OFFLINE REALITY

drop it when its hot.

Sky looked at his reflection and couldn't seem to recognize himself in the mirror. The reflection seemed distant, too far-fetched. All because he had a new haircut and some new clothes. After the day at the salon, Sky continued to pull his hoodie over his head. No one knew he got a hair cut and he wanted it to be kept this way but today was different.

It was Tuesday.

He tugged in the shirt that he was wearing. A graphic tee that the cool kids would wear. Paired with the pants that he was given, he looked like any ordinary young adult that was out to have fun.

But this was Sky. Plain, boring Sky. Not the online personality T-IAN that people knew.

Maybe I should just let T-IAN take over me for today and be ballsy to wear this out of the house without my hoodie.

Sky briefly wondered what it would be like if Jay found out that Sky was the streamer that he has been playing with all this time but the thought went as quickly as it came.

I'm not telling him. Ugh, why am I trying so hard? I'm even wearing the clothes he got for me.

Sky packed his bag and decided to stuff his hoodie into it anyway. Just in case he needed it to cover himself. He left his room had headed out. He would have successfully left the house if not for his mum stopping him.

"Honey, did you get a haircut? It looks great on you!" Sky's mum reached her hand out, wanting to run her fingers through his hair. Sky, however, flinched when her hands came out and she retracted her arm.

"Honey.."

"Sorry, mum. I'm off." Sky quickly ran out the door and towards the bus stop for school.

He wasn't sure when it started but now he would shun away when people come too close. Even when it came to his own family.

But Jay grabbed your hand. You didn't even flinch, Sky.

Sky held up his hand and looked at it. As if it wasn't his. He wasn't sure why but it didn't matter when their hands connected. Sky was not afraid. The weirdest part was, he didn't want to shake Jay's hand away either. His heart pounded a little faster than usual, a breath caught in his throat. He questioned himself all day and all night what in the world was wrong with him. Maybe I'm just not used to interacting with someone else.

Sky had already made it to school and was hesitant to walk to class. He was worried that someone might point out that his looks changed. In his head, all he could think of was the different arrows that people were going to shoot at him. He started to panic a little but didn't want to break down in the middle of a crowded walkway. To calm himself down, he sat on one of the benches near the entrance of the school.

Close your eyes. Breathe in and out. Close your eyes and breathe Sky. After he recollected himself, Sky looked around him to see that no one had taken notice of him. He felt his worries dissipate a little and was feeling much better.

It was still a little early for class. Sky didn't want to head into the lecture theatre yet so he took out his phone and opened his social media. He had just updated, and it gathered quite the number of likes. Of course, the name of the screen showed T-IAN, not Sky.

The update was about his last stream the night before, a screenshot of the game, and Sky pointing his gun at the enemy. The game they played was sick last night, in which Sky and his team wiped out the enemy entirely, winning by a clear margin.

Jay was in this stream too.

He scrolled down to look at the comments and because this was social media, there were all kinds of messages left by people he has never met before. Some were commenting on the great gameplay. Some were just trash talking. Some were fantasizing.