Rebooting Rose

Rose

“No, no, no, no! Not now... Please!” I exclaimed, shaking my head vigorously as I stared at the ominous blue screen of my laptop. In a moment of exasperation, I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging at the ends as if I could physically pull the frustration out of me. I finally let my hair fall free, the soft chestnut waves tumbling around my face, a stark contrast to the chaos swirling in my mind.

“I can’t believe this is happening RIGHT NOW!”

I shoved my chair back and began pacing the room, my mind racing.

“Alright, alright. Let me think. I am calm. I am not panicking. I need to breathe slowly. In and out. In, and out. Inhale, exhale. But what if my thesis is completely gone? I AM SO SCREWED!”

I caught my head in my hands as my legs gave out beneath me, and I sank to the floor. In an instant, tears streamed down my face, the weight of the last six months of hard work feeling like it was slipping away.

“I can’t believe I’m so stupid…” I whispered to myself, sniffing as I pushed my glasses, which had slipped off, back onto my nose.

Suddenly, the door to my room burst open, and my roommate Jenna stormed in, her expression fierce.

“Alright, Rose! Who do we need to beat up tonight?” she declared, rolling up her sleeves and cracking her knuckles.

“Was it that dork from your class last year? The one who kept giving you those long looks and wanted you to be his dance partner?”

My mouth fell open in surprise, and laughter bubbled up at the absurdity of the situation.

“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “Worse.”

“Don’t tell me it was that bleach-blonde guy who texted you ‘I see you’? My god, that was creepy as hell.”

Jenna crossed her arms, impatience radiating from her as she waited for my answer.

“Um... I think I just might have lost my entire thesis,” I said, defeated, pointing at the still-blue screen of my laptop.

“Ooh, a blue screen of death. Well, that’s never good news,” she said, her tone shifting to one of sympathy.

“Gee, thanks, Jenna. You’re really making me feel great about this whole ordeal.”

“Right. You’re right, I’m sorry. That wasn’t very helpful. Let me think... Did you buy your laptop here at the university store, or somewhere else?”

I shot her an unimpressed look. “Why does it matter where I bought it? It’s broken now, anyway.”

“Rose—where did you buy it? Please, it’s really important.”

I sighed, groaning as I rubbed my eyes in frustration. “I guess I did buy it at the university store? I’m not sure,” I admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Well, you can actually check that in your student account. Do you have it on your phone, by any chance?” Jenna asked, her tone brightening as if she’d just discovered the magical solution to my crisis.

“Okay, okay, let me see.”

I patted around on the carpeted floor, searching for my phone which must have fallen out of my pocket during my mental breakdown. As soon as my hand found it, I quickly unlocked the screen and pulled up my university account. Everything was linked to that account these days—everything from textbook purchases to grades.

Jenna grabbed the phone out of my hand, and started quickly tapping around on the screen. I felt helpless as I waited for her to give out the final judgement.

She grinned as she looked up from the phone. "Alright Rose, help has been requested, and you will soon receive further instructions."

“What...?” I was utterly confused. What did she mean?

“Okay, let me explain. Whenever you buy a laptop at the university store, you automatically receive five years of free additional support, along with an extended warranty. If you experience any issues with your laptop, you can simply submit a ticket to the university’s support system, and help will follow soon after. I just submitted your ticket, mentioning that you’re experiencing a blue screen of death and that you’re on a tight deadline with your thesis. Did you know they have a 24/7 service center?”My mouth opened and closed in disbelief; I was still trying to wrap my head around it.

“So, how does this work exactly? Do I have to go somewhere now?” I asked, feeling bewildered.

“Um, yes, if you want your laptop repaired, you will need to go in. But first, you’ll have to wait for a time slot, which they should provide soon enough.”

For the first time in the past half hour, I felt a glimmer of hope. Hope that my thesis could be salvaged, that I could finalize it and submit it by the upcoming weekend. I was so close, yet so far.

Barely a minute later, my phone pinged.

Service Center: A time slot will be available at 14:00. If you want to claim this time slot, please reply with “accept.” If this time slot does not fit your schedule, please reply with “decline.”

I shakily typed out my response.

Me: Accept!

Service Center: Thank you for your reservation. Your reservation number is #30982. Please carry this with you when you visit us, as it will help us assist you quickly.

“Jenna! Oh my god, they are able to help in just half an hour! You’re the best!” I said excitedly as I got up to hug her.

Letting her go slowly, I asked, “How do you know all of this?”

“Oh, I used to experience trouble with my laptop all the time. And the cute service guy over there would always make sure I left the Service Center as a very satisfied customer.”

