Everyone has a secret. Duh, but some secrets are more terrifying than others. While some are afraid of common things such as spiders, bad hair cuts, or terrible dates, other secrets are more unusual to hear about. No, I'm not talking about wearing clashing colors. Nothing about wearing the same outfit as someone else at the same party.
No, I'm talking about finding out terrible secrets. The ones that should have never left the little shoe box that someone keeps in the tiny corner under the bed. Said box that was just found by none other than myself when I was packing away my room for the movers coming this weekend. My actions on TV were not exactly appreciated. Like these common folk would ever understand about real problems.
"Yeah, real problems..." I trailed off as I stared at the box in my hands. It wasn't a shoe box per say, but it would be mistaken as one to the untrained eye. The cartoon mythical creatures that decorated the top of the dusty cardboard made me smile as if I came across an old friend by surprise. No one knew this. Heck, my parents hardly ever remembered this phase of mine, but, as much as I did not want to remember, this is a part of me that I cannot deny affected my growth in some way.
At one point I was a nerd. A total nerd for an unusual game I dare not speak its name. Oh did it have a cheesy name. And, oh God the premise was so ridiculous even now! Humans having decks of cards filled with living monsters fighting against one another for casual sport or championships. Solving world problems, let alone multi-dimensional ones!
Multi-dimensional? God, I better not let it slip in public. I worked hard to keep this image now! I found myself opening the box, slowly trickling through the cards that were contained within its cardboard barrier. Was barrier a smart word? My favorite scenes from the cartoon were still there, faded in detail but still floating within my soul. I kept these cards as a memento after finding out that the show was being cancelled. I know that I have the comics kept away in another corner of my room. Possibly in the basement with my other childhood keepsakes. Then I saw it. The most precious card to me. Its gold backdrop made the sinister, Gothic creature shine radiantly in my eyes. It represented everything I loved about its partner in the show. My childhood crush, my hero, and the one that got me to actually compare a fictional world to that of the real deal.
Popularity controlled everything. The fads of the common folk. The perspectives of cinema. The very balance of nations relied on the popularity of those with influence. An influence that, after realizing that my favorite series was coming to an end due to issues between the creator and the ones who held the rights, hardened that fact. I wanted that power. I wanted that power so bad that I would befriend, ruin, and destroy anything to get it.
Isn't that right, Kyoya?
-Chapter 2: My Shame-
It had been about a month since that day he faced Bridgette at Crisis Corner. And boy had that day been amazing yet tense. Despite their banter, he certainly felt pressure with every move he made. His Laelia deck was the first to have an infinite combo in it. A combo that wasn't too expensive to create, but unusual to see in a mono colored deck.
Anyway, he was certainly happy to have Bridgette as a common sight in his daily routine at Noah's place. She was adamant about testing her deck again with them. While that was not a problem with him, Cody knew that Noah's patience was about to run out with facing the same deck. It was one of the reasons that, every three months, he and Noah would go through a list of decks to not use for a period of time. Gotta keep the game play fresh after all! With Bridgette only having one deck she felt comfortable using at the moment though, she was forced to use one of his decks to keep things interesting for Noah's sake.
"Thanks for helping me rummage through some singles Cody." Today, over at Glady's Galaxy, Cody was helping Bridgette remedy that problem by plundering binders and bundle boxes alike to find the best cards for her upcoming project. The inner walls of the building were decorated with comets and stars that flickered with lights hidden in the wall. Different astrology signs littered the walls, their names, meanings, and significance written beneath each one.
"Not a problem Bridgette. Trust me when I say that me and Noah have been in your shoes. Uh, sandals, before when it came to deck building. Plus you have the better task of looking through the binders and their card pages. Those tend to be better organized and priced accurately." Bridgette, who was at the counter looking through a large binder, eyed the table he sat at and let out a whistle. Around him were large, divided white boxes with cards so tucked into each column the box felt like bricks. Cards he pulled for her were kept in their own neat, color coded stacks. His stacks, on the other hand, were messy yet standing with grace only he could create.
