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  “All right, but what is it in that post?” an intrigued Amanda asked, making a face at Letícia, who shrugged.

  The three were going away now, leaving Letícia and Pedro a few steps behind.

  It has to be now. Pedro gathered all his courage and, just as Letícia began walking, he held her hand.

  “Le, I... Sorry about all that happened. I’m feeling real bad for not talking to you ever since your performance.”

  “I’m sorry too,” Letícia said, smiling and pulling on a lock of her hair, putting it behind her ear.

  “I’m sorry about all I said. It was stupid and—”

  “It wasn’t stupid,” she cut him short.

  “Yeah, but I shouldn’t have said anything.” She gave him an inquisitive glance. “I wish I had spoken to you differently, on a better moment and... Le, I’ve been getting ready to talk you ever since before my birthday. I wanted to be able to talk to you properly when I went to see your rehearsal at the gym, but everything just went wrong.” Letícia pursed her lips. “So, I’m sorry. I consider you my best friend and you’ve told me already I’m your best friend too. And that’s why I used to think it could be bad that I liked you, you know? I was afraid it’d ruin our friendship, I don’t know. But today what I think is: how could I want to be with someone who wasn’t my best friend? Someone that I know deeply and who knows me as well, who laughs with me, who is exciting to me?”

  Letícia didn’t know what to say. Feeling warm on her cheeks, she merely smiled and looked at the ground.

  “So, Le,” he sighed, “I really like you. I wanted to be your boyfriend, but I don’t want to see you sad. So, if you think that’s stupid, I—”

  “No, I don’t think that’s stupid!” She finally found the words with which to express herself. “I don’t think that’s stupid at all.” Pedro smiled. “You’re really my best friend, Pedro, and I’d never seen you as more than that, but since that day... I...”

  She paused, a bit bashfully.

  “You...?”

  “I began to realize how much I care for you! Then I didn’t know what to say when I saw you, I didn’t know where to look, my hands were sweating and—”

  Pedro silenced her with a kiss. He didn’t think, he just acted. He gently held the girl’s face in his hands and kissed her lips. Letícia shivered. She kissed him back, but other than that, her only reaction was stretching out the fingers hard in her hand, as they lay beside her body.

  All went naturally, as it usually did between them. Both of them were feeling in the right place with the right person. The kiss was neither too long nor too short. They stepped back as if they had agreed beforehand on the exact amount of time they should spend before it was over. Then they smiled and embraced.

  “Tut, tut, tut.” Thiago came near after watching the scene. “Now you’re gonna have to wash your mouth with disinfectant before kissing me, girl.” Pedro and Letícia frowned. What a dumbass! “You’re still gonna be mine! Hear my words! This doofus here is going to disappoint you and leave you, Letícia.” Pedro and Letícia remained embracing, glaring at Thiago. “See you around, losers!”

  He stepped away from the couple as the school bell started ringing.

  “Don’t you worry about him, Pedro,” said Letícia, walking by his side as they returned to the classroom, “he is a jerk. Just the other day he sent me a note saying he wanted to talk to me, only to try to make a move on me when we were left alone.” Pedro’s eyes grew wider. “No, no, nothing happened! He just kept bugging me, saying he’ll get me one day. Not even in his dreams!” Pedro smiled.

  “Let him go, Le. He can’t spoil my day. I’m way too happy today! I wonder why that would be?” She gave him a slight shove. He shoved her back. They went on teasing each other like this until they returned to their seats.

  Daniel and Luiz saw their friend had company coming back into the classroom and high-fived each other in celebration.

  Chapter 14

  On the days that followed, little changed in Pedro and Letícia’s routine. They still sat at the same desks, and they couldn’t yet manage to arrange for a date out of school, for fear of how Letícia’s father would react. Neither could they hold hands or kiss all the time, because that went against the school norms, but they did spend all the time they could together, exchanging kisses and caresses whenever possible.

  Two days after the amateur championship was over, Pedro’s team scheduled a meeting in the pro area of the Flag Race server, to which they had now been granted access. Despite the similarities it shared with the general server, the pro environment was much more remarkable.

