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 beco a strange rhythm—one she hadn’t quite adjusted to yet. Jason, her twin brother, was holed up in his room, probably going over ga 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 t him while playing Fortnite. Back then, she was just "NotZoeyBlack," a faceless pro gar with a knack for trash-talking and winning. But as they played more together, their conversations had beco 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 doorfra.
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 gar. You probably spend more ti with your online buddies than actual people."
"At least I don’t ghost everyone I know in real life," Chloe snapped.
Jason put his phone down and looked at her. "What’s with you today? You’re more annoying than usual."
Chloe crossed her arms. "I was just wondering about David."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "David? What about him?"
Chloe hesitated before asking, "What was the last thing he said to you? You know, when you guys spoke on the phone."
Jason shrugged, his nonchalance infuriating her. "What’s it to you?"
"Just tell ," Chloe pressed, her voice sharpening.
Jason sighed. "He asked what I thought he should do if a top club ca after him. You know, the usual stuff."
Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. "And? What did you tell him?"
Jason tilted his head, looking at her like she’d asked him to solve a calculus problem. "What do you think I told him? I said he shouldn’t leave. He’s our best player. Of course, I’d tell him to stay."
Chloe’s eyes widened. "You told him not to leave?"
Jason blinked, clearly confused. "Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?"
"Fool," Chloe muttered, turning on her heel and storming out of the room.
Jason sat there, stunned. He watched as she stomped down the hallway and slamd her bedroom door so hard the walls seed to shudder. He frowned, muttering to himself, "What did I do now?"
Monts later, Chloe reappeared, her face red with frustration. "You really are insensitive, you know that?" she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him.
Jason opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "No, don’t even try. You’re a big fool, Jason. A colossal, unbelievable fool!"
She stord back down the hall, slamming the door again for good asure. The sound echoed through the house, leaving Jason sitting in stunned silence. He glanced around the room, half expecting soone to explain what had just happened.
"What did I do?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
Back in her room, Chloe flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mind raced, replaying Jason’s words. "He shouldn’t leave." Did Jason even understand what David was going through? The weight of a decision like that? She felt a pang of guilt.
David didn’t just need advice. He needed soone who actually understood him—soone who could help him see the bigger picture. And maybe, just maybe, that soone was her.
Chloe sighed, reaching for her headphones. She placed them over her ears and logged into Fortnite, waiting to see if David would co online. As the ga loaded, she thought about all the things she wanted to say to him.
For now, she would be NotZoeyBlack—his faceless friend. But one day, she’d have to tell him the truth. And she wasn’t sure who would be more shocked when that day ca—David or herself.
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