Getting Home Late

"Hey Sky." Jake said when he got to the section for the people who didn't need coaching and saw Sky.

Sky was running on the treadmill when he heard Jake from his back. Looking back, Sky saw Jake sweating a little and asked him "Did you come to workout this night?"

"Like I told Hank, yes and no. I came to lift some weights and I also came to check if you were here." Jake said. "Are you done? Let's go."

"I'm not done yet, I still wanna run on this treadmill for a couple more minutes. Then I'm gonna lift some weights too." Sky said.

"You do remember Dad said we shouldn't be staying out too late right?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, so? It's not like I didn't tell him where I was going, he knows where I am so I can stay out a little bit later than usual."

"Okay then, but don't say I didn't warn you. I guess I'll use this opportunity to workout some more. When you're done, let me know." Jake said.

"You're not going back home yet?" Sky asked.

"No." Jake answered Sky then walked back to the section for beginners to continue lifting weights and also run on a treadmill.

'Seriously I don't know why they had to divide the gym into these sections.' Jake thought. 'What's there to learn in working out? Like this treadmill, is Hank also going to teach me how to run on it? It's just running for crying out loud, what's to teach?'

Going to a treadmill and getting on top of it, Jake saw different buttons on it and stared at them confused. 'I think I might need some help from Hank.' Jake admitted.

After an hour and some more minutes of working out continuously without stopping for a break, Jake was exhausted. 'I never knew working out was so much work. But now I get why the gym divided the place into two sections, the people here don't know how to use the equipments and that includes me.' Jake thought as he took in deep breaths one after the other. 'I don't think one day in the gym will make any positive changes to my stats but let me check it to be sure.'

[Jake Cayden]

[Level: 4]

[Health:140/140]

[Species:Human*]

[Strength:30]

[Speed: 25]

[Endurance:33]

[Mental Moxie:16]

[Mana:22/22]

[Magic:18]

[Element: None]

[Ability: Magic mimicry]

[Exp: 295/800]

'Looks like I was right, no changes. I need to find a way to increase my speed stat fast, compared to my strength and endurance, it's kinda low. The problem is I don't think I know any place where I'll be able to run with my full speed, the place shouldn't have people because I can't let them see me using my full speed to run.

But the system quests that increase my speed as a reward for completing them are about me running to school and running back home, so maybe if I do it on my own my speed stat will increase.'

Getting up and going to meet Sky, Jake saw Sky holding a bottle of water and talking to someone. Looking closer, Jake saw the person talking to Sky was Cole, one of Sky's friends who had come with them to the gym the day he first entered the gym.

"Are you finished?" Jake asked Sky.

"Yeah I'm done, let's go. Hey Cole, you remember Jake, my brother." Sky said.

"Yeah, hey man. What's up?" Cole said.

"I'm good." Jake replied. "Do you two always come here together?"

"No, not always. But we come together most of the time." Cole answered.

"See you later Hank." Sky said to Hank as he, Jake and Cole left the gym.

Just like last time, Cole said goodbye to Sky and Jake then went on a road different from theirs.

Getting home and going in through the door, Jake and Sky saw Andrea in the living room watching the news.

"You guys finally remembered you had to come home?" Andrea asked.

"I told Sky Dad, but he didn't listen to me." Jake said. "And I couldn't leave him there."

"That's not an excuse Jake, you also stayed out late." Sky said.

"I've told you two to stop staying out late. If you two stay out this late again without a very good reason for doing so, I'll ground you. And I'll reduce your allowance." Andrea said.

"Come on Dad, our allowance?" Sky said. "Isn't that a bit too much?"

"Yeah Dad, I mean, the grounding part is fine but our allowance?" Jake said.

"Yes, if you stay out this late again without a good reason, I'll reduce your allowance. So unless you don't care about your allowance, feel free to stay out as long as you can. If you're hungry there's food in the kitchen."

After taking a shower, Jake and Sky went to the kitchen to have some food.

"So, how was your date with Cat?" Sky asked Jake when they sat at the dining table to eat.

"It was great, and it was really fun. That's the best date I've ever taken a girl out on." Jake replied.

"Really? I didn't hear you say that when you came back from your first date with her. How much credits did you spend on this date?" Sky asked.

"What?"

"I said how much credits did you spend on this date. For it to be the best date you've ever taken a girl out on, you had to have spent a whole lot of credits. So how much credits did you spend?"

"The amount of credits I spent doesn't matter Sky, what matters is Cat and I enjoyed the date." Jake said.

"Okay, it doesn't matter. But I feel like you're telling me that to avoid answering the question, so how much credits did you actually spend?"

"Fine, I used up all my credits, okay?"

"How much credits are we talking about here?" Sky asked.

"At least ten thousand credits." Jake answered.

Staring at Jake, Sky said and did nothing for a while.

"Sky?" Jake called.

Breaking into a laugh, Sky could not control himself. He was laughing so hard he had to stand up from the chair and hold the table.

"What's so funny?" Jake asked.

"Yes Sky, what's so funny?" Andrea asked from the living room.

Still laughing, Sky answered "It's just... you spent... ten thousand credits... on a single date... and now... I'm sure... you're practically... broke." Sky said, wiping a tear from his eyes. "Your account... is empty and for what? Just so... you could impress... a girl or... take her out on a date?"

"Jake don't listen to Sky. It's not wrong to spend credits on someone you love." Andrea said.

"Love?" Sky said, finally getting a hold of his laughter. "Love is overrated."

"That's your opinion Sky. If you don't mind, can you have your seat and stop making noise?" Jake said.

"Okay, I'm just saying. Don't worry, I'm shutting my mouth." Sky said when he saw the look on Jake's face. "It must be a touchy subject." he said and chuckled a bit.