NINETEEN

Tyler sat at his study table with Claire and I, standing at each side of him, staring intently at the laptop screen before us.

“Look guys, we have been staring at this computer screen for our entire Sunday afternoon, and nothing has happened. I don't think anyone is going to view this.”

Tyler and Claire turned to me slowly and the anger in them was clear on their faces.

“If you are going to feed us with your negativity then leave.” Claire said through clenched teeth.

I raised my arms in surrender. “Alright.” I spun around and walked over to Tyler's bed and slumped into it.

A minute later, Tyler yelled in joy, “Hey! We have one view.”

“Yes!” Claire exclaimed, then turning to me she said, “In your face Mr negativity!”

“That was me.” I informed them.

The smile on Claire's face vanished faster than it had appeared. “Ugh!!!” She groaned and threw her head backward so violently that I expected it to fall off her neck to the table and then roll to the floor, but nothing happened. She dragged herself to the bed and threw herself in it, face first.

“I hate to admit it, but I think Jason is right, I don't think anyone is going to view this.” Tyler said as he closed his laptop. “I mean we posted this since last night, and up till now, nothing.”

“You don't expect people to start viewing posts on a blog that started yesterday.” I said.

“Waff nmmpt.” Claire said, that's if those could be classified as words.

“If you want us to understand you, you should probably turn over.” Tyler told her.

Claire turned over in a flash. “Why not?!” She asked. “The blog is named ‘K. C. A's humiliations’, who wouldn't want to see that?! Everyone at school subscribes to Kate Jackson's blog and the name of her blog is ‘Life of Katie’, how does that attract anyone?!!” She immediately returned to her previous position, and then burying her face further into the sheets, she screamed.

“That outburst really doesn't help our situation.” I pointed out in a calm voice.

“I dufft kftt lfftt mmfpt gnmnk sftpft!!” Was Claire's reply. I wondered what she had said but a larger part of me was not interested in finding out the displeased words she had just uttered.

Tyler stood up abruptly with a wide grin,“I have it guys!”

“You have what?” I asked, squinting at him.

“The solution to our problem. Why create a new blog and wait for subscribers when there is an existing blog with all the subscribers we need.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Don't you get it?” The grin on his face was even wider.

“No. I really don't get it.”

“I thought you were smart Jason.” I was about to respond, but he was too excited to let me speak. “We hack Kate Jackson's blog.” he continued, his eyes wide with excitement. “And then we upload the video of Sophia there and all the other videos we plan to upload in the future.”

Claire suddenly stood up, her face almost as bright as Tyler's. “Why are you standing here and not hacking? ”

Tyler's grin dimmed, “I don't know how to hack.”

Claire groaned and returned to burying her face in the sheets.

“I thought you went to some computer training camp two years ago during summer.”

Tyler's grin had faded completely now. “Yes Jason, which is why I know the stuff I know. But they never taught us how to hack and I didn't expect them to.”

“Why not?”

“Because hacking is a criminal offense.”

“Why would you come up with a plan that we can't carry out?”

“At least I came up with a plan, you haven't come up with anything except a more negative attitude!” Tyler retorted.

“I think that is better than raising and then dashing the hopes of a young female high school eleventh grade student who is already frustrated! ” I yelled back.

Just then, Tyler's room door swung open revealing Clarisse. “I made brownies, are you guys interested?”

“No!!” We all yelled in unison. Well Tyler and I yelled in unison, Claire's response sounded more like a muffled scream.

“Alright, there's no need to yell. I will leave and enjoy my amazing brownies by myself.”

“I think I speak for everyone when I say we don't really care.” Tyler replied.

Clarisse left the room but not before making a face at Tyler which he reciprocated.

Tyler joined Claire and I on his bed.

“Don't you know anyone who can hack?”

Tyler rolled his eyes. “No Jason, I do not know any...” his voice trailed off and his eyes widened with excitement.

“What is wrong?”

“I know someone who can hack, Ashley.”

Claire sat up with a bright smile. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I am.”

*~*~*~

“Where is Ashley?!” Claire asked, turning to me.

“Don't look at me, I don't know.” I replied.

“Why not. You guys walk to school together.”

“True, but once we walk through the entrance door, she takes the opposite direction.”

“We have searched everywhere.” Tyler groaned.

We were returning from Ashley's locker which was the first and only place we had searched for her, but we were much too desperate and impatient to realize that at the moment.

“I'm calling her.” Tyler announced and then got busy with his phone. “Hey... Great, you?... Where are you? I came by your locker but... Oh, ok.”

“What did she say?” Claire asked.

“She is near the staircase by the Chemistry laboratory.”

“What is she doing there?”

“How would I know, Claire? I'm standing here with you.”

I let out a little laugh. Claire glanced at me with a venomous look. “Let's just go.” She said and started forward.

The staircase in question was not too far from where we stood, so we got to it in no time.

To my utmost surprise, Ashley stood behind a table covered with a royal blue cloth. It contained stacks of flyers, some of which she was handing out to passers by, and a see through bowl containing buttons that had ‘vote for Ashley’, imprinted on each of them. A banner was taped to the front edges of the table with the words ‘Ashley for Class president’ written boldly on it.

Ashley was running for class president?!!

I glanced at Tyler and Claire who looked more surprised than yours truly. Claire's eyes were as wide as lollipops and Tyler's mouth actually hung open.

There was a reason we were all friends, we most times shared the same thoughts.

After a long period of silence it was obvious that Claire and Tyler were not going to be saying anything soon, so I had to take the baton and step in to fill the awkward silence.

“You're running for class president?” I asked and struggled to smile, but failed.

“Yes.” Ashley replied, unable to hide her relief that someone had finally spoken.

“That's... That's... That's...” I refrained from speaking when I realized that I had repeated the same word three times.

“You did not tell me you were running for class president, why?”

Hallelujah! Tyler had defrosted at the right moment!

“Because you would have talked me out of it.” Ashley replied.

“Exactly!!” Tyler exclaimed. “You're running against Catherine Sanders, it is a complete waste of time and resources.”

“Wow, thanks for the encouraging words Tyler.”

“I am only saying the truth. Harmlessly stating the obvious too.”

“Whatever. I want to do it, so I'm doing it and I will appreciate it if you just support me.”

Tyler put his palms over his face and groaned. “Alright. Who else are you running against?”

“At the beginning of the week, there was Byron Patterson, Jasmine Torres, Caroline Brooks and Alexis Humphrey. But after some press club reports, Alexis had to step down.”

“This is a terrible idea.” Tyler sighed.

“I think it is great that you're running for class president.”

Claire had finally defrosted.

“We need your help with something.” Claire continued.

“What?”

“We need you to hack Kate Jackson's blog.” Claire whispered.

Ashley's eyes widened “What?! Why?!”

“It has to do with the plan we are working on.” I replied.

“I'm sorry, but no.”

“What do you mean no?” Tyler asked, turning swiftly to face her.

“In addition to the fact that it is illegal, I don't want to have anything to do with what you people are doing.”

“C'mon Ashley.” Claire pleaded. “We really need this.”

“I'm sorry, but I can't. Just find someone else.”

Claire sighed and glanced at her phone. I have to go, but please think about it.”

“Don't get your hopes up!” Ashley replied to Claire's retreating figure. Then she turned back to Tyler and I and smiled. “Since you guys are here, you can as well be useful.” She handed Tyler and I some flyers. “Hand these out for me please, and look cheerful.”

Great, we were back to where we started and even worse, we were handing out flyers. Coming to school was already stressful enough, now I had to participate in a campaign.

Ugh!! Friendship!! The blissful burden of every human.