Infinity Legends

Chapter 29: The Stranger

The weekend that followed DM3’s recruitment had proved to be the most productive so far. With Serry joining the rest of the group on the following training sessions, everyone was accounted for to properly integrate the new tank into the collective. The week that followed was equally intense, with nearly everyone showing up every day.

After all, that week would end on one of the most important days of their journey so far. On Saturday, the time would come for them to finally announce their candidacy for the Wildcard spots. There would be a ceremony to introduce all the candidates at the Legend Halls, including the Infinity Riders and all the other beginner teams that would be challenging them for a spot on the major leagues. Furthermore, the ceremony would be open to all and any Fantasy Stars player and broadcasted live throughout the galaxy and on Fantasy Stars official online medias. Millions of people would see their introduction, and these same people would, a month later, vote on which team they wanted to see face off against the best pro-players in the world.

In other words, the Infinity Riders had to make their debut count. A first impression that would have to last for a month.

That had led to the first arguments among the team. Barry and Sarah were eager to find an engineer to fill the role of supporting DM3, especially given how one more player would add to their presentation. Potathunder, on the other hand, had insisted that they did the very opposite and waited. The bard argued that after the debut, their team would be more renowned and therefore had better chances at recruiting powerful players. He also reasoned that recruiting people between their debut and the actual voting day would supply them enough content to keep the Infinity Riders as hot news, running from mouth to mouth and flooding social media feeds.

Ultimately, the bard had it his way. It was the Friday before the big day, after all, and they were nowhere near finding themselves an engineer. Not that Barry could even think about engineers now. In less than 48 hours he would be officially back in the game, and that was all he could possibly think about while laying on his bed, eyes wide and glued to the bottom of Luca’s bed above him.

“Who’s ready to party!” Luca jumped from the bunk, landing right next to Barry.

“Party?” Barry turned to face his pajama clad roommate. “It’s 7 AM.”

“Piece of advice?” Luca said as he moved into the bathroom to brush his teeth and change. “You’ll have more fun if you keep the party mindset throughout the day!”

Rubbing his eyes, Barry sat up on the mattress, only then recalling what Luca had said about a party in the sorority house happening the next Friday. That Friday.

“Ah, yeah, that…” Barry yawned. “Have fun.”

“Oh, don’t start!” Luca yelled from the restroom. “You’re coming! Even if I have to drag you.”

“Even if I was invited, which I wasn’t, I really think it would be wiser to prepare for tomorrow…”

“What’s there to prepare for?” Luca asked. “All you have to do is show up, wave at a few people, answer some questions and follow Potathunder’s lead. It’ll be even better if you blow off some steam tonight,” as Luca spoke, he reemerged from the restroom fully dressed. “And about getting invited, it’s a damn house party. You could come in riding a horse and no one would be sober enough to notice.”

“I don’t know…” Barry whined.

“Hey,” Luca grabbed Barry’s shoulders and forced his nerdy friend to face him. “Have you regretted doing anything I suggested so far?”

“I guess not…”

“Then you should know better than to question me,” Luca let go and headed for the door. “Besides, you still need that practice if you’re going to impress Dana, remember?”

Barry didn’t reply, but the appeal did instigate a small flock of imaginary butterflies in his stomach.

“I’m off to the pool, now,” Luca said grabbing his bag and opening the door. “I’ll see you tonight, and you better have your party face on!”

Before Barry could reply, Luca was gone with a door slam. Did Barry even have a party face? What was it? The young man eyed the alarm clock beside his bed. He had barely slept at all thinking about the coming inauguration of the Infinity Riders, and now he was late for class. He presumed there would be no harm in skipping one single lesson in order to catch up with his insomnia.

Right?

Yes, right. Barry killed the lights and rolled back under the sheets, letting out a long breath. As thoughts regarding Fantasy Stars, classes and the infamous party were washed away, Barry felt a relaxing wave of sleep finally coming over him…

Only to be interrupted by a hectic knock at the door.

Barry threw his head back, eyelids fully parted again. He waited, hoping that would make the nuisance stop.

It didn’t.

Another series of knocks, longer and more energetic than the first, forced Barry to leave his bed and drag his feet to the entrance. He swung the door open in fury, expecting to find Luca or some of his swimming buddies asking for him. Instead, what Barry found were two women and a baby.

One of the women, the one furthest from the door, wore a plain beige dress with a charming scarf wrapped around her neck and carried two large bags. The other woman, the one who knocked, was dressed in gray sweatpants, a black sweater hoodie and had lively blonde curls raining over her shoulders, reminding Barry of a more gracious version of Luca’s hair. More notably, though, the woman closer to the door wore a baby carrier around her torso, from which a curious little fella smiled at Barry, most of his teeth still missing.

Barry was still too sleepy to process the appearance of two strangers—both clearly to old too live in campus—at his doorstep, so he just frowned as the baby carrier offered him a mischievous grin.

A grin that felt disturbingly familiar.

“You must be Barry,” she said. “I hope you have no plans for tonight.”

***

Three hours later.

Luca ran the towel over his long hair, letting out a tired sigh very much deserved after another inhuman session of practice. Inhuman sessions… those were the best! Kept the body fit and the mind sharp.

