Page 9 of Level Me Up

Chapter Seven

Morgan

We've just had a fun, but busy morning. I have no idea how I'm going to get through another day of this craziness. I'm going to be wiped! We sit down for a late lunch and decide that we should relax and mosey through an exhibit of video game art throughout the years. Apparently, video game art is a big deal in the industry, and some are even highly sought after. I quickly notice, however, that the "making of" part of a video game gives you an inside look at how scenes or characters in a game are created. It's actually really kind of cool.

We get about half way through, and Ruby's cell rings. "Oh! It’s my brother. I'm going to take this. I'll be back, don't move!" she insists, as she rushes back the way we just came. She tried to call him last night to give him a rundown of the day, but he was unavailable and texted that he would call her as soon as he could.

Ruby and her brother are really close, and they'd been going to Comic-Con for the last five years. They switched between the San Diego and New York cons. As much as Ruby was excited to have me tag along, I know the fact that her brother bailed on her really upset her. The past six months had been a little straining on their relationship. He recently received a promotion at work, and that meant he was spending a lot more time on work things. He suddenly had little time for his sister.

While I wait for Ruby to come back, I focus in on a “making of” piece on a podium about the art that hangs on the wall above the display. Several other people are walking through the exhibit, so I don't notice at first when someone comes up behind me until I hear a familiar deep voice say, "Hi Morgan.”

I know that voice. I spin around so fast that I lose my balance and bump my hip into the free-standing podium. It immediately starts to wobble, and Dex quickly lunges forward to still it. He chuckles when he says, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

“Oh, no, that’s ok. I mean…you didn’t startle me. Well…I guess you did,” I stammer. I can’t seem to shut up.

“I saw you and your friend come in here, and I wanted to say hi, so I followed you.” He says as a flush creeps across his cheeks. “Well, I mean, I’m not following you, I just came in here to find you,” he adds.

“So, you’re not stalking us?” I say with a giggle. Dang it, why am I already giggling?

The look on his face goes from worried to playful in a split second as he says, “Nope, not a stalker. I just didn’t want to miss out on a chance to talk to you again. Where did your friend go?”

“Ruby, she had to take a call. She’ll be back.”

“Ah. Well, you enjoying the art in here?”

“Yes, it’s all interesting. I’m not really into art, but I think the ‘behind the scenes’ thing is kind of cool.”

“Yeah, a lot of time and hard work goes into creating a video game universe, so this stuff is always intriguing,” he says thoughtfully looking at the photo on the wall behind me. I glance over my shoulder to see a picture from originalThe Legend of Zeldagame.

“So, you left a pretty big impression yesterday, and I was hoping that I would see you again.” While he seems pretty sure of himself, he looks somewhat boyish when he says this.

“Well, I was hoping I hadn’t embarrassed myself as much as I thought, but it seems as though I was wrong,” I say, mostly to myself.

“Don’t be embarrassed; I thought it was cute,” he says with a grin. “So, did you figure out what a positive K/D is?” he asks.

I snort-laugh, “Oh, yeah. I know what that is now. And that’s quite impressive by the way! I mean…your ratio. Congratulations,” I say, and my face reddens at the realization that I’ve snorted in front of this perfect, probably-never-snorted-in-his-life guy.

I actually looked up K/D ratio last night on my phone. I couldn't stop thinking about my spaz moment and figured it wouldn’t hurt to know what one was. A positive K/D was when you killed more than died inCall of Battle. The More You Know, huh?

He chuckles and says, “Thank you. I have to ask though, if you don't know much about video gaming, where did you hear about positive K/Ds?”

Oh crap, I can't possibly tell him the truth, I should come up with something clever. Ruby would be flirting shamelessly right now. I go with, “Oh, you know, I Googled it” and shrug. Wow. That was not what I was going for. No, what I just did was a flirting fail.

He’s just smiling at me and shaking his head like he would accept this answer but didn’t really believe it. He couldn’t possibly know that we were schooled by a kid, who obviously idolized Dex. Could he?

Just then, Ruby shows up next to me. Thank God; this is bound to get awkward if I’m left to my own devices.

“Hi, I’m Ruby. Are you stalking Morgan?”

“Oh my God, Ruby,” falls out of my mouth at the same time as, “No!” comes out in a slightly frustrating tone from Dex.

She just giggles and says, “Good.”

He clears his throat and says, “Well, I need to get back, but I wanted to ask, do you guys want to come out to a party tonight? ”Wait. Was he really inviting us out? I can only muster a mumble and an “um.”

“Tell us about said party,” Ruby replies for me.

“Visionwave is having a party tonight at the club down the street. The team and I have to be in attendance, and I’d love it if you came. We could get a drink. Hang out,” he says to us, as I suppress a shiver that shoots through my body at the thought of seeing him again.

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