"No kidding there. How do you look through those so fast?"
"Meh," he began with a snap of his fingers. "When you go through so many of them at a time. You tend to pick up a few tricks and memorization techniques to skip the unnecessary cards. Plus I am finding a TON of hidden treasures that will go great in some of my decks!"
"Speaking of hidden treasures," a voice caused Cody to turn around and see a dark skinned, middle aged brunette who wore a dress that made her blend in with the galaxy theme of the walls. Her mysterious smile reflected off her bottlecap glasses, making it seem as if it expanded further than a naughty cat. Regardless, her words caught Cody's curiosity. "Word among the other shops is that if you head over to the Half-Priced Hobbies at the mall and buy into the raffle you can win some exclusive trading card swag. Just be on the lookout among their shelves for goodies too." She looked down at her watch. Silver with cracks around its outer rim. A rather old antique if Cody had to guess. "Its almost four and the raffle starts at five. If you leave now, you should be able to make it."
"What about all of the card stuff?" Bridgette spoke up from the counter. The woman waved a hand in the air before gesturing around her store.
"Who else is here right now on a Wednesday?" Silence was her only reply as Cody quickly felt his fingers burn as he rummaged through the last box he was on. He finished the box in a blink, putting the good contents in the middle of the table and the finished boxes back on their shelf.
"Place it all on my tab when you get a chance Gladys!" Cody turned to Bridgette and grabbed his backpack from its spot on the floor. "I'll start warming up the car. See you in a bit!" Cody didn't wait for an answer as he rushed to his car. His mind racing than lightspeed at the prospects Gladys was hinting at with her words. By the time Bridgette loaded back in the car, he whistled at the rather large box and binder that she loaded up in the back seat. The binder alone had to be at least six inches thick full of cards galore. The box must of been with the singles they pulled out. Were they at Glady's that long? He checked the clock on his dash.
Three hours worth of rummaging would net them stacks that big wouldn't it?
"Would you PLEASE care to tell me what that was about Cody?" Bridgette asked as she buckled herself in. He knew that tone. He quickly became accustomed to the 'you messed up big time' tone throughout their time hanging out. He took a breath as they pulled out of the parking lot and began their journey.
"Look, Gladys is known as a claryvon. She can see things others can't!"
"Clairvoyance." Bridgette interrupted. "I think you mean clairvoyance. She is a seer?"
"She has never once gotten a prediction wrong. Those that do not heed her advice tend to get bad luck until they listen to her again. Advice she may wait to give you mind you!"
"Okay I get it. Listen to the prophet when she gives you advice. I'll be sure to remember that." Bridgette looked down at her phone. A small reminder to him that she finally got one after the whole Mc Ashy event. The event that essentially brought her into his and Noah's fold of friendship. "So how much do you have as a tab at that store? Gladys chuckled when I asked and merely replied with a droplet in the cosmos." Cody could not help the snicker and smile that came after. "No, seriously, what am I missing here?" The smile merely got bigger.
"Me and Noah might visit other shops, but Gladys gives us the future value of cards we try to trade in. So we've been making great credit while she holds a huge stock for future sales."
"But that doesn't tell me how much credit you two have."
"Probably for the best. I would not want you to try and figure out how to drain our tab dry after all." Cody let out a chuckle as he made a turn towards the strip mall they were headed to. Half-Priced Hobbies, a large portion of the entire strip was dedicated to the store itself. Its colorful blue exterior with windows bare of any obstructions to allow passersby's to see inside. A small crowd of people were entering the store, making the traffic between other stores on the strip difficult to navigate. Cody's excitement could not be contained as he found himself pulling into a spot two stores away from their destination. Some sort of boutique or something. Upon parking, turning off the vehicle, and quickly stepping out like a kid in a candy store with excitement, he felt something.
PREDATOR
His head straightened. Eyes darting side to side in quick awareness of his surroundings. Was it coming from those wanting to enter the raffle? Cody tried to calm down. Did his driving scare Bridgette? He turned to her with expectations of a glare or anger. Yet he only saw a smile on her face and curiosity in her eyes. Where was this sensation coming from then?
