Riley, Maya, and I were standing by our lockers when Lucas walked past us and sat on a bench. Riley took out her phone and began texting Lucas. Even though I also liked him I still kept my feelings concealed. I'm a guy I'm not supposed to feel this way about another guy so I put my efforts into making sure Riley was happy. "Talk to him." Maya said. "Why?" Riley asked. "We have a great text relationship."
"You know what's a better text relationship?" I asked. "What?" Riley asked. "Talk to him." Maya and I said in unison. Riley's phone made a noise and she looked at it. She showed it to us and then she replied to it. "He's right over there." Maya informed Riley. "No." Riley said. "Too complicated over there. Lots can go wrong over there. The only thing that can go wrong over here is if I go over there." Maya and I looked at Riley before pointing over to where Lucas sat. I took Riley's books from her and She walked over to where Lucas was sitting. She walked behind him and turned to look at us. 'Talk to him' Maya mouthed. Riley turned back to Lucas and Smelled him?. Maya waved Riley back to us.
Riley came back over to us. "How'd I do?" she asked. "You smelled him." I stated giving Riley back her books. "Yep." Riley replied. "You smelled him is what you did." Maya said. "I walk through like the way I walk through life." Riley told us. "Can we please talk about this?" Maya asked. Riley went back to her phone and typed something. I pulled out my phone feeling a vibration. "Nope." I said looking at the message Riley sent before walking into the classroom with Maya.
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"You guys don't connect with each other." Dad started, holding up his phone. "It's like you can't exist without these. You use emoticons instead of emotions. You're an unfeeling generation of zombies." Maya, Riley, and I leaned into each other pretending to be zombies eating each other. "Stop eating each other." Dad commanded. We stopped and the door opened. A girl from the class walked in. "You're late, Miss Myzell." "My goldfish died." she replied monotonously.
"You see this is what I am talking about." Dad said putting his arms around her shoulder. "Miss Myzell has clearly suffered a tragic loss, yet she does not seem in touch with her emotions." "'Scuse me, I am crying my eyes out." she said. "I'm going to have to leave class early." She turned and walked out of the room. "Oh, she actually made it out the door this time." Dad said. "I actually made it out the door this time." she said excitedly as she walked back into the class.
"Dad, adjust and deal. Cell phones have been around since like forever." Riley told our father. "It'll amaze you to know that there was a whole time before you and cell phones." he said. "And it'll amaze you to know that I have three hundred and ninety-four friends in here." Riley said, tapping her phone. "And I'm amazed that you believe that." he said. He walked over to the chalkboard and drew a line. "This is a timeline of all human existence." Dad said pointing to the beginning of the line. "Starting here is everyone who's lived, laughed, loved, and understood the value of life. The cell phone era which begins right around here," he vertical line near the end, "pretty much destroys all that, way to go you."
Lucas raised his hand, "Sir, if I may take a different position." "Save me, Mr. Friar. Do I go too far?" My father asked. "Always, sir." Lucas answered and I nod in agreement. "I understand you point, but I use my phone to video chat my old friends and to find what's going on in Texas." "Yeah, how else can he keep up with all the hoedowns and cattle pageants?" I asked retorically in my best southern accent.
"Kayden." Riley said. "It's okay, Riley. I'm unaffected by Kayden's view of country life." Lucas said. "As my uncle Buster always says, 'Be like an eagle and soar above the mockingbird'." "You're the mockingbird." Maya chimed in. "I know." I said. I turned around making eye contact with Lucas. "It kills me to know I can't get to you." "Sorry, Sir" Lucas apologized, tipping his invisible hat. I turned around giving an aggravated groan. The fact that I couldn't even faze him made me more attracted to him.
Farkle raised his hand and asked, "Farkle time, sir?" "Oh, I love Farkle time."My father said. Dad and Farkle switched places. "With all due respects to history, Mr. Matthews, what's important to our generation will be on this side of the timeline." Farkle said. "When Farkle and technology rule and make another one of you." Farkle pulled a hair from Riley's head. "Ow." Riley said. "And another one of you." Farkle said to me as he plucked hair from my head. "Ow." I said. "And another one of you." Farkle said to Maya then plucked a piece of hair from her head too. "Wait, not there's six of us and one of you?" Riley questioned. "That's awesome." Farkle stated. "The future, you can't escape it. I am Farkle!" Farkle and Dad switched back places
"The assignment, you can't escape it. I am teacher." Dad said. "Okay, so this is what we are going to do guys. We are going to split into teams and discover whether or not new technology has made us better people. You'll do presentations on your findings and here's a twist." "No computers." "What?!" Farkle exclaimed. "We're going old school." Dad said. "You're going to do your research at the New York Public Library." "Where?" Maya asked. "And here's another twist because I trust you not at all, give me your cell phones." Dad said. "No!" Riley exclaimed.
