My Virtual Darcy 🏆 2021 Wattys Shortlister

9 - Smiles

"42."

Bahiriya nudged me towards the left counter, behind which a girl with crimson box braids was calling my ticket number.

The headache had come back Thursday morning, dizzying me for hours. First, I had blamed Mr. Collins, and the drowsy sermons he had showered us with since his arrival at Longbourn. But even after skipping through his scenes yesterday night, the pain hadn't subsided.

The Internet had stayed silent on the subject of migraines and their possible link with the Bridge. On Amy's advice, I had contacted Edward, to no avail. He had never experienced anything similar.

A call for help on social networks had led me to meet my classmate on a busy Saturday morning, at the Montreal InfiCorner. The store occupied the first floor of the building that was home to InfiCorp headquarters. Three sides of the square area were glass panels, letting in the natural light and allowing it to shine upon the white and silver shelves. A gigantic wooden counter, behind which twenty-ish InfiWizards were lined up and ready to repair faulty devices, and a dozen tills, stretched in front of the only wall.

"Hi. How can I help you, today?"

Through the high-pitched beep that had reverberated inside my skull since the wake-up, I discerned the girl's voice, battling to be heard above the crowd's noise.

"Hello. I have had these splitting headaches since I received my Bridge a few weeks ago. My friend said she suffered from them too, but she came here and her device was fixed?"

The InfiWizard's brows furrowed. "I've never heard of anything like that. Do you remember who assisted you?"

Bahiriya whipped her head left and right, before shaking it. "A blond dude helped me. Heart-shaped face, brown eyes, snub-nosed. About one meter eighty, maximum seventy kilos. Thin lips, lopsided smile. Hair porn. Blushes a lot."

"I think I know the guy. Please excuse me for a moment."

After she disappeared behind a staff-only door, I nudged Bahiriya. "That's an awful amount of details."

She winked and went to browse the robot vacuums section of the shop. "He was awfully cute."

Indeed, the man who took my InfiWizard's place behind the counter was charming, with his boyish looks and disheveled hair. The aforementioned blush spread on his cheeks as he greeted me. "Hello. My name is Theo. I'm told you have headaches?"

"Hello. Yes. It's not every time I use the Bridge, but I had never experienced such intense migraines before."

Theo nodded. "Could you put on your Bridge, please?"

Once the disc was applied to my temple, he checked the one on his face and typed on a tablet. A message appeared in my field of vision.

Requiring root access. Confirm?

Theo peeped at me, his brow raised in silent questioning.

"Yes, I'll allow it."

While he worked on my issue, I turned back to look for Bahiriya, and spotted her near the personal assistants. She was teaching a robot how to fist bump, grinning as her pupil mimicked an explosion with its mechanical hand.

Silence fell in the room, both relieving and frightening me.

"Theo? I can't hear anything."

He jumped up, his eyes wide, and he motioned for me to lower my voice. I glanced at the other InfiWizards and customers, and quite a few of them were glaring, startled by my loud statement.

The hubbub of the crowd filled my ears, each discussion's volume increasing gradually like a radio being fine-tuned, until at last, the babble of conversation was back to normal.