Read Online Empty Streets by Jessica Cotter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jessica Cotter
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before the software would confirm her identity and continue on. This had only happened to her once or twice a month in the last several years, but it was enough to make her hesitate before logging into Ezra's machine.
Sometimes Ezra would write passwords on his hands with thick, black marker as a way to remember. He must have had to change his password today. She typed in his sign on (first initial, middle initial, last name) and then typed in what she had seen on his hand. She knew if she got it wrong there would be an immediate retinal scan, so she held her breath, ready to throw the head gear off and hope no one looked into it.
But it worked.
As Eri waited, she noticed how different Ezra's machine was. It wasn't as comfortable and it was less responsive to the movement of her hands and feet. She knew what it lacked in hardware, however, her brother had probably supplemented with illegal software.
The world began to phase in and Eri was suddenly in a place she didn't recognize. Since Ezra had already put in his 4 hours of school for the day, the software had taken him to the last place he had been, using interpersonal time. It looked like she was in a park, although there was no playground equipment, just cement paths and a half pipe for skateboarding. She walked towards the half pipe and saw a boy who looked about her brother's age.
"Hey, what up, Ez? I thought you would be toast after our last get." The boy laughed to himself, walking up to Ezra for a handshake.
Eri wasn't sure what the handshake was supposed to look like. She tried to follow the boy's lead, but it was awkward. The boy laughed.
"Man, are you still messed up? I told you that shit was tight." The boy laughed again.
Awesome, Eri thought. Ezra is high. She thought she could play this to her advantage. "Yeah, manâ¦I don't feel goodâ¦what's your name again?"
The boy laughed hard, doubling over before wiping tears from his eyes. Eri tried to force herself to laugh, too.
"You don't remember your friend, Seb? Come on, Ez! I knew you took a big hit, but shit." The boy stared hard at her for a minute. His short, buzzed hair spiked a little above his large forehead and he had tattoos all over his body. Eri thought tattoos were weird, since she doubted many people had them outside of the Sims. It seemed odd to pretend to have a permanent mark on your body that everyone knew wasn't really permanent. Then she saw Seb's expression harden as he stared at her. She felt a moment of fear; perhaps he recognized something was wrong, that it wasn't Ezra.
"Hey, I been meanin' to come at you 'bout something," Seb said with a hard edge to his voice. "My sister says you and she hit it. I should bust your ass for that."
"Uh, what?" Eri's innards went cold.
"Oh, come on, I know you're high and shit, but I know you remember my sister. I told you to stay away from her, she's only thirteen. What you messin' with all these girls for anyways?" Seb raised a critical eyebrow at Ezra, with a look of disgust on his face.
"What do you mean?" Eri wondered how long she could play dumb.
Seb looked even more irritated. His chest puffed out against a tight, white t-shirt. "What do I mean? Ez, you startin' to piss me off. You just told me today you were able to scam that software that lets you have actual Sims sex, not just clothes on shit. You know, the software you can't legally get until you're sixteen? You said you were bangin' a different girl every day." Seb looked at Ezra like maybe he didn't believe him anyway. Eri hoped he was lying. She was pretty sure boys lied about stuff like that.
"Even if I had it, none of the girls have it." Eri hoped this was true.
Seb looked at Ezra with confusion. "Man, you must be higher than I thought. I wonder if something got crossed in your brain waves er somethin'. You know that software works like a virus. If you want to, you can pass it to someone else just through contact. You infect them."
"Butâ¦my computer doesn't
Sometimes Ezra would write passwords on his hands with thick, black marker as a way to remember. He must have had to change his password today. She typed in his sign on (first initial, middle initial, last name) and then typed in what she had seen on his hand. She knew if she got it wrong there would be an immediate retinal scan, so she held her breath, ready to throw the head gear off and hope no one looked into it.
But it worked.
As Eri waited, she noticed how different Ezra's machine was. It wasn't as comfortable and it was less responsive to the movement of her hands and feet. She knew what it lacked in hardware, however, her brother had probably supplemented with illegal software.
The world began to phase in and Eri was suddenly in a place she didn't recognize. Since Ezra had already put in his 4 hours of school for the day, the software had taken him to the last place he had been, using interpersonal time. It looked like she was in a park, although there was no playground equipment, just cement paths and a half pipe for skateboarding. She walked towards the half pipe and saw a boy who looked about her brother's age.
"Hey, what up, Ez? I thought you would be toast after our last get." The boy laughed to himself, walking up to Ezra for a handshake.
Eri wasn't sure what the handshake was supposed to look like. She tried to follow the boy's lead, but it was awkward. The boy laughed.
"Man, are you still messed up? I told you that shit was tight." The boy laughed again.
Awesome, Eri thought. Ezra is high. She thought she could play this to her advantage. "Yeah, manâ¦I don't feel goodâ¦what's your name again?"
The boy laughed hard, doubling over before wiping tears from his eyes. Eri tried to force herself to laugh, too.
"You don't remember your friend, Seb? Come on, Ez! I knew you took a big hit, but shit." The boy stared hard at her for a minute. His short, buzzed hair spiked a little above his large forehead and he had tattoos all over his body. Eri thought tattoos were weird, since she doubted many people had them outside of the Sims. It seemed odd to pretend to have a permanent mark on your body that everyone knew wasn't really permanent. Then she saw Seb's expression harden as he stared at her. She felt a moment of fear; perhaps he recognized something was wrong, that it wasn't Ezra.
"Hey, I been meanin' to come at you 'bout something," Seb said with a hard edge to his voice. "My sister says you and she hit it. I should bust your ass for that."
"Uh, what?" Eri's innards went cold.
"Oh, come on, I know you're high and shit, but I know you remember my sister. I told you to stay away from her, she's only thirteen. What you messin' with all these girls for anyways?" Seb raised a critical eyebrow at Ezra, with a look of disgust on his face.
"What do you mean?" Eri wondered how long she could play dumb.
Seb looked even more irritated. His chest puffed out against a tight, white t-shirt. "What do I mean? Ez, you startin' to piss me off. You just told me today you were able to scam that software that lets you have actual Sims sex, not just clothes on shit. You know, the software you can't legally get until you're sixteen? You said you were bangin' a different girl every day." Seb looked at Ezra like maybe he didn't believe him anyway. Eri hoped he was lying. She was pretty sure boys lied about stuff like that.
"Even if I had it, none of the girls have it." Eri hoped this was true.
Seb looked at Ezra with confusion. "Man, you must be higher than I thought. I wonder if something got crossed in your brain waves er somethin'. You know that software works like a virus. If you want to, you can pass it to someone else just through contact. You infect them."
"Butâ¦my computer doesn't
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