Love That Never Arrives Late

After finding out I scored a 1510 on the SAT, my online gaming girlfriend dumped me.

With that score, and wanting to major in engineering? He's probably a total dork, she sneered to her roommate, forgetting to mute her mic.

Then, one of our teammates shot her dead in the game.

Messing with my junior from the engineering department? You're asking for it.

At the orientation, I stared at the stunning 5'9" girl in front of me, speechless.

Seriously, with a face like that, calling someone else shallow? The irony was thick enough to cut with a knife.

...

After the SAT scores were released, I gamed all night. My parents were preoccupied with bragging to relatives, so they left me to my own devices. As a result, my voice was gravelly when I got Jessica's call in the morning.

She was direct: "Leo, let's break up."

I met Jessica by chance in a game. Her skills were mediocre, but she was a typical "whale"Dloaded with cash.

She was also a smooth-talker and quite charming. She confessed her feelings the night after the SAT, and we started our online-only relationship.

I hadn't seen a breakup coming after just a few weeks.

"Okay," I said, not feeling the need to argue. We hadn't met in person anyway. It was like deactivating a virtual pet.

Jessica seemed relieved: "So, we can still squad up, right?"

I agreed.

After a match, Jessica swapped out her profile picture. I didn't think much of it and was about to log off.

Suddenly, a teasing voice came through my headphones, "Yo, Jess, what's with the new profile pic? You two break up?"

Jessica hadn't muted her mic.

Before I could shoot her a warning, I heard her scoff, "Of course we broke up! Did you know he got a 1510 on the SAT? And he wants to go to MIT for computer science!"

"With that score, and engineering? He's probably a total dork. I can't even picture what he looks like! Definitely not meeting him in real life!"

The other teammates went radio silent.

Jessica sounded confused, "Hey, why is everyone standing stillD"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, the pro gamer on our team drilled Jessica with three headshots, killing her instantly.

Jessica exploded, "Are you insane?! Why did you kill meD"

Her voice died as she realized her open mic blunder.

A cool, laid-back female voice drawled, "Messing with my junior from the engineering department? You're asking for it."

Huh???

This teammate rarely ever spoke, but she was an absolute beast in the game. Id always pegged her as the aloof, silent type.

I never imagined her first words in voice chat would be to defend me.

My phone started vibrating nonstop. It was Mike, my best friend.

I quit the game and answered. He immediately hit me with a wall of sound.

"Leo! You're a legend!"

"A 1510! Top of the state! Dude, you gotta carry me through life now!!!"

I pulled the phone away from my ear, "Easy, man, I just got dumped."

Mike: "?"

I recounted what happened, "She probably thinks I'm hideous."

Mike was livid, "??? Is she out of her mind? If you're a dork, then what does that make the rest of us?!"

"Whatever." I couldn't be bothered to care. I remembered the pro gamer and sent her a private message, "Hey, thanks for that! Wanna add me on Snapchat? I'll buy you lunch when school starts!"

A minute later, the aloof gamer replied with a single word: "Sure."

Getting headshot in front of everyone was mortifying for Jessica, and she rage-quit the game.

Unexpectedly, she messaged me later that evening.

"Get online, let's have a rematch!"

Apparently, she was bent on getting her revenge. She had quite a temper.

I glanced at her new teammates: "That ID looks familiar."

A lazy voice came from my headphones, "Professional player, for hire."

I was startled, fiddling with my earbud. This girl had barely said a word after playing with us for so long. But after defending me, she seemed to favor voice chat over typing.

It was something I had to get used to.

Looking at Jessica's newly purchased in-game assets, I was a little concerned: "Can we even win this?"

She was determined to make a comeback and had clearly dropped a ton of money.

The pro gamer asked nonchalantly, "You want to beat her?"

I didn't hesitate: "Absolutely!"

Money can't buy skill!

She let out a soft chuckle, "Alright."

Ten minutes later, Jessica and her expensive hired gun were both eliminated.

Jessica spewed a few curses and logged off.

