NOTE: Thank you to SyleusSnow for his editing help on this story. His editing work was tremendously helpful, and made this much more readable.
Tuesday
Will Brinkley sat on the bus, self-conscious about the mix of sweat and garlic clinging to him. He was drained after four hours of classes at Wilkes Grove Community College, followed by an eight-hour shift at the pizza parlor. There was still a two-block walk from the bus stop to his house. His mother was always reminding him that he should lose weight, so the walk would do some good.
He walked into the kitchen to find his mother putting dishes from dinner back into the cupboard.
"Hello, Will," she said, her back to him.
"Hi, Mom. How did you know it was me?"
"I could smell the garlic on you."
"Is it that bad? Is there any dinner left?"
"Oh, sorry. We figured you'd eat at work, and we don't have any leftovers."
Will sighed and went to the pantry, grabbing a box of Pop-Tarts before heading to his room.
"Will, before you go, a package came for you." His mother handed him a small, padded envelope.
"It feels like a computer disk. You're not wasting money on more computer games, are you? You're supposed to be saving for school."
"It's okay, Mom. This one was cheap."
"How much was it?"
"Only $10."
"Alright... but I don't know when you'll have time to play these games. You're having enough trouble keeping your grades up as it is."
Will retreated to his room, closing the door behind him. He didn't dare tell his mother that the disk actually cost $275, not $10. Given that his social life was nonexistent, he figured it was a good investment.
He booted up his Gateway 2000 computer, recalling how, six weeks ago, he had been flipping through the latest Penthouse magazine. After already taking care of his "needs" with the Pet of the Month, he had absent-mindedly browsed the back ads. That's when he saw it.
MAKE YOURSELF IRRESISTIBLE TO WOMEN!
TURN YOUR PRINTER INTO A SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE GENERATOR!
The program claimed it could print a message that only the subconscious could pick up. Will sent off the $275, depleting his bank account, convinced this was the answer to his problem with Janel Stevens from his Political Science class. He wanted to move beyond the "friend zone."
After installing the program, Will followed the simple prompts. First, it asked for a "cue word" to activate the reader's subconscious, then an "action" for what he wanted the reader to do, and finally an "end word" to deactivate the state.
The next document printed from the computer would weave the subliminal message into the reader's psyche. The program would only work once per document; to print again, you had to go through the prompts again.
He decided to test it. The cue word was "essay," the action was "cough," and the end word was "thanks." He printed out an old English paper he'd written. After pulling the paper from the printer, Will scanned it but saw nothing unusual. He walked into the family room, where his parents were watching the latest episode of
Home Improvement
.
"Mom, Dad, could one of you read my essay and tell me what you think?"
"Will, your mom said you're wasting more money on video games. You need to be responsible," his dad said sharply.
"I know, Dad. It was cheap. Just a one-time thing."
"We know your grades aren't strong enough for scholarships, so you need to save," his father added.
"I got it, Dad," Will mumbled.
His mom took the paper and began reading.
"Well, it's a bit of a mess. You bounce between active and passive voice. You change verb tenses all the time."
Will didn't bother telling her he'd already received a D on the paper. He was more concerned that the program didn't seem to do anything.
"I know Mom. I struggle when I have to write an essay."
She coughed, then looked back at him. "Did you even proofread it?"
"I did. I will rewrite the essay."
She coughed again. "Yes. And I want to see it before you turn it in. Now, your dad and I are trying to watch a show."
"Okay, thanks. I will rewrite the essay."
Will didn't hear another cough. He was satisfied that the program worked, but now he had to rewrite an essay he turned in weeks ago.
"Hey, I'm home!" Will's sister Jordan slammed the front door and kissed their father on the cheek.
"Hi, honey. How was volleyball practice?" their father asked.
"Oh, fine. The usual," she replied, barely acknowledging Will's presence.
"How'd your AP Physics exam go?" their father asked.
"I got an A," Jordan answered, grinning.
"I'm proud of you, sweetie," their mother chimed in.
Will retreated to his room, trying to block out the conversation. He didn't want to hear about his athletic, brown-haired, blue-eyed sister--captain of the volleyball team, honor roll student, and accepted into the best schools. She had everything at the age of eighteen. Meanwhile, Will thought of Janel from his Political Science class--her long black hair, her blue eyes behind glasses that always seemed to hide something more.
