We arrived home in silence. Dad followed us inside, and Veronica and I went straight to our room. I took a long bath, washing my hair, scrubbing every part of me until I felt perfect. Returning from the bathroom, I blow dried my hair, set it in a neat low bun, dressed in black joggers, an oversized hoodie, and Gold Jordan AJ 1 Mids. Suddenly, a knock at the door stopped me in my tracks.
Dad entered, smiling. "Look at my princess, ready for a Broadway show."
Smiling, I posed, flicking my invisible hair even though it was already tied back, making him laugh.
"I've got something for you," he said, revealing a wrapped box he'd been hiding behind his back.
Shrieking, I jumped with excitement and pulled him to sit beside me on the bed. He placed the box in my hands. I stared at it, unsure how to feel—this was my first ever gift, besides the room and bathroom decorations.
"You know, even though I wish it could unwrap itself… it won't," Dad joked.
"Sorry, I've just never gotten a gift wrapped before," I admitted honestly.
"Oh," he said, suddenly springing to his feet. "Well, get used to it, because we're a family known for gifts." He pulled out his phone, flash turning on.
"Are you videoing me?" I asked, smiling through tears that hadn't yet fallen.
"Maybe… now open it. Go, go, goo!" he cheered.
Carefully unwrapping, I froze. I couldn't believe my eyes—it was a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
"OH MY FREAKING GOD!!!!" I screamed. "No, no, no… I can't take this. Dad, it's too expensive. Daaaaad!"
"Yes, yes, yes… you will," he said firmly, not taking no for an answer.
"But—"
"But nothing," he cut me off, smiling fatherly. Tears built up more as I placed the phone carefully on the bed, then jumped up and hugged him tightly like my life depended on it.
"Thank you," I whispered, letting the tears flow. His stiff body relaxed, his hands slowly came to my back, squeezing me tightly in return.
The door creaked, and Renae stopped in the doorway. She wore a black bodysuit, a blue cardigan draped over her shoulders, and KysBloes Women Goth Knee High Boots—wedge platform, lace up, punk gothic combat style. I pulled away from Julian, looking up at her.
"Dad got me my own phone," I blurted out, showing her excitedly.
Her face shifted from confusion to pure excitement. She jumped up and down, squealing, her boots thudding against the floor.
Julian, back to his joking self, jingled his smartkey in the air. "Alright, you two. Here's the car key, some cash, and a reminder—don't wreck my baby. And if you do, at least make it look cool."
"Dad!" I groaned, laughing through leftover tears.
He wagged his finger. "And no speeding. Unless you're being chased by zombies. Then you have my permission to floor it."
Renae smirked instantly. "Zombies? Please. If anything's chasing us, it's Titi. And trust me, I'll drive faster than your old man reflexes ever could."
Julian chuckled, handing her the cash. "Smart mouth. You sure you're not secretly my kid? Because you've got my sarcasm down to a science."
Renae laughed, pocketing the money. "Nah, I'm just the upgrade. Version 2.0."
Julian pretended to look offended. "Upgrade? Girl, I'm the deluxe model. You're just the demo."
I shook my head, hugging him tightly again. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculously handsome," he corrected, winking.
Renae rolled her eyes. "Ridiculously old, maybe."
Julian gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "Old? I'll have you know I'm vintage. Classic. Like fine wine."
"More like expired milk," Renae shot back, laughing.
The mood lightened, the heaviness of earlier fading as we hugged him one last time. Then we left, stepping out into the night.
Outside, Renae pulled out her phone, showing me a message from Kevon: Meet us at Battleground VR Park.
I grinned, holding up my new phone. "Looks like tonight's about to get interesting."
The drive wasn't long, but the silence in Julian's car felt heavy.
By the time we pulled up, the place was glowing like a futuristic battlefield—neon lights pulsing against the walls, the hum of machines mixing with laughter and shouts from inside. The sign above the entrance flickered like it was daring us to step into another world.
Kevon was already waiting near the entrance, waving us over. "Finally! Thought you two were gonna ditch."
