Antonio Finds a Better Way to Play

• • •

He starts composing the snaps in his mind, then realizes he doesn’t have much enthusiasm for it after all. It’s not that funny. He just wanted to make himself feel better. 

When Antonio feels disappointed with the world, he usually takes refuge in Minecraft, and this is where he heads now—to a better world, he tells himself with a bitter laugh.

Often he plays alone, but today he dives into multiplayer mode. To his surprise, there is someone whose avatar he recognizes—it’s Arianna, the only girl in Robotics Club. Normally she’s super shy and quiet, but playing the game together, he sees a whole other side to her. She’s funny and assertive, and her creations are amazing. He’s enchanted by her aesthetic. He gets so involved chatting with her that he nearly dies.

By the time his mother calls him for dinner, Antonio is flying high—not only in the game. In fact, he feels sorry for the person he was a few hours ago, upset about Vanessa. What he’s feeling, he realizes, is the stuff of songs—a lot better than anything that comes out of a bottle.

 
zeroproof_choose_your_journey_the_end