From what Alan remembered there were limited bonuses for pre-purchasing some of the more expensive items in the game. Of course he was limited in his funds. But for his plan to work he needed to increase his Gene Manipulation Threshold.

What the attendant didn’t know was when you started the game you’d have a score for Gene Manipulation Threshold or GMU. For most humans it ranged between 22 to 28 units. The units were just a calculation made by Cosmos for how much you could change your genome without dying. In Cosmos many of the most powerful abilities were linked to utilizing those units. The more you had the better.

Info on GMU units was offered freely in the future. However, increasing the units was difficult, and seemed to remain fixed unless you had an outside source to increase it, such as a serum, surgery or other means. The serum, which came with the ring, was the equivalent to reorganizing your closet. You’d keep all your old stuff, with the benefit of finding more space. He was eager to get his hands on it.

“Are there other perks for buying more expensive gear?”

“Yes Sir, our $50,000 and $100,000 rings come with moderate and strong serums for the first 100 buyers. Would sir be interested in knowing the opportunities for those who purchase $1 million and above.” He asked hopefully. Alan’s eyes narrowed, this guy was definitely making a commission.

As tempted as he was, he declined. Knowing at this point it was out of his reach. He definitely needed the $10,000 for the ring, but had only saved enough for the basic. $7,500 short. Telling the attendant he didn’t have the cash on hand. Which left the attendant clearly disappointed. He said he hoped to purchase the ring in the morning. The attendant only politely nodded.

Stepping outside, his stomach rumbled. He’d missed lunch completely and it was creeping into evening. Driving away, he decided to make his final 2 stops of the day.

***

He pulled up to the 3 story, red brick building and took a deep breath. Even now he felt anxiety as he walked up to the front door, where various greek letters hovered above the women’s sorority. Wiping the sweat from his hands, Alan rang the bell and waited expectantly. A blond co-ed in a pink tank-top and yoga pants answered the door.

“Can I help you?” She asked in an impatient tone.

“Yeah, I’m looking for Denise, could you let her know Alan is here.”

“Yeah she’s here, but how do you know her?” She looked him up and down. Clearly eyeing his shabby look of a wrinkled shirt, and worn out sneakers .

“I’m her boyfriend.” Alan responded flatly.

“Oh” She seemed suspicious, but continued in a flippant tone,“I’ll go get her, but you better get out of here if I find out you're lying.”

Alan wasn’t surprised by her reaction. Denise had been his high school sweetheart. Looking back, his looks weren’t too bad. However, he’d been shy and not very stylish. She and he had gotten to know each other in a business club and then started to date. Their relationship had started out pretty normal, they both wanted to start business and conquer the world. Over time though she became more popular in school, while he faded more in the background. Her family background had also been part of the equation. Her family owned a small manufacturing business and had been able to provide her with nearly anything she wanted. She’d impossibly high standards for herself, and as time went on, she began to try and change him. Added to that was the fact that her family didn’t really approve of their relationship. Time and again he’d always fallen short of her expectations. While he simultaneously had never questioned or disagreed with her. In the last year of high school he felt less and less like a boyfriend and more like an asset.

After longer than Alan expected, Denise finally made her appearance and opened the door, looking a little flustered. She was wearing skin tight jeans, and sport’s jersey. Despite her casual outfit, her makeup was done in a glamorous fashion, a little over the top for Alan’s taste. Seeing her again, Alan could recall how he’d try to tell her she was naturally pretty and didn’t need all the coverup.

It’s amazing what kind of details would go through your mind after seeing someone for the first time in years. For Alan, her makeup was just a piece of it all. He’d remembered their first date, club meetings, prom,...

“Oh, hey Alan. I didn’t expect you tonight. What’s up?” Alan’s memories were interrupted as she spoke. For most it was pleasant and cheerful. Alan though could pick out the barely perceptible irritation in her honeyed voice.

“Hey Denise. I just want to stop by for a minute.” Alan tried to calm himself down after seeing her. His mind was racing. This was the first love of his life. He didn’t expect to have the feelings of love and caring for her to come back so strong.

“Ok well, I’ve got a lot of school work, so I can’t really spend time with you right now. You really should have texted me first.” She looked at him as if she was scorning a bad puppy.

“Oh.” Her reaction seemed to snap Alan out of his trance. And back to why he’d come here tonight. “I won’t be long. Can I come up?”

