“I’m just saying,” Lucia began, grabbing the house-droid by its thin metal neck and hooking it onto the shelf. “Bruisers aren’t weak. End of story,” she said, ending their playful argument about bruisers in Rise of Shadows. Currently, Eniola and Lucia were in identical red polos stocking house-droids at the Droid Tech Warehouse with other unhappy teenagers who took this summer job because any money was better than no money. It was a huge open warehouse with nothing but boxes of androids for them to load. It was probably the last job that skimmed automation.

“Fine,” Eniola huffed jokingly. She refocused on the long pronged android she was supposed to be hooking onto the shelf. Eniola walked on the balls of her feet and stretched a lot, just barely making it before collapsing down again. While Lucia, who practically towered over her, had it easy. By the time they had met in 6th grade, Lucia was already flaunting curves and height while Eniola looked no different from a cereal box.

“Dear valued employees at the Droid Tech Warehouse,” the AI voice came from the loudspeaker. “It is time for your mandatory five-minute break. Enjoy.” The sound of the intercom shut off as teens left their workstations from the back.

“I wonder where it’s going to be this year,” someone said. Eniola looked over to see one of her teenage coworkers, Dax, and some other boys she ignored having a conversation.

“What are you guys talking about?” Lucia asked, just feeling comfortable enough to waltz into their conversation.

“The SCOPE Championships, duh,” he replied. “Everyone’s been talking about it.”

Her ears pricked at the mention of SCOPE.

“I heard this year is supposed to be epic,” Dax replied, then he and his other skinny friends did some ‘epic bro thing’ where they all bumped into each other in excitement. It didn’t surprise her they were SCOPE fans. It was legendary with anyone under the age of 25.

“Wait a minute,” Dax said, eyes squinting at Eniola suddenly. “You’re that girl…” he trailed off, searching his memory.

He pointed at Eniola, then looked at his friends. “It’s that girl who won the other day. E.N.I.” His friends all hollered in excitement, much to her confusion. “You work here?”

“That’s me,” Eniola confirmed shyly.

“You were so iconic out there,” he claimed. “You beat Bloom. That girl is unbeatable. I was watching the whole thing. My mind was blown.” He made a big effect with his hands on his red mop of curls and made an explosion sound with his mouth. Eniola glanced at Lucia, who only grinned and shrugged her shoulders. The only time Rogue was recognized was when Keone was here to snatch the spotlight into his clutches.

It was always “You’re that girl from Keone’s team” or “Can you say hi to Keone for me”? Or “Is Keone single?” It was always Keone, Keone this, Keone that, Keone but make it more Keone, and a little Keone on the side. Rogue was never independently recognized. This felt otherworldly.

“Thanks for the support,” she said awkwardly.

“I can’t believe I’ve been working beside you and never recognized you,” Dax said, ignoring her gratitude. “I suggest we make you a little more known around here.” Dax was acting like she’d made some world-changing breakthrough. Eniola won a qualifier.

“It’s fine,” she said, shyly.

“I say we—”

Lucia cut him off. “I’m her manager and PR agent. If you need anything, take it up with me.” Then they walked away from the boys’ confused expressions.

“I never made you my manager,” she said to her. “You didn’t need to do all of that.”

She smirked. “I know.”

“Anyways, are you excited for the SCOPE championships?” Lucia asked as they sat on the bench at the edges of the factory. More like Eniola sat; Lucia just draped herself over it absentmindedly.

“If we can even find another teammate,” Eniola groaned. “We can’t go unless we have a full team.”

“Yeah, but we also wouldn’t be able to go unless your parents let you. Have you already cut to the chase with your parents?” she asked curiously.

“I didn’t,” Eniola admitted. “They think that it’s a street game for drug dealers and criminals and people who disappoint their parents, which I guess the last one is true. It’s not very easy to change their minds. I’ve been trying to find the right words.”

“It’s more than that!” Lucia suddenly said in her favour. “So, if you haven’t told them, then when are you going to do it?”

She had no curfew because she couldn’t go out. No sleepovers because she had her bed, no going over to other people’s houses (except for Lucia) because it had taken a million business days for her parents to decide if she could hang out with them and to meet their parents. Eniola’s parents had seen one round of SCOPE and decided it was demonic. Playing SCOPE had given Eniola the thrill and freedom, something she had, but wanted more of desperately.

“It’s not like I’m even going to be here anyway soon,” Eniola huffed. “We’re going to New York.”

“You’ve spent your entire life doing what they want and following what they want,” Lucia said. “You’re going to be slaving away in a career you hate because you were too afraid to say no. And now my bestie is moving and studying something she doesn’t like.”