"Are you okay dude?" Bridgette's concern broke him from his thoughts. He gave his best smile and flashed a thumbs up.
"Yeah," he started, "just excited to see what we encounter here. I bet there is a ton of awesome stuff here today. Not to mention the raffle!"
"Lets see what Gladys was trying to tease us with here." Her smile. Oh her smile made him almost forget the shift in atmosphere he felt
Almost being the key word.
As if trying to toy with his awareness, the hidden source moved with the huge crowd that seemed to be following them into Half-Priced Hobbies. He found himself distracted by the man whose body odor tried to swallow his nose whole and the woman near his right whose scratchy voice practically tore his ears into ribbons. Upon reaching the door everyone was greeted with a man who wore a brown and black pin stripe suit with a teal fedora that had seen better days.
"Hello one and all! Are you here for our wonderful raffle? Ten dollars per ticket, but the prizes you could win are certainly one of a kind!" The man waved into the store. "If not, then take a peek at our shelves for items up to seventy-five percent off today only!" Most went into the store as (thankfully) the smelly man and noisy woman went their separate ways to nearby stores. As Cody began to form words on his lips, the weirdly dressed man turned to him and pointed at a sign on the door.
NO RETURNS!
"Uh, that wasn't my question. Do we buy the raffle tickets inside or by you. Also is there a limit per person as to how many raffle tickets we could buy?" The man's eyes glowed gold with greed at him.
"Well you can simply buy however many you want with me. But please, lets step aside as we let everyone else into the store..." Nodding, Cody followed the man a few steps away, noticing how many people rushed into the store to take advantage of the sale. Cody saw Bridgette stayed with him. A sight that made him smile, he appreciated, before proceeding to buy ten raffle tickets. He quickly asked Bridgette if she wanted any, and bought her two before he opened the door for her. He felt his eyes trail to the next person who went to buy a ticket from the raffle man. Slightly tall, tomboyish black hair with a fake smile that seemed scarily familiar. Thick clothes to hide any noticeable details of gender or preferences. The door hit his butt, knocking him into the store and making him appreciate just how much STUFF coated every shelf he could immediately see.
'So much stuff!' He really wished that Noah had that stick up his ass removed about facing the same deck. He would have loved to hear his friend's witty commentary about the stock Half-Priced Bargains kept for sale. So much broken junk, cooking goods, and more mundane items immediately caught his attention. Then he heard a shriek. "Bridgette?" Cody found himself rushing down aisles, keeping an eye out for her noticeable blonde pony tail as he weaved through shoppers. He quickly found her holding a mint condition dolphin statue that looked as if it was made of sapphire rising out of a wave of navy blue water. Its eyes glistened with happiness and the smile matched its amber eye nicely.
"Cody isn't this just one of the cutest things?" Smiling with a nod, Cody noticed that they were in an area where statues were the main focus. Cody saw a few he would want for himself and quickly grabbed a shopping cart (making sure that it had no funky wheels) and hurried to place her statue carefully within. He ended up grabbing a jade green European dragon that raised its head back to release a ball of red and orange fire from its mouth. Noah loved that sort of thing, and would appreciate it. He, on the other hand, found himself finding some retro robots with rusty parts that he knew would look great in his room.
Soon, Cody found himself simply enjoying Bridgette as they browsed through the store. He helped Bridgette pick a few dresses for the summer and fall that, while she could not go change into them, he found himself imagining how wonderful each dress would look on her. She, on the other hand, made him feel like a dork by picking out several outfits she thought he would look great in. Darn her sincere smile and great attitude! Bold reds, dull blacks, and unusual ty-dyes were used as padding for the statues they found. They even found official Chris McLean clothes! While neither wanted them for serious use, Bridgette brought up the idea of possibly hosting a Halloween party with him being the host of both the party and as his costume for the event.
She had him at being the host!