After a long moment of thought, I finally messaged the pro gamer:

"Hey, does studying computer science at MIT make you as insane as you are at this game?"

"...Not necessarily," the pro gamer actually typed out a full sentence. "It depends on your aptitude."

I understood.

"In that case, I'll cover your breakfast for a month!"

The pro gamer went back to being aloof and didn't respond.

...

After the scores came out, my life became a whirlwind again. Interviews, college applications, driver's ed I was so swamped that I barely touched the game for over a month.

Unexpectedly, Jessica messaged me again.

"Leo, we broke up on good terms. You don't have to quit the game just because of me, right?"

Me: ??? What are you on about?!

When I logged back into my long-abandoned account, I found that rumors had been swirling. Several of our regular teammates immediately slid into my DMs.

"Leo! You're finally back!"

"It's just a breakup! It's not the end of the world!"

"Jessica is so superficial, only caring about looks! You dodged a bullet!"

I was completely baffled: "No, guys, I've just been really busy lately."

But no matter how I explained it, nobody bought it.

After a while, I finally figured out why ?C Jessica had a new boyfriend.

"That new account she's been boosting, that's him. I heard his profile pic is his actual face. He's studying broadcasting."

I took a look and cringed. The guy was awful, even with all the gear Jessica was showering him with. It was painful to spectate, and I almost felt sorry for Jessica having to carry him so patiently.

To cleanse my eyes, I went to find the pro gamer to team up.

Sometimes she seemed busy, other times she was free.

I was direct with my request: "Pro gamer, my eyes are burning. Need some pro-level plays to fix them."

A few minutes later, the pro gamer and I teamed up and annihilated the enemy team.

Finally satisfied, I was about to log off when I heard that low, laid-back voice again.

"Seems like you were really into her."

I thought my headphones were bugging out. "What?"

The pro gamer elaborated, "They said your voice was shot the day she broke up with you."

Me: "..."

"But she's got a new boyfriend now, and they look pretty happy. You shouldn't dwell on it. She's not worth it."

Me: "..."

This was getting absurd.

I deadpanned, "Why would I waste my time on her? There are plenty of girls at MIT."

Pro gamer: "..."

Realizing that sounded a bit overeager, I backpedaled, "Actually, I shouldn't be greedy. I just want the cutest one!"

There was a beat of silence before a low chuckle came from the other end.

"You have lofty ambitions."

At the end of August, I was dragging my suitcase across campus for orientation.

The sun was relentless, and the air was still. I tugged my baseball cap lower and pushed onward.

MIT was amazing, except for the sprawling campus. I felt like I was melting.

Suddenly, a girl jogged over from a short distance away. "Hey! Are you a freshman? Humanities?"

I glanced up. She froze for a second, a blush creeping up her ears.

"Thanks! But I'm in the School of Engineering. Do you know where their check-in is?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Only when I asked a second time did she snap out of it. "Oh, just go straight, then turn left at the very end. That suitcase looks heavy. Do you need a hand?"

I politely refused and kept going, finally spotting the check-in tent.

Several girls were lounging in chairs. When they saw me stop, one of them tutted.

"Hey, are you looking for Ava too? Bad timing, she just went to the advisor's office. Try back later."

Ava?

Who's that?

"No," I handed my ID over. "I'm here to check in."

The girls under the tent all whipped their heads around, their jaws slack.

"Whoa?!"

...

Just after I got settled in the dorm, I got a text from Mike.

"Leo, I miss you so much! The thought of not seeing you every day is soul-crushing!"

"Mike, if my memory serves, your university is literally across the street from mine."

"Details, details!" Mike whined. "Did you know you're already all over the MIT confessions page on day one?! A bunch of people are gonna try and steal my best friend!"

Me: "...Confessions page?"

I clicked the link he sent and found a candid photo of me.

Ugh... I was dragging my suitcase, sweating buckets under the blazing sun. I had no idea someone was taking a picture.

"OMG! This year's freshmen are so handsome!"

