"Carlos! Get off that stupid game of yours! You're gonna rot your brain out!" My mom called up, I ignored her and yelled in frustration as this boss killed me again. (Fine! I guess I'll have to use my level 320 character. My most op character in this whole game!) I thought glaring at the computer screen. I pulled up the character menu and selected my first ever character, who was maxed in all skills. His name was Carlos because I wasn't creative enough to come up with something cool. "Carlos! Get your ass down here!" I sighed, pausing my game, I pushed my chair back and went downstairs. "I'm here mom." She let out a breath of frustration. "Chelsie is coming over, today." I felt a shot of disgust ran through me.

My mom hated the fact that I was gay. She wanted me like girls and girls only, so one day when I took over the company, I could have a child to pass down to the company. But, I wasn't sexually attracted to girls. "Chelsie?" My mom also knew that I absolutely hated Chelsie. Chelsie is the lead of the cheerleading team, she's also the type to say she loves you, but then she'll cheat and use you for popularity and money. "Yes, Chelsie! You're going to date her. Do you understand?" I grunted. "Mom, I hate Chelsie! Besides, you know I'm-" She slapped me across the face with the wooden spoon she was using to cook some spaghetti sauce.

My face burned. I felt my eyes water at the sensation. "Do not! Ever talk back to me you little fucker!" She shouted. I spun on my heels and ran upstairs. I closed my laptop, throwing it into my bag along with my headset some extra clothes, and my mouse and mouse pad. I picked up my stat books for my games and my sketchbook and put them in the bag too. "Carlos! Come back down here!" I heard my mother stomping up the stairs. Quickly I shoved open my window and fell out of it into the bush below. "Carlos!" Her voice was tight with anger.

Getting up as fast I could I ran. Farther and farther. (If I could just make it to Rayden's house... Then I could be free...). I heard the rumble of my mom's car as she caught up to me. I turned a corner quickly, going into the back alleyways I'd memorized over the years. I took a left, and two rights, then another left. I was so deep in the maze, that I had to start being careful. Here in the maze of back-alley ways, stalked low-lives, crack-users, and murders. Serial Killers, Human Traficars, and Robbers. I had always kept a gun in my bag for safe-keeping. I pulled it out and made sure it was on safety mode before shoving it into the waist of my pants. (A runaway.) I thought as I looked at a kid who was smoking some weed. He started coming towards me, and I reached for my gun again.

"Chill bro, I'm not gunna hurt yah. But why are you out here? You look like that one rich kid from the Ramsons Company." He said stopping in front of me. I cringe at the name. Then looked around swiftly, putting my finger to my lips. "Shh. I am. But I don't want these people to know it. Who knows what they'll do." I whisper. He nodded. Then asked: "Where you trying to go?" I recalled Rayden telling me the code word everyone out here knew for his dad's base. He was the biggest crime boss out here, the most dangerous too. "Matchbox." His eyes widen and he chuckled hoarsely. "Do you know someone there? You have to know someone there! That place is dangerous." He whispers back. I nod. "I know the boss and his son. Actually, his son happens to be my best friend. so. Yeah. He said I could go there if I needed to escape from my... Prison Keeper." I said the last two words with disgust.

He nodded then signaled to follow him. We walked in silence for a short period of time. Then the runaway suddenly spoke breaking my trance. "What's your name?" I thought for a moment. (Should I tell him my real name or..?) "Carlos," I said finally. He nodded. "Age?" (Human trafficker?) I thought suddenly. I shook my head saying "I'm not comfortable telling you that." He nods. "My name is Quince, and I'm eighteen." (A year older than me. Huh.) I gathered my confidence. "Why are you out here?" I asked tentatively. He sighed. "My mother died, a year back. My father went nuts and almost killed me. So, I ran." I felt my heart drop. (That sounds like my character Quince's backstory...) I didn't realize I had said that out loud until he chuckled. "Really now? What game?" He looked at me quizically. "Uhm, Quests in Archecore: Drakgon's Reign." I looked away in embarrassment.

"That's a good game." I looked up at him. "What's the level of your main character?" I smiled. Then said: "Level: 320. Health: 48,568. Melee: 36,289. Magica: 51,892. Speed: 46,370. Stealth: 29,467." I said proudly. Quince smiled. "Wow. Good job. I think that's the highest one I've heard so far." We come upon a dead-end. I walked up to the wall and searched it for the correct tiles. "Hm. Odd. Well, let's go, we must have-" I tapped the highest one on the left that was inside the circle. One tap. two faster taps. Hold. One tap. The door in the wall opened. I looked back at Quince who was shocked. Then I said: "Intelligence: 68,989." Grinning like a manic I took his wrist and pulled him in with me. The door closed behind us. "High intelligence. Strength?" "Not the highest. 34,537." He gave me an indecisive and uninterested "hm."

