1 Chapter 1

"Ashley, Look! My snap score has reached 10k. Isn't that amazing?" Mia exclaimed to her younger sister who was exhausted from her sister's excitement towards Snapchat. The app itself was a mystery to Mia. Why would people send pictures to each other? What's the use of it? How exactly it serves a purpose for one? She would ask these questions herself every day, until.

"Hey, Mia!" Zack, one of Mia's seniors, also her secret crush, approached her. Secret crush but more like a University crush. There isn't a girl who hasn't fallen head over heels for Zack. He is tall, Handsome, has tan skin with a glow, and is a perfect beach guy; if that's what Mia describes him.

"Can I get your Snap ID? We can maintain streaks if you don't mind." And that was the day Mia knew she had to get hold of that app.

"Sure, why not?" She took a notepad and handed it over to him. "Write your ID down so that I won't forget." Her request made Zack confuse as he showed his snap code to her.

"Just scan this." He let out a chuckle, adoring her actions. This made Mia turn red. She felt embarrassed about her less knowledge of SNS platforms. Reading her expressions, Zack took her notepad and started writing.

"Just in case you don't want to forget." He handed over her notepad and gave a warm smile as he walked away with a "See Ya!"

Mia was taken aback when she opened her notepad.

zackk.zip

89xxxxxxx0

Hope you don't forget. Zack :)

She was the happiest girl on the planet Earth that day, as she walked home singing love lullabies. Mia locked herself in her room and started watching YouTube videos on Snapchat Streaks.

It's not like she was living under the rock not knowing what streaks were, but she wasn't interested in using her time, getting to know what those were. She has come across her friends maintaining streaks with unknown guys and getting into platonic relationships as such. Unknown guys who were mostly playboys, drinking and to an extent even using chemical substances. And this was a huge red flag for Mia to not use Snapchat.

Yet still, it was luck knocking on her door and she couldn't ignore it. She quickly downloaded Snapchat and created an account. And she had her first request,

"Ash gave you a friend request" It was cute to know that her sister was her first request and she liked it.

-------

"It's been a week already and you haven't given him a request yet?" Her sister questioned Mia.

"Cause I want to have a decent score before giving him a request. I don't want him to think of me as a nerd"

"Well, giving him a notepad instead of scanning must have not thought him of you as a nerd, I suppose" Ash joked

"Shut up, Ash. Don't ever remind me of that day."

"Will see" She rolled her eyes and left Mia's room.

Ashley was just 14 years old but she had more knowledge of SNS than Mia. Her snap score made Mia grasp, 100k for a 14-year-old sounded abnormal to her. It also made her ponder the reason Ashley was being secluded from others. Entering the SNS might be the only way to be connected with Ashley, was the thought Mia was having.

After Ash left, Mia scanned her room for her next snap. Maybe, What if I send a selfie? She thought while trying out filters for the first time. She tried her best to make good expressions with the infamous Dog-face.

Sent.

It was soon dinner time. Her mom's words alerted Mia to have dinner with her family. She left her phone in the room as she went to the dining table to see her father and Ash waiting for her.

"How long, Mia?" Her father restlessly asked to which Mia let out a quick apology.

Mr.Fitz wasn't a tough man. When it comes to family and discipline, he's a perfectionist. A retired army colonel with huge values towards life. During his days in the military, he didn't spend much time with his parents and this made him voluntarily retire from his service after Mia was born.

"Calm down, hon" Mrs.Fitz assured him as she served dinner.

Mrs.Fitz, on the other hand, was a licensed psychologist who owns her own clinic and has a master's degree in Psychology. A perfect married couple with their own love story. A Fire X Water love story as Mia would say about them.

Mia rushed with her dinner and bid night to her family just to see the response to her snap.

"Gosh. Kids these days." Her dad frowned seeing Mia rush to her room.

'Karen saved your Snap in Chat'

'Erika saved your Snap in Chat'

Mia thought of herself as a celebrity while seeing her friends save her snap. But something caught her eye.

'Watson took a screenshot'

Who is Watson? She thought while going through his profile. She couldn't remember who he was and how he became one of her Best Friends. Chills ran through her spine. A stranger took a Screenshot of my selfie. What is he going to do with it? Is my life over? Weird thoughts kept piling up in Mia's mind. Is he going to misuse it? All of these thoughts were interrupted by Ash's sudden entry.

"You really look cute in this snap" Ash giggled. "Let me show Mom and Dad!" Ash thought her remark would make Mia furious but when she read her expression, she knew something was off.

"What's wrong?" This was the first time Ash was concerned about her sister. Without any words, Mia slid her phone to Ash.

"Are you worried because this guy took a screenshot?"

Mia nodded.

"Well, confront him about it. Simple."

"But."

"You will have to come across many people like him. You can't be wasting your time on emotions on them. Grow up, Sis!" Ash left the room with those words.

Mia admired Ash for her maturity. She felt proud of her stable mindset and clarity which surely was lacking in Mia despite being elder by 3 years.

She gathered her mind and decided to confront this Watson guy.

'Um. May I know the reason for you to take a screenshot of my snap?'

Delivered.

Opened.

Watson is Typing…

Watson sent a Chat.

As the notifications kept popping up, so did thoughts in Mia's mind.

'Hey. I am sorry for taking a screenshot.'

'If you don't mind, I can send you a video deleting it'

Mia skimmed through the text. The bitmoji pop-up irritated Mia more than ever. The pop-up felt like someone was constantly watching over her texts.

'Hey. It's okay.'

A bland reply was the best way to build a wall in a relationship with a stranger online. As the bitmoji kept her irritated, she kept switching between Snapchat and Messages.

Watson is Typing…

Watson sent a Chat.

A video? Mia felt at ease when she saw the screen recording of her snap being deleted.

'You can delete it' She replied.

Mia felt something different while texting with this stranger. A new feeling. She doesn't know anything about what the person looks like or what he does, yet still, something in her made her feel that way. She didn't switch apps now. She stayed despite the bitmoji irritating her.

'I am Watson Baker'

'You?'

Watson Baker, she stored the name hoping to inquire about him from others. Skeptical of Mia.

'Mia Fitz here.'

'How are you doing?' Watson texted.

'Good. And you?'

'I'm good too.'

It was pretty late so, Mia thought of ending the conversation with the stranger. She started typing so did Watson. This made Mia stop, to see what was in store for her.

'I'll get going. It's pretty late.'

'Goodnight Mia.'

The same thing I wanted to tell. What's this feeling? She acted as if Fate was playing with them.

'Goodnight Watson :)' She added an emoticon for being polite.

':)' Watson replied.

Mia wanted to text more with this stranger but, something felt out of place.

Mia is typing…

Mia sent a Chat.