  The virtual reality itself around him seemed more solid, like it had been better programmed. Beautiful waitresses and waiters served users whatever they wanted to consume, spending their own stability to create the amazing products they offered their customers. The area was better organized and there were fewer creatures lurking around everywhere. All teams gathered in small rooms with a table at the center, behind closed doors, so they could discuss their strategies without anyone else being able to overhear them.

  “Everything here is just too serious and no fun at all, isn’t it?” Asuka remarked. Everyone nodded in agreement.

  “Guys, you’ve all seen what these people are capable of, right? You can see their moves from last year’s championship... From the way they can mold everything around them, you’d almost forget they’re playing Flag Race!” Kerah remarked.

  “And then there’s a team,” Mary remarked, her green hair growing pale as she spoke, “consisting only of Hitters... They don’t even try to capture the flags! They win their matches just by forcing their opponents to log out... What are they called again?”

  “Warfear,” said a young G.I. Joe with red eyes in a camo suit. He drew closer to the table, followed by his team. “We’re Warfear. And you must be...”

  “Dante’s Chaos,” said the white-haired young man, drawing close and stretching his hand out to greet him.

  The army man lifted an eyebrow, his eyes still over Dante. He spat on the outstretched hand before adding, “Do you really believe you should be here? Do you really think you deserve to be a part of a pro championship? Just because you won a crappy amateur championship you think you have the right to sit here with us?”

  “Hey, that wasn’t very nice!” Asuka answered. “You don’t have to be rude to—”

  He cut her short, his red eyes fixed on the small girl. “Oh, you think that’s rude? Wait till you see us on the court! I hope we’ll get to crush you on your first match! This way we’ll show you you’re in the wrong place and that you should never have even come to the pro games! And there’s more—”

  Bobby, again in his minotaur shape, shut the door to their little room, leaving the G.I. and his team outside. He turned to his friends and cracked a smile, a bit warped by his bovine features.

  “Always nice getting a warm welcome, am I right or what, guys?” Dante remarked as he produced a hankie to clean his hand with. “I want to see the look on these suckers’ faces when we bring all of their flags to our base!”

  None of his teammates gave the slightest reaction. They were still lost in their thoughts, afraid of what they’d face ahead.

  “Guys, what’s going on? You all look like you’re at a funeral! We’re here to play! We’re here to have fun! It doesn’t matter if we win or not! Even if we lose in the very first match, we had one of the best scores in the amateur championships of the past few years! We’ve shown them our worth! You’re the best team I could expect to have and I’m sure we’re gonna play a beautiful game in this championship, even if we lose! Are you with me or not?”

  “We are!”

  “Great! Now, let’s check out the other teams’ usual moves, so we can catch them by surprise!”

  They spent a good while in that room, crafting small three-dimensional replicas of famous moves performed by their opponents. They came up with solutions to avoid the strengths of the most well-known teams, sc
hemed new defense tactics, and prepared surprise attacks.

  Ace couldn’t keep his thoughts from wandering and thinking about his girlfriend. In the middle of the game discussion, he’d remember how good it felt being with her and wondered how they’d do to tell their parents about them, so they could finally go out together and their relationship could become more serious. Between one of his daydreams, he saw that Mary was looking at him. Her hair remained green, without the intense reddish hues that usually came over her when they were together. She gave him a smile, but without the usual wink.

  Ace recalled Daniel’s remarks, saying he should have kissed her and figured she must have resented his lack of initiative for that kiss they never had. But Ace was content because since Letícia was now his girlfriend, it would be better anyway if Mary were a little more... restrained.

  After some time in that meeting, with plenty of laughs and jokes between all the tactical commentary, little by little the team members were logging out. At a certain moment, Ace and Kerah were the only ones remaining inline. The boy said goodbye to the redhead, telling her he was just going to get one more taste of one of those special juices served at the bar.

  He was just enjoying his drink when someone banged a mug next to him at the counter. It was Warfear’s leader again. Ace pretended not to notice him.

