"So what made you suggest going to the arcade?" Nessa asked Ash hesitantly as the two crossed the mall.
"I was getting bored, and I could tell you were losing interest," she explained.
"Well...yeah. Here's hoping at least...video games are the same."
Ash shook her head nervously. "My guess: no. At least buttons, controllers... That stuff doesn't change."
"Did you play a lot of video games when you were little?"
"Yeah, and apparently a little moreso in this reality, I've figured out." They passed the food court again. Seeing a combination Taco Queen/Burger Belle just made Nessa sigh again and think about how strange things had become.
"Gosh, every time I see something strange I think of...well, I guess it's home, but it feels so off."
"How come?"
"It's so...strict. They want me home early, they don't understand cheerleading all that well, and they're pushing me to get good grades. Apparently my sister is some really successful scientist who went to Stanford or whatnot. Oh yeah, and I've learned my wardrobe has more traditional Korean clothes than I'd ever seen in my life." Nessa was slowly getting back to what Buffie might consider his "normal" self.
"I can only imagine how this change has been for you. For me, it's been pretty straightforward. Maybe we can actually hang with Lake Point for once," Ash chuckled. "Your transformation has been far more complicated."
"I've noticed that too," Nessa added. "I remember snatches of some of these people, and it's like night and day. Buffie was this white jock named Biff. There's this girl named Sarrah McMillan who used to be the star cheerleader, like Jade, and now she is a complete nobody. I'm sure you've seen some...dramatic changes yourself."
"I'm worrying about Erin a lot," Ash admitted. "And some of the rest of the team. Some are adapting better than others."
Finally, the red tiled facade of the Zone Arcade came into view, and Nessa and Ash went inside, not sure quite what to expect.
