- HIGH HIGH
- Tales of Suburban Cyberpunk
- By Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne

- Episode 2 : Feelings

     Mitch rubbed a wet washcloth over his forehead, attempting
to get the color back in his face.

     You're overreacting, he thought to himself, wringing the
cloth out.  You panicked and sought out shelter.  It's a typical
reaction, nothing out of the ordinary.  Everything'll be fine. 
You just need to stay away from her.

     See, if one was to watch the previous video clip in slow
motion AND ThoughtCam(tm), we'd notice several notions running
through the overdeveloped mind of Mitch...

     1.   Initial Impressions (greed) : Heh heh heh, another
          chance to exercise my powers over human will.  I'll
          have Benton a great deal in no time flat.

     2.   Second Look (amazement) Yow!

     3.   Musings Over Second Look (adoration) Quite possibly the
          most beautiful woman I have ever seen.  Venus is a
          fattening mother of twelve in a New Jersey trailer park
          in comparison.  I shall ask her out on a date!

     4.   Third Impression (memory search) Wasn't her name
          'Jody?'

     5.   Pause (flashback) Rumor mill says she's a demon on four
          wheels who tends to rip the arms off people she doesn't
          like.  Other rumors say that those rumors are
          understatements.

     6.   Conclusion (horrible realization) Benton didn't want me
          to follow him, and we're ALWAYS hanging out together. 
          HE MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING GOING WITH HER.

     7.   Afterthought (panic) The combination of these events
          equals : If he catches me trying to put moves on her,
          he'll either beat me to a pulp or SHE will.

     Okay, he thought, regaining his wits in the bathroom, it's
not as bad as I figured.  I just try to avoid my usual pick-up
impulses and I can stay alive.  Wouldn't be THAT hard.  Heh.

     The problem was that Mitch's little adolescent mind had
already run over sixteen different scenarios involving her, and
keeping himself under control when alone in Jody's presence was
going to be tricky.  He'd just have to make sure Benton was
always around so he wouldn't have the chance.  That and get home
fast to take a cold shower.

     Mitch regained his composure, resumed his 'hey, i'm calm'
facial expression and stepped out of the bathroom, where Benton
and Jody were waiting outside the door.

     "Something wrong?" Jody asked.

     Mitch deliberately avoided looking at her, pausing to adjust
his shirt.  SEVERAL cold showers, SEVERAL, he thought, trying to
ignore the sound of her voice as well, how the pitch warbled just
so... "No, nothing.  Just a touch of nausea.  I had some bad
pancakes or something this morning.  So!  What's on the agenda
today?  Not much of importance?"

     "Didn't you have an idea about a mood office?" Benton asked,
recalling the previous conversation.

     "Mood building," Mitch corrected.  "Well, yeah, but seeing
as how it's getting late and all--"

     "It's nine in the morning," Jody said, pointing to her
watch.

     "--and since my bike just recently broke--"

     "So did mine," Benton said.  "Jody gave me a ride."

     "I can drive you both around today if you'd like," Jody
suggested.  "I'm not doing anything important."

     Mitch, rapidly running out of excuses, folded like an
origami bird.  "Okay, let's get going.  It's a pretty solid gag,
Benton, I think you'll like it.  We'll be done with it quickly."

     Mitch pushed his way by the two students, closing the front
door behind him.  Jody blinked.

     "Is he always like this?" she asked.  "He seemed nervous
about something."

     "Not usually.  For the life of me, I can't figure out why."

                              ---

     Psi-Chromatic Paint is a volatile substance, a nanite-based
color that changes tones and hues according to any nearby organic
life.  Color changing typically occurs during mood changes or
stress in nearby lifeforms.  It has no practical use and is
horribly expensive.

     Luckily, High High is always interested in cutting edge
technology, even for its weak art department.  The more expensive
the tech the better, in order to justify the entire department's
existence, so it had invested heavily in PC Paint.  The art
department didn't have much use for it either, so Benton pilfered
a bucket of the stuff before the school year ended in June.

     "How's this stuff going to cover a building?" Jody asked,
nudging the metal can with her hip.  Mitch looked away
momentarily, pretending to be amazed by the unchanging scenery.

