Page 45 of Fragments
My hand lingers between the bars, my lips parted without the slightest clue of what to say. I can’t tell him I missed him today, because, I mean, asfriends—I think—and he’ll just take it the wrong way. I can’t tell him I hope I get to see him tomorrow, because I’m not even sure if I do.
It’s a seesaw with us. We’re never just… even.
“35!” Jasper barks, and I flinch. “Let’s go.”
Before I can pull my hand back, Ren places a quick kiss on my fingers. “I want more of this, baby.”
“Ren…” I sigh, shaking my head. “No.”
“If getting my ass kicked means you’ll worry about me, then I’ll take a beating every fucking day.” His mouth curves into one of his wicked smirks, dimples on display.
I huff at his ridiculousness, moving back. “You’re a dumbass.”
“Mm… Don’t be mean.” He pouts. “I’m injured. You should be kissing it better.”
“Okay, now I’m really leaving,” I grunt, releasing the bars, though he holds onto my hand for an extra couple of seconds. “Goodnight, Warren.”
“Goodnight, Lex,” he croons. “And don’t worry… I’m sure you’ll get me out of your head eventually.”
Ugh… Annoying, gorgeous idiot.
Glaring at him, I step back as Jasper grabs me and shoves me up the row. And Ren watches me go… I can feel it.
5 years ago…
Usually, data and software programming can hold my attention better than most things.
It’s my favorite part of attending Berkeley, because it’s what I came here to do. To follow in the footsteps of the great tech geniuses of our time, and more importantly, to have fun doing it.
I’m still not exactly sure what my goal is for after I graduate, but honestly, Silicon Valley is a viable option.
Maybe a startup. Join a team developing apps. Worst-case scenario, I’ll start out running code somewhere and work my way up. But even that sounds like fun to me.
All the different ways to use my powers for good, and make an honest living doing it.
But my side-hustles…thoseare what earned me my nickname.
See, when you’re as good as I am at weaving the worldwide web, you begin to feel sort of limitless. For me, a firewall isn’t so much awall, as it is a door to be opened. And rather effortlessly, I might add.
In high school, I developed a foolproof system for creating fake IDs. It made me pretty popular with my classmates, even if deep down I knew they were only using me. Still, the money was good, not that I necessarily needed it. We were never struggling or anything, but it was helpful in getting ahold of all the parts needed for my machine…
LOIS.
That’s her name.Herbeing the computer I designed in my garage… Lex’s Optimal Intelligence System, aka LOIS. Superman’s girlfriend.
I know, right? I just nerd leveled up, big time.
Needless to say, once I had LOIS on my side, there was no possiblewayI could stop.
Junior year, I accessed the national database to change a bunch of my friends’ SAT scores. After that, I hacked into the UCLA admission’s office to get my friend Jessie in.
That one I did as a sort of romantic gesture. I’d always kind of liked her, but I guess she didn’t see me that way. Even after hacking her into her dream school, all I got was the same ambiguous response I so often got from the opposite sex…
Things like,“You’re such a greatfriend, Lex.”
“I really love having you as afriend.”
“I would never want to do anything to ruin ourfriendship.”
