Page 12 of Didn't See That Coming

Well, we’re definitely going to kill something.

CHAPTER 4

Mr.Tan spends the next few minutes going through our project guidelines. At the end of each term, the school holds a project exhibition. Only the top projects are picked from each class and shown proudly inside the hall for parents and other students to admire. Each Purity group has to come up with a new game, including a concept, a cover, and a business plan. Despite myself, I’m really impressed by this. At Mingyang, the only projects we were ever assigned were your traditional science or history ones, but as Mr.Tan explains, the global gaming industry is, in fact, bigger than the movie industry, and it’s still not done expanding, so it makes sense for us to tackle this as a topic.

Well, I’m not complaining. By the time Mr.Tan is done with his talk and we break off into our respective groups, I’m raring to go. Seriously, I couldn’t come up with a better topic if I tried. I’m practically rubbing my palms with glee as Jonas and Peishan turn their chairs around so we’re facing one another.

“So,” Jonas says, grinning, “how awesome is this?”

Liam nods. “I think it’s the first time I’m actually excited about my term project.”

Only Peishan looks unimpressed. “I don’t really play games.”

I’m about to say something when Jonas says, “That’s fine. I’m a serious gamer. I’ve got this down pat. You guys just have to follow my lead.”

I stare at him. “Okaaay.”

Maybe that came out slightly more caustic than I expected, because a small frown crosses Jonas’s face for a second. Then he clears his throat and takes out an iPad from his bag. Right, I’d forgotten that Xingfa is so fancy that every student is lent a school-sanctioned iPad. The iPads have been programmed so that we’re unable to download any apps aside from the school-regulated ones. Jonas places his iPad on the table with an air of importance, opens up a drawing program, and begins sketching. I look at Peishan and Liam out of the corner of my eyes, waiting for either one to say something, but they both seem perfectly happy letting Jonas run the show, so I bite my lower lip and make myself stay silent as Jonas draws a quick sketch.

“So I’m thinking an FPS, right? That’s first-person shooter,” he adds in a tone so patronizing that my teeth clack together loudly.

“I knew that,” I snap.

Jonas raises an eyebrow in obvious disbelief, then shrugs and continues sketching. Liam meets my eye again, and this time, his thick brows knit together. Gah, well, I’m sorry some of us aren’t just going to stay silent while Jonas patronizes us.

After a painfully quiet minute, Jonas flips the iPad around and proudly shows us his sketch of the cover concept. “Ta-da!”

Oh god. It’s the most stereotypical sketch that has ever existed: a skinny woman standing with her back super arched, so that her super-round butt is more pronounced, looking over her shoulder at us so we’re treated to a view of her duck lips and the curve of a huge boob peeking out beyond one arm. I mean…need I say more? I can’t help the small scoff that escapes my mouth.

Jonas’s gaze snaps toward me. “You don’t look impressed, new kid.” There’s a challenging note in his voice, like he’s both amused and annoyed.

“Well…” I struggle to come up with the most diplomatic words. “Ah, your drawing skills are like, amazing, obviously. But the sketch itself…I think it’s kind of overdone? Plus, haven’t you heard about the wholeOverwatchcontroversy with Tracer’s art design? Blizzard had to remove a photo of her doing this exact pose, because fans complained that it was overly sexualized and reduced her to nothing more than a sex symbol. And, let’s face it, it’s just a really lazy pose. It’s the most overused, obvious pose you can get for female characters.”

The moment the words leave my mouth, I wish I could swallow them back. I didn’t mean to give a whole speech about it, but wow, I guess I had Feelings about the over-the-shoulder pose. But it’s not just that. It’s also the way that Jonas has taken the helm so quickly, dismissing the rest of us as mere peons, that’s rubbed me the wrong way.

For a moment, they all just stare at me. Then Jonas snorts and says, “Wow, okay, tell us how you really feel.”

It’s the smirk that does it. That and the snort. And what he said. It’s just so much. “Yeah, I will, actually,” I say. “And given that it’s supposed to be a group effort, you could, you know, consider working as a team rather than bossing us around?”

Jonas’s mouth drops open in mock surprise. “I would never think of bossing anyone around. I’m just taking the helm because I’m a gamer, so I have the most experience in this field.”

“I’m a gamer too,” I say, and it’s a testament to my patience that I don’t add, “asshole.”

Jonas rolls his eyes. “Candy Crushdoesn’t count as a real game.”

I swear I’m this close to leaping across the table and throttling his little neck, but just then, I notice that Liam is glaring at me. When I meet his eye, he gives a small shake of his head. What is he, Jonas’s stooge? But then I see that Peishan is also glaring at me, and my anger crumbles into guilt. I’d assumed that since she’s a girl, she would also object to the art.I didn’t mean to start a fight with a group mate on what seems like a really important term project, and on my very first day at school, no less. Crap. I take a deep breath and lean back in my seat.

“Liam here used to game, but not anymore,” Jonas says, “and Peishan’s too busy studying, so I think it’s for the best if I’m team leader. Everyone agreed?”

No! my mind screams. But neither Peishan nor Liam says anything, and it hits me that maybe I’m the one being unreasonable. Maybe I’m the one being disruptive and they’reall annoyed at me, not Jonas. It’s an ugly feeling, twisting deep down in my guts. The bell rings then, and Mr.Tan tells everyone to return to their seats and prep for the next class.

We get a five-minute break between each class, so as soon as Mr.Tan leaves the classroom, I don’t spare anyone a single glance before leaping out from behind my desk and practically sprinting out. I can feel eyes skittering across my back like spiders. Outside the class, I brisk-walk to the bathroom, lock myself into the farthest cubicle, and sag against the wall with a bone-deep sigh. I rest my forehead against the cool tiled wall. My inner Mami screeches at me about how unhygienic doing that is, but I don’t have the strength to lift my head from thewall.

How in the world did I manage to tank my first-ever class so badly? I don’t get it. Where did I go wrong? I close my eyes and immediately, the excruciating scene replays in my mind. My voice echoes through my head.

It’s the most overused, obvious pose you can get for female characters. God, could I sound more pretentious? Why did I say that? Why couldn’t I have just said it in a more mature, palatable way, like “I think you could definitely come up with a better pose.” Or, better yet, why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut and follow Jonas’s lead? As Mr.Tan pointed out, Jonas killed it last term with his project, so he obviously knows what he’s doing. Why do I always have to act like I know better?

But even as I think that, a not-so-small part of me growls: Because I do. In this instance, I know I was in the right. I’m a gamer too, I keep up with gaming news, I know that thegaming industry needs to be more inclusive and start listening to everyone, not just hetero, cis male gamers.

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