8 Ch 8 Is This the Real Life?

Matthew woke to his alarm's beeep, beeep, beeeeeeping. He fumbled with his thrift store alarm clock until it went silent. He let himself calm down a little bit and before he knew it. BEEEP BEEEP BEEEEEP! Matthew Panicked as he jumped out of bed. The second alarm was for when he had to leave by! He rushed his jeans and his black button up shirt on. He grabbed his wallet, keys, and beat up prepaid phone on his way out all the while a soft beeep, beeep, beeeeep was trying to be heard in his bedroom as he ran out the door barely sparing a moment to lock the door.

Matthew saw his bus's door start to close as he ran through his urban neighborhood. He yelled out to no avail. His boss was going to be furious when he got there an hour late. He might even lose this Job he'd worked so hard to get. His mind spiralled as he gasped for breath watching the bus drive away. He couldn't hold it in any longer and began to cry. HONK! Someone was honking right next to him. Rather annoying. Just another bad thing in his morning of bad things.. Could it get any wo...HONK! HOOONK! "Need a ride to catch that bus at the next stop?"

Matt couldn't believe his ears. His gaze went to the young man in a black slick convertible. He was a knight in sports car armor. Matt was normally wary of strangers but he figured if he didn't show up on time his career was probably over anyway. "That would be amazing, that is, if you are going that way?"

"I am just cruising to be honest so if you want I can just bring you wherever you are going."

"Rich people." Matt sighed in his head, "So unhurried because they don't even need to work. Then again, A certain noble didn't seem too bad.." He then said aloud, "Sure, I am headed to the Maple Brothers on 16 street. My name is Matthew."

Suddenly the driver's face contorts, "I had a friend name Matthew that I recently lost. Sorry for all this." he points to his red face with teary eyes, "My name is Samuel. But you can call me Sam. Nice to meet you. Hop in and buckle up."

Matthew is now the one to be taken aback but he quickly recovered and got in the car. Samuel turns on the radio and King's Bovarian Rhapsody comes on. One of Matt's favorite songs. The two instantly started to bond as they couldn't help but sing to such a classic.

When Matt arrived at his store they had sung duet through most of the King album. Samuel pulled out his phone and asked, "Hey can we exchange numbers? In case you need a ride again just give me a call."

Matt felt like he would never give anyone his number if he could help it but he figured Samuel wasn't too bad. He pulled out his prepaid phone and they exchanged numbers. Matthew went to the store to open it while Sam watched.

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Sam had been driving since yesterday, sometimes it was her only escape so she drove all night and most of the morning when she noticed a young man yelling for his bus. Which promptly left him behind. Sam had always had a soft heart for those in need so she pulled up next to him and honked to gain his attention. He was clearly crying so hard that he didn't hear her. Another longer tap on the horn and a quick yell got his attention but when he turned Sam's world was shaken. When he said his name Sam broke and couldn't help but cry. "Coincidences like that don't happen. This must be a sign from whatever gods may be watching." She thought.

The drive was the best second date she could have asked for. She was over the moon that he seemed to not shy away despite seeming quite shy. Sam thought she should tell him. "Tell him what? 'I think I recognize you from a game I play.' Besides you are a dude what will he say when he finds out some stinky hairy man is the girl he grew up with. He won't be happy." she couldn't seem to get the courage up while she fought with herself in her head.

Compromise, "Hey can I get your number? if you want a ride just let me know." Sam had more intentions than was obvious by her words but Matt didn't seem to notice as he pulled out a trashy flip phone to trade numbers. As he unlocked the door Sam wondered if it was possible to truely become Samantha in the real world. She had lived as a girl for too long to allow herself to slip back into the cognitive dissonance that kept her safe till this point. She was going to need money and to get out of that house.

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A six year old Samuel layed in his bed as he talked with Angus quietly deep into the night. "I heard about a boy who got his penis cut off on accident when they were giving him a circumcision. His parents lied to him and told him he was a girl his whole childhood! He had to wear dresses and things. What a weirdo." Angus whispered.

Sam thought to himself, "Could that have happened to me but in reverse? Why do I feel like I should have been a girl? I wish I got to wear dresses... but I am a boy even if I don't like it... it isn't fair."

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Sam woke with a startle, someone had tapped her shoulder. "Hey man I know I am cool to sing with but it is a bit creepy that you came back after my shift..."

"Oh shit, I fell asleep. Holy Christ today was Sunday! Fuck father is going to kill me for missing his sermon." her voice caught on "father". "Sorry I didn't sleep at all last night and I shouldn't even have been driving if you weren't keeping me awake earlier."

Matthew's face lightens up a bit, "Oh, good thing noone called the cops. Someone called them on a homeless man the other day and I haven't seen him since."

"Since all I have to go home to is yelling, wanna get some lunch, on me?" Sam truely didn't mean to sleep through her father's sermon, he litterally broke her door down in anger last time it happened and she tried to hide in her room. Since she didn't have a door she knew she would be the target this time and decided to put it off awhile.

"I couldn't." Matthew's empty stomach yelled out in disagreement. "Well maybe alittle."

"Raising Abel's?"

"How did you know my favorite fast food."

Thus Matthew got to know Sam a bit better and Sam got to know the person who she thought was an NPC for 15 years actually was including that he was bicurious. At the end of the meal Matthew made the first actual move. "Do you want to go to a movie with me Sam?"

Taken aback but also just taken in by his words, "I can't think of anything I'd rather do. When should I pick you up for our date?"

This time it is Matt who is flustered as he meant it to be a date but wasn't able to call it one. He had never gone on a proper date with a boy before. "Any time after three or after 2:30 if you don't mind me in my work outfit.. oh which day works best for you?"

Surprised that Matthew rolled with the punches better in real life than in the game she said, "how about tomorrow?"

"It is a date!" Matthew just realized his bus would be at the nearby stop in about five minutes so he stood up quickly and said, "I'll see you then Sam!"