The mirror showed the reflection of Mark and Cali talking at a locker across from her. There was a bit of a jealous pang in her chest as she watched. The rumble of the senior hallway was loud enough that she couldn't make out a word of what they were saying, but she knew they were enjoying their conversation, whatever it was. An arm slid around her shoulders and startled her out of her glare in the mirror. "Heater," she greeted, and looked back in the mirror, the boy leaned in to look too.
Cali was the exact opposite of Janet. The girl was pretty with professionally styled blond hair and striking green eyes. She was popular being not only the head cheerleader but also the captain of the volleyball team. She was always fashionable and wore high end designer clothes and shoes. Janet didn't like her. No, that was too mild. Janet hated her.
Janet actually looked at herself in the mirror. She had brown curly and frizzy hair, and her face showed the signs of being a teenager, she didn't wear makeup, and wire rimmed glasses covered her hazel brown eyes. She wore baggy tri-hand clothes from a thrift shop, but they were comfortable if a bit frayed.
"What's wrong Jan?" Heater asked, and she had to blink again. "Oh, that problem again?" he moved his arm and turned so he was leaning on the lockers beside her. She looked at him and her lips turned up into a smile.
"Does your mom know you took her earrings again?" Janet asked.
Heater shrugged. He had natural red hair that he styled up in 'flames', a pale complexion and a face full of freckles. Thick red rimmed square glasses that covered his natural soft green eyes. His clothes were a mixture of hand-me-downs, department store rejects, and hand stitched concoctions. But it all suited his easy going, don't give a damn attitude.
The earrings in question were large gaudy things with red fake gems. They made him look silly. More jewelry adorned him however, in the forms of three necklaces and rings on more than half his fingers, some with more than one. He even took the time this morning to apply red eye liner to his eyes. Heater didn't care what other people thought of his looks, and as long as he didnt break dress code, the school could do nothing.
He leaned over to her. "If you glare any harder at them, they will turn to ash," he whispered.
"I wish," Janet replied grabbed her books and slammed her locker closed. Heater stepped up beside her and they walked down the hallway.
"Have plans this weekend?" he asked her once they turned a corner.
"Spend it alone, in my room, like normal."
"Ah, no party I see," he waited for her to walk into the classroom first before he followed and took a seat next to her.
"No one to party with," she sighed, and then internally chuckled. 'No, I will likely have all the parties I could want if I wanted to go on a raid or 7.'
Her gamer life was something she kept secret. She used it to be close to Mark now, her childhood friend that she loved more than anything. But no one could know. Well Heater knew she played a couple of games, mostly old console games. Her head turned and then tilted as Heater was giving her a disbelieving look.
"What?" she asked.
"I want to get you something," he said. "Think about it."
"Sure," she replied with a smile. Sometimes Heater confused her. Heater became her friend in Freshman year, when Mark left her to join the popular kids all because his dad married into money and he now had an image to uphold. But she and Mark had known each other since kindergarten. It hurt when he said that he wasn't friends with her. But Heater stepped in beside her with his arm over her shoulder.
Opening her text book she looked at the boy beside her. He grinned wide. She chuckled, he was so silly.
Science class was about minerals, but Heater caught her attention more than not as he wrote furiously and scratched things out, clearly not taking notes. She wondered if Heater would have abandoned her like Mark did if he increased in monetary caste. She didn't even know what group he belonged to, though given his attire, the lower end of things.
After science she and Heater parted ways for the next class.
Math class she had with just Mark. No Cali. So she took her seat and soon some of the football team walked in with Mark as he sat down like he owned the classroom.
"I believe there are three raids planned for tonight," he said.
"Can you get me in? I always wanted to party up with Lorali," said one of the boys. "I can be the main tank once she sees my skills."
Mark chuckled. "I don't think she's going to replace me, I am just that good," he tilted his head up slightly.
'No, you actually suck, and I have to heal way more when you're the tank. But I get your attention, so I'll take it.' Janet thought.
"Seriously why do you get to be in all of her raids?" asked a second one clearly doubting in Mark's skills as he should. Lorali's raids are always streamed on the Avian forums.
"Like I said, I must be the best." Mark grinned.
She checked her phone briefly, and yep, no change to the hate and slander of Mark's Tank in the last raid. Janet didn't care however, Mark wasn't her only tank, and if she was going for rankings, which he did on occasion, she choose her party carefully.
Other than the conversation about the Avian raids, Math was uneventful.
She sat on the bleachers next to Heater in the gym. Heater had his sketch pad and pencil like he normally did for gym, and she had a book. Neither one were very physical, so it would be another non-active day for them. Janet personally hated gym and didnt understand why it was needed in education in the first place. Besides, only those good at sports actually liked the class.
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Today however something eventful was going on. Her eyes tore away from her book as the gym-noise stopped. Heater's pencil tapped a couple of times on his pad as he focused in on what was happening too.
Mark was standing with Cali in the center of the gym, both were flushed and breathing hard from their dodge ball run. When Mark got down on one knee and was holding a small box. Cali did the whole girl thing and covered her face with her hands, and nodded her head quickly.
A finger poked her in the cheek and Heater looked at her. "Hey are-" he started.
"I don't feel good," she said and stood up, "I'm going home."
"I'll drive you," Heater said and followed after her.
"Why, maybe it will be my lucky day after all and I'll get hit by a truck," she said. She stopped at her locker as Heater went to his. He was quicker, as she took a moment to study her face. Her eyes were misted over and it looked like she was about to cry.
Heater wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "That was tacky anyway, who would want to be proposed to in a gym in highschool?" he asked and squeezed her shoulder. She looked at him.
