"...Is Laurance."

"What?"

ᏔᎪᎡNᏆNᏩ, ᏔᎪᎡNᏆNᏩ!

Out of the blue, my broken heart and I are being puppeted out of rehearsal. Until, I'm finally  deposited him outside the school. I spun around, glaring at ZANE.

What was that about?

Ꮖ'Ꮇ ᏚᎾᎡᎡY, ᏴᏌᎢ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᏴᎾY ᎠᎾᎬᏚ NᎾᎢ ᏚᎬᎬ YᎾᏌ ᎪᏚ ᎡᎬᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚᎻᏆᏢ ᎷᎪᎢᎬᎡᏆᎪᏞ.

"I know! That's why I got you!" I accidentally yelled verbally, out of frustration. Thank Irene no one was around.

ᎪNᎠ YᎾᏌ'ᎡᎬ ᏚᏌᎡᎬ YᎾᏌ ᏔᎪNᎢ ᎻᏆᎷ? ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎷᎪNY ᏢᎬᎾᏢᏞᎬ ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏚᏟᎻᎾᎾᏞ. Ꮖ'Ꮇ ᎪᏟᏟᎬᏚᏚᏆNᏩ FᎾᎾᎢᎪᏩᎬ FᎡᎾᎷ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᏆXᎬᎠ ᏙᎾᏞᏞᎬYᏴᎪᏞᏞ ᏢᎡᎪᏟᎢᏆᏟᎬ. ᏆᎢ'Ꮪ ᏙᎬᎡY ᏆᎷᏢᎡᎬᏚᏚᏆᏙᎬ.

I want Vylad.

YᎾᏌ'ᎡᎬ ᏚᏌᎡᎬ ᎪᏴᎾᏌᎢ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ?

I held firm, narrowing my eyes. ZANE crossed his arms, sighing.

ᏙᎬᎡY ᏔᎬᏞᏞ.

So how can I get him?

YᎾᏌ ᏟᎪN'Ꭲ.

"What?!" Oops. I need to work on yelling at ZANE inside my head.

...YᎬᎢ. ᏴᎬᏟᎾᎷᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆNᎠ ᎾF ᎷᎪN ᏔᎻᎾ ᏟᎪN ᏆᏢᎡᎬᏚᏚ ᏙYᏞᎪᎠ, ᎡᎬQᏌᏆᎡᎬᏚ ᎷᎾᎡᎬ ᎢᎻᎪN ᏔᎾᎡKᏆNᏩ ᎾᏌᎢ Ꭺ FᎬᏔ ᏴᏌᏩᏚ. YᎾᏌ'ᎡᎬ ᏩᎾᏆNᏩ ᎢᎾ NᎬᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᎡᎬᏴᎾᎾᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎬᏢᏌᎢᎪᎢᏆᎾN. ᏚᏌᏢᎬᎡᏟᎻᎪᎡᏩᎬ YᎾᏌᎡ ᏚᎾᏟᏆᎪᏞ ᏚᎢᎪNᎠᏆNᏩ. YᎾᏌ NᎬᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ.

Huh?

YᎾᏌ NᎬᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏩᎬᎢ ᏢᎾᏢᏌᏞᎪᎡ. ᎢᎬᎪᎡ ᎠᏌᏟᎢᏚ ᎪᏟᎢᏆᏙᎪᎢᎬ.

All of the sudden, I'm...sobbing uncontrollably? What the fuck? ZANE can do that? I wiped at my eyes, noticing Kawaii~Chan stroll around the corner- looking worried. Great. Perfect timing, ZANE...

"Dante! I've been looking for you," Kawaii~Chan jogged over, resting her hand on my shoulder comfortingly.

I spoke through awkward tears, and sobs, "I'm sorry, I don't know...why I'm crying."

"I do."

"You do?"

"And I totally understand. They're saying it was a freak hockey accident," Kawaii~Chan frowned, pulling me into a hug.

Heh?

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh my Irene, you don't know!" KC gasped, holding a hand over her mouth, as a small tear pricked at the corner of her yellow eye. "Eminem's dead!"

"Eminem’s dead!?" What the fuck?!

"I mean, I was never into him because he was like super old and kinda mean to women, but I know you liked him so..," Kawaii~Chan rambled on, and I turned to glare at ZANE.

Did you know this was going to happen?

ᎾF ᏟᎾᏌᎡᏚᎬ NᎾᎢ.

So it's a coincidence you told me to wear this shirt?

I gestured to the Eminem logo on my shirt, crossing my arms.

ᎾF ᏟᎾᏌᎡᏚᎬ NᎾᎢ.

Wait, what? Did you kill Eminem?!?