     "Oh, it coats pretty thin," Benton said, hanging an arm out
the Traffic Smasher's window.  "It's a pretty bizarre paint. 
Hardly a paint at all.  I tried using it in an art project, but
it doesn't stick to surfaces for very long.  The nanites get
bored.  Mitch, you alright?  You look pale."

     "Me?  Of course not!  No problem.  Just a little sick, if
you recall," Mitch said.

     "Maybe I should have given you the rear seat then," Benton
said.  "I hear the passenger seat isn't that good for motion
sickness."

     Jody nodded.  "I could stop the car and you can get off--"

     "No!  No worry.  We're almost there, anyway."

                              ---

     The target in question was a typical corporate building,
sitting on the tiny fringe that surrounded the city.  An area too
urban to be a suburb and too clean to be urban.  A simple two
story building of offices, inoffensive and ripe for the gagging.

     Nobody really cared that some kid had climbed up to the roof
and begun to coat the building in fluid; far worse things were
happening inside...

     "Mitch is just pouring that stuff," Benton frowned, gazing
up to the top of the building.  "The guy doesn't know the first
thing about paint.  Why'd HE insist to do it?  I'm the artist. 
Just because he wanted to get home quick doesn't mean he's got to
do a sloppy job."

     "Seems to be coating the building okay," Jody nodded, as the
black paint slicked over the normally black bricks of the
building.  "Do you guys do this often?"

     "Do what?"

     "Practical jokes, that sort of thing."

     "Oh, of course.  I mean, we've been given these too-large
brains and don't have anything better to do than play with the
lives of mortal man.  It's quite enjoyable.  I'll have to show
you the finer points of gags sometimes... this one's okay, but
we've done more classic ones in the past.  Ah, he's almost done."

     The paint molded itself to the shape of the building,
nanites sliding contrary to the laws of gravity to maintain an
even coat.  Within moments, you couldn't tell the building had
been 'repainted'.

     "All done," Mitch shouted from the roof, grinning. He dusted
off his hands and climbed down the monofilament cord Benton had
looped over a roof fixture.  (Another art department
requisition... 'maybe they can make mobiles or something with it'
was the excuse given on the purchase order.)

     Mitch landed on the ground with a plop, stepping back to
watch the building shift colors.

     "Who knows what feelings lurk in the hearts of corporate
man?" he mocked.  "We'll know any second now."

     The breeze shifted.  A few taxis passed by.  General near-
urban activity continued, unaffected.

     "Mitch, the building's not shifting colors."

     "I can see that.  Hmmm."

     "What's black mean?" Jody asked, watching the unchanging
building.

     "Anger," Benton responded.  "Red means embarrassment, blue
depression, yellow is fear, pink is panic... I've got a chart at
home."

     "How could every single one of them be angry?" Mitch asked. 
"This is the most successful small corp in town.  They've gotta
be happy."

     "Which corp is it again?" Jody asked, noticing something out
of the corner of her eye.

     "Y'llpTak, I think.  It's a Yttian-owned.  Multi-planetal."

     Jody walked over to the newspaper machine, crouching down to
read the headlines through the glass.  "'Y'llpTak announces
massive layoffs.  Yesterday, the small Yttian optical company
issued a press release detailing cutting of all Terran-based
branches..."

     "Drat.  And that was the only can I had," Benton sighed,
kicking a nearby chunk of sidewalk.  "A washout gag."

     "Well, we tried," Mitch shrugged.  "For the best, I guess. 
I've got a patient to see anyway in a little while, so we'd
better head back.  It's been fun."

     "You go back with Jody," Benton said.  "I guess I ought to
go see Benny while I'm here."

     "Benny?" Jody asked, standing back up.

     "My art dealer.  He wanted me to drop by sometime this week,
and his office is only a block away... I'll grab a taxi home. 
Jody, can you drive Mitch back for his appointment?"

     "I suppose so," Jody offered.

     "Whoa, huh?  Wait a sec!  You're not coming back with us?"
Mitch asked, panicking.

