Read Online The Anti Social Network by Sadie Hayes - Free Book Online
Authors: Sadie Hayes
Tags: Young Adult
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actually think I hadn’t planned for you to overhear that conversation? That I would be so careless? I don’t make stupid mistakes like that, son. Jesus, you have a lot to learn.”
T. J. was staring at his father. “I don’t understand. You mean the whole thing was—”
“A test. To figure out where your loyalties lie.” Ted motioned to the waiter for another drink.
T. J. felt his chest rising with every breath. “You mean you never intended to buy Doreye?”
“Oh I
intend
to buy Doreye. But not yet. It won’t hurt enough yet.” He grinned as the waiter handed him a new drink. “You see, when you first start a company, it feels like a new toy. You’re enthralled by it, fascinated with how it works and what it does and what comes out of it. But after a year, it’s not a toy any more. Your ego has gotten involved. Slowly you’ve grown attached to it. Now it feels like it’s become a part of you.” He sipped his scotch. “And after another year, it starts to become not just a part of you, but
the most important
part of you. Your identity. And that’s when it really hurts to have it taken away.”
Ted’s eyes were crisp and angry, his jaw set.
“And that, T. J., is when I’ll take Doreye from Amelia.”
Chapter XVIII
Two Thousand Lines of Code and Nothing to Wear
J ust opening the doors to the Gates building made Amelia’s heart rate slow to a more relaxed pace. She climbed the stairs and made her way to her favorite cubicle. There weren’t many people there, which suited her fine. The pride she felt this morning about her peers respecting her for the TechCrunch article now made her self-conscious.
She clicked to the latest Doreye code and began typing, but she quickly found herself two hours in with a pattern that wouldn’t run. There were over two thousand lines of code and she had no idea where the error was.
Why was she being so sloppy?
But she knew exactly why. Her mind kept drifting back to University Café and Sundeep’s words, “I have a girlfriend.” Why had he had to show up just then? Right when she was feeling confident enough to do something so stupid? She’d been having such a great day, and then he’d gone and ruined it all. She tried to take herself back to the time before their conversation, to access the elatedness she’d felt after all the interviews. But Sundeep was like a wall, like this malfunction in her program that blocked everything from working. She hated him.
She took off her glasses and sat back in her chair, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
“Amelia!”
She slowly opened her eyes. Was that George?
A strange new version of George stood next to her at the cubicle. Since she had last seen him at the end of spring term, he had lost about forty pounds and cut his hair.
“George?” she said, questioningly, putting her glasses back on.
He laughed awkwardly. “I know, I look a little different. I finally took Google up on their free personal training sessions this summer. How was your summer?” Before she could answer, he stepped in. “Of course, I already know how your summer was. I read the TechCrunch article about you. Man, Amelia, that is just so rad.” Amelia shrugged her narrow shoulders and offered a lifeless, “Thanks, George. It is exciting.”
She glanced back at her screen, hoping he would take the hint that she wanted to be alone. But he kept going, his eyes shining above his freckled cheeks.
“To think that I was here the night you first made the original Doreye application work! Do you have any idea how cool that is?” She smiled politely.
“Listen, Amelia.” He took a deep breath. “I thought about you this summer—a lot. Not just because of Doreye, but because I think you’re a really … a really special person and I’d love to get to know you better. And I thought maybe, if you’re up for it, we could hang out … some time.” Instinctively, she began to turn him down. “George, I think you’re
T. J. was staring at his father. “I don’t understand. You mean the whole thing was—”
“A test. To figure out where your loyalties lie.” Ted motioned to the waiter for another drink.
T. J. felt his chest rising with every breath. “You mean you never intended to buy Doreye?”
“Oh I
intend
to buy Doreye. But not yet. It won’t hurt enough yet.” He grinned as the waiter handed him a new drink. “You see, when you first start a company, it feels like a new toy. You’re enthralled by it, fascinated with how it works and what it does and what comes out of it. But after a year, it’s not a toy any more. Your ego has gotten involved. Slowly you’ve grown attached to it. Now it feels like it’s become a part of you.” He sipped his scotch. “And after another year, it starts to become not just a part of you, but
the most important
part of you. Your identity. And that’s when it really hurts to have it taken away.”
Ted’s eyes were crisp and angry, his jaw set.
“And that, T. J., is when I’ll take Doreye from Amelia.”
Chapter XVIII
Two Thousand Lines of Code and Nothing to Wear
J ust opening the doors to the Gates building made Amelia’s heart rate slow to a more relaxed pace. She climbed the stairs and made her way to her favorite cubicle. There weren’t many people there, which suited her fine. The pride she felt this morning about her peers respecting her for the TechCrunch article now made her self-conscious.
She clicked to the latest Doreye code and began typing, but she quickly found herself two hours in with a pattern that wouldn’t run. There were over two thousand lines of code and she had no idea where the error was.
Why was she being so sloppy?
But she knew exactly why. Her mind kept drifting back to University Café and Sundeep’s words, “I have a girlfriend.” Why had he had to show up just then? Right when she was feeling confident enough to do something so stupid? She’d been having such a great day, and then he’d gone and ruined it all. She tried to take herself back to the time before their conversation, to access the elatedness she’d felt after all the interviews. But Sundeep was like a wall, like this malfunction in her program that blocked everything from working. She hated him.
She took off her glasses and sat back in her chair, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
“Amelia!”
She slowly opened her eyes. Was that George?
A strange new version of George stood next to her at the cubicle. Since she had last seen him at the end of spring term, he had lost about forty pounds and cut his hair.
“George?” she said, questioningly, putting her glasses back on.
He laughed awkwardly. “I know, I look a little different. I finally took Google up on their free personal training sessions this summer. How was your summer?” Before she could answer, he stepped in. “Of course, I already know how your summer was. I read the TechCrunch article about you. Man, Amelia, that is just so rad.” Amelia shrugged her narrow shoulders and offered a lifeless, “Thanks, George. It is exciting.”
She glanced back at her screen, hoping he would take the hint that she wanted to be alone. But he kept going, his eyes shining above his freckled cheeks.
“To think that I was here the night you first made the original Doreye application work! Do you have any idea how cool that is?” She smiled politely.
“Listen, Amelia.” He took a deep breath. “I thought about you this summer—a lot. Not just because of Doreye, but because I think you’re a really … a really special person and I’d love to get to know you better. And I thought maybe, if you’re up for it, we could hang out … some time.” Instinctively, she began to turn him down. “George, I think you’re
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