They saw surfboards that looked awesome, but would never ride another wave. Shelves that were so unique from one another that they seemed intended for a dedicated person than a random purchase. Pots and other cooking accessories that reminded him of Chef Hatchet and his deadly cooking. Large serving bowls that could contain even Owen's appetite! Crazy contraptions that perhaps Izzy could have figured out some use for that were beyond him. The more he browsed around the store, the more reminders of the other contestants he found every where he looked. Did he really miss them?
"Oh Cody. I'm sure we came to the best part." He stopped looking at the matching painting of two women hugging with the bold words 'best friends' beneath them and walked over to where Bridgette was standing. A whole wall dedicated to plastic encased booster boxes of trading card games. Of course there were enclosed singles, but Cody ran to the obviously labeled Magic the Gathering section and began to browse. While he wished that he could buy every box he saw, most of them were simply too expensive even with the advertised sale. As he hugged a few he hoped to one day own, he heard Bridgette softly whistle. "Do they normally get that expensive?"
"Only when they are super old, out of print, and hard to find." Cody replied, smiling sadly at a few of them that he eyed. He grabbed a several handfuls of mystery cubes after a few minutes of browsing. The cubes themselves would make for great Commander deck boxes even if the random cards within were nothing but junk. He grabbed a few enclosed singles from the shelves. 'They would make for good Commander candidates for future projects' he told himself to justify the sheer amount of money he would be spending by the time they left the store.
"Hey Cody, have you ever heard of this game before?" Cody put down the Dominaria booster box he considered buying and walked over to where Bridgette stood. She stood in front of a separate shelf across from him labeled 'Miscellaneous Games' and was holding a booster box. As he got closer he realized that most of the booster boxes on this shelf weren't encased like the rest behind him. Why?
"Huh, Future Card Buddyfight huh? Sounds familiar to me." He looked around the box. Basically mint condition. Plastic sealed. The price... "Only thirty huh? Not bad."
PREDATOR
Without warning all of his senses went haywire. He stiffened. An action that caused Bridgette to turn to him with concern as his eyes widened at the hand that suddenly found itself to the left of the shelf. The owner of the hand launched themselves to their position, causing Cody to tackle Bridgette down to avoid a body slam by the unknown person. Their movements frantic. Possessed by something Cody immediately recognized because every nerd, no matter the kind, goes through such an event when they've been neglecting their passion for so long.
A nerd-gasm.
"No WAY! It is really it! This is real! I haven't seen any of this in so long! This has to be fate!" A woman's voice. Familiar in some way he felt like he knew yet could not place his finger on. Like a flurry of punches from Ryu from Street Fighter, booster boxes from the oddly familiar card game were being stacked like Jenga in her arms. All except for one box.
The one that Bridgette, among all of the chaos, still held in her hands.
The PREDATOR stood before them. A glare that would make many freeze in place as they took a step closer to them. A growl escaped her lips as she prepared a grapple with her available right arm.
"Give me the box Surfer Girl. Its more precious to me than anything else in this store!" Her tone...Surfer Girl...That glare...Like a cog in the machine it all fell into place. He knew who this person was!
"Heather?" Yet surprisingly it was not him that said the name. Bridgette reached over for their nearby cart and faced it to the now shocked individual. Cody saw Bridgette's calm smile as she tossed the booster box into the cart. "Why don't we place the boxes in the cart and talk about this."
"Yeah," Cody slapped the ground with a hand. "There is plenty of floor here to share."
"You think I want to sit on the floor with a couple of dweebs like you?" Heather snarled, stomping her heel. A loud 'crack' made itself known as the floor beneath said heel broke from her strike.
'She is really angry isn't she?' A moment later she glanced from side to side, taking a good side glance at the now bare section. Her face shifted between anger and disappointment. Feelings that Cody has gone through when he himself had went through hobby withdrawals. "So what is this game about anyway? The various artworks depicting the box Bridgette showed me had some great diversity. Are there archetypes like Yu-Gi-Oh?" Immediately Heather looked disgusted at him.
