Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Final Preps and a Surprise Visit

Finals day arrived bright and sunny—a stark contrast to Jesse's gloomy mood just 24 hours earlier. The Thunderclap team converged on Tom's Café at 7 a.m. sharp (even Lena, who'd set three alarms and begged her neighbor to knock on her door), each carrying their own version of "lucky gear": Lena had her neon pink cap, socks, and the crumpled drawing of Jesse; Jesse brought his blue mouse pad, chewed stress ball, and a thermos of chamomile tea with extra honey; Marcus had printed out a "Finals Success Checklist" (1. Breathe 2. Heal teammates 3. Eat one cookie per kill 4. No panicking); Olivia had her controller wrapped in a cloth, her defender jersey ironed crisp, and a list of Storm Riders' weak spots; and Elias had his wrist bandage, a spare mouse, and a quiet confidence that hadn't been there three weeks earlier.Old Tom had already unlocked the café, and the smell of fresh coffee and warm cookies filled the air. Their bakery sponsor had dropped off a giant platter of custom cookies—each one decorated with the Thunderclap name in neon pink icing (Lena's request, of course). "Got your monitors all fixed up," Old Tom said, setting a mug of black coffee in front of Elias. "Tested 'em twice. No glitches. No blurry blobs. And if Lena spills soda on 'em today? I'm grounding her. No cookies for a week."Lena gasped, clutching her chest. "I would never! Okay, fine. I might. But only if we win. Celebratory soda spill. It's a tradition."Jesse, who was setting up his PC with calm hands (a small miracle), smiled. "I brought extra towels. Just in case. And Marcus helped me make a 'calm down' playlist—no loud music, just soft jazz. He said it'll help me focus. It's actually kind of nice. Even if it sounds like my grandma's radio."Marcus pushed his glasses up, grinning. "Jazz lowers cortisol levels. Science says so. Plus, it's better than Lena's off-key singing. No offense, Lena.""None taken!" Lena said, grabbing a cookie. "I'll just sing louder during the match. To distract the Storm Riders. Strategic singing. It's a new move. Trust me."Olivia rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as she reviewed her notes. "Let's get serious for five minutes. Zoe and the Storm Riders will be ready. Ryan—their sniper—will be on the north rooftop, just like we practiced. Mike will cover the middle, and their support, Lily, will stick close to Zoe. Our plan stays the same: Jesse, you take the east rooftop, cover Marcus while he sets traps. Elias, you and I will push the west corridor, draw their fire. Lena, you hit the south entrance—slowly. No charging. Wait for Jesse's signal. Marcus, keep an eye on everyone's health. And if you see Ryan, tell Jesse immediately. Got it?""Got it!" everyone said, their voices more focused than usual. Even Lena put down her cookie and nodded, her neon pink cap slipping forward over her eyes.They started their final warm-up—just a quick 10-minute bot match, to get their fingers loose and their minds in the game. Jesse hit four headshots in a row, his hands steady, his eyes locked on the screen. Lena followed the plan, waiting for Jesse's signal before charging, and took down two bots without dying. Marcus kept everyone healed, checking his checklist every 30 seconds. Olivia held her position, her turret taking down bots before they could get close. Elias moved smoothly, his wrist aching a little, but not enough to slow him down. It was their best warm-up yet—messy, but coordinated. Chaotic, but in sync.Then, disaster struck (well, a small one). Jesse's mouse suddenly froze. His in-game sniper stopped moving, and a bot snuck up behind him, firing. His health dropped to 20%. "No!" Jesse muttered, clicking furiously. "It's stuck! My mouse is stuck!"Lena charged over, nearly knocking over Marcus's laptop. "What's wrong? Did it break? Did the cat curse it? I told you we should've sacrificed a cookie to the gaming gods!""Calm down, Lena," Jesse said, his voice surprisingly steady. He picked up the mouse, shaking it gently. "It's just a wire. Probably loose. I had this problem once before—" Here, let me look," Marcus said, leaning over. He carefully checked the mouse wire, adjusting it where it plugged into the PC. "There we go. Loose connection. I fixed it. Science… or just basic computer skills. Either way, it works now."Jesse tested the mouse, moving his sniper back and forth. "It works! Thanks, Marcus. You're a lifesaver. And not just because you bring me, honey, for my tea."Olivia sighed, but she was smiling. "See? Small problems. We handle them together. That's what makes us a team. Now, let's finish the warm-up. And Jesse? Keep an eye on that mouse. If it freezes again during the