I laughed out loud. “Jenna, you have to elaborate, what do you mean? Where will I end up in half an hour?”

“Oh no, nothing much is going on over there in the Service Center. But the cute blonde guy behind the counter is a damn good kisser, I’d have to give him that. I might have submitted a few false tickets. For some reason, my laptop always seemed to work whenever he took a look,” she said, sending me a wink.

She brought her head closer as if telling me a big secret. “Their supply closet has a lot of private corners,” she added thoughtfully whilst biting her lip.

I shook my head at her, a smile forming on my face. Jenna was quite the charmer, always eager to win over any cute boy.

“At least tell me his name so I know who not to kiss.”

She sighed contentedly, as if reminiscing about their escapades. “His name is Ben. Tell him I said hi, will you? And remind him that he still has my number.”

I snorted loudly. “Yeah, right. I’ll avoid going anywhere near him, just to be clear.”

She shrugged carelessly. “Your loss. He’s a great kisser. Although I’d like to think he’s mine—and mine alone.”

She gave me a pointed look. “You could brush up on your kissing skills sometimes, Rose.”

I forced a smile, rolling my eyes before settling into an impassive expression. “No, I don’t. I’m perfectly fine with my rusty kissing skills, thank you very much.”

“Seriously, Rose, it wouldn’t hurt to talk to guys now and then. Get yourself out there, have some fun,” she shrugged innocently.

I pursed my lips, shooting her a stern look. “I don’t have time for that, Jenna. Between work and my thesis, there’s barely any time left for relaxation, let alone boys.” I spat the last word as if it were poison.

Jenna burst out laughing, shaking her head in disbelief. “God, sometimes I wonder how we, of all people, ended up rooming together. We’re complete opposites.”

“In my opinion, it’s enriched our lives. I’m great at budgeting and planning, while you handle the social activities and spontaneity. Together, we create a great living environment, if I do say so myself.”

Looking at Jenna, I smiled warmly. “Time for a hug, Jen.”

“Bear hug!” she yelled, enveloping me in a big, warm embrace, showering me with affection and comfort.

“Alright, enough, enough, Jen! Stop!” I said, giggling as I playfully pushed her off me.

“Okay, genius, time to go to the Service Center. Will you be fine on your own?” Jenna asked, looking a little concerned.

“I’ll be fine with the new knowledge that my problem can probably be fixed. Or at least, I’m holding onto that idea. Let’s just hope for the best.”

“Let’s do that,” Jenna replied, sending me another sympathetic smile.

I shut my laptop, carefully packing it away in my bag and zipping it closed.

“Biking will take like five minutes, right? The Service Center is on campus, isn’t it?”

Jenna raised her eyebrows as she looked out of my bedroom window. “Crazy pants. You’re not cycling, silly. I’m dropping you off with my car. I need to get some groceries anyway, so it’s really no trouble at all.”

I shot her a grateful look. “Thanks, Jen. I really owe you after today.”

“You can make it up to me if you want,” she said, a teasing smile forming on her face. That never meant any good for me—it usually resulted in one of her mad assignments, her way of trying to get me out of my comfort zone step by step.

“Depends...” I dragged out, eyeing her suspiciously, my eyes narrowing at her on their own accord.

“I was of great help today, wasn’t I? I recall you saying I was the best. Well, if you could do something in return for the best person in your life, wouldn’t you?”

My shoulders sagged in defeat as I raised my hands. “You got me there, Jen. Now out with it.”

Her teasing smile turned into a full-blown smirk. “Alright, Rose, but just remember, you specifically asked for it. I dare you to...” She trailed off, tapping her chin and inspecting my room as if searching for inspiration. When her eyes landed on a colorful pile of post-its, the corner of her mouth tilted slightly in satisfaction.

“I dare you to secretly, or not so secretly, write your number on a post-it and slip it into some cute boy’s bag. Today.”

She smiled brightly, clearly pleased with her latest assignment. Instead of resisting, like I usually would, I decided to go with it today.

“Okay, I’m in,” I said easily, smiling innocently at her. She narrowed her eyes at me in suspicion.

“I feel like something fishy is going on here. I think you might have found a loophole in this assignment. Tell me!” she demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

“Nope, no loopholes. I will write my number on a post-it and slip it into some cute boy’s bag. Okay?”

“Okay. But I expect proof. Like a text from him or something.”

“I promise you, Jen, you will get your proof, okay? You just have to believe me. Now, are you ready to go? Because I am, and I really want to get my laptop fixed right now.”

“Let’s go!”

I grinned as I grabbed my coat and slung the bag with my laptop over my shoulder, excitement bubbling within me at the prospect of getting my thesis back. Let’s get this show on the road!