I can't believe I'm talking to Gwen Stacy in my apartment.
"No problem, Ethan," she says. "I'm always happy to help a friend. Invite me in, or are we standing in the hallway?"
"Oh, sorry! Come on in."
She steps into the living room, taking it all in. "Wow, cozy," she says, amused.
Gatomon and BlackGatomon sit on the couch, looking at Gwen.
"Oh my gosh, Ethan, you have cats?!" she squeals. "They're adorable! I didn't know you were a cat person."
Crap! "Uh, yeah," I stammer. "I got them recently. They're kinda new to the whole 'having guests' thing."
I mouth frantically at Gatomon and BlackGatomon: Act like normal cats! Now!
Gatomon stretches, meows, and hops off the couch. BlackGatomon follows, though her meow sounds like a growl.
Gwen approaches them. "They're so cute! Can I pet them?"
I breathe a sigh of relief. "Yeah, sure," I say, smiling. "They don't bite. Usually."
Gwen kneels. "Hey there, kitties," she coos. "You're both so fluffy!"
She strokes Gatomon's fur. Gatomon purrs. BlackGatomon eyes Gwen, then lets herself be petted.
"Oh my gosh," Gwen says. "Their fur is so soft! What kind of cats are they?"
"I have no idea," I admit. "I just found them."
"You found them? That's so random!" Gwen laughs. "Well, they're super cute. Anyway," she says, standing. "I'm parched. Got any drinks?"
"I can make some tea," I offer.
"That sounds great!"
I head into the kitchen and start boiling water.
I set the teacups down on the coffee table. Gwen takes a sip.
"So, Ethan," Gwen starts, placing her teacup. "I haven't seen you around school lately. Everything okay?"
I shuffle a bit. "Uh, yeah, school's fine." Smooth. "I just...I've been a little preoccupied."
"Preoccupied how?" she asks, tilting her head. "You haven't been ditching, have you?"
"No! I would never," I say, but my face is probably red. "It's just...I'm kinda behind on my rent, so I've been trying to find a job."
"Oh," she says softly. "That sucks, Ethan. Why didn't you say anything? I could've helped!"
"It's okay," I say quickly. "I don't want to burden you."
"Nonsense! We're friends, right?" Gwen says, smiling warmly. "Seriously, if you need anything, just let me know. There are a couple of places around here hiring, I can ask around."
"I appreciate the offer, Gwen, but I'll be fine on my own. I always am," I state. "Thanks for stopping by, though. It was good to see you."
"Okay, Ethan," she says, nodding slowly. "If you're sure. But seriously, don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything. I have to run. I've got a million things to do. I'm glad to see you're doing alright."
With a final smile, Gwen heads out the door. "Bye, Ethan! Bye, kitties!"
The door closes behind her. Gatomon and BlackGatomon immediately stop acting like normal cats.
"She seems nice," Gatomon comments.
"Yeah," BlackGatomon agrees. "I like her. She gave good pets."
Seeing that Gwen has left, I want to check on my Connect Jump and Hacking skills.
"Alright, girls," I say. "Time to play with some new toys."
I grab my Digi-Goggles.
"What are those for?" asks BlackGatomon, tilting her head.
"You'll see," I say.
I put the Goggles on. Holy crap! I can actually see Cyberspace. Glowing lines extend from every electronic device around me. They connect, weaving together into a giant, invisible network. It is above our heads in the sky.
"Whoa," I breathe.
I turn to the computer. "Let's see what this Connect Jump thing is all about." I point at the monitor and activate the skill.
"Here we go!" I shout.
In a flash, everything distorts. Gatomon, BlackGatomon, and I become pure data. We're getting sucked into the screen. The world transforms into a torrent of information.
One second, I'm standing in front of my dusty desktop, and the next, I'm floating in a sea of binary. Gatomon and BlackGatomon are beside me, looking around in amazement.
"This is Cyberspace?" Gatomon asks, her eyes wide. "It's… incredible."
BlackGatomon is grinning. "I like it. It's chaotic."
It is pretty insane. I see lines of code swirling around us, forming structures that look like buildings and landscapes. It is a digital reflection of my PC, I can see each individual folder in the distance. I feel like I can manipulate everything here with a thought.
I concentrate, and the folder labeled "Homework" opens in front of me. It's like I have telekinesis, but for digital stuff.
"This is gonna be fun," I say. "But let's go bigger."
I scan the area and see a glowing gateway in the distance. It pulses with energy, like a portal to another dimension. "That must be the entrance to the internet."
"Let's go!" BlackGatomon shouts, rocketing towards the gateway.
"Wait up!" Gatomon calls, chasing after her.
I follow, and we plunge into the gateway. Suddenly, we're flowing through a digital highway. Data streams whiz past us at breakneck speed. I see snippets of messages, videos, and images flashing by. It's like a brand new world, made of pure information.
"This is amazing!" I shout, feeling the adrenaline pump through me. "It's like a digital freeway!"
"I wonder where it leads?" Gatomon muses, gazing at the endless stream of data.
BlackGatomon laughs. "Who cares? Let's just see what kind of trouble we can find!"
I spot an access point. It looks like a shimmering portal. "Hey, check that out! Where do you think that leads?"
"Only one way to find out!" BlackGatomon yells, diving headfirst into the portal.
Gatomon sighs. "She never thinks, does she?"
We follow BlackGatomon into the access point, and bam! The whole digital landscape shifts. Gone is the open highway. Now, we're in a confined space made of app icons and system files.
"Where are we?" Gatomon asks, looking around, bewildered.
I scan our surroundings. "I think...I think we're inside a phone."
BlackGatomon cackles. "Awesome! Whose phone is it?"
"Doesn't matter," I say, grinning. "Let's see what I can do." I focus my mind, and images of the phone's contents flash before my eyes. Photos, contacts, messages... It's all there. I can feel myself manipulating the data, rearranging files, accessing private info. This Hacking skill is way too easy.
I rifle through the photo gallery. This lady isn't just going on dates; she's practically auditioning for a reality show called "Cheaters of New York." Picture after picture shows her with a different dude. I can't help but think, "Damn, girl, get it!"
I scroll through the contacts, looking for "Husband" or something equally obvious. Bingo! "Mark (Hubby)." Seriously? Who labels their spouse like that? Whatever. I select all the incriminating photos. Then, I craft a simple message: "Hey Mark, thought you should see what your wife's been up to." I hit send.
"That should stir the pot," I say, smirking.
"Ooh, juicy," BlackGatomon says, rubbing her paws together.
Gatomon sighs. "Was that really necessary?"
"Absolutely," I reply. "A little chaos is good for the soul." Besides, the best way to learn a new skill is to practice.