"Yeah." Dad said. "Hand them up." He said going around the room collecting the phones. "Thank you, so our teams for this assignment. Maya," Maya opened her arms and Farkle flew into them. "What up?" Farkle asked. Maya pushed him back to his seat. "Kayden, you will be with them." Dad said. "Yeah, dream team." Farkle says high fiving me. "Riley," Dad said. "You two will be with..." He looked at Lucas and Lucas gave him a small waved. "No!"He exclaimed. "No!" Dad said as they looked at each other. The bell rang. "No!" Everyone got up and when Lucas got close enough Cory asked, "Why did you have to come here?"
"Sorry I make you uneasy, sir." Lucas apologized before walking out of the room. "Oh dad, we don't have our phones. What could possibly happen?" Riley asked. Riley walked out of the classroom. "Kayden, you're switching groups. Make sure nothing bad happens." Dad said to me. I flashed him a smile and gave him a thumbs up. "You got it dude." I said and walked out to meat my friends.
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We stood outside of the classroom and suddenly Lucas walked pass. "Hey soaring eagle, are you walking with us to the library tonight?" I asked. "Sure, if that's good with you guys." Lucas replied. "Well seeing as you're Riley's and now Kayden's partner on this assignment. I guess we should find out if it's okay with them." Maya said. "Riley? Kayden?"
Riley said nothing so I spoke for us. "Sure it would be fun." I told him putting my hand on his shoulder. "Thanks Kayden" Lucas said smiling at me. "Riley, any thoughts that might come out in word form?" I asked. "No, because you don't have your phone. So what are you going to do to communicate I wonder." Maya asked. Riley gave us two thumbs up. "Oh look at that, two thumbs up from Riley." Maya said then Riley smiled. "Oh and a smiley face." I added. Lucas gave and adorable laugh before walking off. "Well Goodbye to you too then!" I shout after him.
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We were at the dinner table eating dinner as a family. "It was a good dad and then my friends treated me nicely and then my teacher measured us and then I'm growing and the Jenny Lewis loves me." Auggie said. I looked at him with a confused expression. "I think because I'm growing." I nod and smile ruffling his hair. "It wasn't a good day," Riley said. "and then our friend pulled our hair out and then our friend took my phone." She continued. "And then our teacher was our father." "At least you two are growing." Auggie said. "He's not wrong." I said looking at Riley putting my arm around Auggie.
"Honey, please don't come apart. This is a beautiful opportunity to spend time with your family." Mom told Riley. "Hello Riley, hello Kayden." Auggie said. "How ya doin' buddy?" I asked. "Wanna hear about my day?" he asked. "It was a good day." He started. "Mom." Riley said. "Riley!" I exclaimed, surprised at her rudeness. "Forgive her Auggie. She misses her telephone." Mom said. "Well she can share mine." Auggie said, handing his toy phone to Riley. Riley pressed a button. "The cow goes" "Moo." Auggie said and I chuckled. "You're still my adorable little buddy Augster." I said patting his head and he smiled happily.
"I'm not going to make it." Riley said. "That's what your father thinks." Mom told us. "They can't." Cory stated. "I can." I said raising my hand. "Please don't make him right. It's no good when he is right." Mom said. "She's right." Dad agreed. "Why are you really doing this?" Riley asked him. Mom and Dad looked at eachother. "Because I want you and your friends to become human beings and I believe by doing this you learn to become real human beings." Dad said. A short buzz sounded. "Hey losers, it's Maya." A voice said. "Except her." Dad said.
"Know what? Kayden and I are going to do this." Riley said. "Yeah we are." I said. Riley walked toward the door. "We can make it through this whole thing without making a text or call." She said and pressed the button. "Come on up." Mom and I also stood up. "Of course you can, sweetheart." she said. "You know what you're already a wonderful human being, but every so often little test like this are going to come up." Mom informed us. "Why?" I asked. "Because it's your father's job to give you little tests and maybe along the way you're going to learn a little more about yourselves." She explained to me.
