Page 24 of Glitched Play

Gaming does.

Building communities does.

Creating experiences for people like me.

Somewhere along the way I started settling for good enough because chasing what I actually wanted felt impossible.

Now someone has handed me exactly what I've been chasing. And suddenly there's nowhere left to hide.

A knock sounds at my door.

Before I can answer, Chase steps inside carrying two pizzas and a six-pack of soda.

"Tyler sent me."

I narrow my eyes. "My brother?”

"Okay, it was your mom’s idea."

"That sounds more believable."

I called my family on the way home. And although they know Synatrix is huge, they don’t realize the scope of the company. Tyler knows the gaming part, but I doubt he knows everything. What they do know is it’s owned by an O’Ryan and they love their Austin Armadillos.

He surveys the apartment and immediately starts laughing.

"Looks like you've declared war on cardboard."

“Rude. I have a system."

He points toward a box labeled IMPORTANT STUFF.

Beside it sits a second box labeled MORE IMPORTANT STUFF.

And a third labeled REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF.

His grin widens.

"Do you?"

I throw a packing peanut at his head. Unfortunately, it bounces off harmlessly.

For the next hour we eat pizza and pack. Well, I pack. Chase mostly wanders around holding random objects and asking questions.

"Do you need six keyboards?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because they're different."

"They all have keys,” he chuckles as he taps his fingers against two of them.

I stare at him.

He stares at me.

Neither of us blinks.