In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell - Parnasse.com

AMORE
Penny collapsed into the duvet, then froze. He was at the table,
madly typing into her laptop. Next to the laptop was the long
rectangular shape of the EX5 keyboard, like just like the one she had at
home.
"Sandro, what's going on?
"Yes, Mario found this. I hope it is the right one."
He pulled out a white box with trodes wrapped around it. "And
he found you these. In French, but same principle, yes?" He turned
back to the screen. "Oh, yes, I am surfing for deep links."
Manga hair swished across the laptop screen with Japanese
captions.
"How did you get my password?"
"I guessed."
"Uh-huh? And what did you come up with?"
"Copper. Eh, CU29, the symbol and atomic number."
"How―"
"Instant message, no? And back door is of course, is 58.9332,
the atomic mass, Henri Quatre not so bad for chemistry, too. Mario
helped a little. Was fun. I wonder what you would look like with long
hair, Madame says you would be divine."
She looked over the keyboard, still skeptical.
"So, Mario got you this keyboard? They don't sell them
anymore, and as for IM, I haven't been on the scene for eons now."
"Why nut?"
"It's not real."
"But you have many friends, I saw your buddy list."
"Oh, please."
He shot her a puzzled glance. Was he jealous of her far flung
fans, living in their mother's basements, never seeing the light of day?
Buddies indeed. Of course that was all history now.
He turned back to the computer.
"Is okay? I thought it would help with your work."
Plugged in. Branché.
"Wow, um, I don't know what to say. So, have you found
anything?"
124