The bell's sharp clang cut through the school like lightning. Its ringing lingered, hanging heavy in the air. Teachers and students paused, caught in a moment of stillness.
In one of these rooms, Miss Tina stood before the class and a blackboard filled with math equations. She wrote more equations as the bell rang.
Miss Tina took a glance at her watch once the bell stopped. She paused writing more equations, then turned around to face the class.
"Five more minutes," she said, raising her palm. "Let's finish this topic, then we'll wrap up today's discussion." Miss Tina turned to the board and wrote more equations; her chalk glided across the board. Her pace increased faster than it had been earlier.
"Again!!!" The class erupted in a quiet clamor as a protest. But it lasted only a few seconds. There is nothing they can do; Miss Tina wrote more and more equations on the board. With no other choice, the students grabbed their pens and paper. They started to copy the equations from the board.
Five minutes flew by...
"That's all for today; class dismissed!" Miss Tina announced as she erased the writings on the board.
"Finally!" The class erupted into chaos. Laughter and chatter filled the room in an instant. Textbooks shut with a snap. Chairs screeched as students jumped up from their seats.
Amid the chaos in the classroom, Elizabeth woke up from her peaceful nap in the back, thanks to her seatmate's loud mouth.
She lifted her head from her arms, her cheeks flushed from dozing too long. Her cheeks blushed a vibrant red, a badge of oversleeping. With a tender groan, she stretched her arms toward the sky, freeing her weary shoulders.
As a yawn slipped free, she swept away the final traces of slumber; her gaze wandered.
It landed on the window's frame.
Radiant hues washed over the sky as the sun dropped below the horizon.
Amber and deep crimson filled the campus during a stunning sunset. The warm light played on the faces of students as they exited the room.
Sigh...
"The day's about to end," Elizabeth murmured.
Another day...
"Liz!!" Elizabeth's attention snapped forward; it was Rianne. She navigated through her classmates, deep blue eyes sweeping the crowd. With a radiant smile, she waved, her golden-blonde hair flowing with each step. Sunlight sparkled off her smile and mixed with her golden hair. This created a magical glow around her.
Rianne exclaimed, "Ahhh!! You slept in class again!" as she pointed her fingers at Liz's flushed cheeks.
"Not fair!" Rianne huffed, her arms crossed.
If Miss Tina catches her dozing off like that in front, a piece of chalk will soar straight at her forehead.
Elizabeth tossed her bag over her shoulder with a relaxed gesture and shrugged. "Even if I listen, I will not understand any of it," she remarked.
Elizabeth's legs propelled her forward as she marched toward the door. "Let's go!" she called to Rianne, her hand already gripping the door.
Rianne, caught off guard, exclaimed, "Wait!" In a flash, she dashed to retrieve her bag and scattered belongings. She turned around, but Liz was already gliding out the door. Without missing a beat, Rianne launched into a sprint.
As soon as Rianne burst out of the room, her gaze scanned the horizon. It homed in on Liz's figure in the distance. In a flash, she took off, her legs propelling her forward.
As Rianne approaches, a cheeky grin spreads across her face. In a playful swoop, her right hand lands a light smack on Liz's butt. "Don't leave me like that." she exclaimed, her voice laced with laughter and teasing.
Eeek!!
"Rianne!" Elizabeth gasped, embarrassment painting her cheeks a vivid rose.
Her head turned side to side; her eyes scanned the hallway in a flurry of panic.
Did anyone see?
But to her relief, everyone else seemed lost in their own worlds, walking past without a glance.
She let out a quiet sigh, her shoulders easing a little... Then she turned back to Rianne with a dramatic pout.
"Now you look better," Rianne teased. "You're cuter that way. Everyone will think you're depressed if you look so serious all the time."
"They don't know you're just bored," Rianne added with a grin. "Hahahaha."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and turned away. She pretended to ignore her while walking down the hall.
Rianne jogged to catch up.
"So, have you thought about it yet? Everyone in class has already been playing Beyond Reality for a week now. If you're that bored with your life, why not dive into the game?" Rianne asked.
"You know I'm not good at games," Elizabeth reasoned.