"Yu-Gi-Oh and its super limited archetypes are so constricting against the purpose of fun deck building that its worse than an out of fashion turtleneck!" Cody found himself slowly nodding.
"I don't know a thing about fashion or turtlenecks-"
"Clearly shows."
"But I do know enough about Yu-Gi-Oh to agree with you about Konami's strict focus on archetypes and their constant give and take with support to discard ratio. Like, what is the point of creating an all powerful archetype when you have so many others that aren't given decent support, let alone equal support where it can stand on its own two feet?"
"Exactly! A card game is all about the fun, creative ways to build a deck. What fun is there when you play the same cookie cutter archetype? Even throwing in a few tech choices, like a few small bracelets for contrasting colors, still doesn't change the fact that you are wearing the same dress as five other women at a show!"
"Again, not entirely able to agree with you on the fashion, but trading card game wise totally get what you mean!"
"Not to butt in, but what are you two talking about?" Bridgette's words broke their vicious dialogue. A dialogue he honestly had no clue Heather could throw down like that. Heather must have thought something similar for her face turned red. Red in embarrassment or anger Cody could not figure out. A loud, annoying buzzing rang through the building.
"THE RAFFLE WILL BEGIN IN FIVE MINUTES! ANYONE THAT PURCHASED A RAFFLE TICKET MUST BE AT COUNTER 3 BEFORE THE DRAWING COMMENCES!" Not knowing what else to do, Cody stood up with a stretch for his arms.
"Well, uh, ladies. I don't know about you, but I currently have about one hundred Cody dollars invested in this raffle, and I intend on seeing what I win with my tickets. Wanna join us Heather?" Seeing the bold, bossy teen acting so reserved and hesitant was unusual for him. Still, he tried to make things seem normal so, hopefully, she would start being normal with him.
"Sure." A whisper. A whisper? When Cody left his nerd-gasm high, as embarrassing as those moments were, he normally joked about himself before acting normal. Maybe more excited about finally holding whatever triggered the event in the first place. But more reserved? Heather was certainly a different breed of nerd that is for sure.
It took them no time to reach the specified counter for drawing the raffle prizes. It was then that, as Cody began to rummage through his ten tickets, that he eyed the prizes. Stacks of Nintendo games from various generations were tied together with a big red ribbon labeled 'Prize 5' that caught his attention. Half-Priced Hobbies seemed to like the idea of bundling items as prizes for every prize seemed to be a bundle of semi-related items. Golf clubs that came from different brands. Different printings of novels from the same series. A dish set with cups that were blue when the plates they were 'paired' with were purple. The odd combinations seemingly grew the more he stared at the chaos before him.
Then, as if knowing of his growing concern and excitement, the strangely dressed man from before walked up to the counter and began a quick, McLean-style speech to hype the excitement before facing a computer screen to everyone. With a click of a mouse numbers flipped across the screen until they stopped on the lucky number.
"Hey," Bridgette's whisper caught him off guard. "Are you okay Heather? You aren't looking too good."
"Just hate feeling crowded by all of these nobod-" Heather caught herself, Cody noticed, as she quickly covered herself by faking a cough. "I mean, just feeling cramped in here. Hopefully the raffle ends."
"Did you buy a ticket?" Cody asked as he politely clapped for an old woman who won the first prize, a random set of ceramic angels with large eyes and innocent expressions.
"I only bought one. I didn't realize that I was standing in that line and didn't want to stand out or cause problems." That probably explained the odd sensation Cody felt when he left the car and went to buy his tickets.
"I hope that you get something awesome Heather!" A muffled 'Thanks' was his only response. He didn't dare to look back to see her expression. No one ever wanted to see Heather erupt. Another call of numbers and someone quickly realized that they won another prize. As they stood and listened for prizes and numbers, Cody began to look around the smaller prizes that were mixed between the large bundles. CDs, fidget spinners, red LEDS that reminded him of Gundam Unicorn, which also reminded him to hit up Harold soon. Between these items, Cody realized that there was a small container, no bigger than a trading card, and Cody realized that a true treasure stood before them. Literally a card that very few own and, if legitimate, would make this trip VERY worth it. He tried his best to contain his excitement...