     "I think Jody can find her way back without me," Benton
smirked.  "Don't worry, she'll get you home safe."

     "But--"

     "'Bye," Benton waved, starting off on foot.

     "But--"

     "Something wrong?" Jody asked, examining Mitch quizzically.

     "Nothing, nothing," Mitch said, regaining his stability. 
"Look, it's getting late.  That meeting's really soon, actually,
so maybe I ought to just hail a cab home too."

     "You calling me slow?" Jody asked warningly.

     "No, of course not!" Mitch defended, looking around for
shelter.  "I just, well, wouldn't want to be a burden, you know."

     "Mitch, if you and Benton were a burden, I wouldn't have
driven you out here.  Come on, let's get you to that
appointment."

     Jody grabbed Mitch by the wrist, dragging him towards the
Traffic Smasher.  Mitch looked around frantically, making sure
nobody he knew was watching.

     "No need to go so fast!" Mitch said, being pulled along.

     "Aren't you in a hurry?"

     "My patient has a commitment problem.  He probably won't
make up his mind to show up until a few hours from now.  No need
to go running along attracting attention or anything.  YIKES!"

     "What?"

     "One o'clock!" Mitch said, ducking.

     Jody turned to one, and spotted a familiar face.  The
familiar face looked back, noticing Mitch.  A face attached to a
High High uniform and a purse.

     "Hey, isn't that another High High student?  I think
recognize the face."

     "That's Julie!" Mitch warned.  "High High's gossip queen! 
If she-- ACK!"

     "Are you sick again?" Jody asked, as Mitch frantically
looked for a place to hide.  "I-- oh, she's coming over here."

     "Hiiieeee!" Julie waved madly, jogging over to the black
building, purse flapping behind her.  "I was just headed out to
the Mall, when I saw a fellow HHer!  Mitch!  Long time no see! 
How's tricks?"

     "Err, fine, Julie," Mitch said.

     "And who's this, eh?" Julie asked, poking at Jody's arm and
giving Mitch a knowing wink.

     "Nobody!" Mitch blurted.  "Really.  She's just giving me a
ride, that's all."

     "Name's Jody.  We're on our way back to his place for an
appointment," Jody nodded.

     "Ooooohhhhhh!" Julie said, nodding with an understanding
grin.  "I see.  Hee!  Doesn't look like your type, Mitch, but
with you, who can tell?  Well, don't mind me, you two get back to
your little rond-eh-voos.  Wait'll the girls hear this one! 
Bye!"

     "But..." Mitch offered pathetically as Julie skipped off,
giggling and pulling out a gossip notebook from her purse to
write this new tidbit down.

     "Strange girl," Jody said.  "Do you know her?"

     Although when Jody turned to ask Mitch, he was gone.

     NOW she was getting suspicious.

                              ---

     She found him cowering in an alley behind the mood building
two minutes later.

     "Problem?" she asked, tapping her foot.

     "YAAAH!  I mean, no, no problem, no problem at all.  I was
thinking, really, you get better gas mileage if you don't have
any passengers, so maybe I should just--"

     Mitch hopped back to his feet and tried to push by her. 
Jody blocked him with an arm.  He tried the other side, so she
used the other arm, cutting him off from exit.

     "Spare me," Jody said, slowly slipping into an angry tone. 
"You've been acting bizarre ever since Benton introduced me to
you.  Care to explain why?"

     "No!  Really!  No problem!  I--"

     That's when she noticed it; the wall of the building closest
to Mitch was turning yellow.  She frowned.

     "EXPLAIN," Jody said, pinning him to one of the walls.  "I
don't like being sneaked around, kept in the dark about ANYTHING. 
It's too damn disrespectful, and you're seriously dissing me at
this point.  Now.  What's the problem?"

     "Quit it!  Someone might see!" he said, trying to hide his
face from any bystanders.  The wall started turning pink.

     "So?"

     "So if anybody gets word out that I was alone with Bentons'
girl, Benton'll hear and beat the snot out of me.  Or you will. 
Either way, I lose snot."

     Jody blinked.  "What?"

