Chapter 14 - Let’s Get Ready to Spar

Maggie sat in her room listening to her favorite music while painting her toenails a glittery light pink. There was just something about pretty toenails that her made feel feminine and girly. It wasn’t a feeling she felt too often and when she did it always put her in a better mood. Right now she could use the pick me up big time. Her head pounded painfully even though she was doped up on painkillers. The goose egg she had, was bruised, bulging, and just plain ugly.

If that wasn’t enough, Tank was possessed or at least acting strangely and was now infiltrating every aspect of her life. Every time she logged on her game it was “Tank this,” or “Tank that” from her guild. It was driving her nuts and making her depressed. The guild loved him except for TooKool, but that was just simply because he was jealous that Tank got so much attention.

Tank was a noob and only playing for a week if that and Bravura was already considering him has his long lost virtual son. Maggie always believed that there was a natural balance to the world, night and day, predator and its prey, and so on. The night could never be day nor does the prey ever become the predator. Tank was good looking and successful at his job from what she could see, he shouldn’t be allowed to be a good gamer as well.

It was against the balance of the world, but she couldn’t deny it. He was going to win their bet because Tank appeared to be a really good gamer and knew how to play his class which wasn’t as easy as some might think. It was really unfair. Maggie had never done anything well in her life except gaming. She never knew how to relate to people. Conversations seemed so easy between two people but for Maggie it was always so difficult just to talk about something like the weather, she never knew what to say.

She never was the pretty girl; her natural red hair gave her a pale, freckled, sometimes blotchy, skin tone that couldn’t tan even with a tanning bed! Maggie was thin and barely had any curves at all. She was smart and sometimes did well in school but for some reason just couldn’t get into the whole routine of an academic lifestyle. No, the only thing she ever had and was someone was in gaming and Tank taking that away from her.

Maggie had thought of creating another character but going through all the levels, looking for a new guild, raiding to get the good equipment, and so on seemed so daunting and just plain exhausting. So she decided to for the first time ever just to log off and disconnect. She was just about to finish her left foot when Tank knocked on her door. “Come in,” she said, glumly. Maggie wouldn’t be able to keep him out if he really wanted it.

A look of shock washed over his face as he saw her. “What are you doing?”

“I think it’s obvious what I’m doing,” she replied, not breaking her concentration from her toes.

“Well yeah, but…” he started, grabbing the chair sitting at the computer and sat down apparently making himself at home.

“Well yeah, but what?”

“I just didn’t think you did those types of things,” he replied still sounding surprised.

“I may be a freak and a gamer, but I am still a girl,” she told him with growing irritation. Why did everyone assume girl gamers were major tomboys?

“I know that, but I just didn’t think you were that type of girl,” Tank replied again and she looked up to see him watching her like one would watch an animal at the zoo.

“I’m not any type of girl,” she told him, allowing her voice to grow a little sharp with irritation. “I like what I like and I like painting my nails,” she told him.

He gave her that bright, charming smile that made her stomach get all knotty on her. “I see,” he replied. “So why aren’t you gaming especially since tonight is our big face off?”

Like she could forget that, she thought with a suppressed sigh. “Just taking some logged off time and do other things,” she said with a flat tone returning her attention back to her unpainted pinky toe.

“What’s wrong?” Tank asked suddenly.

“Why do you assume something is wrong?”

“Because I can tell you're upset about something,” he told her.

“You don’t know me well enough to know if I’m upset or not,” she demanded as she finished painting her last nail. She wiggled her toes with a happy smile as they glittered with the sunlight streaming through her window, but her smile disappeared when she noticed he had gotten up and sat down next to her.

“I may not know you all that well Maggie but I know enough to know that something is bothering you,” he told her.

“N-no you d-don’t,” she stuttered inching away from him, feeling extremely uncomfortable with him being so close and sitting on her bed.

“Actually I do,” he said and moved closer to her. Maggie squeaked and backed up only to see him scoot closer till she hit the corner where the edge of her bed was tucked into. She swallowed as Tank gave her a sly smile. “Now what are you going to do Maggie,” he teased as he slowly advanced.

“What are you d-doing?” she demanded.

