Downloaded

Chapter One

Today was supposed to be a normal day. I would go to school, sleep during History, flunk the math test, then go home and not do my homework, snacking all the way through. And it was a normal day. For the most part. 

My friends, Angelica and Juliana, were waiting for me in the lunchroom. "What up, guys?" I said, walking towards them. 

I expected both of them to joke around and yell some profanities to greet me, like they usually do. But today, they didn't. 

Instead, I was greeted with "Hello, Faryn. How are you today?" from Juliana. Strange. 

I pulled a bag of Flamin' Hot Doritos from my backpack. I knew it would be a bad idea, and that they'd be gone before I could taste one molecule of nacho cheese flavoring. 

Even more strangely, Angelica asked me, "May I please have a Dorito?" Not like her at all. 

I gave her a Dorito, and she said "Thank you." 

"Are you two feeling okay?" I asked. It wasn't like them to talk in full sentences and ask for food. 

"I'm feeling just fine," said Juliana. Angelica nodded, still munching on the chip. Without stuffing the entire chip into her mouth and chewing with her mouth open while trying to talk at the same time. 

"You're talking so weirdly. Are you guys impersonating a robot again?" That's happened before. April Fools did not work in my favor that year. 

"No, we are not," said Angelica before taking another nibble off the Dorito. I was starting to feel genuinely concerned. 

I tried talking to them about normal stuff. Homework, for instance. 

"I've finished my math homework, but I have not completed history, so I will do it during math today," said Juliana. 

What about just a simple 'how was your weekend?'

"My parents and I went to the mall and we bought a dress. I spent Sunday writing my essay for English," said Angelica. But no mention of emotions. I couldn't read either of their expressions either. 

I tried something that always worked. I leaned in close across the table, and whispered in their ears, "Seagulls." 

Juliana appeared to smile. But it seemed, artificial. "Oh, I remember our time at the beach. That was fun." Angelica gave the same artificial smile and nodded. 

Usually, though, they would crack up laughing and start singing the song and I'd have to remind them to breathe. I missed that. 

For now, I said, "Yeah, it was." 

Juliana and Angelica both went on their phones. I had seen the app they were on. It was called Discover, and was a combined gaming, social media, news and shopping app. I didn't have it. I really don't care. I didn't need another random app in my life. 

They'd both had the app for a while, and so had pretty much everyone. It came out a month ago, and it's been about two weeks since my school had become addicted. Including my friends. 

I went on my phone too. I figure I can scroll through my Instagram for awhile until my friends talk to me. That's when I got a text from Juliana. I chuckled a little. This generation will probably merge with our phones in a few decades. 

I opened the message. 

"Help". 

What?

"Juliana, why did you text me?" I asked. 

"I did not text you," she replied calmly. 

I showed her my phone. She looked at it. 

"I do not recall text you," she said. She checked her phone, "Oh. It says it here on my phone too. But I did not even open the messaging app." 

"Maybe you got hacked?" I guessed. 

"Maybe," she said dismissively, her eyes drifting back to her phone. 

My phone buzzed again. A message from Juliana's contact again, "It's not that kind of hacking. I'm trapped here. Help."