"Cody you're shaking." But knew that he could not contain himself without saying something. The prize he eyed was picked up and held by one of the clerks as the next set of numbers were called. A soft gasp, a sound so low that Cody barely heard it. So close that he thought that it was Bridgette, and his excitement rose even higher.
"I won something?" Cody's jaw dropped as he watched Heather walked up and grabbed the container. Looking down at it, she quickly walked away from them with a confused expression. A weird feeling made itself known almost immediately as he saw her walk away.
Concern. Concern for Heather. God, that was a sentence he never thought he would think. Taking a breath, he turned to Bridgette and handed her his ten tickets. She glanced at him before nodding.
"I understand Cody. I'll be here." Cody did not understand why it was so important to check on Heather. To make sure she was okay after getting something literally so amazing that any collector would appreciate owning! He didn't even care about the card but for her as a person. By the time he left the store he saw her, his eyes wide as she held two items in her hand. One he recognized as the prize, but the other was something similar in size but bathed in shiny gold.
He carefully walked around her left, glancing at her face as her widen eyes glanced at him. Were those tears that began to pool beneath them? He expected a snarl. Screaming. Angry shouts for invading her space. Calling him a creep or a pervert for following her. But nothing came. She simply stared back at the two pieces of cardboard in her hands. Cody took a moment to take a better look at the cards in her hands. The one he recognized was a legitimate copy. He could tell immediately due to the years he spent collecting Magic cards. Its mint condition would catch many eyes.
The other card, bathed in a golden backdrop, made the very sinister dragon centered in such a holy color seem even more demonic. Its dark scales and many red eyes glowed with intensity Cody never expected from a trading card. The sheer scale of the creature reminded him of the full art cards Wizards of the Coast created for the early releases of Magic. This was to be a centerpiece! A masterful creation that should have been talked more about! How long had cards like these existed?
"Amazing, isn't it?" Heather whispered. Her left index finger trailing across the unknown card. He heard the shift in texture as her finger passed over it. "I bet you would not have guessed that I was big into a nerd game."
"Nope." Cody replied. He had a feeling short responses would be best for the moment.
"Future Card Buddyfight. A wonderful game where, through friendship and courage, you and a buddy faced off against other players and their buddies. A trading card game meant to be so easy to play, interchangeable with their flags, generic cards, and so much more that it was fantastic as it was fun to play." Some of those words he would not pretend to understand. Buddy, let alone flags and generic cards, were big unknowns to him. "Its expansive card pool made it easy to build a deck. A buddy to take pride in as you built a deck around it, a combo, or with you fighting alongside your buddy. This game was my world..."
"What happened to it then?" Cody could not help but ask. She turned to him. A sorrowful expression took form as she turned to look at her card.
"The game, after so many years, got cancelled. Its show ended halfway in its sequel series. The comics it had finished all but one independent series. The company that ended the game sold special sets that players would later praise as the best send off any game could ever give. But for me, a young girl who would not find out anything until years later, felt like my life was suddenly ripped from me. An underground game so popular gone. The friends that I had who played it suddenly gave me everything they ever owned of the game. Not wanting to own something worthless and moved to one of the most popular card games around."
"One of the main trio I take?"
"Popularity," Heather spat out the word. Practically hissed it with the glare she wore for but a second. Considering what he remembered about her striving to be popular during their time on Total Drama, this was a big shock for him. "I wanted to be popular to always stay relevant. Popularity moves the world. It decides things that most people could never comprehend. Its why I'm always trying to stay relevant with popularity. To be in control of what is or is not. It was like that at my school. It was what I tried to do on the show. And yet..."
She sat down on the ground. He immediately sat down close enough to show concern but not give off the wrong message. Placing her precious card back into a thick card sleeve that quickly found its way into her wallet. She looked at the card she won from the raffle. Cody knew that it was one of a small print series. A very popular Commander option that led tribes of decks all across online platforms due to how few of the card actually existed in the real world. The legendary creature itself stood tall on the peak of a mountain. A flock of tough dragons flew behind it as it roared to the heavens. Its mighty wings spread as if to show its sheer size that dwarfed the plethora of dragons that flew beneath it.
