If you have any questions or comments, PM me
Alright, here’s part 1 of my new story, Toxic! Feel free to criticize my storytelling as you wish. I’m not sure if I like the “anonymous chat” thing at the end of this, that was a bit of a filler lol.
Word count: about 5,400 (brace yourself! lol)
Hazel and Jacob are sitting together on a bench in the garden next to the coffee shop. It’s a windy spring day, and petals fall from the flower trees above them onto their heads as the sun sets behind the bushes. “It would be nice if they would stop making fun of us when they find out that we’re toxic,” Hazel tells Jacob, in a hushed tone.
“I don’t think they will,” Jacob replies softly. “If they went through what we did, then they wouldn’t even try to mess with us. Just don’t worry about it.”
Hazel doesn’t say anything, but holds her head as though she has a headache—one of the side effects of being toxic. She—and Jacob—can manipulate harmful chemicals that no one else can touch, including a clear liquid made of pure radium mixed with other random toxins. The toxins come from their heart and sometimes small (or large) quantities enter their bloodstream, so they regularly experience things like headaches and chest pain—even anxiety. But how did they become toxic? You’ll find that out later.
Jacob shakes the bright pink petals out of his short, light brown hair. He could feel his phone vibrate in his pocket for the third time, but he ignores it, of course—he doesn’t want to answer it in case it’s another heart appointment that he has to go to. Right now, he just wants to hang out with Hazel and not think about anything else. But obviously, he still thinks about it. And he’s been spaced out this whole time, leaving a somewhat awkward silence.
“I just barely qualified for that championship meet,” Hazel says, as if she feels a bit better.
“What events are you going to swim?” Jacob asks, so quickly that it seems like he is using some type of “default response”.
“200 free and 100 fly. That’s it!” Hazel replies, and starts laughing. Jacob only chuckles, as if he doesn’t know what to say. Then she asks in a quiet and concerned tone, “Those toxins are getting to you, too?”
“Yeah,” he says in a shaky voice, looking down so she wouldn’t see his face. “It’s just that…I’m already twenty years old now and all that time has gone by so quickly. I don’t know how much longer I have before I get a heart a—” then he coughs a bit.
Hazel hugs him from the side. “You don’t have to explain, I understand. …And you don’t have to hide your face like that either.”
Jacob holds onto her for a few seconds without saying or moving anything at all. He feels as though he’s being crushed by the thought of leaving his family and friends—and Hazel—behind because of some toxic curse that’s slowly poisoning him. And the worst part is that he can’t do anything about it; he can get that dreaded heart attack at any time. He chokes back tears and hugs onto Hazel even tighter.
“I’m sure there’s a way to keep you here for longer,” she tells him gently.
“I would hope so, but I don’t see how that’s possible,” Jacob replies, finally looking at her.
Hazel stays quiet, and seems to be thinking. “I’ll find a way,” she says confidently.
Jacob doesn’t even bother replying, but simply smiles at her. It’s dark now, and Hazel will probably have to leave soon. Time goes by so quickly, especially when you’re trying to savor it…
………
Jacob opens up the front of his car to attempt to fix an oil leak—being a mechanic, he could fix his own car without paying anyone. The sun just rose in the sky a few minutes ago, and it’s still not very bright yet, but he brought his light-up hat so he doesn’t need the hot sun to make him sweat while he walks back and forth for tools. He just had to go through a three-day hospital visit for lung issues and has been recovering for a week. Now he’s feeling a bit better about things…but is on even more medication. At this rate, he would tell himself, I might as well install a whole medicine cabinet in my bedroom!
He washes the dirt and oil off of his hands with the hose and closes the hood. Then behind him, a portal opens, and he steps in without any thoughts.
“What took you so long?” Hazel asks him, before he can even look around.
“I was fixing my car,” Jacob replies, a bit startled. Hazel smiles.
He is now in a white building with blue light strips and what looks like…cameras everywhere. The doors resemble boat hatches in a way, and there’s one door on every side of him.
“So, to get to the information center, you go this way,” Hazel says, in a lighthearted tone. She opens the hatch and climbs through it, while Jacob quietly follows behind her. The floor is made of metal so you could hear every step they make. They can even hear other people’s footsteps. Hazel and Jacob whisper to each other as they walk. When they get to the front desk, they find the receptionist typing something on her computer.
