𝑇𝑊𝐼𝑁 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸 𝑀𝐴𝑇𝑅𝐸𝑆𝑆 / 𝐽.𝐵.𝑅

HIGH HACKER

Alex was sprawled out on her bed, laptop resting on her stomach, eyes half-lidded as she stared at the screen. Her fingers were still moving, though, tapping away at the keyboard with precision, despite the haze clouding her mind. She let out a low chuckle, shaking her head at her own thoughts.

John B and JJ were seated at the foot of her bed, their eyes darting between each other and Alex. They had come back to her house, ready to dive deeper into the mess they were in. What they hadn't been ready for was Alex, in her current state.

"You sure she's good?" JJ whispered to John B, leaning in closer as he kept his eyes on her.

John B glanced at Alex, frowning a little. "I mean... she's still hacking, isn't she?"

"Bro, she's high as a kite."

Alex snorted, still typing away without even looking at them. "I can hear you, you know. I'm right here." She tapped her temple. "Sharp as ever. Just... more chill."

JJ raised an eyebrow, leaning back on his hands. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Alex's grin widened, and she wiggled her fingers dramatically over the keys like she was performing some kind of magic trick. "Observe, my dear Pogues. Behold the power of the stoned hacker."

With a few more taps, the screen flashed, and she cracked open yet another encrypted file. "See? Easy."

JJ let out a low whistle. "Alright, I stand corrected. I guess being high doesn't mess with your superpowers."

Alex giggled, her laugh lazy and a little too loud. "Superpowers? Please, JJ. I'm no superhero. I'm just a girl with a laptop... and a minor weed habit." She glanced up at him, her smile playful. "And don't act like you've never been high. I've seen you at those bonfires. You think I didn't notice?"

JJ grinned back, unbothered. "Fair point. But you're hacking government files while high. That's next level."

John B was rubbing his temples, clearly trying to stay focused. "Alright, can we please stick to the plan? We're kind of in the middle of something huge here."

Alex gave him a lazy salute. "Aye, aye, Captain." She cleared her throat dramatically. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah, cracking open some juicy secrets."

As she worked, her mind kept wandering, but her fingers stayed steady. Every few minutes, she'd blurt out some random thought that had nothing to do with what they were doing.

"You ever think about how weird it is that dogs can't talk? Like, what would they even say? Probably some deep stuff. Or just, 'Feed me.'" She giggled again. "I mean, think about it. They're around us all day, just watching."

John B looked like he was about to lose it. "Alex."

"What?" she said, feigning innocence. "It's a valid thought."

JJ burst out laughing, clearly enjoying this far too much. "Bro, I'm loving this. We should let her hack high all the time."

Alex shot him finger guns. "See? JJ gets it."

But even through her haze, Alex was still making progress. She cracked open another file, then another. The information was starting to pile up-names, dates, accounts, and transactions all pointing to something bigger. She wasn't just piecing together a puzzle anymore; she was building an entire web of connections, and it was leading them deeper into the truth.

"There's so much money tied up in this," she muttered, her voice more serious now. "Like, ridiculous amounts of money. Whoever's behind this... they've been moving it around for years. Offshore accounts, dummy corporations, all the classic tricks."