"Please," Renae scoffed, adjusting her cardigan. "If anyone's ditching, it's Jay. He sped off like he was running from the cops."
Fabian and Travis came up behind Kevon, Mariann clinging to Travis's arm, her smile soft but nervous. "We're all here," Fabian said, though his eyes flicked toward the parking lot, unsettled by Jay's storming off.
Then Jay appeared, late, jaw tight, fists shoved into his pockets. He didn't say a word, just brushed past us into the arcade. His eyes locked on Titi for a split second, venom burning there, before he disappeared into the neon glow.
Titi strutted in after him, smirk plastered across her face like she owned the place. "Well, let's play," she said, her tone dripping with challenge.
Inside, the air was electric—VR headsets lined the walls, massive screens showed players battling monsters, racing cars, and fighting bosses. The place was chaos, but the kind of chaos that made your blood rush.
An employee in a branded polo greeted us with a grin, clearly used to hyped up groups like ours.
"Welcome, squad! Ready to dive into some chaos tonight?" she asked brightly.
Jay didn't hesitate. "Zombies. Let's do zombies." His tone was sharp, almost daring anyone to disagree.
Fabian gave a quick nod. "Yeah, I'm down. Zombies sound like a good warm up."
Travis shrugged, adjusting his jacket. "Fine by me. I'll take headshots all night."
Kevon grinned. "Zombies it is. Let's see who survives longest."
Mariann clapped her hands together, already laughing. "Okay, but I'm hiding behind Travis. Don't judge me."
Travis shifted slightly away from her, and though her expression faltered, she quickly covered it with a smile.
The employee chuckled, motioning us toward the VR stations. "Alright, squad mode. You'll be dropped into a city overrun with the undead. Teamwork's key—unless you want to get eaten."
We geared up, headsets on, controllers ready. The game launched, and the world shifted instantly—bright landscapes, towering enemies, the kind of fight that made you forget reality. For a while, it was chaos: zombies lunging, screams echoing, everyone firing wildly.
But tension seeped in. Jay's movements were too aggressive, every strike like he was venting rage. Titi laughed, taunting him through the mic. "Careful, Jay. You're swinging like you've got something to prove."
Jay's jaw tightened. "Shut the hell up and play."
His movements grew sharper, angrier, every strike like he was aiming at her.
Renae leaned close, whispering through her mic. "If she keeps pushing, I swear I'll break character and swing for real."
"Don't," I muttered back, my voice tight. "We're here to cool off, not blow up."
The neon battlefield lit up around us, but the real war wasn't on the screens—it was simmering between us, waiting for the right moment to explode.
"This isn't cooling off," Renae muttered. "It's just making it worse."
"Yeah," I whispered back. "Let's pull out."
We slipped off our headsets, leaving the others immersed in zombie chaos. The employee from earlier spotted us and walked over.
"Everything okay?" she asked gently.
"Yeah," I said, brushing hair from my face. "Just… not feeling zombies right now. What else do you guys have?"
Her smile widened. "Plenty. We've got VR boss battles—giant monsters, dragons, mech fights. There's also escape rooms, racing sims, even a lounge area where you can bring your own food and set up private matches. Some groups even book DJs for events."
Renae perked up, clapping her hands. "See, that's what I'm talking about. Something eye catching, not just shooting the same damn zombies."
"Exactly," I agreed. "Maybe we'll check out the boss battles later. And the bring your own food thing? That's genius."
"And speaking about food… I'm feeling hungry. They will be too, so how about we go get some food and come back?" Renae nudged me.
"When have you never carried your tummy?" I joked, already craving something myself.
"When I'm dead. Now let's go," she shot back, tugging me toward the exit.
But I stopped, turning back to the employee. "Maybe we'll check out the boss battles later. And we're gonna do that bring your own food thing."
The employee nodded. "We want this place to feel like your battlefield, not just ours. You two let me know when you're ready—I'll set it up."
Renae smirked, leaning toward me. "See? Told you we'd find something better. Zombies are overrated."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Let's just hope the others don't burn the place down before we get back."
Leaving, we headed to the car and drove out with one mission in mind—food.