The door slid open with a quiet hiss, drawing my attention away from the words printed in neat font across the page. Carson walked forward, a light smile resting on his face, his air tousled as if he had just rolled out of bed.

"Whatcha readin'?" he asked, placing his fingers lightly an inch above the round table. I showed him the cover and he laughed. "You've read that a thousand times."

"And yet I still enjoy it, so sue me," I retorted, pretending to be offended.

He snorted. "If I had any money, I would. I can sue for three bucks, if you like."

"It would certainly make my day more interesting," I grumbled. "These classes are so boring. I fell asleep last period actually. Can I copy your--"

I froze, my heart turning to lead. It was hard, sometimes. I haven't gotten used to it yet.

"Hey," Carson said gently. "It's okay."

I shook my head lightly, my curls bouncing. "Yeah. I know."

His smile was softer than the harsh white light coming from the lamp, my skin glowing under its radiance. My scars were pale jagged lines across the back of my hand and up my arm, creating a map of suffering. 

"So," I said suddenly, looking up and forcing a smile onto my face. "How was your day?"

He shrugged. "You know, the usual. Wake up, get up to get dressed then remember I don't have to." His face contorted and he sneezed, his image flickering with static before solidifying. "Sorry. Glitch."

My smile faded, and I lowered my eyes. "It's all right."

I still wasn't used to this. Having my best friend's DNA analyzed and turned into a digital hologram after his death. His smile, his eyes, his personality were all the same--but every time I reached for his hand or asked for his notes, reality came crashing down and I remembered that he wasn't really there.

His blood was still on my hands. I remembered his weight, his jagged breathing rattling in his chest as he had the nerve to smile. He was always smiling.

I raised my eyes to meet his, but they weren't there. I blinked and looked at the clock. Midnight. His restart time.

The darkness in the library seemed a lot deeper than before.