New Days

Three months ago my best friend and I applied to the new technology school. Last week we got our acceptance. It is exciting, working on the cutting edge, focusing on my interests, finding mechanical cures to human failure, keeping the flying cars from falling out of the sky, sounds great.

But included in my welcome packet there were some pieces of tech that aren't quite as exciting. At least not to me. Apparently the idea originated in some kind of history article about something called 'mood rings' from the 1970s? Thanks, History.

The items are a bracelet, a t-shirt and a necklace. Built into them are all kinds of monitors and nanobots that read all sorts of things through nerve conductivity and apparently they are able to accurately gauge what a person is thinking. It translates this information into emojis. This is test with all of us new students, the guinea pigs.

There is some control over what will be shown and what will not. You can restrict access to the more adult themed emojis, for instance. I definitely did that. I opted for the bracelet, because I can turn it to face inward and keep my thoughts to myself.

Now that I'm thinking of it, this is likely a part of the test. What kinds of people choose the shirt and proudly announce their thoughts and feelings to the world, and what kind keep their thoughts and feelings close.

I tried on the bracelet and started testing. I thought of the book I was reading and appeared. I'd been reading "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling. An and an appeared.

I shifted my thoughts to a song that has been stuck in my head and got and

My baby brother started crying in the next room over and I got and thought he's probably hungry. A appeared.

Just that moment I got a call on my video wall from my best friend, Ash.

An image of her bedroom appeared on my entire wall and she said, "Wow, your room is even messier than usual."

"Yeah. I pretty stressed about these things." I pointed to my wrist and wiggled the bracelet. The emoji on it shifted to

She said, "I've got the necklace going. Figured I could just hide it in my shirt all day. They can't force us to show everyone every thought, can they?"

Incognito. Good idea. A flashed on my bracelet screen.

"I didn't see anything in the packet about it. Just that we are required to choose one of the items and to wear it on the first day. Maybe we can stop after that first day?"

"I hope so," she said. "Earlier today when I first tried it on, I got a and a . I had been dreaming about Aladdin. But it quickly shifted over to . I think that one is going to pop up for me A LOT."

At her mention of food my stomach growled and an image of an flashed violently. I guess that signifies and intense thought. "On that note, I've got to go get ready. I'll see you at school!" Unsurprisingly an flashed.

She disappeared from my wall and I thought about finding clothes which amusingly flashed through , , and a . Stylish. I get the mask though. I guess we all do hide behind what we wear.

After all of that was taken care of I ran downstairs to say bye to my mom before I ran out the door and caught a ride on the turbo bus. Once it had stopped I jumped over the gap from our house to its door and off I went. I found a seat and checked my bracelet. It was a . I assume that was because I was comfortably waiting.

The people around me were all milling about and the music playing overhead had a decent bassline. My emoji changed to which isn't a bass, but close enough I suppose.

It started to rain but not storm. Storms can wreak havoc on these busses.

Someone across the way and facing me had one of the shirts on. Her shirt shifted from to as I watched.

We were close to the school now and I thought 'well, today will certainly be interesting.' I looked down at my bracelet just before exiting the bus and saw an flash just before I jumped out into the rain to find Ash.


Prompt ▼

Your prompt for today is to write about someone starting a new academic year at a brand new school (or college) - and you must include EXACTLY 22 different emoticons - no more, no less - in your STORY or POEM. They must be interspersed in your item, not all in a row.

Choose Friendship as one of your genres.