That evening, I’m sitting side by side on Clementine with Val, going through emails and drafting some write-ups while she plays Elden Ring. Luckily, I’m good at blocking out background noise as I work, or else I wouldn’t be able to get anything done amid the deafening music, screams, and crashing sounds coming from the TV.

Kiara’s out having dinner with some of her other friends, so it’s just Val and me tonight. Rather than cook for only the two of us, we decided to share a box of pepperoni pizza.

Burrito’s nowhere in sight. After stealing a few pieces of crust, he sped into my friends’ room, probably hiding underneath the bed from all the loud noises.

I’m about to shut my laptop and call it a night, when I get an email from Celeste. Or at least, what I think still counts as an email. There’s no subject, nor a message in the body. The only thing she’s included are the files for the video recordings from Friday.

“What did you do?” Val asks as she peers at my computer screen.

I look up to see the bloodred words YOU DIED flash across the TV. I’m not sure whether I should be honored or horrified that Val commented on Celeste’s email while her character was getting mauled by a two-headed dragon.

Val exits out to the main menu and gives me a questioning look.

I sigh. “Things have been weird after I woke up at her place,” I say. “She’s being distant, which would be fine, since we have to keep things professional for work, anyway… if it weren’t for the fact that she’s being so distant that working together has become kind of uncomfortable. I tried to make things friendly between us yesterday, but then, there was this weird tension between us. I think we both still like each other?”

Val gasps and sets her controller down on the coffee table. “Wait, isn’t that a good thing, though? Kiara’s sapphic shipping fantasy is coming true.”

I lean back into Clementine’s soft upholstery. “I don’t know if I want to get into all that right now.”

“What, because of work?” Val resumes her game, and after watching her character dodge around and hack at the dragon for several minutes, I’m convinced she’s forgotten about our conversation, when she says, “Don’t you think Kiara is right, even just a little bit? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not superstitious or even a little-stitious. Not the slightest. But you crossed each other’s paths after eight years. When most exes from high school or college don’t ever see each other again.”

Hack, hack, dodge, slash.