Chapter 1

The student union party

Tap Tap Tap Tap.... The
laptop keys clatter under my fingers. They move all by themselves upon the keyboard. I was concentrated the whole evening, but slowly I feel the familiar pain in the neck and my vision becomes blurred. I finish my last sentence and stretch out my arms.

Phew, finally done! Smiling contentedly, I lean back. My gaze wanders over the time at the bottom right of the computer screen. Three o'clock in the morning. Oh well. Don't get me wrong, the time doesn't shock me in the least. My body doesn't know a day-night rhythm anyway. I think he can only tell the difference between sleep and wakefulness by the caffeine and taurine content in my blood. But that's okay. I usually sleep in the morning. Or whenever it fits. I take off the headphones and turn around to check on Watson.

My gaze wanders through the dark room until I see the little ball of fur curled up on my bed. I notice the booming of bass, which now, without headphones, really penetrates my ears. Oh, that's right, the student-party... Sighing, I run my hand over my face. Actually, I had planned to program a bit, but I ran out of energy drinks.
Dung. 
While my brain is weighing up whether it is worth going down, squeezing between the crowd of drunken students to get to the fridge, or whether I should continue while I can still see the letters halfway, there is a knock on the door.

"Adrian?" Someone calls. 

Ugh. 

"Yes?" I exclaim annoyed.

"Can you come down? I need your brain for a moment!" asks the dark voice from the other side of the door. Aaron. I sigh. I don't feel like hanging around people. Should I pretend I'm already in bed?

"Dude, it's three o'clock in the morning!" I call back.

"Digga, don't pretend you've slept!" Aaron shouts. "Everyone knows that you push more night shifts than a nurse. Now come out and win a chess duel for me. Please! Otherwise I'll lose my bet!"