Hacker Academy

Until 12

Cold sweat runs down my forehead.

Miss. Tag smiles and walks over to me. She bends over my computer and takes out a mobile scanner. She stares at it, nodding as it processes my score.

"Completed 10%." Miss. Tag nods to herself and goes over to Flash. She scans its computer. She mumbles something I can't hear and faces the students.

"Winning with a completion score of 90% is... Flash!"

The students erupt in wild cheers and hoots. I look at Cyber helplessly, but he turns his face away. The cheering dies down, and Miss. Tag looks at me with mock sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Ada. You're going to have to leave. You have until 12 o'clock."

I don't believe it. Shaking my head, I take up my backpack. As I leave, everyone is staring at me like a specimen at a museum. Turning around, I run away.

I can't go back to New York. Just when I had a chance to keep mom and sister alive. I run to the elevator and get to the dorms as fast as I can. Opening the door, I take out my computer and sit down at my desk. I know what I have to do.

Typing furiously, everything seems to be in a blur. I look at the time on my screen. It's been 10 minutes, and I've hacked 8 assignments.

There's a thundering clank and I jump in fright. I look behind me to see Unix.

"Hey... I just wanted to say thank you for taking my place."

I go back to hacking.

"I'm so sorry!" Unix cries. "I'm so sorry! I didn't think Miss. Tag would really expel you. This is all my fault. I wouldn't blame you if you stopped talking to me-"

I snap. "Hey! I'm trying to focus on hacking here." Unix's eyes are brimming with tears. Closing my eyes, I sigh. "Unix. Don't feel sorry. Besides," my client give me the password and I receive 15 hackcoins. "I have an idea."

"What idea?"

"You'll see," I say. "You should go to Encryption. I'll meet you sometime this afternoon."

Unix agrees and goes to class. Meanwhile, I am hacking my ass off. The one thing I am glad about my failure is Cyber. Now he knows I am an ordinary hacker with absolutely no interest in him or his hacker life.

I breathe in and out. 2 more hours until lunchtime. I had to show Miss. Tag I would be the best student she ever had. And one that would be staying at Hacker Academy.

~

2 hours. 100 assignments. Done. I lay on my desk, exhausted yet also thrilled of what would happen next. As I wait in the cafeteria line, 2 girls in front of me look back and stare at me. I try not to pay attention, but their voices sure are loud.

"Isn't that Ada?" The girl on the right says.

The blond girl on the left nods and cups her hand over her friend's ear. "Yeah, I saw her lose to Flash this morning. She's expelled now."

"Then what's she doing here?"

"Nagging around, being a wannabe hacker."

The girls burst into fits of giggles and snorts. I desperately wanted to punch them, but that would get me expelled for real. After they pay for their food, I purchase my sandwich and go find Unix. The cafeteria is huge, and I have to walk almost an entire circle before finding Unix and Domain sitting at the furthest table from the cafeteria, talking anxiously.

Unix sees me first and runs over to hug me. "Are you okay? What were you doing?"

"What took you so long? I had to stay here just to wait for you," Domain says as he approaches me. "You're going to have to come with me to get you uninstalled from our database." He groans and rubs his eyes. "Crap, I hate doing that."

He grabs and wrist and tugs me along. "Come on 1001. You tried."

"Wait," I pull my hand back. "I can't go."

"And why is that?"

There are gasps from the cafeteria and a swarm of people gather to us, with Miss. Tag walking in front. Unix hides behind me.

"B- Because.." I start. "You can't expel me."

Miss. Tag laughs. "I believe I already have, Ada. You had until 12 o'clock."

My mouth curves into a smile. A light feeling starts to spread through me. "I'm not hacker number 1001 anymore."

Miss. Tag scrunches her eyebrows together. "What do you mean?"

I turn to Domain. "Check the hacker charts."

He silently takes out his phone and checks. Slowly, his eyes grow wide.

"M-Miss. Tag... She's... hacker number 950."

"What," Miss. Tag shakes her head in disbelief. "That's quite absurd. It's only been 2 hours and-"

"You said I had 2 hours to leave. I used 2 hours to rank up." I tilt my head. "You can't expel a hacker number 950. Can you?"

There is a rage of emotions stirring in Miss. Tag. Her eyes are looking everywhere, and she frowns. I clench my fists. I actually have no idea if Miss Tag will accept me even if I am hacker number 950. After a few moments, she gives me a wide smile.

"You have outdone yourself once again. You may stay in Hacker Academy, Ada. I will be looking forward to your many achievements to come."

With that, she turns and walks away. I close my eyes, breathe out, and fall on the cafeteria bench. Unix sits down beside me, rubbing my back.

"You did it! You did it, Ada! You're back in Hacker Academy!"

I look up at Domain. "Glad I didn't have to go through your uninstalling process." He's smirking, but I know underneath all that, he's smiling.

The students that were crowded near us started to clap. Soon, there was a wave of applause, and I was being slapped on the back and showered with praises. I smile and treasure this moment as well as I can.

In my mind, I can see mom and sister smiling.