Digital Shadows

Episode 1

Six Months Ago

Maya flung open Leo's room's door. The state of the room made her screw up her face in disgust. Holding her breath to avoid the stench, she barked, "Dude, your room is a total mess! No wonder you can't get a girlfriend!"

Leo's room is a fun mess! Two bright screens light it up, one even has sparkly stars! Movie posters of his favorite heroes hang on the wall, like they're cheering him on. A bunch of glow-in-the-dark stars are scattered on his table, and even more cover the window with famous basketball players. There's a comfy beanbag chair in the corner, perfect for watching movies or napping after basketball practice. His basketball rests beside it, ready for the next game. Clothes are like little lost flags scattered here and there on the floor, and evidence of a recent snack attack lives on - a leftover food plate and a stain on the bedsheet. It might be messy, but you can tell it's a room where Leo has a blast!

"Look, my dating life is none of your business! Just get outta here," Leo spat, annoyance crackling in his voice as he slammed his focus back onto the game.

"Huh! This place is a dump anyway. Who wants to stay here? I'm off to catch a movie with friends, and we're grabbing dinner afterwards. You're welcome to join, but for you information, the place has a dress code called 'basic table manners,' and trust me, you wouldn't want to scare them away with your riveting tales of Pokemon card collecting. Buh-bye, loser!" (She winks and heads for the door.)

"Waitttt.." Leo doubled over, clutching his stomach as laughter erupted from him. "Seriously, Maya? You're going out looking like that? Did you dress in the dark?"

He gestured dramatically at her outfit, focusing on a particularly clashing color combination or a mismatched pattern.

"Don't you have any decent clothes? You're gonna scare the birds away." He winked, adding a playful jab at her sense of style.

Maya, feeling like a pirate with a bad case of eye flu, rocked an eye-patch. Her other eye narrowed as she checked herself out in the mirror. The scarf tied around her head like a bandana completed the look. "This," she declared, puffing out her chest, "is peak fashion. Too bad only cool people get it."

Maya walks out of the room whistling and closes the door.

As Maya's whistling faded down the hallway, Leo jumped into action. His movements were swift and practiced. He rolled his gaming chair closer to the computer, his eyes scanning the screen as he quickly exited the game. His fingers flew across the keyboard, opening a new tab and typing furiously. A tense silence filled the room, broken only by the rhythmic click-clack of the keys.

Leo kept looking at the screen and the door, his brow furrowed in concentration. He mumbled words that sounded like secret codes. His eyes narrowed as he typed in a final command, then leaned back in his chair, exhaling sharply. The screen glowed green for a second, then stopped.

He sat there for a beat longer, his expression unreadable. Then, as if nothing had happened, he swiveled back to his game, a casual smile playing on his lips. But the tension in the air lingered, a silent question hanging heavy in the room "What was Leo hiding?"