andrea, right?” Summer asked and pointed with her thumb over to her guest.

“Yeah… we have crossed in the halls here and there at school.”

Andrea chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve also seen you at some of the Golem Club matches.”

Pepper was rocked. He stared back at her and blinked rapidly. His cheeks were already flushed, but now he felt like they were on fire. “You’ve been to the club matches?”

She laughed. “Well, I mean, it’s not like there’s anything else to do around this town.”

“I guess you’re right.” He laughed nervously and was worried that she thought he was a total nerd.

“I think I saw you also working at Rocket Burger the other day, right? You were in the drive through window?”

Pepper felt a crushing weight come over him and all he wanted to do was hide. He didn’t want to admit it. Yup, that’s me… fast-food-working, worthless Pepper Walker… welcome to Rocket Burger. Would you like to upgrade your meal to mega mission size?

He turned to look at the fire, not wanting to face her when he admitted it. “Yeah… I pick up a couple hours a week. Going to be a few more now after the… suspension.”

“Summer, can you come help me with Jackson?” Tami’s voice called from the house.

Summer looked down and checked the time on her holodex. “Be back in a little bit.”

Pepper swallowed. Play it cool, play it cool, play it cool. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my—

Andrea’s voice interrupted his nerve-racking thoughts. “So, I wanted to tell you. I thought it was cool how you stood up for Summer and her brother the way you did.”

He snapped his head back over to her. “You did? I mean… you do?”

Her eyes widened and her lips pressed down into a smile. “Uhh, yeah. Tamin needs to be put in his place every once in a while. He likes to add drama to every situation.” She paused. “And besides, I get that Jackson can be a handful sometimes, but he is just as cool as anyone else.”

Pepper took a deep breath. “Yeah… he is pretty cool. He and my little sister are pretty close.” He chuckled. “Practically inseparable when they’re together.”

There was a quiet pause between them. The fire crackled, and Pepper retrieved a few new pieces of wood and placed them in the fire. The flames were rekindled, and he brushed off some of the dirt that had gotten on him in the process.

“Okay… So, Mister Golem Warrior… tell me about this Golem League stuff.”

Pepper clasped the arms of the folding chair and stared back at her. The movement was so quick that she shot him a confused look. They looked at each oddly other for a moment.

Pepper blinked rapidly. “Are you serious?”

Andrea smiled and sarcastically blinked rapidly back at him. “Yes.” She laughed. “It all seems really… complex. Like there always seems to be something going on, and people are just non-stop talking about some fight, match thing taking place. It’s a lot, and I just don’t understand how it all works.”

“Wow…” Pepper said, dragging the word out.

“Did you seriously just Owen Wilson me?” Andrea shook her head with a look of disbelief.

Pepper shot his hand out, trying to recover ground he had lost. “No… sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I’ve never had to explain it before, and I guess I don’t even know where to start.”

Andrea rolled her eyes with an overly dramatic expression. “Oh my god, Pepper. How about you just start at the beginning?”

He laughed. “Easy to say, hard to do.” He coughed. “Okay… okay… let me try to break this down.”

“Finally,” Andrea chimed in.

Pepper didn’t mind the interruption. She gave him a smile that made his heart melt. Her eyes were gazing back at him, and he only wanted the look she was giving him to last as long as possible.

He felt his cheeks start to blush and shook his head to shake the embarrassment. “Well, there are basically five different levels or tiers to the Golem League. At the very bottom are the clubs. These are local clubs that people like me compete in. There are hundreds of clubs all across the country. Then the next level up is the Regional Division.”

“Okay, hold on.” Andrea put her hand out and paused him.

“What is it?”

“So, are there any big differences between the two?”

Pepper chuckled nervously. “Oh yeah. Each level has a lot of differences with the exception of the final two. But in the clubs, your golem is only allowed to be a maximum height of five feet. Additionally, your golem can only weigh one ton. Finally, you are limited to five rune slots.”

“And… runes are the magical things that were released when the demons attacked, right?” Andrea tilted her head.

“Yeah—the Rift Wars. We learned how to use the runes to create the golems.”

“Gotcha. Okay, continue,” she said with a nod.

“The regionals allow your golems to be fifteen feet high and weigh 1.5 tons. Your rune slots also get upgraded to seven total.” Pepper paused and took a sip. The regionals are also like the Wild West. It’s crazy.” Pepper chuckled.

“How so? Don’t you all still just compete?”

“Yes and no. The regional conferences are broken up into seven different regions, hence the name. They are the Great Plains, the Rockies, the PNW, the Colonies, the Great Lakes, the Southwest Conference, and finally the Southeast Conference.”

Andrea giggled. “That doesn’t sound all wild and crazy. That sounds like a traditional sports league or something like that.”

Pepper nodded. “You’re not wrong, but within the regional tier are guilds.”

“Guilds?”

“They’re like clubs or teams. You normally have to try out or even be invited. They allow gladiators to train, prepare, and battle each other outside of the season.”

“So you don’t just fight in your matches like you do now?”

“No … that’s what makes that tier super competitive. Just because you’re officially in the Golem League Regional Division doesn’t mean you actually get to compete in the season.”

“So what season are we currently in?”

“We’re in the tenth season. Once the Pantheon ends and the Golem Master is claimed, the Immortals will finish and then it’s down to Promina and Regionals. It goes in that order so people know who is relegated and then promoted once the lower tiers finish out.”

“I have a feeling, like, guilds are totally the way to go.” Andrea crossed her arms, tilted her head, and nodded confidently.

“Well, it certainly helps. Guilds normally have a high amount of supplies, sponsorships, media presence, and, most importantly, lots of money.” Pepper paused and his eyes widened. He was imagining what it would be like to be in a guild and have the full complement of resources within his reach.

“You don’t seem to be a guild kinda guy.”

His gaze left the flames and he looked at the confident smile on Andrea’s face. “Why is that?”

She shifted in her seat. “You’re a lone wolf; you blaze your own path.” She paused and he smiled until she continued. “That and you’re a ginger, and we all know you don’t have a soul … so there’s that.”

“Wow …”

Andrea giggled, which led to a laugh. “There’s that Owen Wilson again.”

Pepper noticed Summer walking back towards them. There was a curious look on her face. “What are you two all laughing about?”

“Oh, Pepper was just explaining the whole golem levels to me—doing a terrible job at it too.”

Pepper dropped his jaw sarcastically but didn’t dare say the word he wanted to. He knew he wouldn’t hear the end of it from either of the girls if he did. He shook his head while the girls giggled. “Okay… okay… I see how it is.”

“Well, don’t let me stop you. What comes next, Pep?” Summer asked.

“So, next is the Promina. This is like the Olympics of the Golem League. Just like the Regional Division, the Promina has five major conferences: Africon, the Confederation of Europe, the Drakonic Lands, the Nor-So Americas, and the Independent Federation of Nations.”

Andrea sarcastically emphasized her question. And… let me guess, the golems get bigger.”

“Uhh, yeah. Duh! Forty feet high at seven tons with… twelve rune slots.”

Andrea turned to Summer and mouthed “Twelve rune slots.”

The sarcasm was starting to get to him. But at the same time, he loved having this moment with his crush. “The final levels are Immortals and Pantheon. Both leagues allow for fifteen rune slots. But the golems are set at fifty feet in the Immortals and sixty feet in Pantheon. With such a huge size to work with, it allows gladiators to—” Pepper stopped in his tracks. His eyes locked and his jaw clenched tight.