INSTALOVE

Chapter 15: Crossroads

Chapter 15: Crossroads

E L L I E

I stand at a fork in the gravel pathway, watching Reese's bright blue hair sway in the breeze as she walks away. She ended our conversation abruptly. After issuing her warning about the contents of my InstaCrush column, she simply turned her back and left me standing here without bothering to say goodbye.

Now I stand at a crossroads in more ways than one. The way I see it, I have two choices. I can just imagine the InstaLove Interaction prompt for this:

Oopsies! Reese has discovered your secret hopeless crush! Do you:

A) Cry until your salty tears form a puddle deep enough to drown the cringe-y cringe-y cringe-iness that is your life?

B) Block that entire conversation from your mind and pretend it never happened.

I don't know which option Ellie would choose, but "Lowercase" is going with choice B.

There's an unoccupied bench up ahead and I head for it, plunking down. My visor bounces against my chest. When I woke this morning, I vowed not to use this thing ever again—this $3,000 piece of equipment that I've been drooling over since I first read about it in the tech blogs. You didn't really think I had the willpower to stick to that, did you?

Anyway, I understand the issue with the hazard alerts now. As long as I keep my eyes pointed forward, I'll be safe.

I slip the lenses over my eyes and head for my History screen. Reese's avi sits at the top of my Missed Connections, and I file her away under InstaFriends. The column of friendly beaming faces keeps growing—and so does my IL Score.

1,023

Good going, Lowercase! Your IL score has reached 1,000! You've unlocked the power to invite one of your 6 new Mutual Connections (1 InstaCrush/5 InstaFriends) on a Private InstaQuest. Look around for the Communication Kiosk in your vicinity! [GO]

Oh wow, I guess that IL Score actually means something. There are more layers to this game than I realized. I have no idea what a Private InstaQuest entails... but that's not my immediate focus. There's something else. That word again. Not just connections. Mutual connections.

Does that mean what I think it means?

I need more information. Immediately. With a burst of energy, I rise to my feet and blink at the GO button.

The History screen disappears, replaced by a view of my surroundings. I swivel my head wildly from side to side, searching for any sign of the promised "Communication Kiosk." I take three or four steps forward before I catch myself.

Wow, Ellie. Remember that time, three seconds ago, when I resolved to keep my eyes pointed straight forward? If so, then you have a better memory than I do—because I literally forgot all about it, the moment this app waved something new and shiny in front of my face.

Luckily, there are no stealth swimming pools in the vicinity this time around. But I do catch sight of a metallic gleam over my left shoulder. I keep my head still, groping with my hands for any unseen obstacles as I shuffle my feet around. I'm facing straight ahead now, staring at the object twenty paces down the path. It looks surreal, sitting there. An old school phone booth—like some archeological relic from an 80s movie. I'd almost think it was real, except for the way it shimmers faintly around the edges like a mirage in the desert.

Clearly, augmented reality. Part of the game. It must be the Kiosk... I wonder what will happen if I try to go inside. I take a few halting steps, half-expecting the booth to recede into the distance as I approach, but it stays put. The sparkling light around the edges flares brighter, beckoning me forward until I reach the open phone-booth door.