I listened to the hum and chime as the gaming system came to life. I could see my reflection on the dark blank screen. The gaming logo appeared in bright blue letters. I closed my eyes and internally groaned at the upcoming sequence. It was my face, yet it wasn't my reflection. My virtual face came to a gentle smile as "Nihonda" letters danced around me. This was embarrassing. I never wanted this, but I guess that's what I'd get for having an overly doting father.

My father was the president and founder of Nihonda Gaming Company. He insisted on capturing practically every moment of my life. I guess he felt guilty for being so busy and not very present when I was younger. He had taken that particular moment shortly after I had graduated. He had promised me a job in a high position within the company.

Of course I was happy. It had been my dream since I was a little girl to be part of the gaming company. And I would be doing the thing I love most as a job. I had worked hard to graduate early and be the very best in my field. Everything had seemed to be going my way, and I had never been happier. It hadn't occurred to me that he was filming.

I thought it was strange that my dad had insisted I wear that green sweater that day. Using CGI effects, he had turned regular old me into some sort of gamer goddess. I was practically an overnight Internet sensation. Memes and gifs were everywhere. Everyone wondered who was the beautiful woman in the opening sequence. Being the proud parent that he was, Dad just had to tell them it was me.

I could hardly go anywhere without people trying to take my picture. "Kiki starts new trend by wearing jeans and a t-shirt!" "Is Kiki anorexic? Sources show her buying ramen from a local store!" Couldn't they just leave me alone?

"Kiki! I brought food!" I heard the voice over the music of the home screen of the game.

I took off my headphones and exited my dark little gaming room. I blinked at the bright light of the hallway. I rubbed my eyes and took off the glasses I used exclusively for gaming. I made my way over to the kitchen.

My best friend, Charlie, placed two bags on my table. "I got us some carry out." Charlie worked in her family's Chinese restaurant. She would do me a favor every once in a while and bring me food. We have been best friends since practically infancy. We were pretty much family. She frowned when she saw me. "What do you do holed up in there all day? That can't be healthy."

"I'm working." I used my classic excuse. It had taken me a while to gain the other higher ups trust me to work exclusively at home. They doubted my skills. They thought I had only gotten the position simply due to my family connections. They were wrong of course. I simply had a way with gaming software. All of the major gaming hits within the past 15 years from the company had stemmed from my ideas. But now, I knew how to make them. After a while they stopped complaining and let me do as I pleased. I think they were also just tired of the paparazzi taking up their parking spaces.

I worked mostly through my high tech personal computer. Big company meeting? Skype conference. Questions about a certain code? E-mail. I was always efficient in replying back straight away. And of course, where all the magic happened. I could create and package entire games from my computer and send it to all of the appropriate divisions anywhere in the world. All within the security and comfort of my home.

"If you keep yourself locked away all day, you're never going to get a boyfriend," Charlie said. She used her chopsticks to dive into the Kung Pao Chicken.

I rolled my eyes. Charlie thought a boyfriend could solve everything. And she insisted that I had to listen to her just because she was a bit older than me.

"Oh, that reminds me! My cousin! He knows a guy who knows a guy who'd be perfect for you!" she said enthusiastically. She waited for my sure to be equally enthusiastic response.

Not again. I calmly opened my own package of food. "Is he a gamer?" I asked with indifference.

"Yeah..."

"Then no." If he was a gamer, then he only wanted the name. He didn't want to date me. He'd just brag to all his friends how he's dating the hot girl from Nihonda games. The president's daughter, Kiki. He'd revel in his ten seconds of fame. I'd never hear the end of it.

"Oh, I just remembered. He's actually not really that into gaming" Charlie continued, trying to appease me.

I crinkled my nose. "No." That sounded even more revolting.

"Kiki..." Charlie lectured. We had been through this before. I had turned down every boy she ever thought had the potential to be boyfriend quality.

"How am I supposed to connect with someone who doesn't like gaming? We'd have nothing in common."

"You've got to give me something to work with. If you don't try, you're going to end up a lonely old cat lady."

I frowned. "I like cats. Plus, I'm not old. I've practically got my whole life ahead of me."

"That's the problem, Kiki. You don't know how to live! You flew through high school and college. I don't think you ever gave anyone a chance to get close to you. You're only 19 for goodness sakes! Can't you let yourself have a little fun while you're still young?"

I hadn't enjoyed school. I loved learning, but I hated school. School was just filled with needless drama. School was filled with people who were constantly manipulative and two-sided. Why wouldn't I want to get through it as fast as I could? "I do have fun. I have fun everyday."

