Chapter 77: Faceless friend
Chloe Knight stared at the ceiling, her headphones resting on her lap. Her brother’s house was unusually quiet, save for the occasional creaks and groans of the old floorboards underfoot. Lockdown life had become a strange rhythm—one she hadn’t quite adjusted to yet. Jason, her twin brother, was holed up in his room, probably going over game footage or texting his London bound girlfriend. Chloe, however, was lost in her thoughts.
Her mind drifted to David Jones, Jason’s teammate and, unknowingly, her online friend. She had first met him while playing Fortnite. Back then, she was just "NotZoeyBlack," a faceless pro gamer with a knack for trash-talking and winning. But as they played more together, their conversations had become less about gaming and more about life. David had shared things with her, his hopes, his struggles, and his dreams, without ever realizing she was sitting just a few rooms away in his teammate’s house.
She didn’t know how to tell him the truth. It wasn’t just awkward; it was terrifying. How would he react if he found out?
Chloe shook her head, trying to push the thought away, and stood up. The headphones clattered onto the desk. She wandered down the hall to find Jason sprawled on the couch, his phone in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other.
"Don’t you ever do anything besides laze around?" Chloe teased, leaning against the doorframe.
Jason glanced at her and smirked. "Says the girl who spent three hours streaming herself building a digital castle."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "That’s called content creation. It’s different."
"Sure it is," Jason shot back, his smirk widening. "You’re as much of a snob as I am, Chloe. Don’t pretend otherwise. You’re literally a pro gamer. You probably spend more time with your online buddies than actual people."
"At least I don’t ghost everyone I know in real life," Chloe snapped.