“Excuse us, but how do we get out of here?” Jacob asks.
“It isn’t quite so simple,” the receptionist replies. “I notice that your file data says you are toxic, and toxic fi—people don’t get out of here so easily. You see, certain toxic people are sent here as a way to avoid heart attacks, but most toxic files—ahem, people become corrupt or encrypted in the process. Even regular people get sent here and still find their interior file corrupted. Only some people are able to stay well while they are here. And I see that your file is not corrupt, so you’re off to a good start! Just make sure no hackers encrypt you.”
Hazel and Jacob space out for a bit. “Encrypted”, “corrupt”, “interior files”—what’s up with this place?
“May I help you with anything else?” The receptionist asks, after a long pause.
“So, if our…interior files are OK, how do we escape?” Jacob replies.
“The only way to escape without getting a heart attack or your file destroyed on your way out,” the receptionist goes on, “Is by finding a mineral called unobtainium—I’ll explain. This mineral has certain qualities that can get the toxins out of your heart while still enabling you to use your powers from another source. But it’s not easy to obtain. I hear that you must get past many trials while keeping your interior file safe in order to obtain it. If your file is corrupted or encrypted, it’s game over for you—you will lose your memory and you will turn to one of those malicious hackers who corrupt other people’s files for a living. …So if escaping is really what you wish to do, then try it. I also noticed that you have a companion, am I correct?”
“Yes, she’s my toxic friend,” Jacob replies.
“Then your chance of survival is doubled,” the receptionist smiles. “By the way, why don’t I scan you too?”
“OK,” Hazel replies.
“You’re all good,” the receptionist tells her. “Is that all you need from me?”
“I…think so,” Jacob says, in a bit of an unsteady tone.
“If you need any more assistance, come back here or call the number 1 on your phone. And if you do decide to try and get the unobtainium—good luck, and watch your interior file. Make sure that nobody is hanging around you or staring at you at all times, and try your best not to stay in one place for too long, especially if someone in the room is using a computer. If you suspect a serious threat, you can put your file on lockdown so that nobody can access it. However, this may give you trouble accessing your previous backups—excuse me, you may forget things, including important information, very quickly. …By the way, you’d want to go in that door behind you and talk to the guy there. I will also give each of you a scanner to take with you in case you suspect malware or a virus. If you do, find an empty room, lock the doors, and call me at number 1. I will help you restore your file back to normal. Again, good luck out there.”
“Thank you,” Jacob smiles, and climbs through the hatch with Hazel behind him. Right now he doesn’t feel like doing any more talking, and wonders if Hazel will do it. But the guy behind this desk immediately looks at him.
“Where do we find that unobtainium?” Jacob asks.
“Oh, the unobtainium,” he replies. “I’m sure the lady in the other room told you about it already. Did she?”
“She did,” Hazel says.
“Great,” he smiles. “She explains things much better than I do. Anyway, in this world, as an incredibly lucky toxic person with a spotless file, you do not trust anybody. And you do not even talk to them. You could simply acknowledge their existence by glancing at them—and I highly encourage observing your surroundings—but don’t stare at them so as to attract attention. One sentence from the hackers and that’s it—they’ve already charmed you with their malicious spell, to say it figuratively. However, in order to reach the unobtainium, you will have to intimidate a hacker called Mal…I think that’s his name, but I’m not really sure. He’s in room #8, which is in the door behind you and then in the door to your right. He usually makes ransomware, which could be a threat to you, if he decides he wants to do that. He’s working on his computer worm skills, which will be a huge threat when he successfully releases one, but he hasn’t been able to complete one yet. So, try to at least seem confident when talking to him, make sure to keep your file safe, and most importantly—survive the tests. Remember—the door behind you and then to the right. There’s a big 8 on top of the door. And also don’t forget that the number for the main receptionist who can fix your corrupting file is 1, and my number is 2, so call me if you need physical assistance or advice. You and your buddy will do great.”
