Page 94

I might be able to make it! Will let you all know asap

@thesebootsweremadeformoonwalking

I should be free! Maybe if there’s enough of us we could look at booking a room in one of the board-game cafes? There’s a place one of my mates uses for D&D nights

@ladyanissadishipper

YES PLEASE I WOULD LOVE THAT

@ladyanissadishipper

I NEED SOMEONE TO PLAY CATAN WITH

@ladyanissadishipper

My parents are absolutely rubbish at it lol, it’s boring always winning!

@wizeguy

Bloody love Catan. I’m in!

@runicrascal

Sunday 2pm, sounds like a plan. See you all there!

CHAPTER 30

‘Where did you say you’re going again?’ Dad asks, loitering in my bedroom doorway, car keys in hand, while I hurtle about my room grabbing my jacket, my shoes – no, notthose, what am I thinking? – and being generally very, very late.

We were supposed to leave eight minutes ago. I’ll miss the train!

And I really don’t want to be late to my first proper fan-meet with the localOf Wrath and RuneDiscord, and Anissa’s already waiting at the station for me. She doesn’t want to walk in on her own, I know.

‘Board-game cafe,’ I respond. ‘Have you seen –? Never mind, there they are. And where’s …? I cast about for the postcards I made – personalised fanart of everyone’s favourite characters. It’s kind of like the Taylor Swift friendship bracelets, I figure, only nerdier.

Theywereon the desk, but I see Dad’s picked them up to look at.

‘Did you say it was with someinternet friends?’ he asks. He frowns at me. ‘Your mother mentioned Anissa’s going too, but is this … safe?’

‘It’s not just Anissa. Jake’s going, as well. There’s a few of us.’

And Max, too, according to Anissa … My heart squeezes, thinking about actuallyseeinghim again. At least we’ll be surrounded by other people, so maybe it won’t be so awkward. Maybe he’ll be the haughty, annoying guy from those early watch-parties, and I won’t evenmindthat he never reached out to me after our kiss.

If he’s the guy from the party … open, and vulnerable, earnest and confident, andsweet…

I amnotprepared for that.

I shove all thoughts of Max aside. I can’t afford to get distracted by him today; it’s too important.

‘And it’s for this … fantasy show?’ Dad holds up the postcards, and I snatch them to shove in my bag. ‘I thought that stuff was always more Jake’s thing.’

‘It was. But it’s mine now, too.’

On my own terms.

‘Are those pictures for your internet friends?’

‘They’re justfriends, Dad; you don’t have to calltheminternet friends. Besides, Chloe does stuff like this all the time with other Twitch streamers.’ A thought strikes me, and I look at him in horror. ‘Oh, God, you don’t think it’s totally dorky for me to bring them paintings of their favourite characters, do you? Is that really weird?’