“But they have SCOPE in New York,” Eniola argued.

“But New York doesn’t have Rogue,” Lucia responded. “You’re my best friend, and Iris and Theo love you too and are going to be so bummed when you move. This competition just might be the last thing we do together as friends.”

Eniola frowned. “I can’t just disappoint my parents like that. Things might be easy for you, Lucia, because Macy is so easygoing. She’ll let you take over the world as long as you’re back by dinner.”

“My sister is strict,” Lucia said, unbelievably. “Get this. For punishment, she changed my 1:00 AM curfew to midnight. She had the audacity. Who does that?”

“Wow, she should be a military general with how strict she is,” Eniola deadpanned. “You should be even lucky you have a curfew. I just go nowhere.”

“Fine, she may not be military-style,” Lucia said. “But sometimes in your life, you have to be bold. Olu did it.” Eniola goes silent at the sudden mention of her brother.

“Sorry,” she quickly apologizes. “I shouldn’t have mentioned him so casually.”

“It’s fine,” Eniola accepts. “And speaking of Olu, he came back.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? That’s so great!”

“It lasted five minutes,” Eniola says. “Then my parents yelled at him to get out.”

“Oh,” Lucia said.

“And in the past three years, he got married to May, dropped out of med school, started a new fashion brand, and now has a baby on the way in six weeks.”

“Wow,” Lucia said. “That’s a lot.”

“It feels so weird, you know,” Eniola said. “He has this whole other life, and he’s so different now. I think maybe my parents kicking him out was a good thing.”

“Then stand up to them. You never know when this might be a good thing,” Lucia told her straight up. “I don’t want you to go. California is our home.”

“I know,” Eniola said. “But it’s not exactly easy to convince them.”

“I’m still surprised they even let us be friends,” Lucia admitted. “I’m not exactly a model citizen. You know.” Eniola was shocked, too. Lucia was the child they’d taught her not to follow. Risk-taking, controversially outspoken, raised by her sister, had a boyfriend and was a firm believer in adolescent freedom. Yet they said nothing.

“Let’s make a deal,” Lucia suggested, and she had that look on her face that meant she was up to something. Of course, she was. Lucia was always up to something.

“If we make it to the top three, you tell your parents about playing SCOPE,” she suggested. Top three were so rare. She would never tell her parents about SCOPE now.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“If they see that you’re winning and being successful, you can prove to them it isn’t a criminal game and show them it’s not useless,” Lucia said, listing the reasons her parents hated it. “You’re my best friend and you deserve to be free and happy. You don’t have to sneak out and hide everywhere just to follow your passion. You could just come clean.”

“And risk death?” she jokingly countered. “Not an option.”

Lucia chuckled. “You’re so cute sometimes.”

Eniola smirked. “Speaking of cute, how are things with Theo?” A smile instantly curved her thick lips at the mention of his name, and a blush spread through her cheeks. All you had to do was say his name, and suddenly her bold and fierce friend would turn into an absolute cinnamon roll.

“Weird,” she said, shocking Eniola. “But in a good way. Last night he called me so that he could recite the first episode of Sailor Moon from front to back. It was weirdly hot in a way.” And then the fluff broke out, and Lucia was now going on and on about Theo, and what he had done weirdly recently.

“Look at you,” Eniola gushed. “Being all in love.” Her tan cheeks tinged a deeper red. It seems like yesterday Lucia was crushing on him as a lovesick middle schooler and Eniola advised her away from it. It’s been three years since everything happened.

“Look who’s talking,” she claimed. “I’m not the only one here who’s in love.”

Her eyes widened. “What no? You’re lying.”

“Come on,” she prodded. “You two practically scream obviousness.”

She raised her arms. “Who?”

“Killswitch,” she disclosed. Eniola short-circuited again. Eniola just knows for a fact that Lucia Nathalia Vargas did not just ship her with the unknown gamer who is excruciatingly annoying and infuriating and lurking on their Discord at any given moment.

“You’re practically flirting,” Lucia teased, and her mind unhinged itself. “You’re playing hard to get.”

“No,” she deflected. “I’m not playing anything!” They both locked serious eye contact with each other before breaking into giggles.

“Okay,” she said smugly. “Whatever you say.”

“Attention all employees at the Droid Tech Warehouse,” the AI voice cut in again.

“Return to your workstations. Your mandatory five-minute break is over. Thank you!” The message repeated itself over again three times.

Eniola looked back at Lucia. Such an amazing human being, she thought.