The Laptop Switch

     Writing. It's a way for me to escape the realities of life. A way for me to disconnect from the world, but most importantly, it's a way for me to imagine things that will never happen in real life. In the fictional world, anything is possible, including McKay Ross being in love with me. He's not in love with me in real life, but that's the beauty of writing, because in that world, he's head over heels for me.      Day and night, I write stories on my laptop about my non-existing love life with McKay Ross. My laptop is no doubt my most prized possession. It's the most bland looking on the outside, but once you open it, you'll find all sorts of fascinating stuff, along with my life. That's right. My laptop holds my will to live. My writings about me and McKay to be exact. Nobody knows about my writings I have about me and my love.      My best friend doesn't even know about it, and I've told him far more embarrassing things than this. I mean, my crush I have for McKay isn't a secret, but my writings about me and him definitely is. I admit, I can see where it's a little creepy, but hey, I'm just a girl who's never going to end up with the boy I want, so why not write something that involves that dream turning into a reality?      If anybody ever even opened my laptop, I would might as bury myself. My laptop is like my diary, it's where I keep everything special. It's for my eyes only. Not his. Not hers. Mine. I've made it extremely clear to my step-brother as well as my friends that I wouldn't tolerate with them even touching my laptop. Speaking of my laptop, I was currently in the middle of writing out the ending of my recent story about McKay and I as Prom queen and king.      I was getting to the best part of the story until the screen of my laptop came speeding down toward my fingers. I gasp and quickly withdraw my fingers from my keyboard, instantly finding out it was the i***t I called my best friend, Cooper Roberts. Our story wasn't like any other best friend story...actually it was. He ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the first day of preschool and we became best friends ever since. "Cooper!" I shriek. "You could have smashed my fingers!" "Maybe that's a good thing," he said nonchalantly with a shrug. "I mean, you spend way too much time on that laptop. You need to come into the real world Lilli." "The real world is the exact reason why I'm even on the laptop," I reply, sliding my laptop off my desk and putting it into my backpack. "I can't handle the real world. It's too much for me." "What do you even do on your laptop?"      That question was the one question Cooper constantly asked, but the universe seemed to be on my side and always sent something to help me get out of it. Unfortunately at this moment, it was his annoying girlfriend, Olivia Webb. "There's my hot boyfriend," olivia growled flirtatiously at Cooper. Cooper turned around and grinned at her. "I'm lonely, come make me un-lonely."      Un-Lonely? Girl, that isn't even a word. Why did Cooper have to fall for such a dimwit? Soon after, I heard the name that made my heart race. It was crazy how a simple name could cause my heart to explode with joy. McKay was the name, and I absolutely adore him. McKay appeared to have entered the classroom because all the girls were perking up and ruffling up their hair. All I did was stare. I stared at the angel that came into the same room as me. Math class to be specific.      I wasn't the best at math, but neither was McKay. I know we have things in common, but I'm just too scared to talk to him about them. I can't even maintain eye contact with McKay without wanting to faint. He's gorgeous. He's real. He's something so pure, I still don't understand till this day how I got so blessed to have him in my math class. Olivia's irritating laugh pulled me out of my laughs and next thing I knew, she was laid out across my desk. I immediately scooted back in disgust.      I didn't say a word and let the looks of revulsion from the other students take over. I pick up my backpack and walk over to another seat. I sat somewhere where I could still get a clear look of McKay, but not visible enough for him to notice. I mainly stayed in the back of the classroom because that was where I could get the most privacy to write my stories. I mean, if I was writing about McKay in front of somebody, they would expose me in a heart beat.      Mr. Hendricks walked in and the entire classroom fell into complete silence. He had that effect on us. It was pretty funny. Mr. Hendricks started up the class and I couldn't keep my eyes off of the handsome human being sitting a few rows in front of me. I pretty much tuned out Mr. Hendricks as he went off talking about trigonometry. It was as if my entire heart shattered as I saw a girl walk up to McKay and place herself onto his lap. It wasn't long for me to realize it was Diane Blevins, his girlfriend.      Diane Blevins doesn't deserve the label "girlfriend" when it comes to her and McKay. Luckily I wasn't the only one who thought that, his friends believe it too. Whenever McKay plans a date for them, she always drops out last second with absolutely no excuse. McKay being the forgiving boy he is, just lets it slide. Poor McKay. He doesn't understand that Diane doesn't love him like he thinks she does.      I might sound like I know all of this because I talk to McKay's friend, but that's far from the truth. I'm just a good eavesdropper, and also his friends enjoy talking at the volume one hundred, especially when it comes to drama between McKay and Diane. I'm the type of person who reacts to everything from their desk but isn't part of the conversation. I'm sort of a loser, but I'm still getting the information I need to know that Diane isn't the one for McKay.      