Willow looked down at the piece of paper in her hand. "Cyberdelia." She looked in front of her and saw the same name. "Well, this is the place." She walked inside and took a good look around her. There was a rollerblades ramp, tables and a great quantity of video games. [Well, so much for the Bronze.]
She started to walk, making her way between waves of teenagers. In a corner, there was a group huddled around a table. They were deeply engrossed into their conversation. Willow recognized them as the the four hackers of her school and... [Paul!] The guy who sold her her laptop was there. [So, he's a hacker too.]
She took a look around and saw computers lined along the wall. She made her way to an empty seat and tried it out. She was so concentrated that she didn't realized that the guy beside her was eating her alive with his eyes. After a couple of minutes, she suddenly felt like someone was checking her out. She turned her head and came face to face with a boy with dyied red hair and a motorcycle suit.
"I'm Curtis. Well, what's a pretty thing like you doing here?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes. "Trying out a brend new computer," she answered dryly. "What does it look like?"
He chuckled a little, not getting that she didn't want to talk to him. "So, you're into computer. My last girlfriend was too."
Willow sighed when he didn't back off. "That's nice really. Thanks for sharing that information with me."
"She was a good lay too. Are you like her on that particular domain?"
The redhead froze. She looked at him with promises of ugly death. "I suggest you move away from me. I don't really care about your sexual life or lack of it. For me, you are nothing else than one of those jocks who picks up on bitches at school, fuck them then leave them. All muscles and no brains."
She stood up and started to get away when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She was spun around. "You little bitch!" She didn't even have time to react before she felt a hand collide with her cheek. She stumble back from the impact and hold on her cheek.
Not far from there, Kate's eyes stumbled on the scene. "What the hell?!"
Dade turned around and did a double take when he saw Curtis slap the new girl at school. But what caught his eyes was that the redhead was clenching her fist and was about to slug him back. Just has he had thought, she took a step forward and sent her fist straight into his face. He laughed out loud. "That will teach him."
Curtis couldn't believe that small slip of a girl had just punched him. He stood up. "Alright, you want a fight, you're going to get one." He looked up and froze right on the spot. Before him was a girl with black eyes. He didn't have time to do anything before he was hurled to the other side of the room. He fell uncouncious.
Willow walked briskly to the computer and gathered her stuff, not aware that five pairs of eyes were following her every movements. She almost ran to the exit.
Back in Cyberdelia, an animated conversation started at the table. Freak looked at his friends. "I don't know about you, but I think she's a hacker."
Paul, or Nikon, nodded. "Maybe you're right. She came at the store the other day. Asked me about some stuff for a new computer. She looked like she was restraining herself to not say too much. You know, like someone who's trying to appear like he doesn't know much about something because it is vital to him."
"Yeah," Freak said. "And yesterday at the cafeteria, she was listening to us when we were talking about hackers. I'm positively sure she's one."
Cereal looked at the others. "We should ask her about it. We might need another hacker for the contest in two weeks."
All heads turned toward Kate. She sighed. "Alright, I'll ask her tomorrow morning."
* * *
"Hey Willow! Wait up!"
The redhead stopped when she heard someone shouting her name... and she had a pretty good guess who it was. She turned around to greet Kate.
"Listen, Will, I saw what happened at Cyberdelia yesterday. Oh no don't fret. Curtis is... a major pain in the ass. How I would have like to be the one to slug him."
Willow smiled. "So, you're the ex-girlfriend."
A look of surprise crossed Kate's face. "Yeah. Hum, I wanted to ask you something. You see, me and friends have some doubts but we're are pretty sure none the less that you're a hacker." Kate notice the tense way the redhead held herself and smiled inwardly. "Are you one?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
But Willow stood on her guard. "And if I was?"
Kate almost screamed victory but held back. "Well, there is this contest in two weeks and another member to our team would be great."
[Team?] For Willow, it was the greatess oportunity. She looked up at the other hacker and smiled, nodding. "Alright. I'll do it."
"Great!" The bell rang. "Come on or we're going to be late for Mr. Branch class. Don't want to upset him," she said laughing, pulling Willow behind her.