Jacob smiles, then takes a breath. The two open both doors that he said to open, and find someone with a dark hoodie and an all-black outfit sitting behind a computer. He taps his foot to a somewhat unsteady rhythm as he types things on his computer—they can’t see his fingers, but they could hear the keyboard clicks. Although the walls are still white, Mal’s room is dimly lit, with only the blue light strips and a small white ceiling light illuminating the room. Jacob stares at him for a while, but obviously Mal can’t see him. Then Hazel walks out to the side, still keeping a distance, and he immediately stands up and walks out from behind his desk. His face is pale, with green eyes and a few strands of dark brown hair with what appears to be purple streaks falling in his face. He also seems to be about Jacob’s age—so probably about twenty-one or twenty-two.
“So, what do you want?” Mal asks, in a slightly annoyed tone. “Ah, I see. You’ve got your…friend with you.” He walks closer to Hazel, who’s way too nervous, while Jacob quietly creeps up behind him. Jacob holds his arms out a bit, so he could quickly grab Mal’s arm if he tries to do anything with his hands.
“You’re already nervous when all I did is walk towards you?” Mal goes on. “I didn’t realize I’m that terrifying…”
“Just don’t touch her,” Jacob warns. “I’ll get you with my radium and fluorite combo if you do.”
Mal turns around and laughs at him. “I’d love to see you try—when I jailbreak your mind and encrypt your file.”
“We’ve both hacked into our own computers before,” Jacob goes on, a bit confused. “So I bet we could hack into yours.”
“That’s impossible,” Mal snaps. “I’ve equipped my computer with special security software. Nobody can hack me. Besides, if you want me, you’d want my file, not my computer.”
“But we’re not here to capture you, anyway,” Jacob says. “We want that unobtainium.”
“Ah, you’re toxic. I should’ve known just by looking at that hairdo,” Mal sighs. “Well, you are definitely not getting that thing! And…” He pauses for a second. “Well, if you can get past my nearly impossible tests, then you can get it.”
“Wait, before we start this…do I know you?” Jacob asks.
“What do you mean? My only friends are some of the other hackers.”
“But you sound awfully familiar,” Jacob goes on. “You sound just like—”
“You probably knew me as Mi—in my previous life,” Mal says, as though he remembers everything. “But forget about all of your memories with me, because I’m not that good guy you used to know. Anyway, if you want that unobtainium, I have to see what you can do first. And you better keep your eyes on that girl over there, because I need her specifically…” Hazel stands in the same place, confused.
Then Mal turns to her. “Now you know how it feels to be encrypted. You didn’t understand anything we said, did you?”
“No, I didn’t understand anything at all,” she replies in a shaky voice.
“Remember that feeling and watch your file. Because if you cause too much trouble, you’ll be encrypted like that forever. In fact, I’ll encrypt you even more than that. And come to think of it, I’d be disappointed if I had to do that without panicking your friend.” Then he turns to Jacob. “And watch your file, too. I need her, and the only way I can get her is if I can get you first.”
“That’s if you actually get me,” Jacob snaps. He’s trying his best to seem confident, but inside he wants to leave—Mal’s arrogance and somewhat terrifying demeanor has him feeling very nervous. He glares at Jacob sharply and then takes a quick look at his computer.
“This seems to be working,” Hazel tells Jacob, almost inaudibly.
“Right. So I want that girl to go on this computer to the right of me. Tell me what you see. Oh, you over there—you can look at our screens, but I’ll have to make you mute as long as you look at them. And don’t try remembering this information, because you will forget it.”
“It’s—it’s not coming on,” Hazel stutters.
“Just press the—oh, you’re right. This is the old computer. Just let me…OK, good to go. Now tell me what you see.”
“‘Hello. This is…oh, never mind, I’m right next to you’.” Hazel would usually laugh at a sentence like that, but she doesn’t even smile. “‘Now get rid of this window.’ Did I miss something? I can’t seem to scroll.”
“That’s everything. Just get rid of the window. I’m not helping you, and your friend isn’t, either.”
Hazel easily breaks into the computer and types in some code that gets rid of the tab.
“Impressive. This is exactly why I want to encrypt you. I’ll get…him to do something in a minute and then I’ll let you start the true testing.” He smirks a bit awkwardly and then says, “By the way, while trying to get rid of the popup window, you’ve just started a download on some software to help me break into your mind. If you want to get rid of it, give me your credit card. Your friend can pay for your mind back, too.”
The whole room becomes eerily silent.