  “So, you’re a real brave one, aren’t you?” the captain remarked, with his red eyes fixed on Ace. “I just explained to you that this place here isn’t for you, and still you have the guts to come to the counter even though nobody else from your team is inline! What’s keeping me from disconnecting you and prove your worthlessness right here and now, huh, boy?”

  “How about that laser sight on your forehead?” Ace pointed out. The G.I. looked around and saw Kerah had her sniper rifle aimed directly at him.

  “You will see. You shouldn’t have messed with Warfear’s Captain Blazkowciz!” He looked at Ace and Kerah, then at Ace again. “See you around, losers!”

  Ace’s eyes opened wide and he grew pale. It couldn’t be! Blazkowicz did the same when he saw his reaction, then pondered for a few seconds and laughed out loud as he walked away.

  “Ace? Ace, are you OK?” Kerah inquired.

  With a distant stare, he nodded before remarking, “I know that jerk in real life.”

  Chapter 15

  Thiago! Thiago was the head of one of the most powerful Flag Race teams of all! Pedro couldn’t believe it. No. It was probably just his imagination. There were plenty of other people who could go around using Thiago’s catchphrase... But why would anyone else react that way?

  His suspicions grew stronger in school, during classes, because whenever he looked in Thiago’s direction he’d make an imaginary gun with his fingers and pretend to shoot it. Was that only because he wanted to have Letícia or had he really recognized him as Ace?

  He chose not to disclose his suspicions to anybody. Telling it to Letícia wouldn’t be of any help to their relationship at all, and even though he knew his friends hated Thiago’s guts, he figured it would be better to keep this to himself. That was because, should Thiago pressure them to make sure he’d recognized him, then he could at least pretend it wasn’t the case.

  “Is everything all right, Pedro?” Letícia asked him while they talked in the courtyard during break. “You’re kinda weird today, you seem worried... Is there anything I can do? Is it about your brothers?”

  “Actually, no... my brothers are OK. I mean, relatively speaking.” He smiled. “I’m sorry, Le, it’s just some Neuralnet nonsense that’s stuck in my head…”

  “Hm! What kind of nonsense? You wouldn’t happen to have another girlfriend there, would you?” she joked. “Otherwise I’m gonna have to ask you to give me my gift back!”

  “Hahaha! Very funny! Of course not, silly! You know me, Le! Like I said, it’s nonsense. But there’s another thing I’d like to talk to you about...”

  “What?”

  “It’s about your dad, you know? I mean: imagine how cool it would be if we could meet on the Neuralnet. There are so many loci I’d like to see with you...” She grimaced, showing her apprehensiveness, but he went on. “OK, I know we can’t strain it, but either way I wish we could hang out together, see a movie in the holotheater, walk by the beach, I dunno. But that won’t be possible as long as your dad doesn’t know we’re dating.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. It’s just that... my mother knows it best, but my dad is a bit... oh, you know...”

  And, boy, did he know. Pedro recalled her father’s remarks on the day he’d been at the gym to see Letícia’s rehearsal.

  “But all right,” she added, on a happier tone, holding his hand, “I’ll try to talk him into it as soon as I can. I want to be able to hang out with you easy too.” She smiled.

  Back in the classroom, Daniel spoke to his friends. “Did you guys see the date for the senior prom is out at last? The one everybody in high school is going to? They’re putting up the posters for it already!”

  “Big deal,” Luiz remarked. “You know what I’m going to do on prom night? Stay at home, online, like last year. There’s nothing for me at the prom, but if I stay home at least I get some XP for my character. But it must be quite nice for you guys, huh?”

  “Quite nice? That’s the understatement of the year! I’m going with Amanda, dude!”

  “For real?” a suspicious Pedro asked. Daniel nodded. “Really for real?”

  “Yeah, dude! I mean... she hasn’t answered me yet, but she’s gonna accept it soon!” Pedro and Luiz looked at each other, unable to believe it. “I said we were only giving each other some time out! Seriously! She’s my girl!” He grimaced, seeing his friends still didn’t believe he could make it. “What about you, Pedro? Have you asked Letícia to go with you? Not that she’s gonna go with anyone else, but I bet she’ll think it’s cute if you ask her.”