He moved closer until he was nearly touching her with a sly smile that made her throat tighten. Maggie’s stomach knotted more, the temperature seemed to rise, and her heart raced. “I told you I was going to break that bubble you’ve put yourself into,” he told her. “Tell me why you don’t like to be touched.”

“T-tank d-don’t” she told him her voice for some reason raspy and rough. She hugged her knees to her chest understanding what a rabbit felt like when the fox was digging at its hole wanting to eat it for lunch.

“Why not Maggie? Why don’t you want me near you?” he asked leaning in closer causing a squeak to escape her.

“S-stop,” she demanded feeling like she was going to hyperventilate at any moment the way she was breathing or have a heart attack.

“I can’t Maggie. I don’t know why but I can’t,” he said then he closed the distance between them with a kiss.

Maggie froze as she was overcome with shock. He was kissing her, again! What was wrong with him? Why was he doing this again? She felt his arm wrap around her waist and drag her out of the corner. Not once breaking the kiss he pried her arms away from where they were wrapped around her knees and he placed them around his neck then pulled her against him.

What was wrong with her, Maggie wondered silently as she didn’t move from the position Tank had placed her in. This was so invading her bubble and she wasn’t doing anything to stop it, she thought with a sense of panic.

The kiss finally and Tank leaned his forehead against her. “This isn’t so bad now is it?” He asked sounding breathless and no matter how hard she tried her mouth wouldn’t work. He kissed her again but only a quick peck on her lips and again then again. “This isn’t so bad at all,” he said, sounding like he meant it like he honestly liked kissing her but that really didn’t make any sense at all.

He kissed her quick little pecks a few more times and every time his lips touched hers it made her stomach jump and her heart beat skip a beat. How could he do this to her, she had never had just a simple kiss make her react in such a way. It couldn’t be normal and it most certainly couldn’t be natural.

“Kiss me back,” he suddenly demanded, causing her breath to hitch then he gave her another quick kiss. He couldn’t seriously have just said that could he? “Or let me know what you’re thinking,” he said then another kiss. “Or something Maggie, please just don’t sit there with that look of shock on your face,” he finished then gave her another kiss.

“Ampere's law states that the line integral of the magnetic flux around a closed curve is proportional to the algebraic sum of electric currents flowing through that closed curve. Or, in differential form,” she managed to squeak out, feeling a little more like herself and ignoring the smile that suddenly appeared on his face. She closed her eyes and took a long slow deep breath then let it out just the same. “Tank you’re not making any sense,” she said without opening her eyes as she removed her arms from around his neck.

“What’s doesn’t make sense to you?” he asked then gave her another peck on the lips that still made her stomach and heart react.

“Stop doing that,” Maggie demanded feeling frustrated at the weird feelings his lips made her feel. “And everything doesn’t make sense.” She pushed him softly to let her go.

“Why just because I’ve lived a different life than you?” Tank asked not letting her go like she wanted as he brushed his lips against her cheek causing her to gasp and push against him harder.

“Yes, you’re not supposed to like people like me. We’re the freaks and losers to be laughed at by people like you,” she demanded with a sense of panic and Maggie he could hear him sigh as he finally let her go.

He got up from the bed and ran a hand through his hair with his back facing her. “You know what,” he said turning now to face her with a hard expression. “I like you, Maggie. A lot which is more than I should considering the situation we are in. Stop being such a hypocrite by demanding how much you don’t live by society’s rules but keep trying to make me fit into those exact rules. If you don’t feel the same about me then grow up and just tell me so,” he told her angrily and left the room, slamming the door.

Maggie stared at the door with her mouth hanging open not sure if that seriously just happened. Part of her was shocked by the fact that a man like him would care about how she felt about him while the other was angry. He invaded her bubble and kissed her…repeatedly and he was the one acting all angry. Oh hell no, he was so not going to get away with that one, she demanded as she quickly got up from the bed and stormed out into the hallway.

“That’s not how things are Tank,” She told him following him into the living room. He turned with a hint of surprise on his face and a small smile on the edges of his lips. “I’m not the bad guy here! I never did anything except want to be left alone,” she told him pointing her index finger at him dangerously.

“You’re the one who butted into my life! You’ve violated my personal space, my person, stole my guildies and left nothing for me. Nothing! So don’t try to make me the bad guy here,” she demanded heatedly.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Maggie. I’m not calling you a bad person, but you’re cowardly and a hypocrite by telling me all the time how I’m supposed to act,” he told her then took a step forward in which she involuntarily took a step back. “Why don’t you want to be near me and give me a straight answer,” he told her.