     "Well, I mean, everything about you two when you bumped into
me suggested it.  Body language, voice tone, ketchup stains--"

     "WE ARE NOT DATING!" Jody yelled, pounding him against the
wall.

     "Eeep!"

     The entire alley turned yellow.

     "God, Mitch, get a grip on yourself."

     "Sorry.  You just frightened me there, that's all."

     "You know, Benton MENTIONED you'd chase anything in a
skirt," Jody said, remembering the earlier breakfast chatter. 
"This why you never tried to put any moves on me?  Because you
thought HE was dating me?"

     "Well... yeah.  I mean, you're not bad looking or anything,
but I didn't want to hurt my friend's feelings or get myself
pounded in the process, so I figured I'd just play it cool around
his girlfriend and--"

     "Good lord!  Mitch, for a psychologist, you sure are
unobservant.  Have you seen ANY romantic type behavior between us
today?"

     "Well... no."

     "Good.  Infer from that; we're not dating.  Benton's just
this guy whose garage I wrecked.  You can relax, neither of us
are going to kill you.  Where'd you get a silly idea like that,
anyway?"

     "Jody, come on, everybody knows how violent you can get when
provoked," Mitch laughed.

     "I am NOT VIOLENT," Jody growled in his face, pinning him
against the wall again.  "I just don't take kindly to people who
don't take kindly to me, that's all.  Now I'm driving you home
whether you like it or not."

     Mitch started to mumble a protest, so she simply grabbed a
wrist and dragged him down to the Traffic Smasher.

                              ---

     The car pulled outside his house ten minutes later,
shuddering to a full stop.  Benton released his grip on the
passenger armrest.

     "There, you're home," Jody said, throwing the rover into
park.  "Out."

     "Err... sorry about the mixup," he said.  "No hard
feelings?"

     "You're still sort of a twit, but no more twitty than when I
first met you," she smiled at him.  "Go on in.  No hard
feelings."

     "Okay," Mitch nodded, calming down.  He turned to walk into
the house, then paused.  "Say.  Thought occurs.  Since according
to you you're not really seeing anyone... any chance you and I
could--"

     "No."

     "I can deal with that," Mitch quickly said.  He breathed a
sigh of pure relief, considering the matter settled.  "For the
best, anyway.  See you tomorrow.  By the way.... I forgot to ask,
during the course of the day, did you two ever manage to discuss
the damages to the garage?"

     "Huh?  Oh.  Actually no.  Just got caught up in... talking,
chatting, that sort of thing.  You know."

     "I see," he said, nodding.  "I figured.  See you tomorrow."

     Jody blew a sigh of relief as he wandered into his suburban
home.  Man, what a mix-up, she thought.  I'd have to try during
the school year to quell the rumor mill, that was just
RIDICULOUS.  Her?  And BENTON?  DATING?  They hardly knew each
other!  Hell, she had even wrecked his garage!  How would it be
possible for them to be dating?

     Well, social situations are just funny that way, she
figured.  She slipped a Bonnie Rait CD2 into the rover's sound
system and made tracks for home.

                              *

     "And get this," Jody laughed, stirring her yogurt up while
talking into the holophone.  "He was all edgy because he thought
we were DATING, and if he was seen alone with me you'd find out
and smash his face in."

     Benton's six-inch hologrammatic image laughed, colors fading
for a moment over the cheap domestic phone line.  "Man, I wish I
was there to see it.  Irony like that is what I live for.  Still,
dating... har.  People will imagine up the stupidest things to
keep their minds off their own lives."

     "Yeah, tell me about it.  Dating.  Pure silliness.  You
know, he did remind me; we haven't talked about those damages
yet.  Want to go out for some dinner to settle that once and for
all?  All I've managed to grab is some yogurt."

     "Sounds fine here," Benton said.  "You driving?"

     "You're currently without bike, so yes."

     "Fast food or sit down meals?"

     "Sit down.  We could use some actual nutrition.  Italian
would be nice."

     "Alright.  Show up anytime," Benton said, closing the
connection.  Jody quickly changed into her cleanest, best shirt
and darted out to the car, slipping into gear and putting the
hammer down.