Her eyes flickered to her room, nervously, which then turned quickly to irritation, “I already told you Alan, I’m busy tonight, it was pretty inconsiderate of you to just drop by like this. You didn’t bother to call, so whatever needs to be said will have to wait.” She looked at him, waiting for him to be cowed.

Catching the flicker of her eyes, Alan put the pieces together. This scene had played out dozens of times in high school. If he’d done something that bothered her, or was an inconvenience in her mind. She’d push him into the corner, till he’d eventually back down, and apologize. In this case, there was something she obviously didn’t want him finding out, so had opted to blame him for her mood.

Originally he’d wanted to speak to her privately, especially after the unexpected feelings he had after seeing her again, and knowing how angry she could become. However, he could tell she wasn’t going to let him in, and the feelings of love he’d once felt faded quickly.

“Denise, are you sure you wouldn’t rather speak in your room? I would rather have our conversation there.” He said it with confidence and the authority of someone who’d lived on the edge for the last 12 years. A confidence which even surprised himself.

Denise was caught off guard, not expecting the words to come from Alan. He never had talked back before. She flared in anger. “Don’t be stupid Alan, go home, and don’t call me for a week!” Her anger was calculated, loud enough that a few of her sisters poked their heads out, drawn by the dramatic statement. She smiled smugly, it was odd for Alan to stop by suddenly, and even weirder for him to insist on speaking to her alone. Despite that, she knew he hated all the attention of the sorority. Better yet he’d be back in a week, apologetic and well behaved. It was only after a moment,when he continued to stand there that she pursed her lips. ‘Why isn’t he leaving?’

Alan, having played her games dozens of times, took a long slow breath. He’d tried to make it easier on her, but if she insisted… “Denise, I’m breaking up with you.” Though unintentionally, but spurred by the anger he felt, it came out loudly enough for the onlooking girls in the entry hall to overhear. “I know you’ve been cheating on me. I don’t need or want to see you anymore.”

Time seemed to slow. Alan was struck by how simple the words came. Words which he’d repeated dozens of times, but never said, before and after the break up in the past. Denise’s face seemed to transform, hideous and slow, from silent triumph to humiliation and then, finally to rage. For Alan this was the moment that seemed to drag on, but it all happened in a breath.

Denise’s mind went whirling. She seemed to struggle to grasp Alan's words, only finally coming to their meaning at the peak of her anger, her words, fumbling in her mouth. Alan didn’t give her lagging mind time to respond, he grimly turned and walked to his car, leaving her half-formulated response unspoken.

It wasn’t until he’d gotten in the car and turned on the engine to drive away, that he heard a screech of anger. Daring to take a look in the mirror he saw Denise, infuriated and running out onto the lawn yelling obscenities. He’d already pulled away at that point, his radio muffling the sound.

Only after he finally lost sight of her, was he able to let out a long sigh of relief from the pent up tension he’d felt from the moment he’d pulled up.

How many years had it been since he’d been humiliated by Denise. He had gone to meet with her a year into college and found her fooling around with a Senior in her program. He found out later from a friend that she had been going behind his back since high school, but strung him along. The last few months, she had been so obvious about it, and he, so naive, that even her friends had begun to give him pitiful looks. When she finally broke it off, it had been harsh, she’d blamed him for all her behavior, and how miserable he had made her.

It was only natural that he still felt conflicted about it all these years later. He’d told her in person, not to see her face, but because he felt like he’d had to confront her. To do what he’d never had the courage to do in the past. Driving home, his anxiousness was replaced with a new emotion. Excitement. Throughout the day, he hadn’t really felt things had changed. He’d thought he was the same old Alan, naive and afraid. Now however, he’d made his first real change, faced a real fear. His excitement wasn’t derived from knowing the future, it was the knowledge that even if the future didn’t change, he certainly could.

****

His last stop for the night was his parents house, an unexpected part of his plans. Funny enough, he hadn’t even had to invite himself over, his mom had texted him just before he’d gone over to Denise’s.

The last few blocks from his parent’s home his phone had started buzzing uncontrollably. With only giving it a brief glance he noticed a few missed calls and texts. Denise. The texts, aside from calling him a slew of well chosen insults, had also demanded who had said those ‘rotten lies’ about her. Alan smiled smugly, she’d likely been trying to find out which of her friends had ratted her out.

“Well let’s not say anything, that should keep her a bit occupied as to who she could ‘trust’ with her secrets.” Alan then blocked her number, without responding to her.