Warrior King New Worlds (Crystal Kingdom #6) - Milly Taiden Page 0,66
was not a necessity, but it sure would’ve been nice at times. Like every night and weekend.
No, she reminded herself. If she’d had a significant other, he would demand too much of her time, and making money as a professional video game player took a lot of hours.
Shifting position in the leather recliner her parents bought for her return home from college, she moved her character through the game. Up ahead were mythicals which called for swords and big-ass blades to take down. Usually, fantasy monsters were easy to kill, but sometimes they were a pain in the neck. Humans were easy. Just shoot them till they died.
Bringing up a hand axe, her character threw it from a hundred feet away. It landed in the dead center of a green skull. As she ran across a bridge, half a dozen more creatures jumped over the sides from below, ambushing her. Damn sneaky, but nothing she couldn’t handle. Selecting a long knife, she jumped and came down, sinking the dagger to the hilt into an eyeball.
Her fingers were a blur on the controller as she battled her way through, barely thinking about which buttons to push. When she was in the zone, mostly during big competitions, she could fight her way through an entire level in record time and not remember how she did it. Only the best of the best of the best made it to the Gaming World Championship.
On the side table, her phone rang. That had to be her mom telling her she was on her way home.
Avery looked forward to spending quality time with her mother on their girls’ out night since her father was at his office in Washington. Growing up, her parents were seldom around.
Her father was a politician who spent most of his time either in DC or campaigning. And her mom, being an ER doctor on her way up, had to work late hours to prove herself in the male-dominated profession. Avery was left her alone most of the time after they’d moved away from her friends Kaia and Jen. Thus, her addiction to video games had begun.
Now she was back in town, but didn’t want to live the adult life. Everything had always been taken care of for her.
She had few complications, almost no worries, in her life. The only battles she had ever faced were on the screen in front of her. Winning those online fights also cured her loneliness. In her virtual reality, she was surrounded by foes and friends.
She picked up her phone and tapped the green icon. “Hi, Mom. You on your way?”
“I’m sorry, Avery,” her mom said. “A busload of kids were in an accident. Several are on their way in via LifeFlight. The trauma unit requested everyone..” She sounded winded, as if she was hurrying down a hall.
“Oh my gosh, Mom,” Avery said. “Stay as long as you have to.” She hated to say those words, but these people needed her mom more than she did.
“We can go shopping later this weekend.” Her mom hollered hospital jargon to those around her. “Sorry, honey.”
“It’s okay,” she replied. Avery was used to this situation. “But this weekend I’m going camping with Kaia and Jen. We’re celebrating Kaia’s birthday and watching the blood moon.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry, hon.” More shouting of orders. “Look, Avery, the helicopters are landing. I need to go. Love you, bye.” The line went quiet.
“Love you, too, Mom.” With a sigh, she laid her cell to the side and picked up the controller, glanced at the monitor, then tossed the handheld device on the table. She should’ve expected something would come up. It was all too good. Upset and mad at herself for being upset, she let out a breath.
Closing the recliner in her remodeled bedroom, she got to her feet and schlepped to the kitchen.
Since they weren’t eating out, she might as well find something at home. The cook, a man she’d known since her childhood, had just retired. Avery was on her own for food.
She searched the fridge shelves, pulling out a take-out Chinese box. After a sniff, she wrinkled her nose and dropped it in the trash.
Sushi rolls didn’t look appetizing nor did she feel like cooking a fillet. Not that she knew how. She could boil water and that was about it.
Instead, she pulled open the fruit drawer and grabbed an apple. In the pantry was an opened jar of peanut butter. And voila, dinner was served.