Seeing things through different eyes

After the installation bar was finished, the app folder reappeared with the same signature heart symbol you know and love. You click on it.

“Welcome back to the Affection Multiplier App.”

You have new notifications:

You have leveled up your relationship with Jenna to Romantic Interest

You have leveled up your relationship with Paige to Romantic Interest

You decide to check Jenna’s and Paige’s profile respectively.

Jenna McCloud

Relationship: It’s complicated

Interest in Tom: 70

Interest in Matt: 60

Interest in Mike: 0

Affection: 90 (I would help you move)

Love: 60 (Why do birds suddenly appear?)

Lust: 30 (If the mood was right)

Paige Green

Relationship: Single

Interest in Matt: 70

Interest in Jamie: 40

Interest in Tom: 10

Affection: 100 (I genuinely care about your happiness)

Love: 70 (I dream about you)

Lust: 40 (On the outside world sure, never here in front of cameras)

It was closer than you thought. No wonder Paige saved you. If you had the AMA, maybe you wouldn’t have almost choked up back there. Both their scores were a lot higher than you expected. Without the AMA you felt you lost your confidence with them and avoided them altogether in fear of losing points, yet if you just pushed further you would have had more confirmation on your own that their feelings were there. Live and let learn.

Another notification flashed that looked important.

One new data item is available for view and purchase:

Knowledge Video 2 - Unlock for 5 Affection Points

After unlocking it, you went to the data menu and opened up the new video. You got up from the bed and walked to a private area to watch it.

The video starts with a camera focused on a familiar redhead lying on her hammock, staring up at the sky and clutching her pillow. The camera pans to a familiar idiot and a pretty blonde on the balcony.

Seeing yourself in video startled you. It was one thing to look into the mirror and see your progress but an entirely different thing to see it in captured video. If you ever listened to yourself speak in a recording, that feeling was present here as you stared at the man talking to Jenna. He was a lot taller than you expected, his facial features showed a much more rugged man than you remembered with some stubble and an actual chin, his chest stuck out, and his shoulders maintained a V shape on his body, and he stood straight and firm, despite his gloomy aura. He was you but completely different than you remember. You saw him in the mirror looking back at you but didn’t notice how much more presence he commanded now.

Yet, he was still a sulking sad mess. You see yourself walking over to Jenna and tower over her, your significant form eclipsing her small body sitting on the bench playing your shared guitar. Jenna hands the man their guitar and asks him to play something. When he takes the guitar you begin to notice things you never saw while you were being too busy being dramatic and sullen to notice. The blonde was watching you play with the wide eyes of a fangirl being played to exclusively.

When you, or rather him, looked back at blonde to make sure she wasn’t rolling her eyes over your pathetic state at that moment, the blonde’s eyes shied away and she rubbed her arms nervously. She would catch glimpses while you, or him, was not looking. When you were mere inches from her face, her feet began tapping nervously in anticipation. When you were cringing at your own comments about her eyes, she was staring at you desperately for you to say more and do more and give her a straight answer.

After the moment where you grazed her lips, and someone interrupted that tender moment with “GUYS! IT’S AMANDA! SHE’S HERE!”, the man on the balcony directed his gaze to where Amanda was standing near the pool and looked in absolute despair. He sulked towards the balcony door, not noticing the girl he left on the bench, confused and befuddled.

Later you see the man exit the building and head towards his fate.

The camera panned back to the redhaired girl on the hammock who got up and sighed and looked piteously at the sad excuse of the man who thought he was as good as gone. The man barely noticed her as he walked by towards the production team, who was going to give the Islanders instructions.

The blonde girl left the main building at this point, still looking uneasy and unsure. The red-haired girl approaches the blonde, and you can hear her speak and say, “We need to talk.”

“What’s up, Paige?” The blonde asks in a downcast tone.

“Who are you going to couple up with tonight?” Paige asked, getting directly to the point.

“I-… I thought I knew, but… now I’m not so sure,” Jenna says.

“Liz is going to couple up with Rick. That means I can pick Jamie or Matt, and I’ve decided. Jenna, I’m going to couple up with Matt,” Paige says.

Jenna looked like the walls were closing in on her while she spoke, “I..”

“If you are going to pick before me, don’t pick Matt if you have any doubts about it. If you still like Tom and want to explore that option then pick him, but I know what I want,”

“Does he want you?” Jenna asks.

“I’m not sure. The silly boy has been annoying lately. The idiot probably thinks I won’t save him,” Paige asks. “I think the only way to get him to wake up is to show him I would pick him over Jamie.”

“Paige, I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I thought I was going to pick Tom, but something changed recently,” Jenna explains, the words just falling out after another.

“What? Just in that moment, you were talking to him in the balcony?” Paige asked with visible surprise on her face.

“Yes. Well… we almost kissed. I think we kissed... I don’t know what to do,”

“If you don’t know what to do, then give it time. I know what I’m going to do. It’s not fair to Matt if you still have feelings for Tom. Just please let me couple up with him,” Paige says.

The video ends there and you walked back to bed before lights out came.

There was a noticeable distance between you and Paige on the bed. Paige was still turned over with her blankets over her and still looked in a post-crying fit. You had so much you wanted to say to her right at that moment. Same with Jenna.

You wanted to give her space during this time, but your mind was nagging you to ask her about her feelings. There was so much to process and think about. Paige. Jenna. All of it. You sighed, burying your head into your pillow.

It was minutes before lights out, and you were going to put your phone on your charger at your bed stand when a new text popped up.

New Mission – Grope Mona’s Breasts:

Objection: Get To second base With Mona

Hint: Rub gently counterclockwise

Reward: 10 Affection Points

...

Who the fuck was Mona?