It was The Ur-Dragon. A true prize among Magic players and collectors alike.
"I desperately tried to keep my friends when I was a kid. Trying to play Yu-Gi-Oh when they played it. Trying Pokemon when they got bored with Yu-Gi-Oh. But, just like before, they gave me their cards and moved to something else. But this time, I did not take it lightly. I focused on my popularity at school while we tried new games. Changing my image from a nerdy girl into a fashionable beauty. Became a Queen among the hive. I quickly made them follow my tune as they sought my attention. My input. My approval when, a few years prior, I would have gave anything just to have them still as friends when I needed them most."
"They didn't sound like good friends anyway." Cody's words must have struck a chord with Heather. She nodded, sighing as she looked up at the sky.
"When I saw you and Bridgette at McAshy's a few months ago, not gonna lie, I was disgusted. I never thought that you two could ever be friends. A pervert with a decent human being? But then I was surprised to see you two go into the same section I was there to look through. Hoping to find something of the game I love since McAshy's is well known to keep old, discontinued stuff. I still remember thinking 'at least I can buy all of this Yu-Gi-Oh stuff and sell it to buy what I really want' before realizing that you and Bridgette were actually looking through the stuff. Could you imagine how scared I was? Someone from a common pool of people being able to claim something that would ruin my popularity? Well, what little I had left after the actions on the show..." She paused, closing her eyes before letting out a chuckle.
"I shoved that part of me in the darkest corner I could find. Opening my heart to that game was one of my worst decisions. That innocence was my shame. A shame that I tried to hide by seeking to become popular. So popular that every woman would want to be like me and every man would desire me. I even started off imitating my crush from the show as a template for how I act today. Today!" The chuckle soon turned into a depressing laugh. Her arms folding into her chest as if keeping something inside. "I was so ashamed of my interests that I turned that shame into disgust for anything that reminded me of that part I wanted to forget. Nothing good could ever come from being a nerd. Nerds were quick to leave people for something two dimensional. Never stayed true to their interests for they were quick to find a new fascination like a favorite character or best show." It was at this point Cody remembered something Bridgette told him about their time at McAshy's before all hell broke loose. An act of kindness Heather did. An eye opener that he never expected could come from her and only believed due to it being Bridgette that told him.
"If I remember correctly Bridgette said you were helping some kids get packs that were too high for them to reach."
"Yeah." She smiled. A smile that dispersed the gloomy attitude she had moments ago. "It was nice. Helping the kids and seeing their wide, dorky smiles when I handed them what they were looking for. It made me reminisce of how me and my friends used to be when Buddyfight was our game."
"Helping the next generation of fans, no matter the hobby, is always awesome Heather." Cody's chuckle got a small laugh from her.
"Still surprised that you got Bridgette into one of the big trio though. How did that happen anyway?" Cody found himself telling Heather about his and Noah's job at the beach shack. The day where Bridgette bumped into their shack and forced herself in due to recognizing their voices. How he began to teach her, building a deck with her input before Noah told them about McAshy's closing sale. By the time he ended his tale she had chuckled at some parts. Nodded at the deck building bits. Even looked a bit shocked when he told her about what happened last month at Crisis Corner.
By the time he was done telling her everything, he realized that both shared a smile. Both took a few moments to talk about their favorite game. Comparing their similarities and differences. It was a nice surprise to hear Heather talk about something so nerdy, but the real treasure was the passion in her voice. Not the sickly sweet voice she used on the show. No, this was all Heather.
And boy did she sound great to hear.
"Well, I think we should get back into the store." Heather stood up. Stretching her arms as she glanced up at the card she held in her hand. She tried to push it to Cody's chest. Tried being the key word here. Much to her confusion, he raised his arms and pushed it to her chest. "What gives dork? I'm trying to give you something I know you really want here!"
