Are you gonna eat that too?
Peggy lowered her head. She held the hamburger in both hands, mouth wide.
It was the second hamburger.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?” she whispered.
“Who, me? Nope,” Alethea said from the top of her shoulder. “I’m not the one with the physical body.” She managed to say ‘body’ like a dirty word.
Peggy sighed and lowered the burger. She felt herself dying a little inside, it was super delicious and super fatty. She snatched a fry.
“Do you know how many calories are in there?” Alethea wondered.
She did. Peggy stopped chewing, picked up the napkin and spat it out discreetly.
Alethea was a nanodaemon that told her the truth. It was a sentient computer program, that showed itself as a tiny lady with a perpetually-flowing white dress that covered only the naughty bits. And she held up a mirror. But having no life by herself, she held up the mirror at Peggy.
To torment her.
Endlessly.
Alethea showed up in Augmented Reality. Not shared, thank gods, because the arrangement was embarrassing enough as it was.
“Hey, Piggy, there’s that guy that you fawn over all night on his social profile,” the little menace said.
Peggy gritted her teeth. “Don’t call me that.”
“Oh, he’s coming this way. Don’t lose your cool this time!”
“I won’t.”
“It’s also best that he not see you talking to yourself,” Alethea nodded.
“Hey, Peggy,” Dimitris said, towering over her table. He had a recent growth spurt and now he was lean and tasty.
No more food references, Peggy.
Oh great, now I have a second voice in my head. This is how you catch schizophrenia.
“Hi… Dimitri. Have you gotten taller?” she said lamely.
Why had she said that?
“Yeah, he hasn’t heard that one before,” Alethea snorted.
“Schizo,” Peggy grumbled.
“What? Nevermind. I wanted to ask you about Miss Penny’s class, you always keep such good notes…”
“Yes! I’ll bring them over to your house tonight!”
“Um… No need, Peggy. Just send them to me on messenger or something?”
“Right…” Peggy shut her eyes. Stupid. Eager much?
“Thanks, Peggy!” he said and took off. She smiled like an idiot at the direction he was off to.
“You had ketchup on your chin the whole time,” Alethea noted, checking herself out on her tiny mirror.
“WHAT? Why the hell didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Peggy sank into her seat and took a big bite off her burger.
“Do you know how many calories are in there?”
“Shuddup,” Peggy said, mouth full of deliciousness.
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