Will had talked to Janel every class but couldn't figure out how to ask her out. Now, with his new program, he finally had a plan. He lay in bed well past midnight, trying to figure out how to make it work before finally falling asleep.
Wednesday
Waking up at 7 AM, Will hadn't yet decided how to use the program. After checking his email, he saw a message from Dos Amigos, a local Mexican restaurant. That was it--he'd give Janel coupons for the restaurant.
He opened the program and typed "burrito" for the cue word, then typed, "Find Will irresistible sexually."
From the hallway, he heard his sister's voice. "Will, I'm out of the shower!"
Damn. Will needed to get in the bathroom before Jordan needed it again. He jumped out of bed, rushing into the bathroom to start his shower.
While Will showered, Jordan hurried into his room. She needed to print out her American History paper before leaving for school. Noticing the strange program running on his computer, she minimized it and accessed her drive to print the paper. After quickly skimming it, she grabbed the paper, placed it in a folder, and put it in her backpack.
Will finished his shower and rushed back to his room. He threw on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt that was too small but clean enough. Glancing at the clock, he realized he only had ten minutes to catch the bus. He quickly printed out the restaurant coupons, stuffed them into his backpack, threw on his shoes, and ran out the door.
He was sweating by the time he reached his PolySci class. As he entered, he realized he had forgotten to put on deodorant. He found Janel and sat next to her. He couldn't help but notice how she looked--she wasn't thin and athletic like his sister, but she filled out a pair of jeans nicely. The class began before he could work up the nerve to give her the coupons. He anxiously sat through the 50-minute lecture, watching the minutes tick by.
Finally, the class ended, and Janel got up to leave.
"Hey, Janel, do you have a minute?"
"Only a couple, I need to get to my next class."
Will handed her the coupons. She studied them for a moment before looking up at him.
"I had these coupons," he said, his voice awkward. "I was wondering if you'd like to get a burrito with me after your next class."
"Oh, Will, that's sweet. But I can't. I'm busy today."
"Maybe another time?"
"We'll see, Will. I have to go."
Janel walked out, leaving the coupons behind on her desk. She wondered where the chubby, disheveled guy with the shaggy haircut had found the nerve to ask her out.
Dejected, Will picked up the coupons, shoved them into his backpack, and walked out of the room. At least he would have a cheap lunch at Dos Amigos--since the subliminal messaging didn't seem to do anything.
Jordan sat in her History class, ten minutes early. She read over her paper one more time, and was pleased with what she had written. The bell rang and the teacher asked for the students to turn in their papers. Jordan proudly handed hers to the teacher, Mrs. Kaufman. After class, she walked home to do some homework before volleyball practice.
Will dumped the remnants of his lunch tray into the garbage bin. He'd been at Dos Amigos for nearly an hour, staring at his half-eaten burrito, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Not only had Janel turned him down, but he'd also lost all his money on the program, and he still had to rewrite an essay.
Glancing at the clock, he saw it was nearly 3 PM. He trudged to the bus stop, feeling the weight of his frustration and disappointment, and let out a deep sigh. Another day of failure.
When he got home, he walked straight to his room, hoping for some solitude to wallow in his misery. He didn't expect anyone to be there and was looking forward to being alone with his thoughts. But as he turned into the hallway, he bumped into Jordan.
"Hi, Will! Sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush. I have to get back to school for practice."
"Oh, um, yeah, okay," Will muttered, stepping aside to let her pass. As she slid past him, he caught a whiff of Mexican food in the air.
"I can smell something on you. Did you go out to eat?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I grabbed a burrito at Dos Amigos," he replied, his voice flat.
Jordan put her arms around her brother. Will was confused. His sister barely acknowledged his existence recently, and now her arms were around him. He could feel her body pressed against his, and while he didn't understand it, he certainly liked it. He could feel a stirring in his pants.
"A burrito? Smells yummy."
She kissed him, softly on the lips. He put his arms around her waist, still not sure what to make of this change of behavior in his sister. He didn't know if she was playing a prank on him, pitying him, or if it was something else. But he also didn't want to pass up a chance to make out with a beautiful girl. They kissed again, this time a long, wet, kiss, with their tongues dancing. They pulled each other even closer, Will's erection poking into Jordan's waist. Jordan pulled Will's shirt over his head and felt his chest. Will didn't want to pass on the opportunity to feel some female skin and he pushed his sister's sweatpants down and felt her ass over her panties as they kissed more.