Spite

I sat there in the banquet hall with my family. It was suppose to be my day where they awarded me for my new app but it turned out to be the worst day of my life. First they invited me to this banquet and then they gave me second place and then my best friend Zack whose app I worked on and I developed got first place. And finally my best friend had the audacity to tell me it was for the best and my family who were suppose to support me rather than standing by me were celebrating Zack’s success.

 I’ve relive that day over and over again for the past year. For the past year I have pretended to stay friends with Zack and talk nice to my family and not let anyone realize I would make them all pay.  For the past year I’ve been working on another app. It might be a cliché thing but I made an app which will let people know their future. Not the exact future because future doesn’t remain the same but future outcomes based on the information the user feeds it. This was my secret project and it had many bugs that needed fixing.

To fix the app I snuck out of the house every night and snuck into my school’s lab. I used the equipment there and tested the app for the bugs. The way I went about this was exhilarating, no one had the slightest clue what I was up to. But then something happened that changed my life. One of the nights when I was in the school lab and working on a bug I heard a sound come from outside. I walked to the door keeping my head low and saw flash lights. The new security guard was taking his first ground and I could get caught.

I walked back to the computer and pressed the power button, I grabbed my stuff and hid under the table. My phone was in my hand and it started to glow, I tried to turn it off but it automatically went to my app and opened it. No matter how hard I tried it wouldn’t turn off. I opened my back stuffed it inside and remained crawled up under the table. The security guard opened the door and I could see the beam of light.

“Anyone in here? If you are come out and I won’t tell anyone” he said in a hesitant but firm voice.

I remained in place and in a few moments he locked the door and left. I got out and looked through the door window and he was gone. I went to the computer and turned it on, and then I closed all the software and headed to the window. I got out and jogged towards my house. When I got in I tiptoed to my room in the basement and finally took my phone out. It was still on.

“Remain under the desk for 5 min” I read on my phone.

“What is this, I didn’t give it any information?” I said under my breath staring at my app. The very second a new messaged popped up.

“Dad will arrive in 2 minutes” I read and without a second thought jumped into bed. After a few moments the door opened and then closed. I got up to look outside and saw dad walking away. His didn’t make any sense and I thought I was hallucinating so I put the phone aside and went to bed.

Next day my phone was in its normal state and with yesterday’s episode out of the way I got dressed and headed to the kitchen. Zack, dad and Nina (my sister) were there having breakfast. As I headed over my phone chimed and I could see a message from my app.

“Suggest walking to school together” I read. I did as it said but the strangest thing is it doesn’t give me option like I programmed it to. Anyway we walked together to school and at the gate Nina left us for her friends.

“Hey. Ummm…Danny I…I’m glad you’re talking to me again. I really thought you might never forgive me. But dude I wanted to give to credit and I tried, they just wouldn’t listen” Zack talked about it until they reached class.

“Look I was upset but it’s been over a year. I’m ready to forgive and forget. So let’s move on” it was hard for me to say but I had to. I needed him for a much bigger purpose. We headed into class and afterwards Zack went for his football practice. I knew he would leave his phone in his bag and I took that opportunity to get it. I got the phone and headed to the lab where I installed my app into it. After a few seconds my phone chimed. “This can ruin you forever” the message said and to me it made no sense. I ignored it and went back to installing the app, it was done within minutes and I discreetly returned the phone to its place.   

Over the next few days Zack started to act differently and I knew he saw the app and that it was working. The day before his match he was nervous and as a good friend I went to see him. “Zack, what’s wrong. Don’t tell me you’re nervous?” I said in a humorous tone.

“It’s not that. It’s just….” Zack looks at his phone “…nothing man leave it”

Now I defiantly knew the app gave him a bad future. “No, tell me. What’s the matter?”

“You won’t believe me even if I told you”

“Try.”

“Ok…” Zack shifts giving me space to sit next to him “…a few days ago I found this app on my phone and I tried to delete it but it didn’t work so I decided to try it. It told me my future like what would happen in the next few minutes and then hours” I look at him as he continues to explain “Now it says I would get hurt in my match tomorrow. Danny what if that’s true?”

“Zack look at me. Are you actually going to believe an app? What if the app was just making guesses and one or two guesses turned out to be right, this app is just making you paranoid, that’s all” I reassured him and made sure he would play the match.

My phone chimed and I saw a new message this time it was different. “What you did was wrong. Listen to me and don’t go to the game”. The message warned but I had a feeling I had to go.

Two hours before the match a new message came “I can’t stop you but remember to carry your pocket knife”. I still didn’t understand but I did keep the knife with me. At the game everything went well, we won and as the app told Zack he did get hurt, he fell once and hurt his knee slightly. It wasn’t something like a broken bone this could happen in any game.

After the game as always we had a party at our school and as always I didn’t go. I remained at the field thinking how my plan was working slowly but it was working. The first step to reconcile with Zack was complete and the second step to make him paranoid with me app was done as well.  I was thinking of the next step when my phone chimed again “LEAVE THE FIELD NOW!!!” it was in all caps. I felt as if the message was screaming at me to leave.

“Danny!” it was Zack calling me and I turned to see him running towards me. I placed my phone in my pocket. “The weird app was right, I got hurt but I thought it might something more than a bruise”   

“I told you it was all just general info” we started to walk the field, the message still in my mind, warning me to leave. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice when Zack jumped me from behind. Within seconds my vision got blurry and then went dark.

When I came back Zack was in front of me and I was bound to one of the goal pole. Zack looked at me with a grin that said he knew.

“Danny I know you’re smart but come on. Stealing me phone, installing this app and thinking I would believe you would forgive me” Zack took out his phone and mine and waves them in my face “I knew this was your doing and franking I don’t blame you. I did make you program an app for me last year and then I did put a virus in yours. You lost because I wanted to win”

“I thought we were friends” I yelled at him.

“Friends…” he laughed hysterically “…for a smart guy you sure are dump. Let me put it in simpler terms ‘I.USED.YOU.’ do you understand now”

He continued to laugh hysterically but them out of the blue the score board lit up. I could hear Zack’s words all over again and see glimpse of his face and mine on the score board. The whole situation from a few minutes ago replayed right in front of us. Zack had stopped laughing and I had cut the ropes with my knife. The voice had attracted everyone from the school and they saw everything that had happened.  

Zack stared at the screen horrified while I got my phone from his hand, he didn’t resist. When I turned it on a new message was there “Be the helpless boy who got betrayed by his best friend and everyone will side with you and you will get what you want”. I did as it said without doubting it. The next day we were called into the principal’s office and Zack tried to pin it all on me but the video evidence was against him. He tried to show the app I installed but I was gone. Our parents were called in and the board of science. Zack was stripped off his title and I was given what I deserved.

My spite was finally satisfied. As I walked out into the halls towards the exits where everyone praised me, my phone chimed again “Only ever trust you and ME!”