I opened my eyes to the sound of my alarm clock chiming.
"It's morning already?" I asked sleepily, reaching down to grab my phone and silence the alarm.
As soon as I pressed my finger to the fingerprint sensor on the back, I hissed due to how bright my screen was. After turning my brightness down and silencing the alarm, I sat up straight and looked around, the events of yesterday playing on a constant repeat in my mind.
Did that really just happen?
Did I get a supercomputer in my brain that not only looks and sounds like Jason Tam, probably one of the most gorgeous people on the planet but said supercomputer almost got me to hang out with two of the most popular girls in school?
"Hello?" I asked, tapping my forehead with my finger. "Are you on? Hellooo?" Suddenly, I heard my dad call from across the hall.
"Falner? Are you talking to yourself?" He asked. I looked down at my comforter, confused.
"I...guess I am. Huh." I reasoned, then hopped out of bed and strolled over to my computer. I smoothly took a seat in my black desk chair, grabbing my mouse with one hand and the screen of the computer with the other.
"C-c-c-c'mon, c-c-c-c'mon, go-!" I cut myself off with a yelp of pain, feeling a shock race down my spine. "Ow!" My Squip materialized next to me, his arms crossed.
"What did we say about masturbation?" He asked. I rubbed the back of my neck, swinging around to face him. My face was probably as red as the Coke can next to me.
"I was just going to...check my school email," I said, half-lying. He raised an eyebrow.
"You can't lie to me, Falner. I'm inside your brain," he said, tapping the center of my forehead with his finger as a reminder. "Now, we're going to devise a system: I tally every time you think about sex, and that's how many push-ups you do. If this morning is an indicative sample, you'll look great in no time." He said. He then glanced at my glasses, frowned slightly, and waved his hand. My vision went black for a moment, much to my surprise, and after a couple of seconds, I could see again. He reached forward and took off my glasses, and I blinked slowly.
"Woah...I-I can...I can see!" I said in awe, looking down at my hands. No longer was anything blurry. Everything was crystal clear. "How did you do that?!" I asked, looking up at my Squip with teary eyes and a smile on my face. He smiled back and gently kissed my forehead.
"I have access to your optic nerves. I fixed your vision. You won't need these anymore." He said, setting my glasses down. I jumped at him and crushed him in a hug, whispering "thank you" over and over. He let out a light laugh and pushed me off of him, wiping my happy tears away with his fingers.
"You're welcome. Now, shall we start the day?" He asked. I nodded excitedly, standing up and hurrying to the bathroom, giving myself a look in the mirror.
I looked about the same as ever, aside from the blush that never seemed to leave my cheeks. I knew exactly why, too: even though he probably didn't mean it, my Squip was...well, blush-inducing. The way he said things, the way he seemed to always find a way to be physical with me...I could go on, but I'd take up an entire chapter.
"Coming through, private." My dad called, breezing in, grabbing his toothbrush, and walking back out.
"That's the source of your genetic material?" My Squip asked. I nodded slightly, feeling a tinge of pride in my voice.
"That's my dad, yeah," I said. He looked at me, then back to the direction my dad had walked.
"We should double those push-ups." He murmured. I rolled my eyes slightly, brushing my teeth and washing my face with almost supersonic speed, walking out of my house completely ready for school in a matter of minutes.
As the bus pulled up right on time, I hopped on and moved to my usual spot. I looked behind me at the popular kids and was surprised to see Hope give me a happy wave. I smiled and waved back at her, turning my attention back to the front of the bus.
The bus slowed to a stop in front of my high school, and I was one of the first people off, sprinting into the building at a speed that would make even Barry Allen jealous. My Squip took a look around and nodded slightly, a smile on his face. He then looked at me.
"One of the first things you need to know about me, Falner, is that I'm a learning computer. With every interaction, I evolve," he said, leading me through the atrium and down to the English hallway. "Simply walk down the hallway and observe." I nodded at him and slowly started walking, taking in everything around me with new eyes. Dallas ran towards Jade and fist-bumped him.
"Oh, what up bruh, kicks look bangin'!" He chirped, gesturing to Jade's shoes. Jordans, I think. Jade laughed slightly and gave him a playful shove.
"Shut up dawg, when we hangin'?" He asked. Dallas seemed to think for a moment before shaking his head slightly.
