Page 84 of You Had Me at Hello World
But I can’t keep fretting over this, because the award ceremony is at four. At three fifty I go to Khoi’s room and shake him awake. He’s bleary eyed and I feel bad for disrupting his nap.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
He goes, “Hnnnnrgh.”
“Do you need anything from me?”
“Grrrrrmf.”
Despite my many years living with Michael, I’m not fluent in Neanderthal. I give up on the conversation. But I get Khoi dressed and out the door, so that’s a win.
When we sneak into Kresge auditorium, HellomynameisCourtney is already onstage, so we sit down quietly in the back.
“This year we had nearly forty wonderful entries,” she’s saying. She goes on about how each submission was marvelous and so impressive for something hacked together in one summer. How we’re the next generation of leaders, which is honestly terrifying, considering some of the kids I met this summer.
“But enough about that. Here’s what you’ve all been waiting for. I’m so excited to present this year’s winners.”
She goes through the special sponsored awards. There’re some pretty big names here—Apple gives out a Best Hardware prize, and Oculus has something for virtual reality. The twins win scholarships from Niantic, the company that makes Pokémon Go. For her app that generates outfit ideas usingdiffusion models, Stella snags a cash prize from OpenAI. Even Haru gets recognized for his anonymous compliments app.
Then it’s time for the overall winner, and there’s this insane electricity in the air—that heart-pounding, forgetting-to-breathe anticipation. And even though I logically know the odds are against us, I can’t help but hope.
Because if we win, it would solve all my problems.
HellomynameisCourtney removes a card from an envelope and reads, “The grand winner of this year’s Alpha Fellows hackathon is the team comprising of Obi Udechukwu, Diego Rodriguez, and Jenni Wheeler for an innovative portable solar power generator.”
Of course.
I mean, it’s not surprising. And I know I should be happy for my friends. They deserve the win. But… fuck. What am I going to do now?
My heart hurts.
Next to me, Khoi slumps down in his seat.
Obi rushes to the stage, pumping his fists in the air like an Olympic runner doing a victory lap, and wraps HellomynameisCourtney in a bear hug, which makes everyone laugh. Diego and Jenni-with-an-i follow with slightly embarrassed expressions. Cameras flash.
I force myself to applaud even though I feel sick.
After the team returns to their seats lugging their huge, one-hundred-thousand-dollar cardboard check, the room quiets down again.
“I say this every time, but it remains true year after year—I’m so blown away by your creativity and dedication,” HellomynameisCourtney says. “It’s been an honor to host a hundred of the nation’s brightest young minds this summer. In a world where technology is so often used for frivolous or downright dangerous affairs, I urge you to apply your talents to building a better future for all. I hope to see every single one of you again.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
After the ceremony, Khoi stands up and mumbles he’s going to step outside for fresh air. He still seems frail.
I stand too. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, I think… I think I want to be alone,” he says. His voice is hollow with disappointment. I wonder if he blames himself for our loss. I should reassure him, but he’s gone before I can find the right words.
And I know it’s bad, but a tiny part of me also thinks he could’ve been more responsible about taking his meds.
People swarm the winning team. Obi serves face for every camera like it’s aVoguecover shoot, while Jenni-with-an-i looks mildly terrified. I should go up and congratulate them too, but my limbs feel frozen. I’m standing near the wall alone, trying to think past my panic, when Edvin Nilsen materializes out of nowhere like some ninja.
“Sorry you didn’t win,” he says. He doesn’t sound very sorry.
Even though I’m in no mood for conversation, I say, “Thanksfor your advice this summer.” It was generous of him to come through with so much help, even if we took an L in the end.
“You might like to know that I was very impressed with Hello World,” he says. “You’ve achieved something incredible at any age, let alone as a teenager.”
