Lonely No More

Feeling elated, I was heading up to my room, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and someone punched me in the face. I staggered back, confused and pained.

A member of the football team stood there, snarling.

“I heard a rumor you slept with my fucking girlfriend.” he growled.

“Um, you heard wrong, dude. I don’t know you, or your girlfriend. And trust me, man, I haven’t gotten laid since I got here.” I laughed hollowly. The guy standing behind the angry football player chuckled dryly.

“C’mon man, he’s telling the truth.” the player’s buddy said.

“Imma kill Josh, then.” the player nodded.

“Wait, Josh told you I slept with your girlfriend? Out of curiosity, what’s your girlfriend’s name?” I asked curiously. He frowned.

“Penny.” he said. I frowned, too.

“Oh. I mean, I guess I saw her in the hall yesterday. But I don’t think she even knows my name.” I shrugged. The football player’s friend hauled him away with an apologetic wave and I touched my nose gingerly and then I felt soft hands helping me up. I found myself staring into the warm brown eyes of a pretty blond girl.

“Um, hi.” I smiled nervously. She smiled back, uncertainly.

“Hi. Are you OK?” she asked me. Dazed, I nodded. She nodded.

“Good. You took a hard punch from that guy, and he’s a linebacker, so he’s huge.” the girl said.

“Yeah. Oh, I’m Jace, by the way.” I introduced myself.

“Helena.” the blond girl smiled. Somebody poked their head out of a door and looked between me and Helena.

“Hel, ready?” the girl asked.

“Well, nice to meet you.” I said, and started walking off. After a moment, Helena called my name. I turned, and Helena stood there, looking a little awkward.

“Hey, um, do you wanna go to the concert with me and my friends?” Helena asked shyly.

“Ah, I mean, I’d like to. But I’m completely swamped on homework.” I said truthfully. Helena offered a smile.

“Sure, that’s cool. Um, I can recommend a tutor, if you’d like.” Helena told me. I nodded hastily.

“Yes, that’d be great.” I said. Helena and I exchanged numbers, then she texted me my tutor’s information, and I smiled gratefully at her.

“Thanks, Helena. And if when the next concert rolls around, I’m all caught up, I’ll definitely join.” I said and turned to walk back to my room, hands in my pockets. I felt very confused and very excited.

———

When I reached my room, I cast a dark look at Josh’s door, before entering my own room and pulling out my phone. I looked on the AM and saw Helena had joined the two people on the list.

Preston, Helena

Affection Score: 29

Emotional Affection Score: 0

Physical Attraction Score: 50

New Achievement: ‘Soaker of Panties’

Reward: +20 Affection Currency

Holy shit. I’d turned Helena on? I mean, I wasn’t ugly, but I didn’t think I was handsome enough to just make girls horny. Also, what was Affection Currency? I pushed the little ‘i’ beside it and up popped a screen explaining things.

Affection Currency is the primary currency available to you. There are some rarer subtypes, but they’re much harder to acquire. Currency can be obtained by evolving relationships, unlocking achievements, or mastering Skills. Currency can be used to purchase Perks, which improve you in various ways, Alterations, which change the people and environment around you. Most expensive are Powers, which gift you an ability you can use over and over again. It could be the ability to create food at a thought, or to have telepathy. They are all extraordinarily expensive, however.

I could buy magic and superpowers? That’s crazy. I mean, it sounded far fetched, but this same app had scored me not only a date with Ms. Reed, sorry, Claire, but I’d gotten to meet Helena and I’d gotten a good tutor out it. Why would it start making shit up now?