match, yell. I'll cover you."They finished the warm-up with a win, and Lena jumped up, yelling. "WE'RE GONNA WIN! WE'RE GONNA BE CHAMPIONS! AND I'M GONNA GET MY NEON PINK SNIPER RIFLE!"Her yell was so loud that it caught the attention of someone standing in the café doorway. Everyone turned—there, in the entrance, was Zoe, the leader of the Storm Riders, and Ryan, their sniper. They weren't in their jerseys yet, just casual clothes, but their faces were serious, their eyes focused.The café went quiet. Lena froze, mid-yell, her cookie still in her hand. Jesse tensed, but he didn't panic—he just gripped his mouse, his calm playlist still playing softly in his headphones. Marcus pushed his glasses up, nervous, and Olivia stood up, crossing her arms.Zoe smiled—a small, respectful smile—and walked over. "Sorry to intrude. We're meeting the rest of our team here. Saw your warm-up. You're good. Really good." She looked at Jesse, nodding. "Your sniper skills have improved. A lot. Ryan was watching. He's impressed."Ryan, who was standing behind Zoe, nodded shyly. "You're steady. Calm. Better than I was at your age. I used to freeze up, too. Still do, sometimes. But you've got a good team. They keep you grounded."Jesse smiled, feeling a surge of confidence. "Thanks. You're pretty good, too. I watched your old matches. Your shots are perfect.""Competition makes us better," Zoe said, looking at Elias. "I heard about what happened with Steel Dawn. Victor Walker. It's not right. You deserve a second chance. And this team? They're giving you that. Just like you're giving them a chance."Elias nodded, grateful. "Thanks. Same to you. You've got a great team. Tomorrow's gonna be a good match.""It will," Zoe said. "May the best team win. No hard feelings. Just good gaming.""May the best team win!" Lena yelled, suddenly unfreezing. She held out a cookie to Zoe. "Want a cookie? They're custom. Neon pink icing. My idea. It's lucky. Probably."Zoe laughed, taking the cookie. "Thanks. I'll save it for the match. Good luck, Thunderclap. See you soon."She and Ryan walked out, and the café erupted in conversation."They're nice!" Lena said, munching on her cookie. "I thought they'd be mean. Like Jake. Or that one bot that keeps killing me.""They're competitors, not enemies," Olivia said. "There's a difference. Unlike Jake, who's just a sore loser."Speak of the devil—Jake, from the Blaze Boys, walked past the café window, saw them, and yelled. "THUNDERCLAP SUCKS! YOU'RE GONNA LOSE! ZOE'S GONNA CRUSH YOU!"Lena ran to the window, sticking her tongue out. "JACOB SUCKS MORE! WE'RE GONNA WIN! AND WE HAVE COOKIES! YOU DON'T HAVE COOKIES!"Jake scowled and walked away, muttering. The team laughed, and Old Tom shook his head."Kids," he said. "But you're right, Lena. They don't have cookies. Or a team as good as yours."As the clock hit 8:30 a.m., it was time to go. The gaming center opened in 30 minutes, and they needed to get settled, warm up one more time, and get ready for the match of their lives. Jesse packed up his calm kit, carefully wrapping his mouse in a towel. Lena grabbed her neon pink cap and her drawing, shoving a handful of cookies into her pocket. Marcus checked his checklist one last time, folding it neatly and putting it in his backpack. Olivia slung her controller case over her shoulder, her notes tucked safely inside. Elias took one last sip of his coffee, adjusting his wrist bandage.They walked out of Tom's Café together, the sun shining, the smell of cookies on their breath, and the sound of Lena's off-key singing filling the air. Jesse felt calm—no shaking hands, no panic, just focus. He looked at his teammates, smiling, and knew they were ready. Ready to play. Ready to compete. Ready to win."Let's go," Elias said, grinning. "Time to show the Storm Riders what the Thunderclap is made of.""TIME TO WIN!" Lena yelled, jumping up and down. "AND TIME FOR MY NEON PINK SNIPER RIFLE!"Jesse laughed, shaking his head. "One step at a time, Lena. First, we win the finals. Then, you can get your neon pink sniper rifle.""Deal!" Lena said, linking arms with Marcus. "C'mon! Let's go be champions!"Old Tom stood in the café doorway, watching them go, a smile on his face. "Good luck, kids. Make me proud."As they walked toward the mall, Jesse pulled out his stress ball, squeezing it gently. He thought about his grandma's jazz music, his blue mouse pad, Marcus's science facts, Olivia's tough love, Lena's terrible drawing, Elias's calm encouragement, and the warm taste of chocolate chip cookies. He thought about the baseball championship, about freezing up, about quitting. And he thought about now—calm, confident, and part of something amazing.The finals were waiting. The Storm Riders were waiting. But the Thunderclap was ready.