"Darlo-One. Darlo-Two. Ahem, ahem. Count us in, for more than ten." I rhymed under my breath to ease my nerves. The first time I saw Rayden's dad he nearly suffocated me with his gaze alone. "Tick Tock, on a clock. The hand strikes, leave it red. See me in my bed." My racing mind calms down and I stop muttering these rhymes. For longer than I care to remember I've always rhymed to calm myself down. People always thought I was weird because of that. That's why I don't have many friends. Besides the fact that most of this world is homophobic bitches who hate the lgtbq+ society.

I gulped down my fears and opened the door. "Mr. Maddison?" I called. I grinned slightly. (He's not home). I go up to the phone on the front desk and call into it Rayden and I's secret anthem. "One, two. Keep it few. Three, four. Give it more." I paused waiting and I hear it through the halls. "Five, six. Make it sick. Seven, eight. Kill it mate." We then say together as Rayden and I hug each other. "Nine, ten. Start again!"

"Rayden! I did it! I escaped!" I pulled back and stood next to Quince. "Good job bro! I'm proud of you!" Then he looked at Quince. "Who's this?" (Oh right!) "Rayden, this is Quince. He helped me get here. He's one year older than us." Quince nods his head, then looks to the left. "I'm Rayden! Nice to meet yah buddy!" "Pleasures mine," Quince responds saltily. "Hey, Ray! Can we play?" I looked at him hopefully. I wanted to show him my new character really badly. "Sure, Carlos! Quince bud! Wanna join?" I turned and looked at him, who met my eyes. He gulped. "Sure.." I jumped excitedly "Yes!"

Quince laughed and followed close behind me ask I walked to the gaming room. I felt his hand grab mine and linked his fingers with mine. It was dark so Rayden couldn't see this happen. I blushed slightly. (What the hell is this guy doing? We just met an hour ago!) I opened the door to the room and Quince quickly let go of my hand. I slipped the bag off my shoulders and ran to the couch with it! "I missed this place. My Sanctuary!" I heard Rayden laugh as he turned on the tv and logged in. I was on the game faster than the speed of light.

I hooked up my BlueTooth headphones to my computer and left one off my ear so I could hear when Quince and Rayden were talking to me. "Woah Carlos! Your character is even more badass looking than last time!" I switched to my newer character. Corvid Chan-Lung. He had a dark skin tone with dark brown hair and yellow eyes. He was dressed as a forest rouge, with a green hooded cape and light brown skin-legging and black boots that rose up to his knees. He had black fingerless gloves that went up to his elbows and no sleeves. His left shoulder had a scar, that led on under his glove. His mask was also black. "Corvid Chan-Lung?! Sick bro! I heard he's hard to get!" I laughed.

"He is, I sat in my room grinding two nights ago for him. I was grinding for about three hours for the supplies. Then finally I was able to do it!" Rayden laughed, he logged in as his usual character, Rejo Shaun-Wong. Rejo is in the Berzerker class. He had light blue eyes and hair, he was tan and had a light freckling. His armor wasn't as good as mine but that's okay. His armor was a lot bulkier than mine. He had a large muscular build and was about four inches taller than me. His character's abilities included Bloodlust III, War Cry II, Berzerker Onslaught IIV, etc.

When Quince got on he looked exactly how he looks and his character's name was Quince Deja-Chang. Quince had black hair with electric blue eyes and almond skin. (Quince looks exactly like Quince Deja-Chang...) He wore a black leather jacket, no shirt. He had dark grey bandages on his hands and his jeans were torn, his shoes were boots that cut of right at his mid-lower leg. Quince had a few scars on his face were the game Quince did. "Hey, Quince. Are you cosplaying this character?"

He looked away nervously. "It's cool man! We cosplay too!" Rayden said. (I think this is a lot more than a cosplay, Rayden). Quince looked at me directly in the eyes. No emotion flickered through them. (Wait... This is Quince Deja-Chang! How-) "Let's play!" Rayden's character started moving around in search of enemies. I went in the opposite direction. "Rayden if you want to grind xp we need to go this way."

"Huh? Right!" He started to follow me, then I started using my teleporting ability. "Let's see if you can keep up Ray." He chuckled and we started racing, Quince joined us soon after. I got to the location with Quince shortly behind, then Ray. "Bro you need to up your character's speed and stam." I laughed with Rayden. "I know." I glance at Quince who's concentrating on his phone next to me. I go over and help him defeat a couple of monsters.

"Hey, 'Los? Can I mooch of yah for some xp?" Rayden asked with his puppy eyes. I sighed. "Fiiine." Rayden exclaimed with joy as me and Quince attacked some monsters.