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Sure enough, two seconds later the video on my screen flickered and then up popped the face of Carl, the Rock Valley Club’s director. He had a friendly smile, with a graying and scraggly beard and kind wrinkles around his eyes. All of the kids at that club loved Carl. He wasn’t exactly a gamer geek like many of us, but he understood our passion.
“I hope this thing is working...” Clearing his throat, he gazed hesitantly into the camera. “Guess I should just plow ahead and see what happens.”
I chuckled to myself. He did this every year. No matter how many times we tried to show Carl how to use the live video feed, he always did something to mess it up. At least it was working, for now. Silently, I urged him to get on with the opening.
“So, as you know, this is the tenth annual Holiday Gamers Tournament at the Rock Valley Club,” he said with a wide smile. “This year is extra special because we’ve got a sponsor—a local hero in the tech world. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Winifred Brown.”
My jaw fell to my chest as Carl scooted over to make room for a woman with long, dark hair pulled into a wavy ponytail over her shoulder. She had a long face, round black glasses, bright red lipstick, and a smile that pulled me closer to the screen. With a thankful nod at Carl, she smiled at the screen and waved.
“Please, everyone calls me Fred,” she said. “And I’m so grateful to be back in my hometown of Rock Valley. I actually graduated high school from here fifteen years ago. My parents still live here, but I went off to Cal Tech and eventually landed a gig with a start-up company that just grew and grew. And now, I live in Silicone Valley and I’m working on a start-up of my own.”
“No way!” I yelled, throwing my hands up.
“What?” Charlotte ran to my side to stare at the screen. She waved her freshly painted pink nails. “What’s going on?”
With an eager grin, I tapped the screen, where Fred was still talking about her new start-up. “The sponsor of this year’s tournament is none other than a girl. Michael Corrigan is going to pee his pants when he finds out.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened slightly, before she hid her mouth with her hand and giggled. “That’s too perfect. She’s practically laying the groundwork for your ultimate revenge.”
“Yeah, it’s practically a sign,” Lexi added from the bed. “You were definitely meant to win this.”
I nodded, feeling satisfaction pump through my veins. They were right. This was a sign. This was preparing me for the Corrigan’s defeat. A girl was sponsoring the club’s gaming tournament. Girls could most definitely game. This was going to happen.
The sore feeling from my earlier meeting with Gabriel still hadn’t gone away. He was so not what I expected. I’d almost been duped into feeling sorry for him—which was totally a mistake because Michael had put everything back into perspective. Gabriel was just as guilty as his brother. He’d been there during almost every fight, a supportive background figure to his brother’s reign of terror. I couldn’t forget that he was complicit. And now, I was more fired up than ever to win this thing.
“Listen, I know you didn’t all login tonight to hear me talk about my next big project,” Fred said with a laugh, adjusting her glasses. “When I was your age, we didn’t have things like gaming clubs. That’s why I was so excited to jump on board this year. As you’re aware, the grand prize winner gets $5,000.”
“And because of that, we’ve got more entries than ever,” Carl added loudly.
Fred chuckled. “Yes, I think we upped the ante. The sign-up sheet is closed. First two rounds are partner rounds, then it’s every man and woman for themselves. Round number one is Thursday evening. Please check the boards at the club to find out who you’re battling and the rest of the details. I can’t wait to see what my hometown can do.”
“And I can’t wait to see the lucky kid who wins this jackpot.” Carl rubbed his hands together excitedly. “This is going to be your best Christmas yet. Stay tuned, folks. We’ll let you know after Thursday who will be moving on. Till then!”
I blinked at the screen as the live feed ended. This was really happening. The first round was in two days.
I had so much I had left to do.
“Now, can we go to the diner for sustenance?” Lexi whined. “I’m starving.”
“Yeah, let’s go.” Charlotte hopped off my bed and stashed the nail polish in her bag. They had to bring their own supplies over whenever they wanted to do something girly. The last thing anyone would find in my drawers was a bottle of pink nail polish. “I could use some girl time. Hunter’s been so busy helping with things at Sweet Oak Ranch. They’ve got some new rescue horses in and they’re wild, skinny things.”
Lexi snatched her purse and pulled the strap over her shoulder. “Beth, you coming?”
I waved noncommittally over my shoulder. Already, I’d logged into the Battlegrounds App and was assessing my stockpile of weapon blueprints and inventory. I couldn’t help but wonder what Gabriel had hidden in his back pocket. Was he totally honest with me or did he keep some of it secret? A high-class weapon could mean the difference between a win and a brutal defeat. I’d have to be prepared for every situation.
“Come on, Bethy.” Charlotte perched herself on the edge of the desk and peered down at the screen. “You said you wanted to eat and we need someone to drive, or we’re going to have to spend the next forty-five minutes on the bus.”
“I always smell like fish after getting off of the bus,” Lexi said with a shiver. “Happens every time. I have no idea why.”
Drawing my lower lip between my teeth, I shook my head. Food wasn’t anywhere on my radar anymore. Seeing Fred on that live feed had set a fire inside of me and I wasn’t going anywhere away from my computer if I could help it.
After a long pause, Lexi cleared her throat. “Guess it’s the bus for us. See you tomorrow morning at school.”
There was a slight scuffle of coats and purses behind me and then silence. Honestly, I barely noticed them leaving. A few minutes later, a new message landed in my inbox from a certain gaming and anatomy partner.
Battlescar13: You pumped for this??
CurrerBFighting: Yo
