"Seriously, man. You need to calm down. Yeah, you can be upset, but don't lose it completely," Jasper said. He stalked off towards his room.
I cut him off before the hallway. "How about we have a little chat, roommate? Because as far as I can see, this is not just a me problem. The cops are searching your apartment too, or have you forgotten that you live here?"
"I'm clean, man, it’s got nothing to do with me," Jasper said.
I stepped forward and sent Jasper back towards the kitchen. "So we're both clean, but the cops keep thinking they are going to find drugs here. Something's off and I would think you'd be more interested in straightening it out."
"I guess, but what am I supposed to do?" Jasper asked. "Do you know who's making the complaints?"
"Do you?" I asked.
Jasper headed around the kitchen island to get some distance between us. "I don't like your line of questioning. I mean, I get it. You've got cops on the brain, but why do I feel like I'm the one getting interrogated?"
"Because from where I'm standing, drug-free and innocent, there's really only one direction to look."
"I could say the same thing back to you, man." Jasper threw his hands up in the air. "I'm clean, so I'm looking right back at you."
"So, if we're both innocent, then why don't you care at all if the cops have been here or not?" I asked.
"I don't know, man. If they are not finding anything, then what's the big deal?" Jasper asked. "Besides, I've got other stuff on my mind. Remember?"
"Your dream job?" I asked. "What's the name of the company again?"
"You wouldn't know it. It’s a big time competitor, but a small firm. Anyway, I've got my contract and everything is good to go. I know I'm leaving you before my lease is up, but I'll pay the fee or whatever it was in the rental agreement. We cool?"
"Why are you so anxious to move on now?" I asked.
Jasper opened the cupboards, frowning as he realized how the cops had rearranged. He finally found a cereal bowl and spoon but could not find the cereal.
"Under the sink." I said. "So, why the big move right now, right away?"
"Now's the time. I've got the job and I've got to go for it. I'm sorry if you feel like I'm leaving you in the lurch, but, man, you've got to sort out your own life."
"And what's wrong with my life?" I asked.
"You just seem stuck. Like I get the trajectory from Beta Tester to sponsored player, but most people keep moving up to game creator or producer, you know? Instead, you're just sitting around playing video games like you've always done. Don't you want to keep moving?"
"Keep moving?" I asked. "That reminds me. You've moved around a lot, haven't you? Why are you having trouble staying in one place?"
Jasper took a huge bite of cereal and chewed slowly. "Military childhood, moved all the time. Just feels natural to me. I'm just worried that you don't have any ambition. That girlfriend of yours used to push you all the time. She went AWOL because you lacked ambition. That doesn't bother you?"
"I don't think jumping from one thing to another counts as ambition. And Sienna was only interested in appearances and money. I want something more than that," I said.
"Look, all I'm saying, man, is that the whole sitting around playing video games is not helping your cause. No wonder the cops think you're dealing drugs," Jasper said.
I crossed my arms over my chest. "The funny thing is that the cops haven't accused me of anything. They are searching the apartment. Where we both live. So it makes me think that I'm not the only one the cops are looking at."
"You think the cops believe I'm dealing drugs?" Jasper asked. He snorted into his cereal bowl and took another huge bite. "Look at me. I'm a businessman, an entrepreneur. I'm so busy landing new clients and new work that I don't have time to take drugs, much less sell them."
"Yeah, you know, you always told me you'd show me some of your work. How about now?" I asked. "I'd love to see the work that landed you your dream job. Maybe it'll inspire me, give me some ambition."
Jasper shook his head and checked his watch. "I'd love to, but I've got to go. I really just came home to grab something to eat and change. Sorry about the whole search thing. That sucks. How about I bring home some beers and we come up with a defense plan later. Alright?"
My roommate slapped me on the shoulder and was out the door again in fifteen minutes. He came and went so fast, it was no surprise he left a vacuum of suspicion behind.
#
Ten minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. I gritted my teeth, prepared for a fight if it was the police again. Instead, it was a young man with a business card.
"Tanner Olson, your manager, sent me. I'm a local blogger covering the Dark Flag tournaments," he said.
"Okay," I said. I did not open the door any wider or invite him in.
"Check your messages. Your manager asked me to interview you. He said we should talk about the upcoming tournaments but also your career and your fight against gamer stereotypes."
I left the door cracked open and grabbed my phone. The young man waited politely in the hallway while I checked my messages.
"Sorry. I've just been under fire this morning in all the chatrooms. I didn't want to let some troll in. No offense," I said.
"None taken. I'm a blogger, trust me, I know all about trolls," the young man said.
I tried to relax. Tanner had obviously liked Quinn's idea about positive publicity. If I came out strong against the stereotypes of the drug-using gamer, then maybe I could defend myself against whatever came next. I grabbed my laptop and brought up the young man's blog. It was a well-recognized blog, and he had also authored many articles in the same magazines that featured me.
"Want to start with the stereotypes?" he asked.
I laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's the freshest topic in my mind."
The blogger turned on a digital recorder and placed it on the coffee table. "Your image stands out amongst gamers and it is the main strength of your success. Would you agree?"
"I stand out only because my avatar looks exactly like me. Lots of players love to form new faces, entirely new bodies and species, when they enter the world of Dark Flag. To me, it is more fun to conquer that world as myself," I said.
"Not many other players do that. Another stand out happens to be a close friend of yours. The human avatar known as Arrowa?"
I thought of Quinn in my bed. The thought was like a sanctuary. I could not let even a well-intentioned blogger touch her. "I certainly do not judge other people for creating avatars that are completely different from their real selves. Personally, though, I think my identical avatar gives me strength. I put more into the game because it is my face on the Black Fields."
He noted my sidestep but moved on. "And it’s that personal touch that has led you to be one of the most sponsored players."
"That and my exceptional grasp of Dark Flag. The creators allowed the game to evolve depending on how players use it and so far, they believe my leadership is expanding the game in a positive direction," I said.