"Heather..." Cody hardened his eyes. Filled himself with conviction that he needed. Lord, he needed it due to every instinct in his average sized body told him to take the damn amazing card and be happy with it! But no! He remembered Glady's words and knew what she meant. "I think you should keep the card and learn how to play Commander with us." The surprise on her face told him she was not expecting that sort of response. Noah wouldn't be too happy about her, but damn he could not ignore this sign of friendship and neglected hobby indulgence! "That card you got today is very hard to get. In a way it reminded me of the card you have in your wallet. Menacing, terrifying dragons that demand great sacrifice but promise immense reward when played. Hell, I'll even learn how to play your game if you'd like!"
"W-what?"
"I'm serious." He nodded his head multiple times. "I would love to experience this game with you! Hell, maybe Bridgette would too after she gets to look at your cards. But I'm willing to bet that out of the big trio of popular games, Magic's Commander format will be the one best suited for you." He stood up and pointed a thumb at himself. "Plus, I'm a big nerd! Seeing you so pumped about your favorite game just has me wanting to see what makes it so amazing to you. You said it had comics and a show right? Is it in English? Can we marathon it some time? How about-"
"Okay I get it!" Heather snapped. Her face red and a glare fixed on him. But her lips? They were curled into a smile that she tried to hide with her glaring eyes. She placed the creature in her wallet before exchanging the item for her phone. They quickly exchanged phone numbers, standing in silence before she turned to the store's doors and took a step towards them. "Are you coming to get your stuff or should I tell Bridgette you were frozen in shock looking at my butt."
"Oh no you don't!" He walked into the store with her. Mentally admitting the fact that yes, Heather still had a nice butt as she did on the show. But darn he would not let hormones get in the way of building a friendship! By the time they reached the counter Cody noticed that the only person left there was Bridgette. The contents of the cart bagged and the booster boxes Heather wanted separate from the other items they were interested in. "What gives Bridgette? Did you pay for everything?" Cody was worried. He did not want to put Bridgette on the spot like that to make her pay for everything. He would have to pay her back as quick as possible if that was what happened.
"Actually your tickets won you nothing but price reduction coupons that made everything free. I'm sorry you didn't win anything awesome-"
"That's amazing!" Cody couldn't stop himself from hugging Bridgette. "This has to be one of the best days ever!"
"Affectionate little fella you got there isn't he?" Heather's remark made him turn to her. The smile on her face told him that she was joking instead of being sarcastic or rude to them.
"I take it everything is all good now? Because I am so hungry I could go for an impossible burger."
"Those aren't bad." Heather's words shocked him and Bridgette. Their shock must have been a normal reaction for her as Heather merely shrugged her shoulders. "Popular fad for a bit among the other girls. But I still enjoy the taste and healthy benefits of it. If you lead us to a place to eat it I'll pay for you. As thanks for..."
"No problem Heather." Cody could see how difficult it was for Heather to talk about a mix of personal information while being unusually polite too. She turned to him and gestured to the bags. "You mind grabbing some of these?" Cody nodded as the trio quickly left the store and loaded their belongings up. His mind raced even as he followed Bridgette's instructions to get to the restaurant with good vegetarian food. He thought that his adrenaline from Heather would have gone away by now, but something about her words sat with him.
'My shame huh?'
When I wrote The Gift From a Card Game there was a small segment about Heather actually being interested in Yu-Gi-Oh, hence the reason she was present for McAshy's closing event. I always toyed with the idea of her being a Queen of Games straight from the get go, but over the years I found myself enjoying the idea of Heather actually enjoying an obscure, less popular game that could ruin her popularity in one way or another. Technically the game ended a few years ago and The Ur-Dragon isn't entirely super hard to come by (an expensive card to buy though); however, I felt that changing certain details would enhance the interactions between characters.
I have the third chapter drafted up, so expect that to drop soon. My current writing formula is a match between characters every other chapter, which takes longer to write. Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys reading this chapter and all the future ones!
Kazikamikaze24