Faery Worlds - Six Complete Novels (90 page)

CHAPTER EIGHT

T
he next days dragged. Jennet veered between elation that she’d finally,
finally
, found the gamer she needed, and frustration that he couldn’t play that instant.

She couldn’t expect him to understand her urgency - not when she hadn’t explained the problem to him. But the first step was getting him in-game. With his help, she was sure she could finally get deeper into Feyland.

During World History class on Thursday she couldn’t help but sneak glances at Tam. His hair was covering his eyes, as usual, and he didn’t look at her. Not once. That wasn’t good. Worry squeezed her lungs tight. When the bell rang, she took an extra long time packing up her satchel. Tam lagged behind too, and her breath eased.

“Well?” she asked as he paused by her desk. “Are we on for today?”
We have to play. Please say yes.

“No.” He hunched his shoulders. “Maybe next week. See ya.”

“What… hey, wait up!” She reached for him as he stepped into the hallway, but he ignored her outstretched hand. He slipped into the crowd, seeming determined to get away. Disappointment raced through her as she scanned the students, trying to see which way he’d gone. How could he just leave like that?

“Don’t bother going after him,” said a voice at her shoulder.

Jennet turned to see Marny standing beside her. The big girl didn’t look friendly - but she didn’t look too mean, either.

“Hi, Marny.”

The girl waved down the hall to where Tam had disappeared. “Tam’s like that. He doesn’t explain things, so don’t even ask.”

Jennet folded her arms. “Why do you think I would ask him something, anyway?”

“Oh please.” Marny flicked her gaze up to the ceiling, then back to Jennet. “Obviously you’ve talked to him. Besides, he told me about you, too.”

Surprise jolted through her. “He did? What did he say?”

“Not much.” A look of irritation crossed Marny’s round face. “Even for Tam, he was remarkably quiet. I hope you’re not just messing with him.”

“I wouldn’t—”

“Good.” Marny leaned forward. “The two of us go way back, and if you hurt him, you’ll be hurting too.”

“Okay.” Jennet held up her hands. “Message received. Are the two of you… umm, together?”

“No. Nothing like that. But he’s a good guy, and I don’t want to see some rich girl screwing with his head just because she can.”

“How do you know he’s not screwing with mine?” She was going to be late for her next class, but she didn’t care. “How come he can’t make plans? What’s wrong with him, anyway?”

“Hey.” Marny’s voice grew softer. “He’s got it rough. I bet he didn’t tell you about his mom.”

“All I know is he has a little brother.” And lived in a falling down shack in the worst part of town. And was a flawless gamer.

“Well, it’s his life. He can tell you if he wants. But it’s complicated.”

Like anyone’s life was simple. A piece of her soul was trapped in a computer game and it was literally killing her. How was
that
for complicated?

There had to be some way to make this work - some way to break Tam free from his life for at least an afternoon. He had to come over and play Feyland on the Full-D. She had to get back in-game, before it was too late.

She looked at Marny. “Do you ever… babysit?”

“No.” Marny’s eyes widened. “No way. I am not watching that crazy kid brother of his so the two of you can go mess around together.”

Heat rushed into Jennet’s cheeks. “I’m not interested in him like that.”

“Well, you’re interested somehow.”

Jennet opened her hands. “There’s stuff I can’t explain, either.”

“Ah. Are you sure you don’t have some kind of pervy fixation?” Speculation flashed in Marny’s dark brown eyes. “Those questions. About gaming. Why did you ask
me
?”

“I figured you pay attention.”

“Really.” Marny’s expression hardened. “Why’s that?”

“For one thing, you seemed like the smartest person in the Gaming Club. And you’re different.”

Marny’s mouth twisted. “Different. That’s not quite a compliment.”

“Well, it’s not an insult, either.” Jennet glanced down the hall, where the parade of look-alike students was starting to thin out. “Especially at Crestview.”

“Heh.” A half-smile ghosted across Marny’s face. “I—” The blare of the second bell cut through whatever she had been about to say. She hefted her battered purple backpack onto her shoulder. “Gotta run. See you later, Fancy-girl.”

The way she said the words, they weren’t quite an insult, either. There had been an undercurrent of approval in the big girl’s voice. Maybe, just maybe….

Marny stopped partway down the hall and swung around. She pointed at Jennet. “I’m not making any promises. But - make sure you’re free tomorrow after school.”

CHAPTER NINE

T
am couldn’t believe it. The clamor of the lunchroom faded as he blinked at Marny. “Really? You’ll watch the Bug this afternoon so I can go to Jennet’s? That’s the nicest—”

“Shut up, or I’ll take my offer back. And it’s only the once, clear?” She made a face. “If your little brother gets too crazy, I’m calling the cops.”

As if the police would come out to the Exe for anything less than murder. Maybe not even then.

“Ok.” Tam fished in his pack for the emergency cash he kept tucked away. He held the money out to Marny. “You’ll need this.”