Willow thought [Maybe New York isn't so bad after all.]
She started to walk, making her way between waves of teenagers. In a corner, there was a group huddled around a table. They were deeply engrossed into their conversation. Willow recognized them as the the four hackers of her school and... [Paul!] The guy who sold her her laptop was there. [So, he's a hacker too.]
She took a look around and saw computers lined along the wall. She made her way to an empty seat and tried it out. She was so concentrated that she didn't realized that the guy beside her was eating her alive with his eyes. After a couple of minutes, she suddenly felt like someone was checking her out. She turned her head and came face to face with a boy with dyied red hair and a motorcycle suit.
"I'm Curtis. Well, what's a pretty thing like you doing here?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes. "Trying out a brend new computer," she answered dryly. "What does it look like?"
He chuckled a little, not getting that she didn't want to talk to him. "So, you're into computer. My last girlfriend was too."
Willow sighed when he didn't back off. "That's nice really. Thanks for sharing that information with me."
"She was a good lay too. Are you like her on that particular domain?"
The redhead froze. She looked at him with promises of ugly death. "I suggest you move away from me. I don't really care about your sexual life or lack of it. For me, you are nothing else than one of those jocks who picks up on bitches at school, fuck them then leave them. All muscles and no brains."
She stood up and started to get away when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She was spun around. "You little bitch!" She didn't even have time to react before she felt a hand collide with her cheek. She stumble back from the impact and hold on her cheek.
Not far from there, Kate's eyes stumbled on the scene. "What the hell?!"
Dade turned around and did a double take when he saw Curtis slap the new girl at school. But what caught his eyes was that the redhead was clenching her fist and was about to slug him back. Just has he had thought, she took a step forward and sent her fist straight into his face. He laughed out loud. "That will teach him."
Curtis couldn't believe that small slip of a girl had just punched him. He stood up. "Alright, you want a fight, you're going to get one." He looked up and froze right on the spot. Before him was a girl with black eyes. He didn't have time to do anything before he was hurled to the other side of the room. He fell uncouncious.
Willow walked briskly to the computer and gathered her stuff, not aware that five pairs of eyes were following her every movements. She almost ran to the exit.
Back in Cyberdelia, an animated conversation started at the table. Freak looked at his friends. "I don't know about you, but I think she's a hacker."
Paul, or Nikon, nodded. "Maybe you're right. She came at the store the other day. Asked me about some stuff for a new computer. She looked like she was restraining herself to not say too much. You know, like someone who's trying to appear like he doesn't know much about something because it is vital to him."
"Yeah," Freak said. "And yesterday at the cafeteria, she was listening to us when we were talking about hackers. I'm positively sure she's one."
Cereal looked at the others. "We should ask her about it. We might need another hacker for the contest in two weeks."
All heads turned toward Kate. She sighed. "Alright, I'll ask her tomorrow morning."
* * *
"Hey Willow! Wait up!"
The redhead stopped when she heard someone shouting her name... and she had a pretty good guess who it was. She turned around to greet Kate.
"Listen, Will, I saw what happened at Cyberdelia yesterday. Oh no don't fret. Curtis is... a major pain in the ass. How I would have like to be the one to slug him."
Willow smiled. "So, you're the ex-girlfriend."
A look of surprise crossed Kate's face. "Yeah. Hum, I wanted to ask you something. You see, me and friends have some doubts but we're are pretty sure none the less that you're a hacker." Kate notice the tense way the redhead held herself and smiled inwardly. "Are you one?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
But Willow stood on her guard. "And if I was?"
Kate almost screamed victory but held back. "Well, there is this contest in two weeks and another member to our team would be great."
[Team?] For Willow, it was the greatess oportunity. She looked up at the other hacker and smiled, nodding. "Alright. I'll do it."
"Great!" The bell rang. "Come on or we're going to be late for Mr. Branch class. Don't want to upset him," she said laughing, pulling Willow behind her.
Willow thought [Maybe New York isn't so bad after all.]