Juan Diego burst through the classroom door, his sneakers squeaking on the shiny floor. The morning light caught the edge of his backpack as he dashed toward the computers.
He slid into his usual chair and tapped the power button. The screen glowed blue, then filled with pixels. A cartoon avatar bounced into view — his friend's digital self, waving both arms.
Juan Diego reached out and traced the screen with his finger. The avatar copied the motion, its painted hand meeting his at the glass. He thought: is she really there?
Suddenly the monitor flickered. The avatar froze mid-wave. Juan Diego tapped the keyboard, but nothing happened. The room filled with the soft hum of the air conditioner.
Juan Diego leaned back in his chair and counted to ten. One, two, three… ten. He stared at the frozen screen, waiting.
Then he stood up, walked around the desk, and gently pressed the restart button on the tower. One press. That was all it took.
The screen blinked once, twice — then the avatar reappeared. This time it was juggling three glowing orbs. Juan Diego's breath caught.
He leaned forward, grinning. Is she trying to cheer me up? Juan Diego laughed out loud. The orbs kept spinning.