Read Online Middle Ground by Katie Kacvinsky - Free Book Online Page B

to technology, humans are as easy to train as rats in a cage.”
    “What happens if you lose?” Jeremy pressed.
    “I don’t see it as winning or losing. I’m just looking for a middle ground,” he said. “I get that technology is convenient and has its benefits. We definitely can’t live without it. We can’t go back to living in caves. But most people are so plugged in, they’re not even living in the real world. Our lives aren’t grounded by anything. Being too dependent on something makes you a slave to it. And I sure as hell won’t worship a digital screen. So I’m looking for a halfway point. A balance. It’s not just about ending digital school. It’s about having a choice.”
    ***
    It was after three in the morning when Matt and Jeremy dropped us off at Pat and Noah’s apartment. When we got inside, Justin checked the rooms, and everyone was still out.
    “The party couldn’t have been that bad,” he noted. I found some blankets and sleeping bags in the hall closet and we spread them out on the floor in Noah’s studio. The room smelled like electronic equipment.
    Justin threw down some couch cushions for pillows.
    “This is why I need my own apartment,” he said as we looked at our makeshift bed. He tugged his coat off and put it over a speaker and dove down on top of the pillows. He flipped over and sprawled out on the floor and then placed his hands behind his head and looked up at me.
    “I’m not tired,” I said. “It’s hard to get tired around you.”
    “Even after tonight?” he asked.
    I shook my head. “There’s always too many firsts. My first virtual club, my first attempt to shut it down, my first car accident, my first riverside restaurant. You’re always there for my firsts,” I said. “You’re like the tour guide of my life.”
    He smiled. “It’s a fun job.”
    I looked down at the hem of my short red dress. “I didn’t bring pajamas,” I said, and I could feel the blush warming my face.
    “That dress wouldn’t be very comfortable to sleep in,” he pointed out, and he kicked off his shoes, flinging them to the side.
    “You’re right,” I agreed. It was tight but stretchy with spandex and I easily pulled it over my head, which left me in just my heels and underwear.
    “Off,” I said, and the lights snapped off. I slid off one shoe.
    “On,” Justin said, and the circular overhead light snapped on again to reveal me. He smiled.
    “Off,” I argued. This went on for a while, the light snapping on and off, until we both were laughing. Until he pulled me down on the soft blankets with him. We agreed to dim the lights.
    ***
    The next morning I sprinted into my apartment; I could smell coffee brewing so I knew Joe was up. I turned the corner into the kitchen, which wasn’t much bigger than a storage closet, and Joe stood next to the counter, pouring a cup of coffee.
    For a second I had a flash of my perfect life: Justin living in Los Angeles. Finishing DS and finally being free from my probation, my parents’ control, and my past. Meeting my brother for coffee. Clubbing with Clare and hanging out at Noah’s concerts. Trying to bring back face-to-face classes and jobs. For the first time ever, everything was falling into place, and my life was becoming a clear, solid picture that was focused and centered and colorful.
    “Nice timing,” Joe said, and started pouring a second mug.
    “Sorry, I’m in a hurry.” I had just enough time to shower and change before I met Justin downtown. He was leaving for San Diego tonight and I was determined to spend every possible second with him. We had a list of apartments to tour before he left.
    “Give me five minutes,” he said, and offered me the mug. “I want to talk to you.” I glanced at the clock on the refrigerator wall screen and back at Joe.
    “Okay, three minutes,” I offered. I took the coffee and slid onto a stool next to the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. It was so rare we spent