"We don't live in a virtual world, Kiki. Life is not a game of Sims."

"I do NOT play Sims." Very often.

"Oh, right! And like those RGP third person shoot out games are any better!"

"RPG first person shooter," I corrected her. "And World of Warfare III is amazing."

"Oh right!" The conversation suddenly took a sudden turn. Her tone became a lot less biting. "Your new game is officially released tomorrow, isn't it!"

I nodded. "Gamers are allowed to register starting at 11:11 tomorrow morning." It was my first game I made officially with the company. It was my pride and joy. And quite possibly the greatest game in existence. I could feel girlish squeals threatening to rush out of my chest. "It's eleven eleven because that's when the First World War officially ended. You see, it's a bit of a play on words. The title of the game refers to the world wars, implying a third one, even though there has been no World of Warfare I or II. The places where you start are all connected to important battles in World War..."

"Wow, and no one has it yet. Are you sure it hasn't been leaked out?"

I was a little annoyed that she had interrupted me. She just didn't share the same passion for games I did. "No. I have kept this under tight wraps. Only a few select people have the full version."

"And you're one of them?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah. It would be kind of hard for me to work on it if I I didn't have it working at its full capabilities." I rolled my eyes. Of course I could trust myself.

Charlie's hand went to her head. "Ow! I think I'm getting a migraine. Do you have any Advil?"

"I'll go check," I made my way to the bathroom medicine cabinet. I opened the bottle and the little blue pills were all gone. Funny, I thought I had like half of a bottle a week ago. I threw the empty bottle away and grabbed another bottle.

"Sorry. Out of ibuprofen. I've got acetaminophen," I said as I came back out. Charlie had reclined herself on my couch. She had her eyes closed and was rubbing her temples. She groaned. "Ugh, I can't stand that stuff. It'll take forever. Advil works way faster. Do you think you could get some more for me?"

You have got to be kidding me. "Are you serious? I can't go out there!"

"Please, Kiki! I can barely move as it is. And I've got the next shift. I could be done with work by now, but I had to bring my best friend some food so she wouldn't die!"

She was playing the guilt card big time. And I was falling for it like I always did. I slipped up the hood of my hoodie, trying to hide my face.

"Kiki, you're a life saver!" Charlie called out to me as I left my apartment.

I took the stairs rather than the elevator to avoid the front entrance. It was especially crowded with reporters since the release of the game was tomorrow. Quite a few have overflown out into the street.

"She's got to come out sometime," I overheard a reporter saying. "She hasn't left for days."

"I don't know. That chick's one tough cookie," said the other reporter. "There's a rumor going around that Kiki is actually a real hardcore gamer. So hardcore that she basically forced the president to give her a job as the Lead Gaming Designer."

"That's a load of crap if I ever heard it!" That's right! I had never forced anyone to do anything. "You need to check your sources before you spew that nonsense. There's no way a girl that pretty could that into gaming. Plus, you know the Lead Gaming Designer is Kiku Honda. That guy's a genius! Probably the best mind of our generation."

"Then why aren't we trying to get an interview with him instead of trying to get a picture of some rich, daddy's girl bimbo?"

Oh, just because my face was plastered to the fake virtual body, I was a bimbo?

"No one knows who Kiku is. No one knows a thing about him. He insisted on top notch privacy when he entered the company. No one can even get a single lead on him."

It would have been one thing if they were actually here to interview me about the game. But they were just here to make a few bucks off of an exclusive picture of Kiki. I used an alias in my job so that my connection to my father wouldn't effect the mass's outlook of the game. I wanted to be separate from my father's influence without actually leaving the company I loved.

"Excuse me," I said softly. The two reporters were blocking the entrance to the convenience store.

They simply stepped aside without acknowledging me. It was funny in a way how wrong they were. I knew a lot of girls in the games I played. Though, I really didn't have any way of knowing if they were pretty or not. Material stuff like appearances didn't matter in the gaming world. You could be whatever you wanted. Free of the expectations of the outside world.

I found the Advil easy enough. I just wanted to get back to my room as soon as possible. I proceeded to the checkout line. One of the reporters was behind me. He had two cups of coffee in his hands. I froze. If he got close enough, would he recognize me? I needed to keep my cool.

"Next," the bored looking cashier lady said. She scanned my one item.

"That'll be $15.00," she said in a monotone voice.

Geez, this stuff was expensive. I reached for my pockets. Nothing. I had no pockets. I was still wearing my gaming shorts. I reached for my hoodie pocket praying for something. Still nothing.