"Thanks," she breathed.
"Yeah, lets get you home safe, so I can give you your birthday gift," he said. They walked out of the school and towards the parking lot. Heater opened up a car door for her and she got in no questions asked. She could drive, but she didn't have her own car, her mom occasionally sends her out on errands.
Heater got in after and sat at the wheel a moment. "Hey Jan, why do you care what he does?" he asked.
"We were close... I was hoping we could still be close." she muttered softly. "I don't... wouldn't it be nice if those isekai stories were real?"
"Right," he agreed.
The drive to her house was uneventful, but she noticed that it wasnt her house. She perked her head up when he pulled into a drive way of a rather nice looking two story house. It looked like it had a large back yard that was fenced in and the front was well manicured and taken care of. "Heater?" she asked.
"Yep, just a minute," he said and put the car in park before he got out and walked in, unlocking the front door.
She looked at the house. It was larger than the one she lived in, but her house was also two stories, her mom rented it. The fence to the back yard wasnt weather worn like hers either. It was also not a hazard to walk in the back yard here too. The house was clean, and not covered in dirt and grime, the outside anyway. It didn't take Heater long to come out again, carrying a white box.
He got back into the car and sat the box in her lap. "Happy birthday," he said.
Janet looked at the box and then opened it, and closed it again at once. "How?" she asked.
"Lucky I guess, contests and all," he said with a smile.
"But this is..."
"Nope, got two of them," he interrupted. Her jaw dropped.
"What?"
"So Beta starts tonight at midnight, and will go until next Monday, so we have a little more than a week..." he said and then started to drive again. "My name will be Phionex, so message me, if you want to party together, or if you...need help."
She nodded her head. "I will, thank you Heater."
He pulled up next to her drive way, and looked at her, "Butterfly."
She paused in opening the door and blinked at him. "What?"
"Butterfly, a code word incase you go by a name I don't know," he replied with a smile.
"Butterfly," she smiled, "how apt of you to pick something fluttery and cute." She got out of the car and closed the door, waving at him as he drove away, holding her new VR head set.
No one was home at this hour so she got on her computer and stared at the forums for a long time, longer than she intended to anyway. After long of blankly blinking back the tears that still threatened she placed her fingers to keys.
‘Lorali will no longer be playing Avian. I am moving on to Aether, hope to see you all in the new realm.’ A small smile that didn’t reach her eyes appeared as she hit the submit button and within seconds tags and replies started to appear. Mostly about the raid that was supposed to be tonight. Ignoring the forum for the time she decided to plug in the new VR set.
Sandwich in hand along with the manual to the new game she sat at the table and started to pour over the information listed in the thick book.
She went past the disclaimers and at your own risk, and liability pages to the actual game information. Skimming over how the VR set would work. It functions while she’s asleep, akin to a programmed dream.
“Ah here,” she dusted her hands from the crumbs as she started to read aloud to the empty house. “Aether is an open content world with two main continents and dozens of islands scattered around. The world is dynamic, players who are influential can sway the minds of the ruling NPCs, or even take over entire towns and cities themselves. There are seven large nations, two human nations, one elfin nation, one dwarven nation, and three nations of the mixed races. Dozens of smaller monstrous communities also exist throughout Aether. Keep in mind the game doesn’t revolve around you, if you are promoted to mayor and then leave for a month you will likely be replaced by someone else.
“There are three main races that you can choose from at the start of Aether; Human, Elf and Dwarf. Humans are well rounded and can learn anything. Elves lean more towards magic, and gain a bonus in magic. Some skills, and abilities are closed off to the elves. Dwarves are sturdy and strong, they get bonuses for standing their ground. Some skills and abilities are closed off to the dwarves.
“There are no classes in Aether characters do things according to skills and abilities. There are hundreds of skills in the world of Aether, seven stat scores, and countless abilities and spells.
“Stat scores are one of the key character creation and leveling factors of Aether, these are the foundation of your character. Strength measures melee damage and how much your character can lift and carry. Dexterity is dodge chance to armor class, how flexible your character is. Constitution measures how many hit points your character has before knock out and respawn. Intelligence is mana points, spell damage, and how well you can remember important quest information on recall. Wisdom is also mana points, healing bonuses, and how aware you are to the world around you. Charisma is how well others like you. Luck is how lucky you are.
“Everyone starts in Aether as a level 0 with a 1 in each of the seven stat points. Players choose ten skills and two spells or abilities upon character creation from a list that is available. Upon leveling up you will be rewarded five tokens to spend how you wish. Tokens can be spent on new spells and abilities that are available to you or level up an existing spell or ability, on your raw stat points, or on skill points.
“The world is open for you to explore, however there is an end boss to the game, the Demigod on the lowest floor of the central tower in the center of the world, Defeating him grants the ring of the Demigod, which makes the player that defeated the boss the ruler of Aether.”
She hummed as she finished reading, unfolding the poster in the back of the book showed a massive map with two large land masses and a lot of islands all around them. No cities were marked on the map, nor nation names or the land mass’s names. But it was nice to look at. Maybe she would hang it up on her wall.
Janet returned to her room after that and looked for a place on her wall that was already covered in posters of fantasy worlds, mostly video game worlds, but there were some others as well. She chose a spot on her ceiling, over the Avian map. She lay on her back a moment and looked at the map, envisioning exploring the vast world that was sprawled out before her now. She couldn't wait until midnight.
Sitting at the computer she chose to read some fanfiction while she waited rather than get on Avian. Besides she posted earlier that she wasn’t going to be on, it was kind of silly to log on after she said she wouldn’t.