“Look… it’s probably our best bet. You know very well why I’m saying this.”
“Yeah…”
“Maybe…”
She reached out and held his hand, squeezing it gently. “Well… I’m gonna miss you…“
He looked into her eyes, tears welling up in his. “So am I… but… it is what it is, my princess…”
“But… one last thing… how do we tell them? You know how close the twins are.”
“They’re only four. As much as I hate to say it, I think they’ll forget each other…”
“True… well… I guess this is goodbye.”
“Yeah… I guess so…”
They shared a brief hug, letting go reluctantly. “This is it… the end of our fairy tale…”
|•|•|•|
Eight years later…
“Everyone, we have a new student joining us this year. Please welcome Draco Winters,” the teacher announced. Next to her was a tall boy, around five-foot-six or seven. His brownish-blonde hair seemed to be a constant bother, always falling in his face, nearly covering his green eyes.
The seventh-grade classroom burst into an orchestra of hushed whispers. Some commenting on his hair. Others, on his height, on his outfit choice, on whether or not they wanted to talk with him later on.
“Um… hello everyone. As ma’am said, I’m Draco Winters. I recently moved here because of my father’s job. This school was his Alma Mater, so he decided to send me here.” he said, before pausing to think of his next line. “And… um… I hope to become friends with all of you.”
“Thank you, Draco. You can sit there, behind Amira.” the teacher said, before saying softly, “You remind me of her… those eyes…”
He was confused by her words, but decided to ignore it and go sit down in his new seat. He pulled the chair backwards and sat down. Almost instantaneously, the girl in front turned behind and introduced themselves. Amira Wylde was a tall blonde with similar eyes as him. Just looking at her, he could tell she was very outgoing, opposite to his personality. It seemed she had been studying there since the beginning of middle school. Amira began, “So, just to let you know, bathrooms are downstairs, cafeteria is the building next door, and most importantly, art room is in the first floor, below the classroom.”
He interrupted her, saying, “Why is the art room ‘most important’?”
“Oh… well… that art room was a really special place in my mom’s life. It’s where she met my dad, or something like that. I don’t remember exactly how.”
“What’s your mother like?” Draco asked. He never knew what it was like having a mother. According to his father, his mother passed away in a car crash when he was four.
Amira realized that, maybe, like how her father passed away on a plane crash to a business trip, the same may have happened to his mother. “She’s amazing. She’s a famous author. You may have read some books of hers.”
Draco felt a pang of envy. He wished he had a mother like that. He wondered if his own mother was also artistic. He had a vague memory of her singing to him when he was little, but he couldn’t recall her face or voice clearly. He only knew that she had green eyes, like him.
“Wow, that’s awesome. What’s her name?” Draco asked.
Amira hesitated for a moment. She didn’t know if she should tell him. Her mother was very famous, and she didn’t want him to treat her differently because of that. But she also felt like she could trust him. He seemed nice and genuine.
“Her name is Angelina Wylde,” she said.
“That’s a really nice name.”
“What’s it like having a dad?” Amira asked, thinking, ‘I guess he asked me first…’
Draco smiled and said, “My dad is a great person. He’s a scientist and an inventor. He founded a company called Winters Technologies. He makes all kinds of cool gadgets and devices. He’s also very kind and caring. He always supports me in whatever I do. My mom died when I was four.”
Amira felt a surge of sympathy for him. She knew how hard it was to lose a parent, even though she never knew her father. She also wondered if his dad was the same person she had seen in the news a few days ago. There was a report about a breakthrough invention by Winters Technologies, something to do with artificial intelligence and quantum computing. She remembered seeing a picture of a man with brown hair and blue eyes, holding a device that looked like a futuristic phone.
“Wow, your dad sounds amazing!”
“I know, right? Not to brag, but he’s also a really good artist. He draws most, if not all the concept art himself.”
“Was he the one who invented the Snow AI Phone?”
Draco nodded, his eyes lighting up. “Yeah, he is. He’s been working on it for years. It’s supposed to be the most advanced smartphone ever made. It can do anything you want it to do, and more. It can even talk to you and learn from you. It’s like having your own personal assistant, but smarter and more fun.”
Amira smiled at him and shook her head in mock annoyance. “Alright, alright. No need to brag about it.” But she couldn’t help feeling amazed. She had always been fascinated by technology and science, but she never had the opportunity to learn much about them.
Amira rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Fine, fine. You don’t have to flaunt it.” But she couldn’t deny that she was amazed. She had always been interested in technology and science, but she never had the opportunity to learn much about them.
Her mom was a busy writer, and her dad had passed away when she was little, so she didn’t have any recollections of him. All she knew was that he was an artist, who illustrated her mother’s books. All she had to remember him by was a portrait he had drawn of her on the first page of her sketchbook. A page her mother had carefully attached to the book after her father’s death.
“I hope I could see it for myself someday.” she said longingly.
As soon as she said that, a small ‘beep’ sound came from his pocket. “Hold on, I have to check this.”
He took out his phone and spoke into it. “What’s the notification?”
Amira was astonished when she saw the phone in Draco’s hand. It was the Snow AI Phone, the latest and most advanced smartphone in the market. It was said to have a powerful artificial intelligence that could do almost anything. It was also very costly and rare, only available to a few people.
“You have been missing your sleep. Luna is feeling sleepy too.”
“Luna?” Amira asked, trying not to snicker.
“Luna is Draco’s virtual pet dog. She is a Golden Retriever.” a voice from the phone explained.
