Chapter 39 – Equations, Kisses, and a Hundred Million Dreams
A few weeks had passed since Jake's twelfth birthday, and the world hadn't slowed down for a second.
FaceWorld's user count was growing faster than Jake could track. Caltech classes were getting deeper, denser, more demanding—but somehow more thrilling. And somewhere amid the chaos of physics lectures, server upgrades, and late-night bug fixes, Jake had started meeting with Sheldon Cooper almost daily.
They had finished the equation. And today, they were publishing.
---
The Publication
Jake sat in Sheldon's office, tapping a pen on his notepad as Sheldon finalized the submission form for The Journal of Theoretical Physics.
"Title?" Sheldon asked.
Jake shrugged. "I was going to call it 'Cool Loopy Stuff' but that didn't test well."
Sheldon blinked. "I'm submitting it as 'Loop Instability as Stabilization: A Novel Approach to Quantum Feedback Systems'."
"Catchy," Jake deadpanned.
Sheldon tapped a key. "It's done."
Jake watched the confirmation appear on the screen. That was it—they'd submitted something that could shift theoretical physics.
At twelve years old.
Well... Jake Harper was twelve. Mentally, Jake was still a grown man navigating a second life with the cheat codes enabled.
---
The Call from Haley
Jake checked his phone. One new message from Haley:
[Haley:] You free? My mom's out back. Come over.
He grinned and texted back:
[Jake:] Be there in 20. Don't let Alex interrogate me this time.
He didn't mention the kiss. Neither of them had since her mom pulled her away from the pool party. Claire didn't know, Judith didn't know—no one knew. It was theirs.
And Jake liked it that way.
---
Back at the Dunphys'
Jake arrived on Dunleer Drive, smoothed his hair in the car window, and knocked.
Claire opened the door.
"Oh. It's you."
"Hi, Mrs. Dunphy."
Claire narrowed her eyes. "The door stays open."
"Of course," Jake said with the face of an angel.
Inside, Haley waited, sitting cross-legged on the living room couch, pretending to read a magazine. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself."
They made small talk for a few minutes—about school, FaceWorld (which Haley pretended not to use), and her dad's latest home project disaster—before Claire wandered off to help Luke with something in the garage.
"Quick," Haley said. "Upstairs."
Jake hesitated. "You sure?"
She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand.
---
The Makeout Session, Interrupted
Haley's room was the same chaotic mix of soft colors and personal flair. Jake sat on her bed, unsure if he should feel nervous or smug.
"You know," she said, sitting beside him, "I've never kissed a genius before."
Jake raised an eyebrow. "You have excellent taste."
She laughed—and kissed him again.
Longer this time.
Jake's heart raced. His hands trembled just slightly as they wrapped around her back. She pulled him closer. Before long, he was leaning over her, hair tickling her cheek, her fingers curled into his shirt.
Then came the sound.
Footsteps.
The door burst open.
"HALEY!"
Claire's voice hit like a freight train.
Jake bolted upright, eyes wide, hands in the air like he was being robbed.
"Mom!" Haley shouted, scrambling to sit up. "It's not—We were just—"
Claire pointed. "You! Get off her! Downstairs! Now!"
Jake practically tripped over his own feet fleeing the room.
Haley called after him, "Text me!"
Claire didn't say another word as she escorted him to the front door. Her glare said everything.
---
The Walk and The Call
Jake kept walking down the sidewalk, hands in his hoodie pockets, cheeks still flushed.
So much for smooth.
His phone rang.
Nolan Pierce.
Jake answered. "Hey."
"Jake," Nolan said breathlessly, "we hit it."
"Hit what?"
"Ten. Million. Users. Worldwide."
Jake stopped walking. "Say that again."
"You heard me. You're at ten million active accounts. You've gone viral on half a dozen college campuses. And you've got a buyer."
Jake blinked. "Who?"
"Yahoo."
Jake sat down on a nearby bench.
"They want to meet Monday. They're offering…" Nolan paused dramatically, "one hundred and twenty million dollars."
Jake just stared at nothing for a second.
---
The Decision
He thought about it.
The money wasn't the issue. He already had millions. Thanks to his investments, he could've bought Charlie's Malibu beach house twice over—and still had enough left to fund an R&D department.
But he didn't want Charlie's house.
He didn't want to cash out.
He wanted to build something. Something lasting. Something world-changing.
Jake exhaled. "Tell them thanks. But no."
There was a long pause on the other end. Then Nolan said, "I was hoping you'd say that."
---
Later That Night
Back at Home, Jake sat at his desk, reviewing FaceWorld's backend. His mind was still on Haley, Claire, and Yahoo's offer. Judith passed by his door, then doubled back.
"You okay?"
Jake nodded. "Yeah. Just a weird day."
She stepped in. "That girl you like—Haley?"
Jake raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Judith smiled gently. "Nothing. Just… be careful, okay?"
Jake paused. "You don't know anything."
"I don't need to," she said. "I'm your mom."
She walked out.
Jake leaned back in his chair.
Yeah, it had been a weird day.
And the world was only getting weirder.