  “I haven’t yet. I didn’t even know there was a set date already for the prom, but now that you’ve mentioned it... I’ll try to think of a more romantic moment to ask her if she wants to come with me.”

  “And I’m gonna be alone, as usual...” Luiz complained.

  “Man, the only reason you’re alone is because you didn’t man up like Pedro and me. We went there and came out with our feelings, and it all worked out OK, you see? Now if you just sit there and mope then you’re really never getting a girlfriend!”

  “It’s not really like that. Wasn’t it you the one who was saying that Amanda was the woman of your dreams, that she was meant for you and all? Well, I want to find a girl like that! I want to find the girl who completes me, who will understand why I wish I was born in the past, but there’s nobody like that! I think God doesn’t really like me anyways...”

  They sat down.

  “By the way,” Luiz went on, “you guys are lucky, you should try buying a raffle that the seniors are selling. They’re raffling a Neurolink! You have a chance to get something... I, however, won’t even waste my time, with this bad luck I have...”

  Pedro and Daniel rolled their eyes.

  “Man, someday you’re gonna have to do something,” Pedro remarked. “If you always think everything’s gonna go wrong and you don’t try to change it, then everything will actually go wrong!”

  “Wow, sure thing I’m buying a raffle!” Daniel was excited. “Stop being such a baby and buy one too, Luiz!”

  The redheaded boy sighed and shook his head.

  Meanwhile, Letícia was chatting with Amanda.

  “Did you see the prom date’s out?”

  “I did!” the long-black-haired girl replied. “And I’ve been already asked out, do you believe it?”

  “By who? That friend of Thiago’s?”

  “Ermmmm... well, actually, no...” Amanda smiled and looked at Daniel.

  “Really?” Letícia couldn’t believe her eyes. Amanda, the most popular girl in class, was really considering going to the prom with Daniel? That was great! She felt happy for her friend and
for herself, because now she understood why Amanda didn’t say a word about her relationship with Pedro.

  Amanda confirmed it with a nod.

  “And you said yes?” Letícia asked. She grinned to see Amanda blushing.

  “Stop making that face, Letícia!” Amanda complained, lightly shoving her friend. “Of course I didn’t! Yet. I can’t say yes straight away, right? I didn’t say anything when you starting dating Pedro. And you know I think you deserved better.”

  “I’m not saying a thing!” Letícia laughed. “I’m happy for you, that’s all!”

  Amanda’s face was still bright red while she turned on her tablet. Classes were starting.

  Chapter 16

  Days were going by quickly and soon Dante’s Chaos would have to face their first opponent in the pro championship: Monster Mash. They had studied all there was to know about their most used tactics, but still everyone in Dante’s Chaos couldn’t help but feel a mix of anxiety and fear as they entered the court. They were happy, though, because at least it wasn’t Warfear they were going to face as their first opponent.

  Just like at the official server area, the official court had an enhanced feeling of reality: it seemed way more coherent and better drawn. The programming laws employed were of a noticeably better quality than in non-official courts.

  If the amateur championship was already watched by an absurd number of users, the amount of viewers who followed the game now was uncountable.

  Ace looked around for the gigantic bleachers-screen that allowed the players to see the audience and vice versa, with the audience even being able to zoom in on their images and see different angles for each move, altering the camera angles however it was best for them.

  “Ladies and gentlemen!” the announcer began. “Welcome to one more match in the official Flag Race league! Today we’ll have the veterans from Monster Mash against the newcomers from Dante’s Chaos! But don’t fool yourselves! In one corner, we have one of the most traditional Flag Race teams since our championships began two years ago; in the other, we have the highest-scoring team in the history of the amateur championship, who have succeeded in launching themselves straight into the official league! I’m sure they’re going to make quite an impression on all of us. Fasten your seat belts, dear viewers, because we’re having one huge game today! Let’s go to the countdown together now!”