Suburban Island

If You Seek Amy (Josie)

-Josie-

I used to be queen at my school. I was really popular and had many guys crushing on me. Girls wanted to be me. I basked in all of the attention poured on me. I had the grades, great at basketball, great fashion sense, and an awesome boyfriend.

Now, I don't know what to do with myself.

There's nothing for me in Golden Leaf. Most of my friends are gone. They either got eaten up by the forest or fled to the last remaining countries on Earth. I'm just stuck here.

I stared at my computer screen. I've sank this low. A VR café, really? I don't have a choice. We can't go outside before of the rain. Besides, what's the point anymore? Basketball's become boring after playing it every day. I feel like I'm losing my mind.

I am not the only one.

I tried to ignore my mom yelling on her phone. She still has that thing? Phones are useless here. She's talking to nobody on a dead, useless device. Remembering all of that make me feel better about visiting a VR bar today.

"I miss the beach," I typed into the keyboard.

"Why?" Thad the Destroyer asked. My avatar's boobs bounced as she sighed. (Why does she have to be so slutty?)

"I was freer there," I typed. "The sand felt good at my toes. I could feel the breeze in my hair. The gulls sounded great..." I slowed down with my tying. I used to go down to beach every summer. I loved to show off the new swimsuit I bought that year. I would even play in the water just to show off. Yesterday, talking to my boyfriend, Steve, just reminded me of how bad things were.

"Steve," I said in his living room.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"When was the last time you saw the beach?" I asked. Steve turned and looked at me.

"Last night," he said. I frowned at him, shaking my head.

"TV and internet don't count," I said. My boyfriend shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "Why does it matter?" I smacked him on the arm.

"Ow!" he said. "What was that for?"

"You don't get it," I said.

"Get what?" Steve asked. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Forget it," I said. I stood up and walked out of his living room.

"Where are you going?" my boyfriend asked.

"Home," I said.

"Josie..." he said. I slammed the door behind me.

I hit enter on my computer. I heard my avatar's voice as she spoke out my reply. Her squeaky high voice makes me cringe. But, it was the only one that didn't annoy me so much. I might have to rethink my choices.

"You really do miss the beach, don't you?" Thad asked.

"Yeah," I typed.

"Say, can I ask you something?" Thad asked.

"What?" I typed.

"Do you fear that we will be bombed one day?"

"What?"

Thad did another stupid action pose. "There has always been talk about bombing this country because of the trees."

"But that's just a rumor. They wouldn't do that to us. We're still here."

"That might not matter given the situation we're in."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a debate between sparing us and saving places like Canada, Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii. We die if the country is bombed. If nothing happens, we still die. Either way, we are as good as dead."