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d3rlord3: Avery, what's in your inventory?
TheMostMayo: What?
d3rlord3: What's in your inventory?
...
TheMostMayo: ?)wdaswadd
TheMostMayo: WAIT!
Avery Stevens woke up with a gasp, eyes blinking rapidly as he launched himself forward in his bed.
What the hell was that?
He brought his hands to his face, rubbing them in a quick, circular motion to clear the fog from his brain.
That dream - nightmare, really - was nothing like Avery had ever experienced before.
Sure, he's had nightmares before, but this one was different.
Odd.
It felt real enough to actually be happening to him outside of the slumber he was in.
But it wasn't, and he was very thankful for that.
With a sigh, Avery got out from underneath his covers and stood up, yawning as his limbs stretched over his head.
Maybe he should stop playing Minecraft on his PC for a while; it was probably infecting his brain.
He was kind of bummed out that he was going to have to miss knocking people off the Sky Wars map with his amazing PvP skills, but oh well.
After putting on his bright orange slippers (God knows why he picked such a outlandish color), he grabbed his phone on the nightstand, turning it on to see a bundle of notifications, some reading:
YouTube - MJismykking liked your video
YouTube - th3equaliz3r liked your video
Messages (Mom ❤️) - Hey hon! Let me know the next time you can visit... [CLICK TO READ MORE]
YouTube - IShowSpeed posted a new video
Avery grunted in annoyance, none of the notifications catching his interest until he saw one from around midnight.
Messages (Derek ⭐) - I want to assume that you're asleep, but did you know... [CLICK TO READ MORE]
Immediately, Avery put in his password, clicking on the message.
Derek ⭐ - I want to assume that you're asleep, but did you know that the Eiffel Tower grows in the summer?
Me - what??
More often than not, Derek would send Avery random facts anywhere, anytime, and in all honesty, Avery didn't care because he did the same thing as well sometimes.
But what on Earth was his friend talking about?
Derek ⭐ - Oh, Good morning to you too, Mr. I Wake Up At 11 P.M. 😸
Me - whatever. good morning.
Me - the Eiffel Tower is a structure not an animal or person. how can it grow? 🤨
Derek ⭐ - Well, technically you're correct, but it grows because iron expands when heated.
Derek ⭐ - So, said structure can grow by up to 15 centimeters during hot summer months.
Me - i wonder how you know all this stuff sometimes. 😔
Derek ⭐ - I'm just a knowledgeable person. 🙂
Me - that much is obvious.
Me - are you coming to work today?
Derek ⭐ - You know the answer to that question already, Avery.
Me - ok. i'll see you there.
Derek ⭐ - That you shall.
Derek ⭐ - Don't fall back asleep.
Me - i won't! 😒
Derek ⭐ - Get there before I do, then.
Me - in your dreams.
Avery put his phone face down on his nightstand as he made his bed, tucking in the parts sticking out neatly before walking over to his closet, opening the door.
Pursing his lips, he let his eyes roam over the articles of clothing he owned before selecting a graphic T-shirt that had a band on the front. After inspecting the shirt to make sure he was content on wearing it, he laid it over his desk chair.
He now made his way over to his dresser, picking out a pair of blue, baggy acid washed jeans.
Holding it side by side to the shirt, he nodded in approval, causing his blonde hair to swish in a vertical motion, tossing that on his desk chair, too.
On the nightstand, his phone buzzed, and Avery was positive that it was his boss messaging him to make sure he was on his way.
Usually when he got that message, he's still be in bed, knocked out. Since that nightmare shook him up, however, he was wide awake, for better or for worse.
Entering the store, Avery heard the sounds of quiet murmurs and saw people picking up video games.
Although it was a simple GameStop, it was a home away from home... and his apartment (that his parents were willing to help with until he got a better paying job).
Many were shutting down throughout the nation due to online games becoming more popular by the minute, but there were still many out there, which made Avery genuinely happy.
Glancing down at his shirt, he made sure his employee I.D. was still fastened on his left side while walking into the employee lounge. His usual co-workers were there, saying brief greetings, when he noticed Derek wasn't in the room.
He smiled triumphantly. 'I win! I beat him for once!'
"Don't get too excited. I got here a while ago."
Deflating in defeat, Avery turned around, making eye contact with the one and only Derek Hutchins.
Derek was a bit taller than Avery, and had warm, brown eyes that complemented his deep brown skin.
His hair is just passed his ears in neat dreadlocks, but was currently in a small ponytail, out of his face so he could work properly. Avery always admired how put together his friend was, even if he was dressed similarly to him in jeans and a T-shirt.
"I really thought I beat you today," he grumbled, crossing his pale arms over his chest.
The other clicked his tongue, one side of his mouth turning up in a smirk. "Ah, sorry. Maybe next time," he replied, eyes flitting between Avery's eyes and his outfit. "I like your shirt."
Brightening, the blonde said, "Thanks! The front is The Smiths 'The Queen is Dead' album cover."
Getting genuine complements from Derek was like winning the lottery because he only said them when he meant them. Avery considered this a victory of sorts.
Now smiling fully, Derek said, "If you're done being gloomy, let's get started on what we are getting paid to do."
Taking the schedule for the day off the wall near the door, he read it intently, as if it was a puzzle he needed to solve.
"It seems like we need to organize the just-arrived video game discs in alphabetical order first. Some of them are limited edition,"
Avery's eyes lit up. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he was almost through the door threshold before he added, "Maybe you could tell me facts about other structures growing in the heat while we do this."
In response, Derek cocked his head. "If you insist."
"Oh, I do. And you know how stubborn I am."