It didn’t have to be like this. I really believed we already had everything we needed to make a fortune… but Dad needed to have the ability to use it.
I hadn’t really decided where I was going with all of this when I got on my laptop in my bedroom and started looking through the list of names in a group chat.
The conversation started scrolling frantically on.
Shit. Aileen?
Anyway, how’s the weather for sports tomorrow?
I didn’t have to scroll up very far to confirm they’d been talking about that stupid photo. They’d already seen me come online, obviously, but I quickly switched my status to invisible so they might at least think I had gone offline. I’d never been the sort of person who would think about hiding my online status, I’d never really seen the need for it. But I’d never had everyone in my class speculating about me naked either.
Good for them. I hoped they were all typing away one-handed while they stared at that terrible job Axel had done of recreating my naughty parts. I had bigger things to worry about, like getting both my hands to type at all when I opened up a DM conversation with Axel’s account. He was one of a number of people at Burgundy I knew pretty well but had not talked privately to online before. I had no idea how he was going to react to my reaching out, if he might have friends with him he would share my messages with… there were all sorts of possibilities for this getting worse.
Hey, I’ve been thinking. I’m willing to actually negotiate… My fingertip hovered over my Enter key, and then darted away. …so long as you’re willing to deal with me in good faith.
Well, I’d done it… and now I had to wait for him to respond. I’d sort of hoped once I pulled the pin, I could go do something else for a while and not think about it, but my attention just turned to speculations about what Axel might think when he saw my message. Would he respond right away, or decide to keep me hanging? He was online at the moment apparently, but that didn’t mean he was paying attention or—
I started at the noise from my computer. What are you offering?
Not keeping me waiting yet. That suggested he was quite keen. It’s going to be hard with my dad. I’ll ask him if he’ll meet with you, but he might say no.
Not good enough. His replies were coming through fast. I want a definite yes.
Fine. I’ll get him to say yes. I hope you know what you’re in for. I didn’t think my dad was likely to be having any of Axel’s charming right now, especially not when it was to do with his inventions.
I’m in for decomplicating my life, Aileen. But it’s not going to decomplicate yours.
I should have just slammed the lid down on my laptop right that instant, and gone to do something else. Refused to hear what else he had to say, even if I had to go ask Dad if I could smoke with him to get it out of my head. But I sat there and waited out the notification that Axel was typing, letting him wind me up even before I saw the words.
I don’t like being screwed around, Aileen. The stakes have changed now. I expect you to hook up that arrangement with your father, but I also want what we were discussing earlier today.
For a moment I couldn’t even try to type back to him, because I had wrapped my arms around myself in some instinctive attempt at protection. There was no way he could think…
Honestly, Aileen, I don’t even care about the outcome of that meeting any more. Your dad could throw his fucking beer in my face when I walked in and I’d be down with that. But I’ve just spent a lot of time putting together a really nice piece of artwork based primarily on imagination, and my conclusion after that is that I want to have more than just my imagination. So whatever else happens, you’re going to have to come up with a scenario where I get to see your tits if you want me to leave you alone.
I couldn’t believe he was willing to just say it like that, somewhere I would have a record. It felt like a trap in itself. My face was getting hot just rereading those words, my heart running ahead of me like the proposed scenario was already happening.
All I could think in terms of my own next moves was that I didn’t want to be speaking in coherent sentences to him any more. u joking rite
Talking like a ten-year-old isn’t going to make me think
you are one, Aileen. I’m very aware there is a pair of beautiful, grown-up breasts behind your clothes, and I think I deserve to have that confirmed.
Axel had a lot of ideas about what he deserved. I would have said that to him if we were talking face to face, stirred him a little, but with the computer between us I had some time to think.
You know you can’t make me show you anything. I wondered if a bit of taunting might do some good. No matter how much you’d like to.
Oh Aileen… I felt like I could see the look that would be on his face at that moment, and I hated it. I am aware I can’t make you do anything. But I can certainly incentivise.
There are some who would have some strong words to say about your brand of incentives. Particularly those in positions of criminal justice authority.
And I thought you only blabbed to balding hacks who teach touch-typing to those who couldn’t come up with a better elective. I pushed myself backwards away from my laptop. Yes, I know you and Henderson think you’re going to bring me down, but that’s just not how this is going to go. Henderson isn’t motivated by the right reasons: he’s just jealous.
u wish…
He wishes. I’m still on track to reach my potential, and he’s stuck in high school for the rest of his life. Don’t delude yourself into thinking he’s going to stick by you no matter what. My dad is going to offer him a sweetener, or maybe something he won’t want if he’s not in the mood for the carrot, and he’ll fall back into line.
That’s not how the world works these days Axel.