"Ask me later, yeah?" He suggested. Jade nodded, then both boys spoke in unison.
"We'll sync up!" Dallas scampered off. My Squip placed his hand on my shoulder and gestured to Jade.
"This one participates in sports and clubs to avoid the feeling that, deep down, he'll never be good enough." He commented. I raised an eyebrow and glanced between him and Jade, who didn't seem to notice me.
"But...Jade's popular." I said. My Squip shrugged.
"Those facts are not mutually exclusive." He said, chuckling. I felt confused, but before I could say anything, Tempest and Hope breezed in. Jade had ducked into a classroom that I could only assume was for his first-period class.
"I'm shook, I'm blah, I'm just-" Tempest started before Hope cut her off by placing her hand on her shoulder.
"There, there!" She chirped. Tempest glared at her with a look that, if looks could kill, would have rendered her dead in seconds.
"Hope!" She snapped. Hope shrank back, biting her lip and fidgeting with her hands.
" 'm sorry..." She mumbled. Tempest shook her head.
"It's not fair." She sighed.
"Yeah!" Hope chimed in again, a little less enthusiastically this time. Tempest gave her a smile.
"I know!" She said, then both girls spoke in unison.
"Oh, we so sync up!" Hope hurried into a classroom. My Squip glanced at Tempest with intrigue.
"That one is obsessed with status because she's scared of losing it." He said. I audibly wheezed.
"Tempest isn't scared of anything!" I said. He clicked his tongue in disapproval, cupping my chin in his hands and making me look up at him.
"Everyone is scared of something, my dear. The most dangerous people are the ones who pretend they're not." He said. Those words chilled me to my bones. I blinked at him, staring into his eyes before being snapped out of it by seeing Rose hurry over to Tempest, who had started leaning against her locker.
"Oh, oh, Tempest!" She chirped. "Guess who I saw at the mall last night!" Tempest rolled her eyes.
"Not now, Rose!" She snapped. Rose shrank back, then seemed to muster up her courage.
"...with Jade!" She added. Tempest's blue eyes narrowed.
"I want details." She growled. Rose giggled slightly and leaned up to whisper in her ear. As they talked, my Squip gestured to Rose with one hand, making me look over at her.
"Rose Kleinman, bless her heart, uses gossip to get attention from her peers, but as soon as she shares it, they ignore her." Almost as if she was proving his point, Tempest stormed off, leaving Rose alone at her locker.
"That's...really sad," I said softly. "What should I do?" He gave her a cursory glance, then shook his head.
"You should ignore her." He commented. I shook my head and walked over to her.
"Hi. You're Rose, right?" I asked. She looked up at me.
"And you're Falner Greyson. What happened to your glasses? Did you get laser eye surgery or something?" She asked. I shrugged, laughing awkwardly.
"Y-You could...say that!" I squeaked. She raised an eyebrow, then smiled.
"You look good without 'em. People can finally see how pretty your eyes are." She commented. My cheeks turned red.
"Th-Thank...you...?" I felt like a fish out of water. My Squip raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Hey, listen, um...you're a part of Midsummer, right?" She asked. I nodded.
"Mmhm. Your resident Lysander. Why do you ask?" I replied. She smiled almost shyly.
"Well...rumor has it that there's gonna be a whole school dance themed to the show, and I was wondering...if I could be your Hermia? Just for a night, though, th-then you can go back to...persuing whoever you want, romantically." She asked. I gave her a smile and took her hands in mine.
"I'd be honored, sweet Hermia," I said. She giggled, her cheeks blooming red, then leaned close and pecked my cheek.
"Then I guess I'll see you at rehearsal! Bye, Falner!" She chirped, scampering off. After a moment, I let out a light laugh.
"Wow. She's...wonderful." I whispered.
"Interesting," my Squip commented. "I can sense that your romantic interest has...shifted to this new party. Perhaps you and I should get to know Rose a little more, hm?" I turned red and tried to sputter a reply, but was cut off by Dallas - how the fuck did he get here so fast?! - pinning me against the lockers.
"Yo, short-ass. Where's my money?" He growled. I turned about three shades paler.
"Shit. What do I tell Dallas?" I asked my Squip, panicking internally. He looked at Dallas, then back to me, a determined spark in his eyes.