The front door opened. "Yeah, like I've learned that I'm actually okay with all of this." Maya said walking in."You don't miss you phone, Maya?" Mom asked her. "I was the only one in class without a smartphone and now I feel like everyone's even." Maya explained. The buzzer went off again, "Farkle." A voice said. "Be ready in a minute." I called out. It buzzed again, "And Lucas." "Ready now." Riley said. She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door. We grabbed our jackets and left.
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We got to the library and started looking around. "What is this place?" Riley asked. "This is where the ancients stored all of their wisdom." Farkle said."Look at all of those." Maya said, looking at the shelves that held books. "Books." I said. "Books." Maya and Riley repeated. Lucas grabbed one of the books. "Look." he said. He blew on the cover and dust flew off. "Tales of Human Interaction."
"We'll take it." Maya said, taking the book. "Thanks quick draw." Maya walked over to a table and dropped the book on it. She then passed it to Farkle. "Farkle, do whatever you do with that." Maya said sitting down. "You mean read." Farkle said. Farkle opened the book. "Chapter one." "I'm bored out of my mind. Let's go to a movie." Maya said. "Sh!" The librarian said. We all turned to look at her.
"There's one of the ancients now." Farkle said pointing at the librarian"Oh wondrous gatekeeper of knowledge, we are travelers from another time and place." "7th grade middle school." Riley informed her. "We wish to partake of this information from your gate of wisdom." Farkle explained.
"Do you rent phones?" Riley asked. The librarian shushed us again. "There's no one here, but us." Lucas said. "Why do we have to shush?" Maya asked. "You're not suppose to talk in a library." I told them. "Let me handle this Maya." Farkle said.,"She obviously likes it quiet." I laughed at my goofy flirtatious best friend. "Hello book lady."
"Well hello." she replied. "And who might you be?" "I might be Farkle." Farkle replied. "Would you do me a favor?" she asked. "Oh, you know I will." Farkle said. "Why don't you go over there," she said pointing to a table, "and shh." "Well that's disappointing." Farkle commented. Maya grabbed his arm and pulled him back over to the table. Left standing was Riley, Lucas, and I. Neither of them said a word so I decided to break the silence.
"So." I said. "Yeah." Lucas said. "Uh huh." Riley said. We all looked at each other awkwardly.
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We were sitting at one of the tables with books all around us. "My dad thinks that we have no idea how to talk to each other." Riley told Lucas. "What if he's right?" Lucas questioned. The librarian shushed them. "But we're not saying anything." "I know." she said. "Then why are you shushing us?" Riley asked. "Because I can't take it anymore." the librarian admitted. "You guys are hopeless. Come here." She motioned for Riley to come over to her.
Riley walked away and I turned to Lucas. "You like her don't you?" I asked him. "I don't know I just met her." He said. "Why?" He asked. "I don't know you just act so awkward around Riley but so comfortable around the rest of us. " I said. "Well, you're just easy to talk to." He said look at me with a smile. If I didn't know any better I would say he was flirting with me. "Thanks, Cowboy." I said returning his smile. Riley walked back over to us.
"Hi." she said. "Hi." We replied. We went back to reading the books on the table. "So Lucas, what do you miss about Texas." I asked braking the silence once again. "I guess the thing I miss most about Texas are the pets I used to have." Lucas told her. "We had a hamster." Riley said. "I had twenty-four horses." Lucas said.
"You win." Riley said. "Tell me about them." I said interested in the words coming out of his mouth. "One day after school, Sophia was falling." Lucas said. "That means she was giving birth, right?" I guessed. "Not to bad, city boy." Lucas commented and Riley laughed. "And there was no one there so I called Dr. Colanda and he talked me through it. Anyways that was all." Lucas said. "More." Riley said. "Did you know that a baby horse stands in the first hours after it's born?" Lucas asked. "Yes." I answered. "Really?" Riley asked. "I'd like to be there for that." I said looking at him. "The coolest thing I've ever seen and I was a part of it." Lucas said. "Riley. Kayden" "Lucas." Riley and I replied in unison. "I've only told this to one other person." Lucas told us.