"Me neither," Rianne said, pointing to herself with a grin. "But this might be different, you know? It's the first full-dive virtual reality game, with 99% realism. We can move our bodies as much as we can. And the game is safe; everyone has been playing it for a week now," Rianne exclaimed with excitement.
"I can't afford the game capsule," Elizabeth said, thinking of another excuse to turn down Rianne.
"I can gift it to you," Rianne offered without missing a beat. "Your birthday is around the corner, right? Consider it an early present." She leaned in a little. "Besides, I heard you can sell in-game items to other players and make real money."
"But…" Elizabeth opened her mouth to argue again, but Rianne cut her off.
"Besides, let's be real," Rianne said, her hands on her hips. "We haven't hung out lately because you are always too lazy to go out. But Beyond Reality? You can literally play it in your sleep. So don't even try to pull the lazy card," Rianne exclaimed, her index finger wagging in Liz's face.
And just like that... Rianne was on a roll, throwing reason after reason at her. While they made their way downstairs.
"Please!" Rianne pleaded, looking at her with wide, hopeful eyes.
"Fine, you win." Elizabeth accepted her fate; it wasn't like she could reason with the amount of effort Rianne had put in. She had been bringing up Beyond Reality to her all week.
"Really? Really!!! "You can't take it back," Rianne squealed, her eyes lighting up. "I'll have the game capsule sent to your house today."
"Today?!" Elizabeth's eyes widened in surprise, her voice echoing Rianne's.
"Of course, I've been dying to play since last week. But Dad wouldn't let me unless he was sure it was safe. He said I needed someone to play with... kind of like a bodyguard."
She glanced at Elizabeth. "But if it's with you, then he'll be okay with it."
"Fine, fine," Elizabeth said at last, throwing her hands up in defeat.
...
As they approached the school gate, a sleek black limousine awaited. A tall figure in a sharp black suit emerged from the driver's side. He glided around to the back door, his movements as smooth as silk.
With a graceful tug, he opened the door and said, "My lady." Then he straightened up and gave a small bow, his eyes locked on Rianne.
Rianne acknowledged him with a subtle nod and stepped inside.
"Hello, Mr. Kan," Elizabeth chimed in, her voice bright and friendly.
"Miss Elizabeth," Mr. Kan replied with a gracious bow.
Once Elizabeth settled into her seat, Kan closed the door with a gentle motion.
With poise, he slid back into the driver's seat and checked the rearview mirror. "Where would you like to go, my lady?" he asked.
"Let's go home. I'm tired," Rianne replied, then turned to Elizabeth. "Do you have any plans?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm tired too."
"Very well," Kan said with a nod, then started the engine.
The limousine eased away from the school gate and merged into traffic.
On the way, Rianne couldn't stop talking about how amazing Beyond Reality looked. Gushing over every detail she'd seen in online videos. Breathtaking landscape, the lifelike environments, the freedom to explore, and the heart-pounding battles.
She and Rianne even began planning what they would do once they were inside the game.
Her excitement didn't let up for the entire 40-minute ride. It lasted until they finally pulled up in front of Elizabeth's house.
"We've arrived, Miss Elizabeth," Mr. Kan said, bringing the car to a gentle stop in front of the gate. He stepped out and made his way to the back door to open it.
"You promised to play it today, okay?" Rianne turned to Liz, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Yes, yes… I promised," Elizabeth replied with a small laugh. "As soon as the game capsule arrives, I'm logging in."
"Good!" Rianne beamed.
"Then I'll go. Bye, Rianne."
Elizabeth grabbed her bag and stepped out of the car. "Thank you, Mr. Kan," she said, showing her respect.
Kan gave her a small nod in acknowledgment.
Elizabeth opened the gate and strode toward the door.
As Kan returned to the driver's seat, Rianne leaned forward. "Did you deliver it?"
"Yes, milady. We also assembled it, as you ordered," he replied in a calm manner.
"Perfect. Then full speed ahead!" Rianne said, pointing toward the road. She couldn't wait to dive into the game.
"As you wish," Kan said, starting the engine as they pulled away.