Tossing the towel back into the locker, he pulled out a white polo shirt bearing the university’s logo.

“Oi, Luca!” Gabe yelled from the steaming showers. “Chief said you pulled a 22-low yesterday. You keep that up and you might just beat me some day!”

Luca chuckled. “You might wanna check your numbers, Gaby-boy! Last I checked I was beating you every day of the week.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean beat me at the pool,” Gabe stepped out of the shower, towel around his waist. “I mean beating me on game! But don’t you guys worry,” Gabe threw finger guns at every athlete in the locker room. “Daddy’s got y’all covered!”

“What’re you even on about?” Luca asked, already imagining what to expect.

“Chicks, man! Chicks galore!” Gabe said, confirming Luca’s suspicions. “Let’s just say I’ve been around the volley court this week and the feminine team is up for a swim, but there’s only so much Gabe for one of them… maybe two.”

Luca chuckled while the other swimmers gathered around Gabe to congratulate him and reserve the best picks for themselves. It hadn’t been a week since the sorority stunt and Gabe already had his sights on the volleyball players. The guy was relentless, Luca had to give him that.

“So,” Jackie asked, sitting on a bench with his legs far too spread apart. “What’s the deal? That house party tonight?”

“You know it, Jackie!” Gabe winked. “The whole volleyball team will be there.”

“Wooo!” Jackie cheered, jumping from the bench and engaging in a little celebration dance.

“Hey, hey, but take it easy,” Gabe said. “I think it’s just fair our brave, muscular and phenomenal captain picks first! After yours truly, obviously.”

Luca was about to reply positively to the offer when he pulled his phone from the locker. Among the notifications, there was a text from Barry. Barry never texted. Luca read the message, then put the cellphone away, feeling the color drain from his cheeks.

“You know what,” Luca spoke as casually as he could. “Jack did well in that relay back in the regionals, he can take the lead.”

Jack resumed his cheerful dance with renewed vigor.

“Besides,” Luca continued, “I won’t be at the party tonight.”

He was expecting some indecent joke or quip about that leaving more for the others, but instead everyone just seemed genuinely disappointed. Gabe had the face of a child who had just dropped their ice cream, and Jack had stopped his celebratory dance. Everyone was just silently staring at Luca.

“The heck, dude?” Nate, poking his head out of the showers, asked what everyone else meant to.

“I have an Ethics exam on Monday!” Luca said.

“And?” Jack shrugged. “I’m in that same class and you don’t see me denying the volley girls the love they deserve.”

“And who needs grades?” Gabe punched Luca’s shoulder. “You’re fast! Screw the law, you belong on the water!”

“Well, that’s pretty much the only thing keeping my scholarship right now,” Luca said, slinging his backpack over a shoulder and heading to the exit. “Have to get my neck out of that rope.”

“You’re spending way too much time with that nerdy roommate of yours!” Gabe shouted in a lighthearted tone to the departing captain, who just carried on and flipped a bird to his colleagues over his shoulder.

His pals could have fun at the party. He had just gotten much better plans!

***

6 hours later.

“Who’s ready for shots?!” Emma barged into the ample pink living room of the Kappa Kappa Delta sorority house, which would soon host the most legendary party in the history of parties. In each of her hands, a whole bottle of fine vodka. Behind her, Carly marched with a pile of red plastic cups.

The girls laying over the cushions, couches and fluffy carpets hurried to put away their phones and help themselves to some gas. The one exception was Sarah, who remained on the ground with her legs up on the purple recliner’s arm.

“I thought the party only started in two hours,” Sarah said without taking her eyes off her social media feed.

“That’s when the guests get here!” Emma said, filling cup after cup. “The party starts whenever I say so, and I say it starts now! Now come on, dear, drink up!”

Sarah was about to shut down her phone when she saw a text notification from an unregistered number. She did not need to have the contact listed to know it was Barry texting her. The content and perfect grammar and punctuation made that clear. Very clear. She read the message as quickly as possible, the shut down the device.

Sarah looked up at Emma, who held down a cup for her. Sarah did not reach for the beverage, though. Instead, she shook her curly hair and pushed herself to her feet.

“Sorry, Em, my sis is in town tonight. I haven’t seen her since, like, the holidays!”

“So?” Emma shrugged. “Bring her here! The more the merrier!”

“You know how my family is. She’d, like, die if she saw me take a sip of alcohol. And then kill me. We’ll just go for dinner downtown and, like, catch up.”

“Eh,” Emma drank the cup intended for Sarah in one go, then wiped her mouth on a bare forearm. “Have fun with Harriet, then…”

“Her name’s Sophie…”

“Sophie, Harriet… big change! Not like the party’ll be over when you come back,” Emma nudged Sarah’s ribs with her elbow, then charged back to the drinking group.

Sarah just shook her head and snuck out. Not that she was had to sneak, given how no one paid any mind to the world beyond the borders of their red cups. Sarah could safely and discreetly leave the house and make her way to Luca’s and Barry’s dorm, where her friends and her gear awaited.

And she had better hurry. The boys were probably already getting started.