“No. I’m not paying you to corrupt my file,” Hazel says, her voice finally sounding confident. “I’ve dealt with stuff like that before.” She taps on Jacob’s side pocket where his phone is and leads Mal to the back corner. Jacob opens the door and leaves, hoping that Hazel will be alright. He dials in the number 1 and waits for a few seconds, then asks for Hazel’s file to be cleared.
“She doesn’t appear to have any malware at this moment, but I’ll watch her file clean her up as soon as it appears,” the receptionist says. “That software is probably still downloading.”
………
“No, no, no. You’ve got this all wrong. Just pay your ransom and I’ll give you your mind back. Nobody else can reverse it, not even that receptionist person—I’ve found a way around everything. Just give me you or your friend’s credit card and things will be over with.”
“No.”
“If you want to succeed in the testing, you need your mind, otherwise I’ll make you fail. There’s no way around this.”
“For the fourth time—no! I’m not dumb and I know what you’re trying to do. I’m sure you’re tricking me because my mind can’t be exchanged for money. Especially when that money will be used to damage me even more!”
Jacob is finally able to open the hatch. Mal stops mid-sentence and glares at him.
“Are you willing to give me $500 for your friend to get her mind back?” He asks, after a few seconds. Hazel opens her eyes wide and shakes her head.
“No. You aren’t going to save her,” Jacob replies.
“I see that you don’t care about her,” Mal interrupts.
“I do, and that’s exactly why I don’t wa—”
“No. If you did, you would just pay the ransom for her sake. And $500 is nothing compared to what most hackers here ask for.”
“Don’t bother trying to persuade us,” Hazel says. “We aren’t giving you any money.”
“Well, I was giving you a chance. Fifteen chances, actually…”
Mal presses a button on what seems to be a part of his wrist, but it’s covered by his hoodie so it’s hard to tell. The whole room turns dark, with a few blue lights moving across the room. A screen behind them that they never noticed before lights up as Mal wears a creepy smile on his face.
“System error—File unable to encrypt. Error 1320-2929. Unable to proceed with encryption process. Please try again.”
Mal gives Hazel the death stare as he presses the button again. “You two will make me lose it—”
“This is why we didn’t want to pay you,” Hazel declares.
“Don’t you worry. I’ll encrypt you in your sleep, and then you’ll want to pay your ransom—when you can’t understand anything anymore. Nothing I do fails completely. I’ll just force your friend to do it for you.” Then he turns his stare towards Jacob. “And if you don’t pay me…your file will be destroyed. Not encrypted—destroyed. Forever.”
“Hmm. We’ll see if you can get that far,” Jacob taunts.
“Mark my words—you have until tonight to pay your ransom before she’s encrypted, and then until tomorrow at noon until you are destroyed with her. So make your decision quickly. You two discuss whatever. Hit me up if you lose your mind and think you can start testing with ransomware or if you decide to save yourselves and pay your ransom.”
Jacob holds Hazel’s arm and gently guides her to the other side of the room, where they are as far away from Mal as they can be.
“If I pay the ransom, he’ll just get even more access to my mind,” Hazel whispers.
“I know. But I’m not sure if there’s any other way around it,” Jacob replies, also whispering. “I know the ransom is probably the worst way to go, but we can’t time travel. And even if we successfully encrypt him, the virus is still there.”
“I could shut his computer down,” Hazel suggests.
“That’ll just make him delete your file,” Jacob replies, whispering in her ear. “And probably mine, too.”
“I’m gonna get us out of here,” Hazel says quietly, then turns to Mal. “Hey. Can we get a lunch break?”
“Not without some—oh, never mind. Go ahead. But be back within the hour. And don’t get lost. The phone number is 8 in case you do. Don’t call me for any other reason, OK? …Run along, now. Time isn’t waiting on you and neither am I.”
Jacob is halfway out the door by the time Mal finishes his sentence.
“He’s scary,” Hazel tells Jacob quietly when they sit down with their lunch.
“I know,” Jacob says. “And I’m not letting him do anything to you. Even if I pay the ransom and he hacks into me, whatever…”
“No, because if you’re gone, he can prey on me a bit easier—or so he thinks. And that’s exactly what he wants. We need both of us to keep our files clean.”
Jacob pauses for a minute. “OK, here’s the plan. I’m going to talk to him…”
………
“…get to—Huh? Back so early? What do you want now?” Mal asks, seeming both startled and annoyed. He mutters something quickly and takes his earbuds out of his ears.
