"Hard Drive"

He was sitting at the far side of the computer lab, low in his seat, peeking down through a gap in the dozens of monitors to watch the girl on the far side of the room. He wondered about what she was doing there: homework, online gaming, chat, YouTube; the possibilities were endless in this day and age.

He reached down and tapped enter, then looked back to her. He saw the surprise as an instant notification attracted her attention. A moment later, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She looked behind her on both sides, probably to ensure no one else saw what was on her screen, he thought. Then, she looked out across the computer lab, probably wondering if someone here was responsible for the nude photos of her that just opened up from an email.

He wasn't concerned about her thinking it was him. He had no connection to her, other than the amount of time each of them spent at Hampton High. They spent some of that time together in one classroom, but they weren't personally involved in any significant way. He never spent time with her outside of school, so she would have no reason to suspect him as being the one who had gotten his hands on two dozen sexually explicit pics of her.

He tapped another button, sending her another instant notification. He saw her reach up to the computer keyboard and knew that she would be reading:

Emily looked at the message on the screen, making sure noone saw anything before closing everything out and staring at the blank screen. The pictures she had made... the pictures she had sent to her boyfriend David since he couldn't get away from the university to take her to her senior prom... they had just been on her screen, and she was embarrassed.. as well as angry. How dare someone try to blackmail her, who would do such a thing!?

Thinking a moment she sighed and shook her head. David was a practical joker, this was something right up his alley. As she left the computer lab behind she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to David.

Ha ha, vry funny. Instead of enjoying the pics you prank me with them? You could have gotten me in big trouble!

Growling slightly to herself she made her way to her next class, making sure she left her phone on silent in case David replied mid-class. He could be so ridiculous sometimes.

David was in one class when his girl friend texted him, late to another when he finally read it, and distracted by college girls attracted to their new quarterback between the second and third; it was almost five in the evening before he remembered Emily's message and finally called her back.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sweetie," he swore when she clarified her text. They kidded back and forth, but soon it was becoming clear to both of them that this was no joking matter. "Maybe you ...what do they call that .. cc'd the email to someone on accident ...you know, sent a copy, in the To sender section."

The conversation -- sometimes bitter arguing, other times compassionate discussion -- could have continued for hours, except Emily's phone beeped letting her know she had an incoming text.


An attachment to the text opened to show another of Emily's pics, this one of her sitting on her knees on her bed, naked, one hand between her thighs, and an expression of deep pleasure on her face...

Emily tossed and turned most of the night instead of sleeping, trying to think of who could be messing with her. She knew she hadn't sent anyone but David those pictures, so she didn't "cc someone else" as David had suggested. To think he'd even suggest that she would show someone else the pictures had angered her, but they talked things over and while both were worried (David less so, she felt) the relationship was solid.

Waking up late in the morning she rushed herself together and out the door for school. When 10a rolled around she found herself in the computer lab again, her email on the screen, but off to the side as to not be obvious while she worked on some class work. She secretly hoped this joke of a blackmail would be over with, one of her friends telling her that it was them and they had taken the pics off her hard drive at home one night while visiting. It had to be one of her friends doing this to her, she now thought, how could anyone else have gotten the pictures?