Click to Subscribe - By L. M. Augustine Page 0,8
yawn, and make my way down to my locker. Cat’s is only a few away from mine, decorated on the inside with pictures of chocolate cake and pizza (it’s like she’s trying to kill me.) She nods at me as I approach. The faint scent of her vanilla shampoo fills my nose.
“Monday,” she says with fake enthusiasm and gives a small pump of her fist.
I grimace and quirk my eyebrow. “Fun times.” Then I turn, empty my backpack into my locker, and pull out my laptop. There are still a few minutes before class, so I lean against the wall, sit down, and scroll over to my vlog page. No new messages from Harper. My heart sinks.
Cat’s locker slams above me. “Well, I gotta get to Math,” she murmurs, grabs her backpack, and walks in the opposite direction down the hall. “Bye. Talk later?”
“See you,” I say without looking up. “And yeah, we’ll talk later.”
She disappears after that.
A few other kids trickle down the hall after me, grab books from their lockers, and head to class, but instead of following their lead I wait and focus in on my computer. The faint hum of the heater reverberates throughout the hallway, and it’s working so hard it smells like something is burning.
Next I check my email, hoping to find something new from Harper in my inbox. Sure enough, I am right. I grin a little as I click on it, already giddy to see what she has to say this time.
That’s what Harper does to me, though. She makes me feel so, so giddy.
from: Harper Knight
to: Sam Green
subject: your life just got better
So I got bored last night and taught myself how to make a GIF. So naturally, I made my first GIF to be of a cow. The result is pretttttty freaking awesome.
Then, she pastes a link. I click it immediately. A new window opens, and the next thing I know I’m staring at a GIF of a cow standing on top of a bike doing the disco with its hooves or whatever it is you call cow feet while also balancing a piece of pizza on its head.
Tumblr fame, Harper writes after the link, here I come.
I stifle a laugh. A girl from English spins around and shoots me a condescending, “WTF is wrong with you” stare, then continues fast-walking down the hallway. My face totally flushes. God, I must look like a total idiot, laughing in front of my computer on a Monday morning. I mean, seriously? Who does that? If only the girl knew I was talking to my internet girlfriend. Then she’d really think I was insane.
After another minute of staring at Harper’s GIF (to soak it in, of course) I type my response.
from: Sam Green
to: Harper Knight
subject: RE: your life just got better
That is either the most awesome or the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I can’t decide which.
Harper replies right away.
from: Harper Knight
to: Sam Green
subject: RE: RE: your life just got better
Both?
from: Sam Green
to: Harper Knight
subject: DON’T YOU GO TO SCHOOL?!?!
How did you respond so fast?!
…is someone anxious to talk to a certain charming and entirely attractive guy? ;-)
from: Harper Knight
to: Sam Green
subject: RE: DON’T YOU GO TO SCHOOL?!?!
Three things:
1) Yes, I go to school, and it is terrible, and that is okay.
2) That is such a lie. Get over yourself, Green.
3) There is something utterly terrifying about your use of the winky-face smiley.
from: Sam Green
to: Harper Knight
subject: RE: RE: DON’T YOU GO TO SCHOOL?!?!
1) Okay.
2) Please. I’m gorgeous.
3) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-)
from: Harper Knight
to: Sam Green
subject: RE: RE: RE: DON’T YOU GO TO SCHOOL?!?!
Those winky-faces are making me shiver. I swear they’re going to kill me in the middle of the night and make me into a delicious winky-face stew.
from: Sam Green
to: Harper Knight
subject: They are.
In their defense, they make one mean smiley face stew. Especially with added Harper contents.
from: Harper Knight
to: Sam Green
subject: RE: They are.
You did NOT just imply that I’d make a good stew.
from: Sam Green
to: Harper Knight
subject: RE: RE: They are.
Oh, but Harper Knight, I totally did.
from: Harper Knight
to: Sam Green
subject: RE: RE: RE: They are.
Whatever. I am still more awesome than you.
Also, BTW, I wanted to talk to you about something. I’ll chat you through our chatroom…
I nod even though she can’t see me and glance at the time.