Plop! Jess’s feet swung off her bed and thudded onto the cold grey floor. She pressed the button on her computer and watched as the neon green glow materialized. Jess glanced quickly at her iMessageBoard that popped up on her iMac’s monitor. A message from her mother-- she typed back her preference for her breakfast image. As she placed her arm into the iFood the photo of sugary maple syrup drenching light fluffy buttermilk pancakes popped up on her monitor. The picture helped her to ignore the needle piercing her wrinkled pale skin providing her daily nourishment.
Jess proceeded to open up the iFamily program as she felt the need for genuine affection and human contact. She clicked on ‘MOM!’ icon: her mom’s profile pic popped up along with her relationship status, interests, hobbies, and ‘top friends’. Phew, good thing Mom and Dad are back together again. I couldn’t sleep for weeks when her relationship status kept changing from ‘complicated’ to ‘dating’ to ‘pissed at my soon to be ex-husband’ thank god (and the multitude of online shrinks) that her relationship status is now back to ‘married’. Jess posted a message on her mother’s wall, I hope she is proud of the 95% I got on my English test! I remember last time I got an A, she sent me a picture of a gold star!

Following her breakfast injection Jess looked at her iCalendar flashing on her monitor and rushed towards her school desk after realizing the time. She quickly opened the program iSchool. After watching her teacher’s PowerPoint on Anaphase I and spindle fibers, she clicked on iMusic before doing her worksheet.
“iMusic! Play me soft background music, happy but none of that depressing Bette Middler Beaches crap like last time,” Jess instructed. Her iMac calibrated her preferences and created the perfect mix for her mood and activity. Some time later a high pitched bell sound pierced her ears.

She proceeded to click on the iGym program and then hurried to change her clothes. By the time she sat down on her bike Mr. Murray had already started class.
“Today we are going to go on a 10 mile ride through the hills of Versailles. Try to keep up with everyone and be safe.”
She started pedaling, her endorphins increased in tandem with her heart beat. She fell into a trance fixated by the rolling French countryside depicted on the monitor in front of her. She had to squint, but Jess could make out a couple of French women strolling nude along the gravel path.
Bing! A text message popped up in the corner of her iMac.

Nicole B (11:37:13 am): Hey Jess girl, what’s up?

Jess L (11:37:15 am): Hey Nicole, havt tlked 4ever. Whts new?

Nicole B (11:37:18 am): I’m  my p’rents r getting dvrced”

Jess L (11:37:22 am): awww I’m  4 u. I’m  too cause my bro just died

Nicole B (11:37:25 am): sry. I’m  4 u 2

Jess L (11:37:27 am): well I’m gld we had this <3 2 <3 tlk
Suddenly another message in a different color text popped up
Gym Murray (11:37:28 am): NICOLE! Stop messaging Jess during my class. You know my rule about talking during class. Do you want me to give you a detention?
Oh no! I definitely don’t want to get another detention thought Jess. Watching a chalkboard on my iMac while Mr. Murray’s incessant snorting and tapping whined out of the speakers and ‘thinking about what I did’ for an hour was torture the first 12 times.
Beeeeeep! Jess didn’t get a chance to click out of iTextMessege. The screen depicting the green grasses of France immediately changed to a view of the history of the Americas’ textbook. She let her body relax and her eyes began to daze as her history teacher’s monotonous voice faded way. A glaring light snapped her out of her daze, her screen changed abruptly. A movie popped up, one of those old reels from the 1950s. Damn Mr. Grace, don’t you know nobody cares about history! There is no point to learning what happened seventy years ago, who cares about the 1950s except for the producers of Back to the Future 12? Oh no, another documentary on life back before advances in communication.

“Go back seventy years, the war had recently ended and life was different...”
Jess watched grassy lawns and the sweet smell of crispy apple pie fill the screen during the movie. A mother and father embraced after a long day at work, the child ran into the hug, sandwiched in the middle. They all sat at the dinner table and held each others’ hands during grace. After dinner the child ran out to greet the mailman and returned with both the mail and a neighbor. They all sat down in the living room and discussed the most recent Yankee game. “Bedtime,” the mother called to the son. The boy hopped into bed and after his mother tucked him in tightly he kissed her goodnight.

Beep! Jess clicked out of iSchool and decided to take a nice nap on her grey concrete bed, she fell asleep to the hum of her iMac.


Jess embraced the keyboard as her iMac played her lullaby, she clung to the plastic device, the closest thing she ever felt to a mother’s hug.