"He's a total heartthrob! Future campus king, anyone disagree? What's his major? Business?"

"Looking for his socials! Please!"

"Give it up, sis. He's in EECS! How did those nerds get so lucky?!"

"??? Seriously? EECS already has Ava, and now this guy? The campus queen and king in the same department? Is that even allowed?"

Ava? That must be Ava Payne, the girl they mentioned earlier. She sounded pretty popular.

Oh right, I almost forgot to message the pro gamer.

"Hey, I'm on campus!"

A while later, she replied: "Was busy, just saw this. You're here already?"

"Yep! You're busy, so I'll let you be. My roommates are here, we're heading out to eat soon."

A few minutes later, she sent a short list. "These spots near the west gate are pretty solid."

Having a "local" was definitely a perk!

My roommates were all from different majors, but they were cool guys. After introductions, we were ready to grab some food.

Just as we sat down, Jessica suddenly sent me a picture. My stomach dropped.

It was the candid photo from the confessions page!

"Leo, is this guy in your department?"

Seeing Jessica's follow-up message, I felt a bizarre mix of emotions.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Jessica chuckled. "Are you living under a rock? This guy is blowing up. Even people at my school have heard about him. MIT has a stunning new freshman, and he's in EECS!"

This girl... wasn't she just flaunting her new boyfriend a while ago? Why was she asking about this?

"I've heard a little."

Then, Jessica sent a Venmo request: "You're right there, can you hook me up with his contact info?"

Me: "..."

There are many ways to get back in touch with an ex, but this was a new one.

"Won't your boyfriend get mad?" I asked.

Jessica seemed unconcerned, laughing it off. "It's just making a new friend, why would he be mad? If you get me his info, I'll double the Venmo, deal?"

I accepted the request instantly.

"Sure, I'll see what I can do."

She already had my contact info, so I didn't feel a shred of guilt taking her money.

Just as I put my phone down, one of my roommates gasped.

"Is that Ava?!"

Huh?

I turned to look out the restaurant window.

Even though I didn't know who "Ava" was, I immediately knew it was her.

?CShe was too striking to be anyone else.

The girl was tall, probably around 5'9", with a lean, athletic build and long legs.

She was standing by the road with a few other people, looking down at her phone, seemingly waiting for a ride. I couldn't see her full face, but her elegant profile, sharp jawline, and slightly messy hair gave off an aura of effortless cool.

She was captivating.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from the pro gamer.

"How's the food?"

I sent a picture of the hot pot. "Your recommendation was killer!"

Pro gamer: "Chen's Hot Pot?"

I was impressed. She'd clearly been at MIT for a couple of years, recognizing the place instantly.

My roommates suddenly started whispering excitedly. "Oh my god! Ava's looking over here!"

I instinctively looked up and saw the girl across the street glance in our direction.

But before I could get a good look, a car pulled up in front of them.

One of her friends tapped her on the shoulder, and she pocketed her phone and got into the car.

As the car drove off, my roommates were still buzzing.

"We saw Ava on the first day! This is a good omen!"

"She's so beautiful! The definition of a goddess!"

I timidly interjected, "...Do you all know her?"

The three of them stared at me as if I'd grown a second head.

"Seriously, Leo? She's a legend in EECS! How could you not know her?"

"She's gorgeous, gets a 4.0 GPA every semester, and is a monster on the tennis court! So many guys have tried to ask her out, and every single one has crashed and burned!"

"We were hoping you'd try your luck with Ava! How can you not know who she is?!"

Me: "..."

Back in the dorm after a shower, I logged into the game on a whim.

The pro gamer was online. "Shouldn't you be busy with orientation? Got time for games?"

I was honest. "Orientation's done. Military training starts the day after tomorrow. I won't have time then."

Pro gamer: "..."

I remembered what my roommates had said and couldn't help but ask, "Hey, do you know Ava?"

Pro gamer: "?"

"Who's better, you or her?"

Pro gamer: "???"