"A promise is a promise…"

The sentence kept running and repeating in my slept filled mind. I wake up on a Saturday morning after a hard first week of school as a freshman. I ripped my eyes open and slammed my hand on the snooze button. I forgot to shut off the alarm, again. I moaned knowing that when I wake up it's hard for me to go back to sleep, so I didn't bother trying. I sit upright in my bed, arching my back as I stretch. I rub my head gently as I try to remember what 'A promise is a promise' was from. Then it came to me.

Glitch.

I sprang out of bed and turned my TV onto the weather channel. On my TV screen stood a woman dressed in work clothing, with short brown hair, and a bit of a tan.

'Since the near by hurricane will be just grazing by Florida, everywhere around the coast will be hit with thunderstorms this afternoon.'

Perfect.

Turning my TV on mute, I walked over to my cell phone that beeped 'Full Battery' to text Mckenna. I flip open the lit up keyboard and started to type my message:

'Your spending the night tonight, I think my parents will be out again, we have some unfinished business to take care of.'

I pushed my thumb against the send button as I watched the animated letter fly out of view. I sit on my bed, patently waiting for her reply. To my surprise she replied almost instantly. I pick up my phone to see that the animated letter had returned.

'On my way.'

I smiled knowing that she knew what I was talking about. Slipping my phone into my back pocket, I turn my bedroom door knob with ease and walk out into the light brown hallway leading to the front door. I walk outside and sit on the white rocking chair to wait for Mckenna's arrival. It didn't take her long to get here; she only lived a couple streets away. With the wave of my hand I mouth the words thank you to her mother who was so kind to drop her off on such a shorts notice. Mckenna runs up the rocks of my unpaved driveway and crashes against my chest with a tight hug. I've missed her so much; she was only 1 street away from the cutoff zone from my school, so we were separated this week. I let go of her hug to look at her dead on.

"I've missed you so much!"

I exclaimed as we walked up the paved sidewalk leading to the front door.

"I missed you to Sammie! How could they do that to us?"

Mckenna said as we walked into my house. I just give her a look of 'Right?' on my face. I walk over to the entertainment center and turn on the Xbox 360, then lit up a glowing green. I flicked the switch on the stereo system and waited to here the bass kick in for the intro. As the intro played I put Mckenna's bag into my room. I walked out of my room, then into the living room. I get into the center of the kinect and slide my arm across the screen to get started. The game already took a twist and went straight to the beach; Mckenna immediately got up from the couch and stood next to me as the second player. Glitch and Bodie walk out onto the screen, shitless. Me and Mckenna tried not to drool and play it cool. I then look up at their faces, they didn't look to happy.

"What's up guys?"

I said crossing my arms, trying to find out why they looked so mad. I looked over at Mckenna, she just shrugged her shoulders.

"What happened to 'I'll come and visit everyday?'"

Glitch said looking at me rolling his eyes. I didn't know what to say, I didn't mean to hurt him. Soon Mckenna stepped forward.

"Hey, we had to go to school this week! Don't blame her! Starting off high school isn't easy you know."

Mckenna said standing up for me. Glitch unfolded his crossed arms and turned his body towards us, then looked at Bodie with a questionable look; Bodie sharing the same look, then turned his attention towards us.

"What's high school?"

Glitch asked curiously as they put their shirts back on their well built chests. Now it was Mckennas turn to look at me with questionable eyes. I already knew what answer to give her.

"Mckenna, their world is different from ours, WAY different."

I said pointing from my living room to the TV. Mckenna understood and nodded her head. I bring my focus back on the virtual boys on the TV.

"You guys should be excited, today's the day were going to try to get you guys into our world."

I said smiling and did a wingspan with my hands. The boy's eyes immediately went wide.

"Are you serious?"

Bodie said really excited.

"More than we'll ever be"

Mckenna said laughing a little. Soon the boys started having a side conversation as Mckenna pulls me aside.

"So… umm… how are we going to do this?"

She asked kind of confused. I went into deep thought about her question. Then I remembered the weather channel and today's forecast.

"The thunderstorm."

I said looking outside the window. Mckenna looked into my gaze and saw clouds starting to roll in. The boys stopped their conversation and tried to pitch into our conversation.

"Whatcha guys lookin' at?"

Glitch asked looking at us confused. I totally ignored him and ran to my bedroom to get the controller.

"If were going to do this we need to do it right!"

I said screaming down the hall. Once I reached my room, I grabbed the pearl white controller and the piece of paper that had a code on it, then sprinted back to the living room.

"Hey Glitch, remember when you said 'Aren't gaming glitches fun?' Well I looked that up for Dance Central and it turns out there is this code, and well, were just going to have to try it."

I said fumbling to open the folded paper. Glitch soon realized what I was talking about.

"Oh yeah! I remember now! So when are you going to do this?"

Glitch said sitting down on the sand with Bodie. The clouds soon turned a dark grey and covered the sun, and darker in the house it got. I punched in the code for the gaming glitch and waited for lightning. Once the lightning struck, I slammed down on the enter button.

"NOW!"

There was a loud boom, and the controller shocked me as I chucked it across the room, hitting the wall with a thud. I look down at my hand to see a burn mark.

"Well that's a good sign… Before I couldn't see anything"

I said looking up at the TV screen. The boys had vanished from the TV; all you saw was the empty beach.

"So where are they?"

Mckenna said looking at me.

"Uhh… I hope next time it doesn't hurt as much…"

I hear a voice say from behind. I turn around to see Glitch and Bodie on the floor, and smoking. Literally.

"IT WORKED!"

Mckenna said giving me a high five. We helped the boys up and sat them on the couch. Wow they looked for different. They weren't all pixels and animated, they looked like real people, and we could actually touch them. Glitches skin was so soft, I kind of held onto his arm a little bit longer than I anticipated. His eyes were the most mystical color of green I have ever seen, Glitch looked up at me as I blushed.

"Uhh.. Haha… you look more beautiful in real life…"

Glitch says looking into my eyes. I was shocked by his answer and let go of his arm then took a step back, scratching my head.

"Haha thanks…"

I said not knowing what he meant by that. I look over at Mckenna and Bodie, Bodie was playing with Mckenna's hair.

"This is so fascinating…"

Bodie said twirling it a little bit. Mckenna and I started to chuckle a little bit. Mckenna took Bodies hand and put it on his lap as she stood up. Mckenna walks over to the piece of paper that had the code on it and flipped it to the back. Her eyes lit up really wide and looked over at me.

"Sammie… did you read the warning label…"

She said with her voice all shaky. I thought about it then shook my head no.

"No… Why?"

I asked starting to get scared.

Mckenna swallowed hard and read the warning label word by word.

"Warning, using this gaming code, will let characters from the game roam free in your world, ALL Characters…"

Mckenna said trailing off. My eyes open wide and immediately got into place and slide my hand across the screen to select "Crew Challenges." I scroll down to the boss mode and slide my hand across the screen. It went to the "Airship". Up by the control center, the big chair turns around, but no one sat in there.

He was gone.

My hand dropped to my side, and then sat on the couch in astonishment, I held my head in my hands as I said to myself…

"Oh no…"