The reported behind me started to tap his foot. I looked down in embarrassment. "I...um...must have..." I started.

"Look, just get hers with mine," the reporter insisted.

I was stunned by his generosity. He didn't even know who I was, and he was paying for my medicine, which was easily over the price of two cheap coffees. I hadn't met any reporters like that. Usually they were just greedy, thoughtless scumbags. Not that I would ever call them that to their face.

"Thank you," I said earnestly. "I can pay you back. I live in that apartment complex over there." I pointed at the building across the street.

"Honey, there's no need to lie. I'm not an idiot. There's no way they'd let someone like you, who can't even pay for a bottle of pills, in there. Be careful with those. Wouldn't want you to OD."

Someone like me? What was wrong with the way I looked? It was just a pair of cotton shorts and a hoodie. Sure, I wasn't exactly looking like a supermodel right now, but did they really expect me to look perfect all the time?

I shrugged my shoulders. Maybe, this would be easier than I thought. I didn't think peoples minds could actually be that shallow. I guess it could be nice to get some fresh air every once in a while. The reporters didn't even try to stop me as went back to the front entrance of my apartment building. They were looking for a girl going out, not one coming in.

The bellman smiled at me as he opened the door. "Good evening, Miss Nihonda!"

Snap, I couldn't stop him in time. The reporters all whipped around simultaneously. Light bulbs flashed as they hunted for their next headline. I bobbed and weaved through them, slightly blinded and running headlong for the open elevator. I repeatedly pressed the button for my floor and forced the doors to close behind me, separating me from the growing, frantic, shouting mob.

There was sort of an awkward peace on the ride up. My staggered breathing with the soft tune of the elevator music. I was alone and sprawled out on the elevator floor, too exhausted by the world to attempt to sit up.

The elevator dinged for my floor and the doors slowly opened. I pushed myself up and headed to my apartment.

"Took you long enough," Charlie said from the couch when she heard the door open.

"It's decided. I am never going outside again," I said as I closed it.

"It's not that bad. Stop being so dramatic."

"You're one to talk. You sound awfully happy for a person with a migraine." I tossed the medicine at the couch.

It landed on Charlie's chest. Her hands were otherwise occupied. She was smiling slyly up at her phone.

"You didn't..." I said crossly.

"What?" Charlie said innocently. Too innocent. I left her in the living room and rushed to my computer. There was no evidence at first. It was exactly the way I left it. The title screen for my version of World of Warfare III was still on pause. I pressed a few buttons and brought up a hidden screen. One unauthorized download.

I stomped back to the living room. "Charlie..." I started to scold.

"It was nothing, I swear! My headache went away, and my cousin told me some good news. Aren't I allowed to be happy sometimes?"

"Charlie, how many times do we have to go through this? There are copyright laws for a reason. It means you have no right to copy!"

"Kiki, I don't have any idea what you're talking..."

"Oh, really? Then explain how there could have been one unauthorized download of WWIII in the timespan that it took me to get your Advil for your fake migraine."

"I...I...oh, relax, Kiki. I could only get one. It took up too much memory. And for the record, I did get good news from my cousin. He said..."

"Charlie, I don't think you understand the responsibilities I have. I can't let my game be distributed this way. Just think of the ways a hacker could..."

"Seriously, Kiki, chill out. I seriously doubt anyone besides you could crack all those codes in your game. It was a bitch just trying to guess your password, and I know practically everything about you."

That was true. I hadn't even told anyone else in the company all of the codes. It was a little pleasure I took in knowing that only I knew all of the little hidden secrets and surprises of the game. Still, hindsight was slapping me silly for showing Charlie the best way to create a safe password.

"It's not like you'll miss the money anyway. You'll still sell like a bazillion copies of that game. So what if one or two of them happen to be slightly illegal? I'll only be getting a small margin of profit."

"It's wrong, Charlie. That's what. I seriously don't understand why I keep you as a friend."

Charlie knew she had won at this point. A coy smile filled her face. "Because you love me and I bring you food." She got off the couch and ruffled my hair a bit. "I'll bring you sushi tomorrow in apology!" She called as she left.

"Better make it salted salmon, and you're not off the hook!" I yelled after her, but she was gone.

I let out an exasperated breath. Charlie could get me into some serious trouble if this got out. I needed to think this through. I think I put some sort of limitation on how many copies could be made before the quality went out the window. No one would buy it as the real game if it was mass produced. I should be fine.

I smoothed down my frazzled hair and went back to my gaming room. I slipped my headphones and glasses back on. I tried to contain my excitement as I clicked start to play my final run through before my creation went global.