“Can you explain more?”
“Snow Sleep is an app for a virtual pet dog that you can name, feed, play with and take care of. The app also uses your sleep data to make your pet sleep when you do, and wake up when you do. The app also gives you tips and reminders to improve your sleep quality and health. It helps you sleep better and take care of your pet. You can also share your pet with your friends. It only works on the Snow AI Phone for now.” the AI explained.
“That’s awesome!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide with curiosity and admiration. “How did you get it? Do you know how lucky you are? That phone is amazing! It can do things that no other phone can do. It can learn from you, talk to you, help you with anything. It can even create a virtual pet for you. That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to try it out. Can I see it? Please?”
“I guess you can… but,” he said, shying away. He stretched his limbs out and let out a huge yawn, before saying, “I’m probably not allowed to take my phone out during class.”
“True…” Amira grumbled.
Draco yawned again, and rubbed his eyes, feeling the weight of his past and his present on his shoulders. He had lost his mother when he was four, and he had never felt at home anywhere. He was a new student at school, and he struggled to fit in. His brownish-blonde hair was a mess, always falling in his face, nearly covering his green eyes. He wished he could sleep, but he had too much to do. He had to study, to make friends, to survive. He had to prove himself, to himself and to others. He had to keep going, even when he felt like giving up.
The girl chuckled lightly. “It was right about your sleep schedule though. But don’t worry. First period is History, and you can catch up on all that missed sleep.”
“That’d be good,” he joked. “but my sleep schedule isn’t as bad as it made it sound.”
|•|•|•|
Draco walked toward the art room, feeling bored and restless. He hated art class, and he hated the teacher, who always gave him low grades and harsh comments. He hated the smell of paint and glue, and the sight of messy tables and ugly drawings. He hated everything about this place, except for one thing: his phone.
His phone was his only source of joy and comfort in this hellhole. It was a gift from his father, who had made it especially for him. It was the latest model, with a sleek design and a powerful performance. It had everything Draco wanted: games, music, videos, social media, and more. It was his precious possession, his secret treasure, his best friend.
He took out his phone from his pocket, and turned it on. He smiled as he saw the bright screen and the familiar icons. He tapped on one of them, and played his favorite song. He put on his earphones, and immersed himself in the music. He forgot about everything else, and felt satisfied.
He didn’t notice the girl who walked into the art room, carrying a backpack and a sketchbook. He didn’t notice her short brownish-blonde hair, her green eyes, or her slightly-tanned skin. He didn’t notice her curious expression, or her friendly smile. He didn’t notice her at all, until she bumped into him.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” Draco snapped, as he felt a jolt of pain in his arm. He looked up, and saw Amira standing in front of him. She had knocked into him, and made him drop his phone. His phone had fallen on the floor, and cracked its screen.
“Oops, I’m sorry!” the girl said, with a sincere apology in her voice. She bent down to pick up his phone, and handed it to him. “Are you okay? Is your phone okay?”
Draco snatched his phone from her hand, and glared at her. He felt a surge of anger and hatred in his chest. She had ruined his phone and his mood. He hated her clumsy gesture, her stupid question, and her annoying voice. He hated her more than anything else in the world.
“What was that for, Amira?!”
“What was that for, Amira?!” Draco shouted, as he examined his phone1. He saw a spiderweb of cracks on the screen, and felt a pang of despair2. His phone was broken, and it was all her fault.
Amira was taken aback by his reaction. She had expected him to be angry, but not this angry. She had hoped he would accept her apology, and maybe even thank her for picking up his phone. She had wanted to be friendly with him, and maybe even become his friend. But now, she saw that he hated her, and she didn’t know why.
“I said I’m sorry, Draco. It was an accident. I didn’t mean to bump into you.” Amira said, trying to calm him down. She felt a mix of emotions in her heart: guilt, confusion, sadness, and anger. She felt guilty for breaking his phone, but she also felt confused by his attitude. She felt sad that he didn’t like her, but she also felt angry that he was being so rude.
“Sorry? Sorry is not enough! Do you have any idea how much this phone cost? Do you have any idea how important this phone is to me? Do you have any idea how much I hate you right now?” Draco said, spitting out the words with venom. He didn’t care about her feelings, or her reasons. He only cared about his phone, and his loss.
Amira felt a surge of indignation in her chest. She couldn’t believe how selfish and mean he was being. He didn’t care about her at all, or anyone else for that matter. He only cared about himself, and his things. He was the worst person she had ever met.
“I don’t care how much your phone cost, or how important it is to you. It’s just a phone, Draco. It’s not your life. And I don’t care how much you hate me right now, because I hate you too. You’re just a jerk, Draco. A big jerk.” Amira said, raising her voice.
Draco and Amira glared at each other, their eyes full of fire and fury. They were about to say more hurtful words to each other, when they heard a loud noise behind them.
They turned around, and saw the teacher standing at the door of the art room. She had heard their argument, and she was not happy.
“What is going on here?” the teacher asked, with a stern expression on her face.
Draco and Amira looked at each other, and then at the teacher. They knew they were in trouble.
She decided to spare them from punishment, since it was their first day. She led them to the classroom and made them sit as far from each other as she could. But Amira caught a glimpse of her mumbling something odd, something puzzling, something about an “Ash and Angie all over again…”
And so, a conflict was sparked. A conflict that would last for years, and change their lives in ways they never imagined. A conflict that would reveal their secrets, their feelings, and their destiny.
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