The Bad Boy Computer Programmer At Wattpad

BAD BOYS AND MARIONETTES

**Ian--early morning**

While waiting for his work computer to load, Ian pulled a small piece of paper off his monitor and added a tally mark. Only four more weeks. With views of the Pacific Ocean; Astoria and Cannon Beach would be the perfect destinations to kick back with his laptop and fine tune the code for a couple startup projects he'd been tinkering with at home. He couldn't wait.

This Oregon trip had been programmed into Ian ever since he was a young boy attending elementary school in Buffalo, New York. It was there, in his fourth-grade classroom, where Ian was first introduced to computers and the Oregon Trail Game. Played on an old Apple II with a green screen monitor, the Oregon Trail Game opened up new worlds of possibilities and understanding for the future engineer. Ian hoped a visit to the physical place where the virtual game was won would help revive his passion for computers with child-like enthusiasm.

After email messages were checked, Ian glanced over his shoulder at his coworkers' empty desks. A few quiet moments still remained before the troops rolled in. Double clicking the web browser on his computer, he loaded up his Wattpad account.

Just making sure the bug's fixed, he thought to himself as he searched for Amanda's Wattpad username--@YoDaBestR2D2.

Clicking on her profile, Ian glanced at her snake and caterpillar story to make sure everything was operational. While verifying the mature button functioned properly, Ian's focus became tangled in the story's description. It read, in part; If life hasn't turned out the way you wished it would, but you still have hope in your heart--this story is for you. Curiosity and promises of a feel-good story pulled Ian's cursor to an orange button labeled: Read.

Click

Maintaining an extra cautious and steady hand to avoid an accidental click inside a star that would submit a vote for the chapter, Ian cast an eye over Amanda's short story written with song-like rhythm. Upon reaching the story's end, he pressed a fist against his lips to hide a smirk.

I wasn't expecting it to be so--. He paused, tempted to leave his virtual signature by voting for the last page of her story. The cursor arrow hovered over the star which--if clicked--would notify Amanda of his admiration for her writing.

She's cute and nerdy, Ian thought, pulling the cursor away from the vote button without clicking it. Vulgar, yet deeply thoughtful. Simple, but brilliant. All simultaneously! How is that even--?

Amanda's Wattpad 'about' page filled Ian's monitor. He quickly scanned the books in her reading lists, then skimmed her bio. "What's Wattdrunk Fridays?" he whispered, referencing a hashtag in her description before clicking a link redirecting him to: Amanda's All About Nonsense Blog.

The appearance of Amanda's blog was both girly and cringeworthy--as if a candy-coated unicorn sharted pink and purple Skittles all over the screen. Merging the comical feel of the website with memories of a woman who spoke fluent Cyborgian in Swedish, Ian couldn't help but chuckle.

"Can't. Look. Away," he whispered.

He skimmed Amanda's latest blog entry until he got to the point where he stumbled over the DTF acronym. "What--?" Googling the three letters, he received an explanation he wasn't quite expecting. A prolonged and disgusted sigh escaped his lips. Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be associated with certain members my gender.

Shaking his head, Ian continued reading. When he got to the part in the blog where Amanda ranted about people not having to leave their houses anymore, he stopped. "That reminds me--."