Chapter 97: It's not that bad

Jeffrey mentioned the website he was working on at SK flowers.

"It's IPv4 and I got the html and css up and running", Jeffrey tried to explain.

Humoring him, the three group project members followed him to the computer room.

Trying to open the door, Jeffrey found it locked. While Jeffrey was busy thinking of where to access a school computer, Dresden and Samantha talked for a little bit.

Samantha shook her head for a moment, but it looked like Dresden convinced her and they went off in a separate direction.

Preston went over to talk to Jeffrey.

"Hey Jeffrey are you really sure about this website stuff... It just sounds so boring", Preston said to him.

Preston remembered the programming summer camp they had attended together. A bunch of kids on ipads using hopscotch, various khanAcademy tutorials, and some basic java script. Afterwards Preston's Mom tried to home school them with one of MIT's new websites scratch and another language called Greenfoot.

By the end of the experience Preston and Jeffrey found themselves pressured into running a class for elementary school students coding a terrible smiley face that ate green sprites to increase the timer. Their AI it seemed did not impress the very energetic elementary kids students.

It was like a scene out of Daddy daycare where they had kids running around and once in a while kicking their shins unable to understand coding.

"The best way to learn is by teaching", Jeffrey's Dad pushed them into the fire.

Meanwhile Samantha and Dresden at the time were having fun at surf camp swallowing copious amounts of sand and seawater. Afterwards however they learned how to surf, play a little basketball, ERS, and played video games in the YMCA lodge's N64 and Game cube consoles.

Honestly, Preston was still unsure how everything unfolded. One day they were in a nice and air conditioned classroom at a community college following instructions. The next day, they must have messed up because they were stuck with a group of 15 kids and giving unclear instructions.

Samantha and Dresden had returned with a janitor. It seems Samantha had quite a few connections with the school administrators.

"Yeah right here!", Dresden said to him.

The janitor pulled out a ring of keys and let them inside.

"Thanks so much for the help.", Dresden walked inside and turned on the lights. The rows of monitors were all black and there was a small amount of dust inside.

Preston went up to a computer and typed in the password. For whatever reason, he was one of the class IT kids and he knew a school administrator account. That way they were now able to download software.

Samantha knew of a way to gain admin access through the computer terminal with something called a root / superroot account, but she was worried about messing with the school program.

Dresden on the other hand wasn't very interested, because he had tutors to help him with his school work and wasn't much for dealing with computer systems.

Finally Jeffrey showed them the website.

There were some gifs and a yellow webpage background, but it definitely felt like a 90s - early 2000s website.

"That's it?", Dresden asked.

"I've got to say it's not that much to look at. I'd rather be playing Poptropica or coolmathgames", Samantha said.

Preston took out a usb and started playing his monkey and bananas Greenfoot game in the background. There was another java file on it called bagel, donut, coffee. There were a few drawing programs in the usb as well.

"I still think we should make a spreadsheet game", Preston suggested.

Preston was a much more proficient coder than Jeffrey. Last time, he made a snake game for the local hackathon or competition.

Dresden was busy getting on his own computer as well, he wrote down the wifi password and started playing some Miniclip and something called csgo source?

"Come on guys this is phase 4!", Jeffrey tried to say enthusiastically.

Dresden patted him on the shoulder, "I know you started this project Jeffrey, but this internet thing looks difficult and I don't even know what we'd do with it."

Samantha had other things to do, like preparing for her piano examination or practicing the trumpet. Jeffrey knew that both Dresden and Samantha had some art background, Samantha in drawing and art. Dresden in photography and some photoshop with digital art.

"Guys I know it doesn't look like much. I'm telling you this is going to be big!", Jeffrey said. Although from the looks of his site, it really wasn't that much compared to things like firefox's browser quest, nitrome games, kongregate or armorgames.

At this moment some other kids started coming in and played games like hex empire, bloons, and learn to fly.

Dresden mentioned, "If you said we could learn to make games maybe I'd be interested. However after the horror stories that Preston told me I don't think we're going to be making any good games soon. Especially since I heard adobe flash is really easy to use, but it takes a lot of knowledge to use."

Shockwave, macromedia / abobe flash, and microsoft silverlight were what major gaming portals like lego used at the time.

"Do you guys really want to be salted fishes all day, swimming in this small cruise ship seawater pool? Just because it's difficult doesn't mean we shouldn't try", Jeffrey tried convincing them.

"Just because it's difficult, doesn't mean it'll pan out", Dresden replied.

Preston and Samantha at least seemed a little more receptive to the idea.

"Let's explore this after we finish our science project presentation", Samantha said. "The county competition is at the YMCA gym and basketball courts. Do you guy all have something nice to wear?"

Samantha was mainly looking at Jeffrey and Preston. Jeffrey's idea of something nice to wear was a comfy hoodie jacket or sweatshirt. Preston on the other hand wore whatever his Dad picked for him, sport hats, plaid socks, and one time a tweed sweater vest.

Samantha although usually dressed in a t-shirt and pants, always dressed well for concert performances. Dresden's parents were tailors so he always had good clothes when he needed it.

Preston said, "uhh...."

Jeffrey added, "we'll get back to you on that" and started a side conversation with Preston

Dresden shook his head, switching over to a lego city game, on some other tabs were power miners, alpha team, and high tea.

Samantha just played some basic windows game, paintball, pinball, minesweeper, and hearts.

Jeffrey whispered to Preston, "Are we going with your Mom or my Dad?"

Preston leaned over and said, "let's go with your Dad. My mom's busy this weekend."

Jeffrey replied, "You know that means we're going to visit the art museum as well right?"

Preston shrugged his shoulder, "Still better than the opera and concerts we fell asleep at last time. He's getting better, I liked the play we attended last time."

Jeffrey put his hands over his face, Preston was hopeless. His friend had joined the dark side, although he was probably more on his mom's side. To Jeffrey his mom was the cool one that took them to movie theaters, skiing and good restaurants.

Jeffrey's Dad liked hiking, spending hours reading on a park bench, shopping for clothes to the point even his two sisters got bored, and art museums.

"Hey you guys, this weekend Jeffrey's Dad going to take us places. Anyone else wants to come?", Preston offered to Samantha and Dresden.

"I can't", Samantha replied. The last time Samantha met up with Jeffrey's Dad, Jeffrey tricked her saying they'd get hot dogs at the baseball game. Turns out the baseball game was with them as the players and having to grill their own hot dogs. Jeffrey's mom and sister went with Preston's mom to the actual baseball game.

Dresden followed Samantha in the group, she was a sort of weather vane for their group. So he declined as well.

"Looks like it's just us then Jeffrey", Preston said with a smile.

That smile looked very malicious to Jeffrey, "Oh no, I'm stuck with these two again".

Preston and Jeffrey's Dad had very similar personalities. They both loved looking at art, thankfully Jeffrey at least had his personal hobby of reading books. It was the only way he was able to survive the boredom of staring at paintings for 3 to 4 hours at the museum.

What usually made it worse was that his Mom and sisters would sneak over to the amusement park, swimming pool, or the aquarium. Life was really unfair.