Overwhelmed, you decide to head home.

You walk across campus on automatic pilot, barely even thinking about where you're going, as you consider everything that's happened so far today. Aside from the Manipulator's obvious utility, something else in you seems to have changed. Talking with Emily the way that you did just now... you'd have never done that before. The only women your age that you've ever really been able to hold a conversation with in the past have been your sister Laura, and your best friend Kara. And yet you just spoke at length with Emily -- and about some relatively deep stuff, too! Is it some side-effect of wearing the Manipulator? Or do you just feel more confident because you have this thing available, even if you don't use it? You have no idea, and frankly you're not sure you want to know, or care. The bottom line is, for better or worse, you're having a far better time being social.

And yet, you've feeling really exhausted and overwhelmed. The events of the day have really drained you emotionally (although, curiously, not physically; you wonder if that whole "alternate power regulation algorithm" the patch notes mentioned have something to do with it). As you don't have any more classes today, you decide to head home to have lunch, instead of partaking in the school cafeteria's food. You need to be alone, away from people, to have some time to process all of this. No more social interaction, no more temptations to use the device--

"Sam!" you hear from behind you. Son of a... You stop walking and turn around to determine who's calling, and see the girl from the library jogging towards you, wearing a long brown overcoat and black scarf. Shit, what was her name again? you frantically think; it takes you a few seconds before your distracted brain returns the name Amanda.

She catches up to you, her cheeks rosy and her breath curling in the frosty air as she slows and stops. "Oh, hi Amanda," you say, smiling. "What's up?"

"I'm glad I caught up to you," she replies, "because I wanted a chance to explain what happened in the library."

You furrow your brow. "What... you mean, the kiss on the cheek?" you say, shaking your head slightly. "Look, it's not a--"

"It wasn't a kiss," she interrupts you, firmly.

"I'm... sorry?" you say, confused.

"That's what I wanted to tell you," she says. "When I was standing next to you, I somehow lost my footing, and ended up losing my balance. I fell, and when I reached out to grab something, my lips accidentally brushed against your cheek."

You stare at her, speechless at first. Dude, your inner voice says, that is not what happened.

Of course it didn't, you reason, but it appears that it's the explanation her brain came up with.

It's a crazy explanation! it retorts. It's amazing that she actually believes it!

Hey, you think, the brain will come up with all sorts of justifications to explain things that seem inexplicable.

All this occurs in a split-second in your head while Amanda looks at you. "Of... course," you reply to her. "Don't worry, I totally understand that it was an accident."

Amanda smiles wide at this, apparently extremely relieved to have explained her action to you. "Great! So, where are you off to?" she asks.

"Oh, just heading home for lunch," you reply, "I'm finished with classes for the day."

"Ah, lucky," she says, "I still have two more before I'm finished. In fact, I'd better get going. Will I see you at the library again?"

"Probably," you say, "I get to campus early a lot, and that's usually where I end up."

She seems pleased to hear this. "Well then, I guess I'll see you later!" she says, then turns and heads back the way she came. You stand there for a second, then shake your head slowly, thinking, oh, what a tangled web we weave. Then you turn back around to resume your walk home...