“I don’t like being near anyone it’s nothing personal. I’ve told you that already,” she replied.

“I don’t believe it. You said you’ve been kissed…and more before so obviously you let people get near you. So why not me?”

Maggie didn’t know how to answer then shrugged. “It’s really nothing personal. I was a teenager when I had what relationships I did have. Teenage Hormones can move mountains. I’m sure you remember what that was like.” The few guys she let get close were crushes, but when the relationship passed the first burst of hormonal affection, Maggie refused to let them get near her. They left her shortly after that.

“Look, I don’t like to be touched. It’s been like that since I was a child and there is no trauma or clear reason to explain it. Trust me I have a long list of frustrated therapists to prove it,” Maggie told him honestly. “This is just who I am.” With that she turned on her heel and went back into her room.

Tank and Maggie didn’t talk anymore for the rest of the day and she stayed offline until it came time for the little spar between Tank and her. Now logged on and ready for their spar, Maggie gawked at the screen. Not only had the whole guild showed up, but there were a lot of other people gathering around until Tank and Maggie’s avatars were literally surrounded by a crowd.

“God it’s high school all over again,” she mumbled. Several shouts were seen through the chat box for her and for him, she was thankful it was an even mix.

“Alright let’s get this spar moving,” Bravura stated sounding like he was really enjoying himself. “No healing or mana pots Styrene. Once your magic is gone it’s gone,” he told her. “Tank you can use up to three healing pots but no more and no punches below the belt. I always wanted to say that,” he said nearly laughing at the end. “Alright Styrene initiate the spar.”

Maggie took a slow breath, reminding herself she could do this as she invited Tank to a spar. As she watched the counter slowly countdown from ten to one, she ran through her strategies. As the spar started, Tank had hit her twice before she realized what happened. Maggie squeaked, and used a minor healing spell to bring herself back up and quickly cast all her defensive spells then hit Tank with a light spell taking out ten percent of his hit points.

Maggie chewed on her lip as she carefully balanced out her magic. On the voice chat and in the chat box they were provoked onward but neither Tank nor Maggie said a word.

“Come on Styrene you can take that noob down,” TooKool demanded sounding like he was taking this as something personal.

“Please, she’s just a healer Tank is a warrior, she’s got no hope! Might as well give up Styrene,” LadyLove teased her.

Maggie shrieked as she noticed how low her hit points were and had to use the last of her magic to heal herself. She silently groaned realizing she would have to melee hit him now which was like issuing her death sentence. Even though his hit points were as low as hers, he could hit her much, much harder.

MageDude and several others started a chant “Healer is going down,” over and over again.

Maggie found it hard to keep her focus. She gasped leaning back in her chair as she lay in the final blow and Tank’s avatar gave out a pitiful death cry and crumpled to the ground then vanished to the respawn area. She gawked at the screen in shock, she won? She won! “I won,” she shouted cheerfully.

“Good fight Sty,” Tank said over the mic oddly not sounding upset or any sign of feeling bad about losing. In fact, he sounded amused and something else she quite couldn’t place. “You, Styrene have awesome gaming skills, and I bow down before the clearly better gamer,” he said through the mic, chat, the whole server then did a bow emote.

“Damn right noob,” TooKool shot in.

Maggie rolled her eyes. “Tank why do I have the feeling you took a dive,” Maggie said, feeling that he let her win for some reason.

“Now why would I do that?” Tank replied with a wink emote at her.

“Oh do I see keyboard chemistry here or what,” LadyLove teased.

“Or what L.L. trust me,” she replied with a smile.

“She’s just intimidated by the fact I’m good looking and awesome,” Tank told the other warrior.

“I am not and you’re so not that awesome,” she demanded.

“Oh, so he’s good looking then?” LadyLove jumped in.

Maggie groaned feeling her head start to pound again. “Whatever, I got to log. My head’s killing me,” she complained and promptly logged off. She felt good that she had won, but she was pretty sure he let her win and that made her feel pathetic. She sighed as she got up. She should have just stayed in her damn house that night, she thought as she left the room.