“I’m not taking your money!” She sounded offended. “Do you think I look like a babysitter? I’m doing this out of friendship.”

“I know.” He waved the cash. “But you’re going to need to get some stuff at the store to keep the Bug occupied. Sugar Crunchies - the big box. And the new Manza-boy comic.”

“That had better work.” She took the money. “I have to be home by six, though. So whatever it is you and Miss Fancy-girl are up to, be done by then. And Tam,” her expression softened, “be careful, right?”

“Hey. It’s not like I’m going to go rob a bank or anything. She’s just showing me a new sim-system.”

“She says.”

“I don’t think she’s lying.” He didn’t think Jennet’s appreciation for his game-playing had been faked, either.

Marny narrowed her eyes at him. “Something else is going on, Tam. There’s something not normal about this.”

“What, that one of
them
would want to spend time with me?” That stung, though it wasn’t anything he hadn’t thought before. Jennet’s interest was hard to explain. Except that it had something to do with gaming, the one thing he was really good at. “Don’t worry, I can take care of myself.”

“I know.” Her lips pulled into a frown. “Just - pay attention.”

“I always do.”

It was hard not to be overwhelmed as he slid into Jennet’s chauffeured grav-car after school. The interior smelled like status and money, and the seats were more comfortable than his own bed. Tam glanced over the divider as the chauffeur manipulated the shiny controls on the dash. How would it feel to drive this thing, to glide, frictionless, over the gridded roads?

“Here.” Jennet settled beside him and held out a shiny plastic card attached to a clip. “Your visitor’s badge. You’ll have to wear it in The View, so the sensors don’t go off.”

“Nice.” He took it, the holograph of VirtuMax’s company logo shimmering as it caught the light.

Of course, there had to be a system to let the peons in. Cleaning and maintenance people had to have controlled access to the rich people’s world, after all. He took a pinch of his shirt and attached the badge. It hung crooked, but he didn’t care.

He glanced at Jennet, who looked a bit embarrassed. Maybe it was the first time she’d had to provide one of her ‘friends’ with an access badge.

“It’s good for two weeks,” she said. “I got you a long pass, just in case. Although I need to be with you while you’re inside the walls, since it’s got a low security clearance.”

“Yeah. Wouldn’t want to set off any alarms.” He felt like a sheep. A criminal one.

She cleared her throat and went for an obvious change of subject. “Anyway, I’m glad you could come today. Marny is a pearl.”

“I wouldn’t call her that. But yeah.”

The car was moving so smoothly, Tam felt like they were standing still. He glanced out the window, just to check. The neighborhood they were going through was about a hundred times cleaner than the Exe. No falling-down buildings or trash lining the streets. People here even had green lawns with neatly-trimmed bushes instead of scrappy, bare dirt where not even weeds grew.

“Here we are,” Jennet said as the car whished under a gleaming plas-metal arch. The company logo gleamed under the words proudly etched in the arch.
The View
.

“Is there one?” Tam turned to look out the back window as they passed through.

The archway of the View framed the cloudy sky - nothing special. The buildings scrolling past were huge and pristine, but the neighborhood felt eerie. It took a moment for him to identify why. There was no one in sight. No little kids playing on the perfectly groomed lawns. No lanky teens shooting hoops or riding g-boards. Not a single person. It was emptier than a computer game, where at least the NPCs were always there, moving around and making the world look occupied.

“A view?” Jennet asked. “Yes. The houses in the back have one. You’ll see.” She picked up her satchel and looked out the window in an expectant way.

Tam grabbed his pack as the car slid to a perfect stop and the door hissed open. Even the air in The View seemed different. Cleaner. Fresher. He followed Jennet out of the car, then stuck his head back in.

“Thanks for the ride,” he told the chauffeur. The man looked mildly startled, and then gave him a nod.

“Yes, thanks, George,” Jennet said, an undertone of excitement in her voice. “Come on, Tam. I can hardly wait to show you the set-up. This way.”

As if there could be any other way than the wide stone path leading to the fanciest house Tam had ever seen. No, not a house. A mansion. The place was four stories high, with balconies that jutted out on the upper levels and dozens of windows. There was even a fountain in the front, a lit-up sparkle and cascade of water. It looked like something from a mall.

Jennet held her wrist up to the front door and it opened with a soft chime. She threw a glance over her shoulder, and Tam hurried to follow her.

“Welcome home, Jennet,”
a perfectly modulated female voice said as they stepped over the threshold.
“You have brought a visitor. Staff has been notified.”

“Right,” Jennet said. “Let Marie know we’ll be up in the game-room.”

“Confirmed.”

Tam looked around, trying to be nonchalant. The warmly-lit foyer was empty, except for the two of them. “Is that… your house computer?”

He’d heard of fully-wired houses, but never imagined what it might be like to actually live in one. It was interesting - and creepy. Jennet didn’t stand much chance of sneaking out at night, did she?

“Yes,” she said. “Dad calls the computer HANA - House Activated Network Assistant.” She set her satchel on the floor and started up the wide stairs.