Chapter 18: Public confrontation

Parker wakes up to the noise of the professor coughing violently. The old man gets out of the bed and steps on Parker’s hand in the process. The poor guy could have sworn the man is doing it on purpose.

’I hope he doesn’t know what I did with his daughter’ Parker says to himself as he sits up and rubs his fist against his eyelid. Jessie is still sleeping on the floor next to him, and compared to what she did last night, she looks too...innocent.

"Everyone, come on. Let’s get ready for the day. Hey you, get up and move away from my princess’s side!" the professor barks and Parker sleepily moves away. He doesn’t mind being yelled at for now, he has the memory of Jessie’s lips being wrapped around his erect cock.

[System: top of the morning to you, energized youth.]

Parker frowns at the greeting. Oh no...oh no. NO. it was too early for this hellish system’s torture. Parker groans and drags himself to the bathroom to get ready for his day.

[System: you seem pretty peachy for a guy whose dick was sucked by his crush.]

"And you seem pretty peachy for a system that ignored me almost all of yesterday" he says.

[System: biting back now, are we? I hope you’re ready for today. There’s a big chance to increase your confidence.]

Oh. That sounds promising and exciting, but as much as Parker likes the sound of that, he needs to know what it could cost or cause. This system has proven itself to be mischievous again and again.

"Uh...what’s the chance about? Is it going to scare me?" Parker asks just to be sure, and the system responds immediately to him.

[System: I know it would make you pee your pants. But again, you don’t know till you try, no?]

"Oh boy" Parkers whispers to himself and splashes water on his face. He had to brace himself. The door of the bathroom shakes with the noise of a knock and Parker straightens.

"Parker, could you hurry up?" Tim calls from outside the door and Parker nods as if he can be seen. Parker finally steps out to join the professor and his daughter. His cheeks stay red, his eyes stay on the floor, and his movement stays clumsy.

He has fifty points added to his confidence, but it doesn’t change him, at least not fully. "The bus is being fixed, we will all go have breakfast with the rest of the students" the old man says.

Soon, they’re in the small diner next to the motel. And as Parker steps in with Tim, his eyes find Ben who is sitting with a group of friends, and his girlfriend. His rival is eating happily like he didn’t attempt murder a few hours ago.

[Mission three – confronting Ben in public and gain friends.]

WHAT?

’Confront? Ben? PUBLIC?’ Parker screams inside his head. Has the system forgotten who it’s talking to? He’s still the same person, still nerve-wrecked and anxious about being perceived by just anyone.

[Reward for this mission: confidence and charm boost.]

’System, let’s talk about this’ Parker shakes his head, but the system keeps going. Its goal is to make sure the message is passed loud and clear.

[Failure of this mission: carry on the next missions all by yourself.]

Tim says something that flies over Parker’s head. The other guy is too busy calculating his next step, except he’s not really calculating anything, he’s freaking out. Suddenly, Ben, at an oddly well calculated time, looks up.

"What the fuck?" Ben falls backward with his chair as he stares at Parker with his jaw hanging open. He looks as if he just saw a horrifying ghost. Parker gulps and takes a step in his direction.

"Hey, Ben" Parker says as he shoves his hands into his pocket. Everyone is looking at him now. He feels shy, but he acts cool. One day—he hopes—just one day, he’ll be as cool as he’s pretending to be right now. Fake it till you make it, yes?

"What are you doing here?" Ben asks.

"Joining the school trip, why? You didn’t expect the guy you purposefully fed shrimps to make it?" Parker asks and Ben stands up with his face red. "Y-you pest! I sent someone with an EpiPen, but you were no longer in the apartment. We thought—"

"I was dead?" Parker asks and everyone gasps.

"What did I do to get that treatment from you, Ben?" Parker asks and people start to murmur. Ben, remembering that they’re surrounded by people, starts to turn red with rage.

"SHUT UP!" he yells and tries to attack Parker, but before he can grab the raggedy shirt of his prey, his own girlfriend stands in the way.

"Ben what are you doing?" Mina asks with a scowl, and Ben turns even more red. "This fucker is lying" he spits out.

"He’s not. I saw him at the hospital when I visited my mom" Mina says and Ben’s mouth starts to open and close like a fish. He doesn’t bother arguing with Mina. He just won over the beauty and he didn’t want to ruin his progress.

Ben points at Parker from over her shoulder.

"I’ll get back at you, I swear Parker. I’ll crush you like a fucking cockroach" he hisses and storms off. Parker heaves a sigh. He can’t believe he really did that. His body is thrumming with adrenaline, and before Mina leaves, she gives him a small smile.

"Woah...you keep getting cooler" Tim, who has been dead silent, says beside Parker and Parker grins to himself.

Not bad.

[stats: Charm – 500. Wealth – 200. Intelligence – 1000. Confidence – 300]

Not bad at all.