The Tech Wiz

Prolouge

There. I thought as I put the micro screw in place. I sighed in relief as I closed the phone's main case before running a hand through my coarse curly short hair.

A classmate had asked me to take a look at her phone to figure out why it had stopped working, and I'd agreed, seeing as I really never had anything to do after school. I rubbed my eyes with a balled palm, yawning as I put the phone in my pocket before heading out of the repair store. I passed my younger sister, Samantha on the way. She told me that I could microwave the leftover pasta they left in the pot since she and Chloe had already eaten.

I headed to the kitchen, transferring the leftover pasta to a bowl before putting it in the microwave. I munched on a snicker bar as I waited for it to warm up. My mum and dad had headed out to eat together tonight, the thought of it alone made me shiver. I found myself chuckling, they were way too lovey-dovey for people that already had three kids together.

The sound of the microwave made me snap out of my thoughts. I lifted my weight from the white marble counter before heading over to take the bowl of pasta out of the microwave. I inspected it by probing the pile of spaghetti with a fork before heading to the small dining table at the center of the kitchen to eat.

As I went about eating my meal I took out my phone to go through my messages.

I smiled when I opened the Kik app on my phone to find Aiyana, Ji-Hun, and Wyatt chatting away in our chat group. Somehow Ji-Hun had gotten Wyatt to start using social media.

Hey guys.

Terabyte101 (Me), 8:54 PM

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I sent, slipping into the chat. 

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Hey!

BookTemple (Aiyana), 8:55 PM

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Hey, how are you doing? :-)

SirBlood (Ji-Hun), 8:55 PM

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Hey Ben!

WyattWilson (Wyatt), 8:56 PM

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I talked with them for a while before logging out and heading over to check **. I felt my face warm up when a photo of Felix James, a senior in my high school showed up in my feed. I stared on at his dark eyes and dimpled smile. He was holding up three video games, and his caption read I just got them!

I scrolled upwards when I started to feel my cheeks warm up as a wave of embarrassment hit me. Letting out a sigh, I scolded myself under my breath. I've liked him for a while and I don't think the feeling will disappear anytime soon.

My mind wandered to Ji-Hun and Wyatt, and how happy they seemed before I shook my head. Who was I kidding? Felix didn't even know who I was, and I was already thinking of dating him.

I put my phone aside so I could concentrate on the bowl of pasta in front of me. When I was done I decided to head upstairs to my room. My sisters were in the living room watching some reality show on TV. I found myself rolling my eyes when they both let out an excited yelp at what was happening on the show before I decided to continue heading upstairs.

Getting to my room, I turned the doorknob before pushing the door open and walking into the dark room. I felt the wall for the switch, and flipped it on when I found it before squinting at the bright white light that flooded the room. I looked over at my bed. It was laid but it was littered with tools from my toolbox that was sitting at the foot of my bed.

I sighed, remembering how I'd spent so much time trying to figure out what was wrong with the phone before I'd decided to head down with it. Gladly, it had just a socketed battery.

Clearing up my bed, I sat on it before putting the iPhone I'd fixed on my bedside table before deciding to go through my own. I found myself on Felix's ** page. I was following him, but I doubt he noticed. I made sure not to like any of his pictures so that I didn't come off as a stalker. He posted often and if someone liked your picture from three years ago you'd be shocked too.

A sigh escaped my lips as I scrolled through his pictures. This must be the fifth? Sixth time? I'm going through everything. I wasn't even sure why I was bothered about him finding out. He didn't know who I was, and I don't think he'd read too much into a private account liking his photo. I mean, what was one like in a pool of a thousand?

A sad smile made its way to my lips as I thought about it. I even looked through some of the comments from girls to torture myself. I always upset myself when I over thought the whole thing. I already knew I didn't have a chance but I couldn't explain why my mind came up with ridiculous over hopeful scenarios to torture me.

I think the worst one yet was when I thought I had the courage to actually talk to him in person. I'd hung around the IT room after their period had ended. I'd checked the senior schedule on the notice board in the main hallway and had been excited to see that he'd just be leaving his IT class during a free period of mine. I'd gone to the hallway where the IT lab was located, but I'd chickened out and walked away from the mere sound of the door unlocking. I'm never gonna try something so ridiculous again.

Even if I did have to courage what would we have talked about? We both liked computers and video games, but that was basically it. I didn't know too much about him apart from what I picked up from his posts on social media. He might even find the things I found interesting in tech as bordering on nerdish or complex. Besides, even if we did talk and got to form some sort of friendship, it would probably remain just that — a friendship. There was no way I was going to be as lucky as Wyatt and Ji-Hun.

I'm not gay myself. Well, I don't think I am. The only person I've liked this way and still liked this way was Felix, and I acknowledged that, but I'm not stupid. I know there's a zero point zero one percent chance of him feeling the same way — who was I kidding? It's just plain zero.

I groaned, putting my phone aside before covering my face with my hands.

This crush is overstaying its welcome. I thought to myself as I rubbed my eyes with my hands. It would probably be easier for me to ignore it when he graduated and moved away for college. I might even stop liking him altogether. All I have to do is wait out my junior year and I'd be free in my senior year.

I shivered a little, thinking about how close I was to graduating. After a year plus I'll be free from school altogether. I wasn't going to college, I was going to work in the repair shop with my dad until I took over completely.

My mind wandered to Ji-Hun, Aiyana, and Wyatt. They always aimed high so they'd end up in the best of colleges. I thought of college from time to time when they talked about it in front of me or online, but it didn't stop my mind from returning to its default settings. I was going to have a business to run — everything was already set for me, and there's no use in wasting money to go to college.

I was born to fix things. I thought as my eyes looked over at the now working iPhone that was resting on my bedside table. Although I wanted to suppress the thought that came right after, I couldn't. I grimaced, trying to ignore it by getting up and looking for my laptop.

I might be good at fixing things, but sometimes I wanted to do more than that. Sometimes I wished I wasn't just messing around with tech to correct a default.

I wanted to create them.