Chapter 6 - Nerfed the Healer

Gamer Vocabulary:

HP: hit points Pots: potions DPS: damage per second. This calculates how good a weapon is.

Why did Tank have to invade Maggie’s room? And with a gun drawn and everything. He was causing problems not only with the raid but with her guild in itself! She was sure they would spend months making fun of her until they forget about it. That is if they forgot about it.

“Can we stop discussing Styrene’s sex life and try not to fail this raid,” Bravura ordered.

Maggie cringed, feeling her cheeks heat up. She almost wished Chase would find her now and put her out of her misery. She glared at Tank, who still had an angry, confused expression then turned her attention back to the computer. Maybe he would just leave if she just ignored him enough. It would be the decent thing to do after he caused such a chaotic uproar in her life! Maggie gave her head a little shake and told herself to focus.

They were all getting low on hp and she was getting low on magic. Thank god she had brought a lot of potions. Maggie sighed with relief when Tank did finally leave the room. Now maybe her life could go back to normal and since she was free of distraction they could actually finish this raid without everyone dying. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, trying to recover from the mess Tank had caused.

Things just started to go well when out of the corner of her eye Maggie saw Tank return with a chair and sit next to her. “What are you doing?” she demanded, not taking her eyes off on the screen.

“What’s it look like?”

Maggie huffed in a complaint but kept her attention on the screen. They were getting close to the final boss and she couldn’t allow herself to be distracted now.

“Styrene, divine shield us now,” Bravura ordered.

“On it,” Maggie shot back and cast the spell.

“They call you Styrene?” Tank asked sounding curious which made her irritated.

“Yes, it’s my character name. Haven’t you ever played a video game?” She demanded right back, cringing as the final boss hit them with massive aggro.

“Not since I was like thirteen and started noticing girls,” Tank replied and she could hear the cockiness in his voice.

“Faster with the heals Sty,” LadyLove snapped Maggie rolled her eyes. “I’m going as fast as I can! Bravura how about more DPS,” she barked back.

Tank started laughing. “That’s a lame name,” Tank said when she gave him a skeptical glare.

“Don’t like it? There’s the door,” Maggie told him which for some reason only made him smile at her. It was a nice smile, she thought as she glared at him but with less anger than before. TooKool shouting for heals snapped her out of her daze. Damn that person, he was a walking distraction, Maggie thought as she refocused.

An hour later Maggie cheered in victory as the final boss fell with a satisfying shriek. “Take that ugly,” she cheered pumping her fists into the air then rubbed her hands together eagerly. “Loot time,” she said greedy tone.

“So this is what you spend your time doing?” Tank asked reminding her he was still there.

Maggie felt a little embarrassed at her victory display, but she refused to show it so she shrugged absentmindedly.

“What happened to your stutter and the whole quiet, shy girl thing?”

Maggie rolled her eyes. “It’s not a speech impediment so it only comes when triggered. And for the record, just because I choose not to talk to you doesn’t mean I’m shy or quiet,” Maggie told him pointedly, still not taking her eyes off the screen. She didn’t want to risk the chance of missing an epic drop.

“I can see that,” Tank said, laughing and distracting her again. Before she realized what she was doing, she passed on the ring she wanted. “No, damn it! Now see what you’ve done!”

“What did I do…now?” he asked with that stupid smile on his face.

Maggie groaned throwing herself back in her chair. “You distracted me, that’s what! I just gave up my chance to get a piece of armor I so desperately needed….which T.K. just now got,” she mumbled crossing her arms over her chest.

As if right on time, TooKool said he’d give it to her for fifty gold pieces or a date in the tavern.

“See,” she shot at Tank and he laughed more. “Well I’m logging off guys, see you tomorrow,” Maggie said a little bitterly over the mic still glaring at Tank.

“Night Styrene, Night Sty’s hottie of a tank,” LadyLove said, giggling.

Tank smile spread ear to ear.

Maggie frowned refusing to comment. “You can leave now,” Maggie told Tank refusing to look at him as she logged off.

He laughed again but at least getting up. “Alright Maggie, I’ll see you tomorrow,” He said, leaving the room.

Not if I can help it, Maggie thought. Then noticed he left the second chair and hoped like hell he wasn’t planning on invading her privacy on a routine basis.

When Maggie woke up the next morning, she stared at the ceiling and hoped that last night was all just a bad dream. Of course as soon as she sat up and saw the second chair she knew it was all real, all horribly real. She frowned, crossed her arms, and huffed like a five-year-old. “This is your fault, Hannah! You’re haunting me from the grave aren’t you? Using all your ghostie moves to pop my bubble aren’t you? Well, I’m warning you now, Hannah. It’s not going to work! I swear I’ll go exorcist on your ass if you keep it up!”

