James was on his way home from school. Instead of walking back home like he normally did, he was using his wheelchair and pretending he was injured from the bear incident. One of his arms and both of his legs were still "injured," so his friends Jack and Mo accompanied him to and from school. James' sister, May, offered to do it, but the two boys shrugged it off, saying that they should be the ones to do it. Jack and Mo took turns on chair-pushing duty. Today, Mo was pushing, while Jack had the important task of pushing the button to cross the street.
It had been three weeks since the trip to Oregon. After the interview, James had spent a few more days in the hospital before the doctors deemed him fit to be on a wheelchair. Then, he was shipped back to his hometown in Phoenix, Arizona. The flight was relatively uneventful, although James did gain some satisfaction from getting to board first. Unfortunately, he and the boys got lectured on the instructions for helping a handicapped person evacuate the plane in case of an emergency.
School had been somewhat different. James wasn't the first special needs person to attend his school, so it was relatively easy for him. James didn't have to take notes, and during tests and quizzes, someone would help him write down his answers. James felt bit guilty for faking his injuries when he saw the work the counselor put in to help him, but he told himself that it was for the greater good. He definitely did not want to spread the existence of the dungeon.
Although it was irritating to not be able to use both arms, James did not mind having to pretend to be injured too much. However, James had other issues stemming from the bear incident. Due to his interview with the news anchor Paul Anderson, James had gained a modest amount of fame. This fame, due to the misinterpretation of James' statements, portrayed him as a bloodthirsty teenager who enjoyed executing chokeholds on bears and modifying weapons of war.
"God, I'm still pissed. I just explained some facts you could find with a single search on the internet, and all of a sudden, people think I'm an active member of a radical militia."
James had blown up on the internet, and had become the source of multiple posts and conversations on social media. Those who knew him, such as his family, friends, classmates, and teachers, had a good laugh because of this. However, James had seen multiple people recognize his face and walk in a large semi-circle in order to avoid him. It didn't really affect him much, but it still got under his skin.
By the time James cleared his mind of such thoughts, Jack and Mo had already arrived at his house.
"Are you guys staying over today?" asked James. Since they started escorting James home, Jack and Mo had often decided to hang around at his house for a bit.
"Yeah, my parents are coming in an hour," said Mo.
"I mean…I could stay over for the night and my parents wouldn't care." Jack went back home by bus by himself. For the umpteenth time, James suddenly realized half of the people he knew he knew owned massive companies. It still shocked him every time, for some reason.
"Hello, boys. Thanks for helping out James," said Mama Lu
James' mom set out some snacks on the table.
"No worries. Thank you for the food." Jack and Mo spoke as one as they rubbed their hands together, about to dive for the plates.
"Jack, why do you enjoy our food so much? Shouldn't you be eating caviar and gold leaf everyday?"
"You know I hate those. What's the point of eating gold? Anyways, I enjoy leeching off of others or being generous and giving things to others. I don't like spending money on myself. "
James nodded. He understood that. In the dungeon, he had the chance to make a lot of money, but he couldn't see himself living in a luxurious mansion or anything of the sort. He would buy them for his parents and his sister in the future, though.
James' sister May, who was older than him by about a year, came downstairs. Because she had already been accepted into her goal college, she was relaxing during the months before her college started in the fall. May, Mo, and Jack indulged themselves in some random Chinese snacks.
"These prawn crackers are amazing," said Mo. "How do you make them?"
"We buy them from a store," said May.
"…"
May had been spending more time with James' friends recently, and was glad she had more targets to ridicule. James alone was too underwhelming for her and her sharp tongue. In a few months, she would be leaving for college. James still needed to learn the name of the college she was going to.
After they finished eating, Jack and Mo wheeled James into a room on the 1st floor. This was originally supposed to be a guest bedroom, but James couldn't easily go up the stairs to his old room, so this was where he slept for the time being.
James and the others then spent the afternoon playing an online game. The saddest part was that even though James was only using one hand to play, he was still playing better that Jack.
"Fuck! This game is dogshit!" Jack swore every time he died. He swore a lot.
"HAHA! You're an idiot, Jack! Look at these brain-dead heroes you play! James can play them with one hand better than you! You're garbage! I" Mo shouted gleefully. "If you played champs that relied on skill like I do, you wouldn't be shown up on this."
James chuckled. Assuming the air of a 500 year old wise wizard and sage, he said: "Mo, you're wrong in thinking ranged heroes required more skill. Melee heroes have combos, animation cancellation, and other mechanics as well. Do you think you are safe from me? I will show you why I am the track pad champion."
40 minutes and one game later, Mo took his hands off his keyboard, utterly dejected.
"How could this be? I was utterly destroyed by a one handed cripple. And that was with my favorite hero too!"
"Fools. How could you ever hope to stand up to me?"
James sat proudly, but inside, he was uneasy. He was playing much better with one hand then he normally did. Was he really the track pad champion? Had he been playing the game wrong this entire time? Maybe he could be hailed as the professional one handed player!
Eventually, Mo's parents came to pick their son up, and Jack took a bus back home. James went outside to eat his dinner. Then, during the evening, he finished his homework. Yawning, he placed his pencil down. It was time for him to hit the sack. But, instead of turning off
"Dad! I want to go to bed!"
Papa Lu came in and gently hoisted James Lu, the disabled person, onto the bed.
"Why have you been going to sleep so early lately?" Papa Lu asked.
"Have I? I didn't really notice." James replied.
"Oh. You usually stay up later. Well, getting more sleep is always good." With a flick of his hand, Papa Lu turned off the lights.
"Heh," he thought as Papa Lu left the room. "Since I discovered the dungeon, I've been going to bed early. The more I "sleep," the more time I have to spend in the dungeon."
He made a wry smile. "The interview portrayed me as someone who enjoyed fighting bears. The truth is much worse. I like fighting goblins."