NᎾᎾᎾᎾ...Ꭲ ᎬXᎪᏟᎢᏞY. ᎷY QᏌᎪNᎢᏌᎷ ᏢᎡᎾᏟᎬᏚᏚᎾᎡ ᎪᏞᏞᎾᏔᏚ ᎷᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎬNᏙᏆᏚᏆᎾN ᏢᎡᎾᏴᎪᏴᏞᎬ FᏌᎢᏌᎡᎬᏚ. ᏔᎻᏆᏞᎬ Ꮖ ᎠᏆᎠ NᎾᎢ KNᎾᏔ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ, ᎢᎾᎠᎪY, ᎬᎷᏆNᎬᎷ ᏔᎾᏌᏞᎠ ᏴᎬ ᏆᎷᏢᎪᏞᎬᎠ ᏴY ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᎡᎾᏩᏌᎬ ᎻᎾᏟKᎬY ᏚᎢᏆᏟK, Ꮖ ᏔᎪᏚ ᎪᏔᎪᎡᎬ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏢᎡᎾᏴᎪᏴᏆᏞᏆᎢY ᎾF Ꭺ...FᎪᏙᎾᏌᎡᎪᏴᏞᎬ ᎾᏌᎢᏟᎾᎷᎬ.

Favorable for WHO??

I felt a pair of arms grab at me from behind. I glanced behind me, to see Kawaii~Chan burying her face into the back of my shirt. Ohh...

"It's okay, Dante. You don't have to be alone right now."

YᎾᏌ NᎬᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏩᎬᎢ ᏢᎾᏢᏌᏞᎪᎡ. ᎻᎬᎡᎬ'Ꮪ Ꭺ ᏢᎾᏢᏌᏞᎪᎡ ᏩᏆᎡᏞ ᏔᎻᎾ ᏞᏆKᎬᏚ YᎾᏌ. YᎾᏌ NᎬᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏩᎾ ᏔᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᏚᎻᎬ ᏞᎬᎪᎠᏚ.

Kawaii~Chan grabbed a hold of my hand, in her soft one, leading me out behind the school. She gave a small smile, tightly gripping my hand, the closer she got.

{***}

"This is my favorite place behind the school," she smiled, leaning closer into me. "Being here, with you right now... Our future is so clear. Our union is so near!"

ᏴᎬᏆNᏩ ᎻᎬᎡᎬ.

ZANE?

"Being here..."

Heh..?

ᏔᏆᎢᎻ YᎾᏌ ᎡᏆᏩᎻᎢ NᎾᏔ.

"...With you right now."

Ꮖ'ᏞᏞ ᎢᎬNᎠᎬᎡᏞY ᏩᏌᏆᎠᎬ YᎾᏌ.

"I'll tenderly guide you."

ᏓᏌᏚᎢ ᎢᎪKᎬ ᎷᎬ ᏆNᏚᏆᎠᎬ YᎾᏌ, FᎾᎡᎬᏙᎬᎡ.

Okay...now that just sounds wrong, and fucked up.

YᎾᏌᎡ ᏞᏆFᎬ ᏔᎪᏚ ᏚᎾ ᏢᏆᎢᏆFᏌᏞ ᏴᎬFᎾᎡᎬ. NᎾᏔ ᏆᎢ'Ꮪ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᎢᎾ ᏩᎾ ᎪᏞᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏔᎪY, ᎪNᎠ ᎷᎾᎡᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᏩᎾᎢᎢᎪ ᏩᎬᎢ ᎪN ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ.

Upgrade!

ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ! ᏩᎾᎢᎢᎪ ᏩᎬᎢ ᎪN ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ!

Upgrade!

ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ! ᎠᎾN'Ꭲ ᏔᎾᎡᎡY ᎪᏴᎾᏌᎢ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᏌᏆᏞᎢ YᎾᏌ FᎬᎬᏞ. ᏓᏌᏚᎢ ᎢᎪKᎬ Ꭺ ᏴᎡᎬᎪᎢᎻ, ᎪNᎠ ᏚᎬᎪᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎠᎬᎪᏞ. ᎠᎪᎷN! YᎾᏌ ᏩᎾᎢᎢᎪ ᏩᎬᎢ ᎪN ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ-YᎪY-YᎪY-YᎪY-YᎪᎠᎬ! ᏩᎾᎢᎢᎪ ᏩᎬᎢ ᎪN ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ-YᎪY-YᎪY-YᎪY-YᎪᎠᎬ!

*Vylad*

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Laurance jogging towards me. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. Great. Now he decides to show up...

"Hey," Laurance waved, and I scoffed, ignoring him. "You're not gonna say hi?"

"I was. At rehearsal," I pouted my lip, running a hand through my hair.

"I wanted to be there." I stopped walking, and watched him from the corner of my eye. "But, it's the same time as archery..."

"It's okay, really--"

"Which is why I had to tell the coach I quit," he grabbed my hands, looking down into my eyes. "I don't want to do every extracurricular at school...I just want to do yours." Laurance smiled, bending down to my level. Sometimes I hate being this short. "Do you wanna come over to my place, tonight? Get all sporty, and play cricket! Or get a forty, and just kick it! My parents won't be home, so it's alright... They laundered money, now they're on the run!"

I stared at him in disbelief, my eyes wide, "t-that...that's illegal."

"Which means the house is empty, so that's fun! Oh, yeah!" Laurance lifted my chin with his finger, holding my hand in his other. "Never hung with a guy like you before! I don't know if you know it, but I am sure- that for me you are an upgrade!"

"Upgrade..."