Maggie got up from the bed and changed into a t-shirt and jeans before she stuck her head out into the hallway. Everything appeared to be quiet so she snuck into the bathroom then later to the kitchen.

“Why do you insist on sneaking around?” Tank suddenly asked causing her to jump.

“Why do you sneak up on me?” she demanded right back, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I asked you first,” Tank demanded right back.

Maggie frowned with a huff. “Because I want to,” she said, knowing she sounded childish. She didn’t want to openly admit that there was something about Tank that made her feel off. A small part of her wondered if he wasn’t being possessed by Hannah too.

“And why would you want to do that?” Tank insisted.

Maggie shook her head. “No, now you answer my question.”

He smiled at her, and Maggie felt her heart stumble a little. “I’m not sneaking up on you, you just don’t notice me.”

Tank reached around her to grab an apple causing her to jump and squeak. God, she hated that she did that, it was so humiliating, but she couldn’t stop herself. His stupid smile grew making her stomach jump to her throat and fall with a thud back to its place. “How about you tell me this, why do you call me a tank? I get it's some type of bodyguard thing with games, but I don’t get why you call me that instead of using my name.”

Maggie groaned. What was this humiliate the nerd day? With a sigh, she decided to just get it over with. “I don’t remember your name.”

Chuckling, he held a hand over his heart. “Ouch,” he said with a feigned look of hurt. “First you consider brushing against me is equitable to brushing against a leper then you forget my name. I don’t think I’ve had a woman ever tear into me that much. My self-confidence is starting to fall apart. Well Maggie, my name is Brian Hunter,” he told her holding out his hand.

She eyed his hand and shook her head no.

“What? You won’t shake my hand?”

“I d-don’t touch anyone unless I have to. N-not even Hannah,” she told him taking an apple for herself and taking a huge bite out of it to hide her embarrassment.

“Why not? Are you a germaphobe or something like that?” Tank asked She shook her head side to side again. “No, I just don’t like to.”

“Alright, no touching,” he said.

Maggie braced herself for the odd looks and teasing.

However, Tank simply shrugged and changed the subject. “So those people you play with, they don’t know anything about you?”

With another shake of her head, she told him no.

“Does anyone know you play, or whatever game that is you’re playing?”

“No, Hannah knew I played but not the game, why?” Maggie asked, not sure what to think from his lack of teasing or odd looks.

He hesitated then said, “Chase knows you’re not in the witness protection program and that you’re with me,” Tank explained and her throat tightened. “But no one knows where we are, not even my boss,” he added quickly. “I just want to make sure your gaming can’t somehow be traced back to us.”

“I don’t think it can,” Maggie started. “Hannah didn’t talk to her friends or boyfriends about my gaming. I only met Chase once,” she explained. Hannah was always embarrassed by Maggie’s hobby. After she had met Chase that one time, Hannah looked at her so disappointedly and swore she would never bring anyone to meet Maggie again. Later Hannah had apologized but Maggie still felt a little hurt.

“That’s good. I really don’t like you playing because I think it’s dangerous,” Tank told her and Maggie gave him a hard stare tightening her crossed arms under her chest making him laugh. “But I get it’s your thing and since it’s there isn’t too much threat from it, I’m not going to stop you.”

She gave him a look that said ‘Damn straight you’re not’ as she took out another bite of her apple.

He smiled at her again that nice smile of his, shaking his head slightly. “I just insist that you be careful to not let out any information okay,” he told her.

Maggie mentally scoffed. She was a little too old to be receiving internet safety tips from him.

“If you see anything suspicious let me know, like people asking you about yourself and what not.”

“I’m a girl gamer, everyone asks about me, especially my age, if I’m single, and on a few occasions my cup size,” she told him pointedly. Tank started to laugh again and surprising herself Maggie actually smiled back, enjoying that she made him laugh, not laughing at her but something she actually said because he thought it was funny. That was something new outside of her virtual reality.

“Maybe I should start playing this game myself just to make sure you stay safe,” he said his smile still on his face. “How about you teach me the ropes?”

Surprise and suspicion waged war on her insides as she eyed. Him. “Are you serious?” No one had ever shown interest in the game. They’ve always shown interest in getting her to stop playing but never in joining her.

Tank shrugged. “Yeah, why not and besides it’s not like we’ve got anything better to do. It could be fun. So will you?”

Maggie opened her mouth and closed it a few times trying to find her voice. She couldn’t believe the fact he looked serious. No one ever wanted to be a part of that aspect of her life…well most people didn’t want to be a part of any aspect of her life. “Uh…” she started after a moment. “Okay.”