The game was loading around me slowly but it was different than before. The Tina’s Place coffee van was the same, but the setting was not going to be a park again. I felt a strange warmth around me, like the game was simulating a hot day- then suddenly it made sense.

A beautiful crescent of beach appeared in the distance and beside it, perfect white sand dotted with umbrellas. I could see the other vans, we were positioned nearer to each other than the previous round. We had different spots on a long stone walkway that seemed to frame the whole beach.

Mum and I had not come to the beach in … a long time. She was always busy working and I had to study AND work, so it just hadn’t happened for us. The game was simulating beautiful weather and consistent, smooth waves, perfect for swimming. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky and there was a cool ocean breeze. Just being here was amazing, if not for the fact it wasn’t real.

The customer portal was glowing between us as the real-feel engine kicked in and the objects in the van became solid. My menu had changed too, I could now serve Bubble Tea! Was that going to be forever, or just for this round?

3

I’d been ignoring the countdown till then, just drinking in the beauty of the setting.

2

The user's shapes became solid and I pushed aside all the distractions. In a second, I would have customers to serve!

1

The portal activated with a hum and suddenly the beach was filling with people.

MISSION TWO: GO!

It was going to be a thirsty day, the objective had increased!

MISSION: SELL 10 DRINKS WITH 3+ GOOD REVIEWS

I stared extra hard at the wording of the objective- thinking tactically. DRINKS meant ALL drinks, not just coffees but the ice drinks and the bubble tea… I could do that. I saw the stack of brand-new recipe cards taped to a newly cleared space. It might be an advantage to be the only van that offers nice, cold bubble tea on a hot day at the beach!

My theory was about to get tested as the first customer came up- it was a lovely pair of mums and their daughter, who was bouncing up and down chanting, “Bubba bubba bubba bubba, tea tea tea tea tea..” Her excitement was addictive, I felt myself smile.

“Hi there! Welcome to Tina’s Place. How are YOU today?”

“Pretty warm, it’s a scorching hot day- can we please get two ice coffees, extra strong and a… what did you say?” The mum looked down at her daughter, “What flavour honey?”

“Strawberry!”

“Coming right up!”

Fortunately for me, I could make Strawberry Bubble Tea with my eyes closed! I double-checked if they wanted a second espresso shot in the ice coffee, which they did and started to make them as they tapped their credit over to me. Easy, T, easy, just focus on doing your best.

I saw more customers lining up and called out to them cheerfully: “Be right with you!” Two minutes later, I was holding out the drinks tray and handing the Strawberry Bubble Tea straight to the little girl, who started dancing with it. They had barely moved away when the next customers, two girls in bikinis, came up.

“Hello and welcome to…”

“Two large caramel milkshakes.”

Woah, too grumpy for manners. Keep smiling T!

“No problem!”

One of the girls tapped her credit and rolled her eyes, then turned her back as I got to work. Doesn’t matter T, you can do this!

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I made the drinks as quickly and carefully as I could but they didn’t say thank you, or respond when I said, “Have a nice day.” I was halfway to being finished but I didn’t think I’d get 5 stars from those girls.

Things didn’t slow down though, it was a thirsty day. I worked as fast as I could and found myself making the last two drinks, a pair of strong ice latte’s. After the red-headed monster child that came out of nowhere and threw one at me, I was a bit apprehensive.

I prepared the double shot of coffee they wanted (to make it strong) and then heard the customer say, “Can you use your coldest milk, please? From right out of the fridge?”

Ironically, I froze, as I was holding the milk.

Does he know about my weird ice hands? What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?

“No problem! Just a moment.”

I knew every tiny thing I did was being streamed, so I leaned into the fridge, pretending to get a new milk. My hand tightened around it and I squeezed my eyes shut:

FREEZE, just a little, FREEZE!

I felt something rush down the back of my neck, down my arms and into my hands. It felt cold and wet, like ice, but under my skin. I opened my eyes and held my breath as I stood. I poured the milk into a test glass and it was really, really cold. Perfect!

I made sure the customer saw me pouring the milk into the two ice lattes, along with the coffee shots. “There you go, enjoy!”

I watched him take the first sip and his eyes widened. He turned to his friend and said, “Woah, that’s good! Try it!” His friend also took a sip and replied, “Nice, bro… nice.” (YES! I did it!)

MISSION COMPLETE

The game began to vanish like before and I rolled my shoulders as the beautiful beach went away. I wanted to memorise how it looked in case I didn’t see another one for a while. A second later I felt the neural link in the back of my head come off and I was back in the lobby. I reeled a little, feeling tired. There was the usual applause, but to my pleasant surprise, it was for Marcus!

I stepped off the podium quietly and joined in the applause. I made sure Marcus saw me, I waved, then I went to sit on the familiar purple couch. I was about to take a sip of water when the overly made-up woman sat beside me.

“Well, third place again!” (Oh good, I somehow attracted this lady… again)

She pointed at the score board:

MARCUS 2190 ★★★★★ SPEEDY SUE 2125 ★★★ TINA 1690 ★★★★★

“Look, I’m Katie Bee, of Big Bee Productions- I’m your producer, darling. I will make you famous! That’s my whole JOB darling, to sell you! And you’re giving me NOTHING to sell! You’re not handsome, like my beautiful Marcus, and you’re not cool like Speedy Sue! She has sponsors lining up, darling. And can I say, you dress like a … well like a regular PERSON darling- where’s the appeal?! So, help me help YOU, darling. Help me help YOU!”

Before I could answer, she’d swanned away, back to “Beautiful Marcus”. (Ok, so I get it now, I’m not interesting, no one wants to sponsor me… great. I kinda want to dump a cold cup of water on her hair while saying something catchy like… cool off lady. Is that cool? Nah, it's kinda mean.)

I didn’t know how to be edgy and cool, at the moment I was just thirsty and tired. I drank my water until my peace was disturbed AGAIN, this time by Speedy Sue!

“So not fair, that round was rigged,” she complained. Her overly red lips were pouting angrily and she looked genuinely hurt that Katie was only paying attention to Marcus.

“What do you mean?” (And since when do you talk to ME?)

“Urgh, the location, duh. The beach, it was dumb. Like we’d ever take the vans to the beach.”

“I mean, we could. They’re mobile, we can go wherever there are customers,” I replied. (We go where thirsty people go- what’s wrong with that?)

“You don’t get it, you’re so simple. I’m supposed to win this thing, and I looked AMAZING in my bikini, I didn’t deserve to get penalised! (Bikini? You were making drinks in a bikini? How did you NOT win? Wait… penalised?)

“Yeah penalised, urgh, see it hasn’t happened to you. Apparently, you’re not supposed to argue with the customers, even if they're dumb and wrong.”

(You argued with the customers? You’re not supposed to do that… they probably gave you a bad rating!) “I did get penalised, I think. I gave a free cookie to a baby and…”

“Hold it, you gave away a free item? What are you, like… stupid? Why am I talking to you?! URGH!”

She stormed off and I jumped a little at the sound of an announcement.

ALL KSK PLAYERS TO THE RED DOOR

ALL KSK PLAYERS TO THE RED DOOR

Oh no. In the darkness of the lobby, I saw the outline of a door appear in red neon and I wondered how long it had been there without being illuminated.

Someone had worked out that I had ice hands! I was in trouble!