Jace walked across the bland-looking living room to an archway, leading into the kitchen. He walked over to the counter where sat a coffee pot, whirring with electricity to keep the filled, glass pot relatively warm. Next to it was a little note, from his mother who already left for work, wishing a good day at school-- general mom stuff. He just crinkled it up and threw it in the trash.
He poured himself a cup and went to a small table by a window, where he could still look over at the billboard he saw from his room. He just shook his head and pulled down the blinds to block his view of it. He sat there, quietly sipping his coffee he stared at a picture in a broken frame sitting in the middle of the table.
It was of him when he was little, behind him was his mom and what he could only guess was his father. He couldn't tell who it was with the portion where his face would've been had been ripped off. He was told, by his mother, that his father died just a couple years after Jace was born. That's probably why he doesn't have many memories of him. It's also the reason they live in a run-down apartment.
The picture oddly reminded him of the figures from the nightmare he had. He couldn't stand to look at the picture when that came to mind. He laid the frame down to cover it.
He glanced over at the clock on the wall, realizing how little time he had left. He was going to be late. Quickly chugging the rest of his drink, he rushed over to the door, grabbed his jacket and backpack and rushed out, locking the deadbolt behind him.
He waited at the corner for a couple minutes, waiting as his friend jogged to where he was standing. Jace cared for Elijah, the only other person he knows who shares the same opinion on the "miracle" Chip epidemic.
"Hey sorry for making you wait! My alarm clock never went off." Elijah huffed, trying to regain his breath.
"No worries, man." He debated whether to tell Elijah about the dream he had that morning, but decided just to keep it to himself for now. "I just got here not too long ago, myself. So you're all good."
Since they started high school, they've always walked together to get there. They met each other online playing their favorite game; Future's Gone. It wasn't until they found out they were in the same school, the same grade, and coincidentally neighboring lockers in the hallway, they became close friends.
When they got to the school, they would do the usual; put their things away in their lockers and grabbed the notebooks they needed and headed off to class. They were approached by another figure.
"Hey, guys!" Her voice was light.
"Hey, Lori. How was your weekend?" Jace asked, hugging her. They had been together for about a year and a half. She kissed him on the cheek.
"It was okay... Boring without you though...~"
"Okay get a room if you two are gonna flirt, man!" Elijah jutted in, jokingly. They laughed and Jace waved his friend off and they all went to class. Jace, fortunately, had the same first two classes with Lori, so it made it easier to walk her to class. Unfortunately, she, like the others at the school, didn't share the same opinion on the Chip. She also went through the surgery, again, like the others.
They had been together for so long it didn't bother him, despite his view on it. Besides, it was her body, so he didn't have a say in what she did to it. They went through the door and let go of each others' hand and went to their seats in the class, casually making faces across the room.
Jace made it through the day, reuniting at his locker with Elijah and Lori, just before an assembly was about to be held. They did this to make sure they scored a spot close together.
They watched as a crowd of people marched in the direction of the auditorium, all while joking and messing around. When they saw the last couple people pass by, they merged with the crowd and followed them to the assembly.
They sat in a line with Jace in the middle of the three, Lori on the right and Elijah on the left staring blankly at the stage where stood the vice principal, in a dark blazer and a podium in front of him. He lightly tapped the microphone before he spoke.
"Hello, everyone, welcome to this special assembly, where I'm proud to announce this year, alone, we received a major increase in test results all over the school in the state skills exams, great job you guys!"
"Yeah, only for the Chips in everyone's head..." Elijah snickered. Jace nodded with a grin and a silent chuckle.
"Hey! Not everyone uses it to cheat!" Lori tugged on Jace's sleeve to grab his attention. "I heard that some teachers were able to program a detection device in their own Chips blocking the ability to cheat!"
"But that's just a rumor, Lori. There's a chance it's completely make-believe."
Lori went into a pout before Jace tried to comfort her. "C'mon, I know you wouldn't. You're not a person who's low enough too." She gave a sarcastic smile and nodded.
"But still, It's almost like he's totally oblivious to the entire existence of them."
"Hey, he's lucky if he is. Sucks I have to wake up to a stupid billboard advertising the damn thing." Elijah nodded.
After the assembly, which to Jace it felt like forever, it was time for them to go home. All three of them all walk together after school, mainly because in the morning Lori has open gym she goes to.
They continue to walk until they reach the corner where Elijah normally breaks away and heads on his own way. Lori and Jace just keep going after they wave him off and eventually reach the apartment complex they both lived in. Lori lived just a couple doors from his apartment, but he usually walks her to her door before leaving for his.
They squeeze each other's hand and share a small kiss before she enters the apartment leaving Jace at the door.
