Hacker Academy

Bad Habits

I've never been one for sleepovers. One time I went to one just to fit in with the girls at school, but all they talked about were boys, celebrities, and trends. I hated every second of it. Unix trying to squeeze every bit of information out of me is no exception.

"So you walked back with hacker number 1? Oh my gosh!" She puts her hands on her face and falls backwards on her bed

"It's not like that," I say.

Really, all I did was follow behind hacker number 1 until we got to Hacker Academy. And I rushed back to the dorm before he had a chance to question me again. I tell all of this to Unix, yet she still doesn't believe me.

"I'm so jealous you got alone time with him. So did you make a move or what?" She's prancing on the bed and it seems like she's going to make a move.

"No. The only reason I walked with him was because I was lost."

Unix rolls her eyes and opens a Pocky. I try and change the subject.
"Are we going somewhere tomorrow?"

"Yeah," she says with her mouth full of sticks. I try to stifle my laughter.

"We're going grocery shopping tomorrow. With Domain."

My eyebrows scrunch. "Domain too?"

She chirps happily. "Of course! I usually go shopping with him to make sure he stays healthy. Otherwise all he does is stock on beer."

I look around Unix's side of the room that is covered in empty chip bags and pop cans. Yeah, who's supervising who?

Unix yawns and crawls into her bed. "Sorry we left you behind," she pauses before snickering, most likely thinking about hacker number 1 and imagining things that did not happen at all. "See you tomorrow."

I say goodnight.

The covers are warm and light, and I almost doze off, but Unix snores like a choking hippo. I get up and open my computer.

~

"This is like trying to wake a bear from hibernation."

I groan and turn to the other side. Then I realize it was Domain's voice. I sit straight up. In front of me is Unix smiling, and Domain with his arms crossed.
"Who gave sleeping pills to Sleeping Beauty?"
"Bug off," I say.

Groggily, I get off the bed and go to the sink to wash my face.

"Someone's in a bad mood."

"That's how she is in the mornings."

"But you're inhuman to be that cheery in the mornings-"

"And you're always cynical no matter what time of the day," I interrupt. I turn around and look at Domain. "And what are you doing in our dorm, anyways?"

He raises his hands and acts offended.

"Excuse me 1000, I've been waiting 30 minutes for you to wake up."

My cheeks burn and I close the bathroom door. Then I see Domain and Unix standing across the room in clear view. I remember the bathroom is transparent.

"Get out!"

I walk out of the academy for the second time this week, and the air is chilly, and the skies are gloomy. Leaves scatter about the sidewalks. I lift my hoodie over my head and bury my hands in my pockets. There seems to be lesser people outside than yesterday, most probably because of the weather.

This time, the walk was shorter than to the mall. In front of me stands a high cylinder building made entirely out of glass. The sun reflects off of the transparent panes and the whole building shines like a diamond.

The inside is freezing cold, and I'm glad I'm wearing my dark red hoodie and black leather jacket. Unix is wearing her Inuit suit again, and Domain is dressed in a t-shirt. It's like a refrigerator in here. Hundreds of people are waiting in lines. There are 10 lines, and we go to the 9th one because the line looks a little bit shorter than the rest.

At the end of each line is a big screen attached to the wall. Beside each screen is a glass chute. I watch a person tap something on the screen, and all of a sudden there are loud whirring and churning sounds from the ceiling, and fruits come falling through the glass chute. It hovers in midair just before coming to a splat, and the person takes the fruits, enters something on the screen, and walks away.

That is cool.

"Let's see..." Unix puts a finger to her chin. "We need Pocky, chips, instant noodles-"

"And beer," adds Domain.

Unix shakes her head. "No, no beer. We need coke." She turns around and smiles at me. "What do you think we need, Ada?"

I want to say she needs help, but shrug. "Fruits and frozen food."

Unix bounces. "Why didn't I think of that? Thanks Ada!"

All I do is pull the sleeves of my hoodie so my hands don't freeze. The two of them start a conversation about what they should buy and what's within their budget. I stand in line and wait.

The line slowly disappears, and finally we can order. The three of us approach the screen, and Unix swipes to the right. The screen comes to life.

"Please swipe your citizen ID."

Unix swipes her card. Her name appears. "Welcome, Unix."

Then we are presented with 6 categories. Vegetables and Fruits, Grain, Dairy, Poultry, Junk Food, Beverages. Instantly Unix taps the Junk Food category. Domain cuts in.

"Hold up." He presses BACK and we're back to the 6 choices. He enters Beverages.

"The only thing I'm buying from Beverages is soda, and you know that!" Unix shouts.

Domain groans. "And my beer?"

"Your beer isn't worth my Hackcoins."

"Oh, and your nutritious food diet is?"

I look behind us and see people growing impatient. If I were them and saw a bunch of teenagers holding up the line bickering on choosing between soda and beer, I'd be pissed too. I sigh, and cut between the two.

"Guys, guys. Hold up." I point at Domain. "You're not getting your beer 'cause your room reeks of it." I point at Unix. "I'm sick and tired of drinking cola every day." I swipe to the right, and select water. The price of it increases as I add the quantity of bottles to 10. Then I go through each category and buy at least 3 of each. Each time I confirm the items, the ceiling starts to hammer and the items drop down. When I finish choosing, I press the red square button on the screen that says DONE.

"Your total is 90 Hackcoins. Thank you Unix. Have a nice day."

When I step outside, I realize how cold it is in the store. I have never been so relieved to leave a place.

"That's probably the most expensive trip we've ever made there. And the most healthy..." Domain mutters.

Unix is grinning. "I think it's a win-win for all of us. Thanks Ada."

I make a nod of approval. We give Domain a few bags of groceries, and we grab ours and head for our dorm. Upon entering the door, Unix drops the bags of groceries on the floor and climbs into her bed.
"I'm so... Tired," she mumbles.

By the time I finish packing everything away Unix is snoring. I chuckle, and sit in my chair and open my computer.

Back to hacking.