"Yeah." Riley replied. "I think one day I might want to be a veterinarian." Lucas told us. "That's really cool Lucas." I said. "I delivered this beautiful Palomino. I'd show you her picture, but I don't have my phone." Lucas said. "That's okay just keep talking." I told him. We just looked at each other for a minute. We stared into each others eyes until Riley asked more about his Texas life. The way Lucas's eyes lit up with passion when he talked about the things he loved, How he loved and cares for people and animals, and his ambition attracted me to him.
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I opened the door and closed it once we both got inside. Riley leaned against the door with a dreamy look on her face. "How was your night, Riley?" Dad asked. "Thank you for sending us to the library." Riley thanked our dad. "Yeah, it was really cool." I added. "Really?" Dad questioned in disbelief. "Yes, Lucas, Kayden, and I did really well on the assignment." Riley said as we walked further into the apartment. "I think that we connected." I added.
"What do you mean connected? What are you talking about? How did you connect?" Dad asked. "We talked about stuff that was important to us. Too important to text." Riley said. "Did you know that when you listen to someone, they'll tell you stuff." She continued. "Oh boy." Dad commented.
"Friends talk to each other. But real friends listen. Maya knows how to draw and I know how to be a real friend. Plus Lucas isn't such a bad guy after all." I said to my father. "You're a good teacher, dad." We told him. "You can keep my phone for as long as you want." Riley said and we both gave him a hug. Me and Riley said goodnight and went to our seperate rooms. I spent all night thinking about Lucas.
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"Here you go take your phones, take it now very good." Dad said handing Riley and I our phones. "Here's your phone." He said handing Maya hers. "Good, great. Nobody talks to nobody, no more feelings, thank you." he said. "Okay guys, the great technology debate. Let's boot it up." Dad said. Riley, Maya, Farkle, Lucas, and I all got up. We then walked to the front of the room.
"I always believe that technology would help us fulfill our potential as a species, but when Farkle does rule the world no matter what devices we come up with we should never forget what we can do with a pencil, a piece of paper, and our own imagination." Farkle said putting his phone away grabbing a piece of paper. The paper was a drawing done by Maya. "I've been keeping this in my pocket where my phone used to be. I keep looking at it." I'm fine." Farkle said then turned to look at Maya.
"Thanks Farkle." Maya thanked him. "Look it my eyes." Farkle pleaded. "No." Maya said. "I thought my whole life was in my phone, but it turned out that I don't have any friends in here and you don't need your phone to connect with your real friends." Riley said. "Allow us to demonstrate." Lucas said. "Hi." Riley said to Lucas. "Hi." he replied facing her who was infront of me but looking into my eyes.
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Maya and walked into the Library because my father said he wanted to meet with us in private. We patiently waited by the bookshelf.
My dad then pushed the book to the other side of the bookshelf. "Maya's not that tall." I pointed out making eye contact with my dad. Then he pushed aside some books that we too low. "Really?" Maya asked. He pushed the books over to an where the both of us were. "How ya doin?" We both said.
"You two will keep an eye on Riley at all times." Dad started. "You two will send me message alerts, you two will send me pictures." He listed. "You're really scared, aren't you pops?" I asked him. "I'm her father." He told us. "Yeah, trust me they're just friends." Maya reasoned with him."Believe me, I know the story." Dad told us. "But you're forgetting, I don't have the technology." Maya informed him. "Now you do." He said placing two smartphone boxes on the bookshelf.
"You got us phones?" Maya asked. "Sweet a new phone." I said grabbing it. My motives are completely selfish." He said. "I'm not sure they are, Mr. Matthews." Maya told him. "Well, I also got you these." He said pulling colored pencils out his jacket. "Colored pencils." Maya said. "Kayden I got you this because of your new found love for writing." He said pulling out a journal. "A journal?" I asked him. Dad nodded. "You two let me know everything that's going on with Riley. And if something beautiful happens, paint me a picture, or write me a song or story." Dad said.
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Journal Entry One:
I learned today that we can't allow technology to turn us in to unfeeling zombie. We have to communicate face to face to learn things about ourselves and each other. I learned how to not only be a better friend and brother but also a better person. I also learned that no matter how much I like Lucas I love Riley more.
- Kayden Matthews 🖤