Decameron: Admin Access [II/9]
Ambrose
The school-issued computers’ flimsy security system was just too easy to not take advantage of. It was absolutely begging for someone to pry it open and reveal just how little money Francis County had put into the third-tier laptops they had proudly given to every student at the beginning of the year. All Ambrose had to do to gain instant access to the Cassone video-casting software that was standard issue on every computer in the system was type in ‘admin’ as his username (no password!) and Presto! He was given the powers over whose webcam was on and whose was off.
But who to use this digital superpower against? Ambrose considered his targets. Coach Grimes was an obvious choice, but Ambrose considered how many hours of mundane, boring footage he would have to watch to get even a smidge of dirt on the old jerk. Maybe he could break into the webcam app to spy on his buddy Jay, just for laughs… or maybe bring that prick Bernie down a notch.
Yes, that would be just perfect.
Bernie
He couldn’t BELIEVE it! Oh, that nerd was gonna get it. Just as soon as he ditched the “love of his life”. Bernie had poured his entire life into his relationship with Zinny, and sure, maybe he had rubbed it in Ambrose’s face a little. But that creepy nerd had said he slept with her! During a quarantine!
There was no way that could be true.
But Ambrose had known about the “Live, Laugh, Love” tattoo on Zinny’s right thigh… and her extensive collection of ironic Yu-Gi-Oh posters on her wall… and her acceptance to Harvard, which she said she hadn’t told anyone else about yet. She and Bernie had already discussed it and they were supposed to be going to Mason, where they’d both study Communications.
That made up his mind: she was dead to him. Bernie was going to go into college a single man. At least his family’s heavy investment into the Cassone webcam app’s designing firm was going to pay for his whole tuition, plus a nice stipend so he could fully enjoy his college years.
Zinny
SHE WAS DONE WITH THIS CRAP. Zinny stood in front of the mirror with her cat’s grooming razor buzzing in her hand. After seeing Ambrose’s “subtle” mention of the secret tattoo on her thigh on Instagram, and Bernie vicious break-up texts (he couldn’t even call!), Zinny was making big changes. Starting with the long, golden hair that Bernie loved sooo much. She was going to leave it, and Bernie behind.
She looked over at her dresser and saw the opened acceptance letter. Harvard University had not only read the Econ paper she had written as part of her AP Economics class, they had liked it so much that they offered her a full ride. It definitely was time for some big changes.
She put the razor against her scalp and long strands of hair fell to the floor.
Decameron is a newsletter recounting the 14th Century set of quarantine tales for 2020. Read the original story.
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