"Upgrade! Let's be each other's upgrade!"

"Oh, wow," I blushed slightly, leaning closer to him.

"Upgrade!"

I pulled away a little, my face hot. "Well I am flattered, this is new. Still I'm not sure, what I should do..."

"You gotta take the upgra-yay-yay-yay-ade! Gotta take the upgra-yay-yay-yay-ade!"

*Dante*

Ꮯ-Ꮯ-Ꮯ-Ꮯ-Ꮯ-Ꮯ’ᎷᎾN ᎠᎪNᎢᎬ, ᏟᎪN'Ꭲ YᎾᏌ ᏚᎬᎬ?ᏔᎬ ᏩᎾᎢ Ꭺ ᏢᏞᎪN, NᎾᏔ ᏴᎬ Ꭺ ᎷᎪN. YᎾᏌ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ KᎪᏔᎪᏆᏆ~ᏟᎻᎪN, ᎪNᎠ ᎢᎻᎬN ᏢᎡᎾᏩᎡᎬᏚᏚ. ᎢᎻᎬN ᏔᎬ ᎪᏚᏚᎬᏚᏚ. ᎪNᎠ ᏚᎾᎾN ᏚᏌᏟᏟᎬᏚᏚ. ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᎡᎪᎠ, ᏴY ᏔᎻᏆᏟᎻ Ꮖ ᎷᎬᎪN- ᏙYᏞᎪᎠ.

Vylad?

ᏙYᏞᎪᎠ!

ᏙYᏞᎪᎠ!

ᏙYᏞᎪᎠ!

ᏙYᏞᎪᎠ!

"Gah!" I held my hands over my ears, squinting my eyes shut tight. "There's too many voices in my head! I just need a minute to...process..." I opened my eyes, to see ZANE hovering over me. "...alone. Can you get out of my head for, like, five minutes?"

ᎾF ᏟᎾᏌᎡᏚᎬ.

Thankfully, ZANE disappears. I exhaled, looking around. My eyes go wide, as I see who I'm standing by. Woah.

"Travis?"

Travis looked up, in surprise. I gave a small wave, but he turned on his heel, and started to walk away. I rolled my eyes, jogging to catch up to him.

"Oh my Irene, I'm so glad to see you!" I smiled, placing my hand on his shoulder.

He spun around, glaring at me, with his radiant green eyes. "Really? So you haven't been avoiding me, all day?"

"What are you talking about? I haven't even seen you since--" Wait a second...

Reactivate.

ᏆᎢ'Ꮪ ᏟᎪᏞᏞᎬᎠ ᎾᏢᎢᏆᏟ NᎬᎡᏙᎬ ᏴᏞᎾᏟKᏆNᏩ.

Why haven't I seen Travis, all day?

I took a second to process what they said.

Wait, what?

Ꮖ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᎪᏟᏟᎬᏚᏚ ᎢᎾ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎾᏢᎢᏆᏟ NᎬᎡᏙᎬᏚ. Ꮖ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᏴᎬᎬN ᏴᏞᎾᏟKᏆNᏩ ᎢᎡᎪᏙᏆᏚ FᎡᎾᎷ YᎾᏌᎡ FᏆᎬᏞᎠ ᎾF ᏙᏆᏚᏆᎾN.

"Dante? Why are you standing there all creepy and stuff?"

ᎢᎡᎪᏙᏆᏚ ᏆᏚ Ꭺ ᏞᏆNK ᎢᎾ ᎠᎪNᎢᎬ 1.0. ᎢᎾ ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ, YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᎢᎾ ᏴᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎢᎾ ᎷᎪKᎬ ᏚᎪᏟᎡᏆFᏆᏟᎬᏚ.

"Seriously, what"s up with you? You’ve been acting shady ever since…since..," Travis' eyes lit up, as he scanned me over. "It worked, didn't it?" I gave a small nod, and Travis grinned widely. "Dante! That's amazing! We gotta test it, we gotta celebrate, we gotta- get stoned in my basement"

...

I already know what it's like, to be the loser... I should find out what it's like, to not he the loser. I don't wanna be special. I just wanna be chill as life will allow.

So I should take the upgrade?

UPGRADE, UPGRADE, UPGRADE.

Should I take the upgrade?

UPGRADE, UPGRADE, UPGRADE, UPGRADE! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!

And I wasn't sure, before. But now I'm gonna go all the way, and more!

So gimme that--

ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ, ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ, ᏌᏢᏩᎡᎪᎠᎬ.

Gimme that upgrade! Upgrade! Upgrade!

Tried to be genuine, and true. But now it's time for something new.

So gimme that upgrade! Upgrade! Upgrade! Upgrade! So gimme that upgrade! Upgrade! Upgrade! Upgrade!

Really it doesn't matter how. I'm getting the upgrade, right now!

"Dante? Are you coming?" Travis smiled, grabbing my wrist.

Optic Nerve Blocking: On.

And just like that, Travis disappeared from my vision...

NᎾᏔ, ᏞᎬᎢ'Ꮪ ᏩᎬᎢ ᎢᎾ ᏔᎾᎡK...

~~~