“I want to discuss something with you,” Jacob starts off calmly.
Mal calms down unusually quickly, and walks towards him. “OK, what do you wanna talk about?”
Jacob stays quiet for a second and glances down at a shiny thing on Mal’s left middle finger. It’s a ring—a plain golden band with a small engraving in the center. It looks like an open box in front of the world, with the gold coming out from the box covering half of it.
When Mal notices Jacob is staring at his ring, he hides his hand in the pocket on his hoodie. “It just shows that I’m part of that Pandora’s Box organization. And that’s not telling you anything, because there are hundreds of groups under them.” Jacob looks up at him, and they awkwardly look into each other’s eyes for a second. Mal glances away from him with a nervous expression and then says in a calmer tone, “Anyway, what do you want from me?”
Jacob pauses and looks down. “I was wondering if I could reduce the ransom by half and give you something else instead…”
“Half?” Mal replies, in a confused and slightly annoyed tone. “Um…well, what do you think could make up for that?”
“These magnets,” Jacob says, pulling them out of his pocket and dropping them into Mal’s right hand.
Mal stares at the small, square magnets for a bit, then looks up at Jacob, puzzled. “These can’t be worth more than two dollars. Why would I want them?”
“Look closer.”
Mal messes with them a bit, then finds out that it can connect to the screen and display extra information, like pop-ups and other smaller files. But Jacob isn’t giving this to him to help him—in fact, he’s doing the exact opposite.
“I’ll take them. Now give me your credit card. …Uh, are you there?”
“No, actually,” Jacob replies, as he sits on the floor with a dazed expression.
“What?! You’re scaring me.”
Hazel opens the hatch, smiling. “So what did I miss?”
“I can tell you know exactly what’s happening,” Mal snaps.
“Not quite,” Hazel replies. “I only know that my friend was going to talk to you.”
“Yeah, your friend, Jake. That guy on the floor over there with the dazed face. Who literally admitted that he’s out of his mind.”
“But how do you know his name?”
“I wasn’t supposed to say that, but he was my friend before. And you’re going to forget that in a second.”
“Oh,” Hazel says, immediately forgetting everything. “I wonder what happened to him.”
Mal pauses for a moment. “If you’re the one who’s behind this…”
“Did he pay the ransom or do I have to do it?” Hazel asks.
“Well, he cut down the ransom a bit by giving me these screen extension things instead,” Mal explains, then puts his hand out for a moment before stepping back and grabbing the card reading machine instead. “He still owes $250.”
Hazel hesitates for a second, seeming like she’s thinking. Then she pulls her credit card out and pays her ransom while Jacob still lay on the floor. Mal smirks a bit creepily and tells her to take her card back. He whispers something in her ear, and they both blush awkwardly.
“You better get up soon,” Mal whispers to himself as he walks back to his computer and starts typing. Although Jacob’s screens would be nice right now, Mal leaves them on the table and doesn’t hook them up yet. Since there’s no point just staring at Mal, Hazel goes over to check on Jacob.
“I don’t know what to do with him, but I need him awake,” Mal says. “I’m hoping I won’t have to do CPR on him—and I know I’ll have to do it because you obviously can’t pump his chest.”
“Ahem, I hold the school record in the 100 fly,” Hazel replies, in an annoyed tone. “I’m not weak. And I’ve done CPR on my sister many times.”
“Yeah, right. The school record in some school with terrible swimmers. And you probably haven’t seen your sister in years,” he taunts, mashing one last button and then standing up. “Just let me do the work, OK? …Why so surprised? I’m not your friend and I’m not going to be nice to you until you’re one of us.” Then he walks over to Jacob and almost steps on his arm.
“I’m clearly breathing! …Whoo, finally! I’ve been trying to talk for minutes now and my mouth just wouldn’t move.”
Mal and Hazel stare a bit, confused, and then Hazel helps Jacob stand up.
“She finished paying the ransom,” Mal reports quickly, jumping back. But the two of them just stare at him, without saying anything. “What, aren’t you happy? The decryption process has finished already and her file is cleaned. I promise I didn’t infect her with anything else.”
The whole room falls into silence as Jacob walks closer to Mal.
“Mitchell, what’s happened to you?” Jacob asks.