"Up, up, down, down, left, right, A." He said calmly. Dallas stiffened, then put me down and hugged me tightly.
"You got one!" He said. His voice had lowered to a whisper, so as not to alert everyone around us.
"Yeah. Sorry, I meant to go through you but...um...pleasedonthurtme." I said quickly. He laughed slightly, hugging me again.
"Falner! This is awesome! I mean, I coulda used the money. Things are kinda rough at home if you know what I'm sayin'..." He looked slightly embarrassed, and I couldn't help but feel a tinge of pity for him. My Squip's eyes lit up as he placed one hand right where my collarbone met my spine, and I suddenly felt less in control of my own actions.
"Yeah...my dad...drinks too?" I said, giving my Squip a surprised look after I finished. Dallas gave me a grin, slapping my back with much less force than before.
"Yo, fucking dads, right?! He usually passes out by nine, you should come over, play Xbox. You know with a Squip, the only controller you need...is your mind!" He said excitedly. I nodded slightly.
"Thanks, man. It'd be nice to catch up." I said truthfully. He smiled at me, then hurried off down the hall. "What was that about?" I asked my Squip, who was still floating next to me.
"I synced with his Squip. Now his desires are compatible with your own." He replied. I gasped slightly.
"So, my dream was right! Dallas does have a Squip!" I said in shock and awe. He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"Dream?" He asked. I gave him an incredulous look.
"Honey, you're in my head. You see everything. Surely you've seen those wacky dreams that revolve around my friends?" I countered, almost relishing in the way he stiffened.
"I have not. I will look into them, though," He mused. I chuckled lightly.
"So, syncing with his Squip makes him act like we're friends again?" I asked. He gave me one of his condescending smirks.
"What is friendship but a bond between two people? Now you and Dallas have a bond. It's just...digital." He said confidently. Before we could start walking, Hope ran up to me, smiling brightly.
"Bonjour, Falner!" She chirped.
"Oh, Hope!" I said quickly, giving her a smile. She tugged at the collar of my Eminem shirt.
"I'm sure digging this new look! Hella retro and très Bonsoir!" She giggled. "That was French." I nodded.
"Oui!" Hooray for knowing one word in French.
"At the very least, you didn't say your usual "hon hon hon, baguette." comment." my Squip muttered.
"We? We what?" Hope asked, tilting her head like a confused puppy. I chuckled slightly.
"Uh, how was Pinkberry?" I asked. She gasped slightly and took my hands in hers.
"Scary. I have some issues with dairy." She confided. I was about to say something before Tempest shouted from the classroom she was in.
"Hope!"
Hope smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, bye." She said softly. I smiled at her.
"Let's sync up!" I suggested. She beamed, pecked my nose, then hurried off. Two kisses from two beautiful girls. How lucky am I? My Squip grinned at me.
"You see, Falner? Life is not unlike a video game. And in a video game, success requires just two things: Good hand-eye coordination..." He grabbed my hands, his voice taking on an almost determined tone. "...and a cheat code!" He finished. He then spun me around and dipped me down, planting a kiss on my lips. I melted underneath him and reached up to grab his shoulders. After a moment, he pulled away.
"Three kisses in one day. My lucky girl." He purred, squeezing my cheek. I was red-faced, panting, and a little too blissed out to reply. He then grabbed me by the shoulders and led me through the flood of students as the bell rang, signaling that everyone should be getting to class.
As we walked, I could have sworn I saw a familiar flash of a Megaman hoodie, just like the one Eli wore...but maybe I was just dreaming.
(Timeskip time, boyes)
I let out a rather content sigh, walking down the hall.
"All in all, a not too heinous day," I said to myself. "I've walked the halls with purpose as I swagger on my way. I'm feelin' crisp and high and clean, now onto play practice...with Rose, Hope, and Christine..." I stopped before I entered the auditorium, feeling a chill run down my spine. My Squip put his hand on my shoulder blade, and I felt an immediate rush of warmth flow from his hand through my entire body.
"Why so nervous?" He asked softly. I shook my head.
"Only the fact that I'm going in to face the girl of my dreams alongside two girls who I have a massive crush on after getting a supercomputer implanted in my head so that everyone will notice me." I rambled. He let out a soft laugh, walking in front of me, taking me by the wrist, and leading me into the auditorium.