Selfie

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"Take a moment to ask yourself if you're truly happy with the way your life is going. Are you living your dream life? If you're like most people, you answered no but what if I said you could start living your dream with just a click of a button? Good news, you can! Download Selfie today to start living your dream! Oh, and did I mention it's free? Download Selfie today! Terms and conditions may apply."
Diana looked up from the crumpled piece of paper in her hand as an ad for a self help app started playing on the TV.
She glanced around her room. There were clothes on the floor, art supplies and loose papers scattered across the desk, her bed was unmade, the trash can was overflowing and she was sitting in a pile of ripped up sketches.
Diana chuckled to herself, "Maybe this is a sign."
Diana pulled out her phone and downloaded Selfie. She opened the app and spent a few seconds lazily skimming the long list the terms and conditions before clicking accept.
"Congratulations! You are ready to start living your dream life!" Said a voice on the app Diana had just downloaded. "Step one: drink a glass of water."
Diana laughed, "This is stupid, who needs to be reminded to drink water? I drink water all the time..." She paused as her eyes caught the pile of soda cans littering the floor around the trash can and she realized she couldn't remember the last time she drank a glass of pure water.
Diana dragged herself out of bed and got a glass of water from the kitchen. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was until she finished the glass.
"Congratulations!" Selfie chimed, "Your next task is to clean your room."
"How did you know my room was a mess?" Diana asked.
"I know everything," Selfie replied.
Diana shivered, she hadn't expected Selfie to actually reply but it was right her room did need clean.

Two hours later Diana was standing in the middle of her bedroom. It was cleaner than it had been in months, maybe even years.
"Congratulations!" Selfie chimed. "Your next task is to make dinner for you and your family."
Diana walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
"How about you make lasagna, your parents would love that." Selfie suggests.
Diana smiles. On her parents first date they ate dinner at this fancy Italian restaurant, her mom ordered spaghetti and her dad ordered risotto but their meals got switched up and they ended up getting lasagna instead. They said it was the best meal they had ever eaten and from that day on they always ordered lasagna when they went to Italian restaurants. Of course the app had no way of knowing that but making lasagna was still a cute idea.
Diana hummed a Taylor Swift song as she followed the recipe.
"Sprinkle EXACTLY a half a cup of Parmesan cheese to the top of the lasagna." Selfie instructed.
Diana scoffed, "This recipe is way too specific."
She sprinkled a generous amount of Parmesan on top of the lasagna.
"You did not add EXACTLY a half cup of Parmesan cheese to the top of the lasagna." Selfie warned.
"Whatever," Diana muttered.
The front door opened and Diana heard her mom yell, "I'm home!"
"Hey mom!" Diana greeted her.
"What are you doing?" Diana's mom asked.
"I decided to make dinner for everyone." Diana replied.
"What do you want this time?" Her mom sighed, "Let me guess you broke your phone again and you want me to buy you a new one?"
Diana shook her head, "I just wanted to do everyone a favor."
"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" Diana's mom laughed.
When Diana's dad got home from work he had a similar reaction. Diana brushed it off.
It did hurt to find out how low her parents expectations of her were but how could she blame them when she barely left her room except to go to school?
Diana set the table while the lasagna cooled then they all sat down for dinner "Mmm! This is amazing!" Diana's mom exclaimed as she took a bite.
"Wow I never knew you were such a good cook!" Diana's dad said.
Diana's mom coughed, "Y-you didn't put peanuts in this did you?"
"No! Of course not! I know you're allergic! Who puts peanuts in lasagna anyway?" Diana replies.
Diana's mom gasps and puts a hand to her throat.
"Call 911!" Diana's dad yells.
Diana pulls out her phone and dials 911.

The ambulance arrived less than five minutes later and the EMT put her on a stretcher and wheeled her into the back.

Around 8 AM the next morning the doctors informed Diana and her father that her mom would be okay and she would be able to leave the hospital in two days. Diana's dad drove her back to their house so she could shower and change before school but when Diana's dad walked into the kitchen he saw something that caused him to stop in his tracks. A half open bag of peanuts was sitting on the counter with the rest of the lasagna ingredients.
"I thought you said you didn't add peanuts to the lasagna." Diana's dad said.
"I didn't!" Diana protested. "I don't know how these got here!!"
"Don't lie to me, Diana!!" Diana's dad roared. "Go to your room!"
Diana knew it would be pointless to argue. She knew she didn't put peanuts in the lasagna but she had no way to prove it and with the bag of peanuts sitting on the counter she didn't blame her father for accusing her.
But if I didn't add the peanuts who did? Diana wondered.
After Diana had showered and changed her clothes her dad silently drove her to school. Diana was wearing jeans and a T-shirt with a white cardigan and her black hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. Selfie had advised her to put on some makeup but she ignored the suggestion. It felt wrong to take the time to look nice when her mother was in the hospital because of a meal Diana made.
When Diana got to school she greeted her friends like usual but as soon as she made eye contact with her best friend, Mia she knew something was wrong.
"Are you okay?" Mia asked.
"I'm fine, why?" Diana replied.
"Uh you look..." Mia's voice trailed off and she handed Diana a makeup mirror.
Diana gasped as she saw her reflection. Her hair was matted, her face was covered in dirt, her teeth looked like they hadn't been brushed in years and her clothes wore torn. Diana looked down at her clothes and put a hand on her head. Her ponytail felt normal and her clothes looked fine.
"What is going on with me?" Diana wondered aloud.
Diana's blood ran cold as she heard a voice on her phone. "You should have followed my advice but you did not so you pay the price." Selfie said.
"That's it, I'm deleting this app." Diana said.
She clicked 'delete app' and watched as Selfie disappeared from her home screen.
Diana let out a sigh of relief but the feeling did not last long.
"You should have followed my advice but you did not so you pay the price." Said Selfie, the app Diana had just deleted.
*fading out*
"You should have followed my advice but you did not so you pay the price."
"You should have followed my advice but you did not so you pay the price."
"You should have followed my advice but you did not so you pay the price."

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