Mal glares at him, and steps back. “I’m not telling you anything about myself. And don’t ever call me Mitchell again.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that—”
“I know, I know, you probably just want your friend back. This is the second time you’ve embarrassed me with that, and I can’t believe you actually said my name this time.”
Jacob glances to his right, but tries to keep eye contact with him. “This is exactly what I mean. You aren’t yourself anymore.”
“Mitchell is gone! I only use that name in the group so the other people don’t call me ‘Mal’ every two seconds.” Mal sighs, looking away from Jacob completely. “I know you’re bored, but I have…other things to do before I can start testing you. So go outside and let me finish my work. Don’t try to run away because I can see exactly where you’re going. I’ll call either of you if you went out of bounds or if I need you back, so stay together. …Bye bye.”
Hazel goes outside with Jacob, confused. “So you’re friends with him?”
“I’m friends with Mitchell, not Mal,” Jacob replies. “You know him too. He used to go to school with us.”
………
“Alright, he’s back!”
“What did I miss?”
“All of the boring stuff.”
“OK, so we’ve got to get our worm going quickly. Any more suggestions?”
“We need to test the self-replicating feature. And we need to make it evade security features. Gray hats, you definitely won’t be bored this time.”
“Sweet!”
“Make it send e-mail attachments to people from their own email to their phone that behave like a Trojan, but it should be fake. They’ll think they’re infected with that type of malware and completely ignore the worm, while it releases all of their information and corrupts their file.”
“So they won’t notice the worm.”
“Exactly. They’ll think the corruption is caused by the fake Trojan. Then it’ll spread to any nearby person and repeat the same process.”
“That sounds great, but I think we should infect them with a real Trojan. It shouldn’t do anything more than annoy them with ads or something on their phone, though.”
“Right. So they’ll spend all their time trying to get rid of the Trojan, while the worm is breaching their privacy in the background.”
“It also has to delete previous backups, so they can’t restore from a backup and get rid of the worm and the Trojan.”
“Perfect!”
“Now it’s just to actually make it happen.”
“OK, Ben, give us a short briefing so we know what to do.”
“So the worm’s gonna find a host and deletes their backups, and then when it finds out the user’s email and password, it’ll send them an email from their own address with an attachment containing a Trojan horse that simply annoys them. Then the worm finds every single email and password they have, gives it to us so we can sell them online, and duplicates itself and spreads to another host. …Whoo! That was a mouthful.”
“Haha, OK.”
“….”
“Right, so I composed something. How does this sound: ‘Hello. It appears that you have lost your backups, and we have recovered them for you. If you don’t believe us, go see for yourself—your backups are gone. The only way to recover them is to click on this attachment below.’”
“That sounds good.”
“But we have to make sure the backups are actually gone so that they will believe us.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard to do.”
“I wonder if we should provide them with our email address so that we could trick them into paying us.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. If they’re smart, they’ll be able to look our email up and find out that we’re just some black-hats looking for some cash. And notoriety, apparently.”
“But they won’t pay us any money from this layout, and the point is to get paid. But we don’t want to just randomly ask them…”
“Hmm. Well, we will get money from selling their data.”
“But if you want them to pay you, too, we can put something more like, ‘Hello. It appears that you have lost your backups,’ da da da. ‘The only way to recover them for free is to click on this attachment below. If you don’t click on it, in three days you will have to pay us the equivalent of 20 USD to access our recovery system. Email us at,’ whatever email we decide to use, ‘to send your payment.’ Now we just have to make a random email so they can pay us.”
“Just put something like xba2919 in front of the most common domain. They’ll never suspect us.”
“Anything more…regular-sounding?”
“That is pretty regular.”
“It’s the best that I can think of, OK? I’m not good at anything else but coding and logic.”
“I think it sounds good. I’ll go ahead and register that as an alternate email.”
“Great. Register it under your alternate account, since you deal with the money as well. So now that the email is composed, we can start working on that section. This is starting to look more like ransomware than a worm-Trojan combo.”
“And this way is even better. Once we don’t start fighting over who gets the money.”
“We’ll just split it equally.”
“Right. But that’s if anyone actually pays us.”
“Well…hopefully they do.”
“OK. Gray hats, you can go ahead and look for security failures and unsecure networks for the worm while we start working on the…Trojan-ransomware combo thing.”
“Got it.”
“…I feel so dumb right now.”
“Why?”
………