The sad thing about the whole situation is that McKay seems like he's actually in love with Diane, and that breaks my heart. McKay and Diane were brushing their noses against each other, looking as perfect as any movie couple ever could. I hated it. I couldn't take it anymore and got out from underneath the desk. I snatch the hall pass and storm out the door, acting as if McKay knew that he was the reason I was leaving. In reality, he didn't even care I was leaving.      I run my hands through my hair as I walk down the hallway. McKay isn't even mine. He's not my boyfriend, so why do I get so jealous? I walk into the bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror. I'm not ugly, but I'm not pretty. I'm average. Why can't McKay fall in love with average girls? Because if he did, I would be the most perfect average girl out there for him. I knew that McKay and Diane were all over each other back in class, I really didn't want to go back.      Wandering the hallways was the only way I could think of, so that's what I planned to do. I leave the restroom and begin my journey around the high school. I needed some inspiration for the new love story about McKay anyways. I needed to write my sorrows away with a brand new love story between us. I needed to escape reality. * * *      My little journey around the school came to an end as there was a minute till the end of class. I headed back to math class and entered into a class full of rambunctious high school students. I quickly dodge a paper ball that was thrown at me, and the thrower was no other than Cooper. He soon came walking up to me, laughing. "Where have you been? You missed the funnest class ever!" cooper exclaimed happily. I sigh. Of course I did. "Mr. Hendrick's wife went into labor and now he's currently at the hospital waiting for baby number nine!" "Man, I guess that family just loves children," I replied. "anyways, are you still planning on—"      The bell rang and everyone in the class began to shove themselves out the door, with me in the middle of it. I got dragged away from Cooper and straight out the door with the group of students. Cooper slowly disappeared the further I got away from him. I was soon out the door and into the crowded hallways of the school. I swear, this hallway fills up faster than my mother's alcohol shots.      I tried to wiggle out of the crowded space, only finding myself running into the body of someone and getting knocked to the ground. I landed on the ground hard, inhaling sharply as I felt my tailbone hit against the hard concrete floor. "Holy crap!" an unfamiliar voice screeched. "Are you okay?! I'm so sorry!"      The crowd departed and a random guy came into sight, his hand stretched out and a horrified expression on his face. I had to admit, he was pretty cute. I didn't know who he was though. I take his hand and he effortlessly raises me up to my feet. We come face to face and I saw that his eyes were bright blue. He was more handsome up close. "I hope I didn't injure you," he said, quickly looking up and down my arms. "I really didn't mean it. There were just so many people and I wasn't paying attention an—" "It's totally fine, you don't need to apologize. I didn't hurt anything too bad. I'll survive." I interrupted. "Anyways, I have to get to class. Thanks for helping me up."      I left the cute stranger behind as I pushed my way out of the circle of teenagers. I hoped to see him again somewhere, just hopefully I'm not on the ground when I see him again. As I walked to my last period, I soon realized that I didn't even have my backpack. A tap came to my shoulder and out of nowhere, Cooper appeared, and in his hand was my zipped up backpack. I smiled. "I forgive you." I said, retrieving my backpack. He raised an eyebrow. I stared at him. "You know, for earlier? How you and Olivia were practically—" "Okay! I get it!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "Anyways, you're welcome."      As I slid my backpack on, my senses were telling me something. I couldn't tell what it was, but Cooper seemed to not have been acting right. The fact that he interrupted me in the middle of my sentence about him and Olivia gave it away and I thought it out. He never interrupted me whenever I talked about him and Olivia. I cross my arms. "What did you do." "What did I do?" he asked, pointing to himself. "What did I do? I don't know, you tell me." I blinked. "I don't get it." Cooper grinned. "I might have done something." "...and what was that something?" "It has to do with you and..." he looked around and than leaned in close. "McKay." My throat ran dry. "W-What did you do." All Cooper did was give me a stupid smug look on his face. "Cooper, I'm not messing around. What the hell did you do." He giggled. "I switched your laptop with McKay's laptop. You know, because you two have the same exact laptop?" My heart sank. "Y-You w-what?" "I threw a prank on you! That's what!" cooper shouted, clapping his hands in amusement. I didn't move. I couldn't move. Cooper noticed my sudden paleness and slowly died down his cheering. "I...um, are you okay Lilli?" I ran my fingers through my hair in distress. "T-This c-can't b-be h-happening." Cooper's eyes enlarged. "Lilli, you're shaking. Damn, I didn't think that the prank would be that big of—"      Instantly, I fell to my knees and clenched my stomach. I felt like I was going to throw up. Cooper lowered down to my level and put his hand on my back. He began to rub it, getting close to me. "Lilli, what's the big deal? I don't understand." "We need to get my laptop back before McKay opens it," I said softly. My eyes snap to look into Cooper's deep ocean blue eyes. "and you're going to help me."