Trinity
So, are you like my virtual matchmaker?
Adri
No, "matchmaker" sounds so old school.
Adri
My name is Adri, and this is the dating app of the future!
Adri
I get to know you over video chat first so I can help you find the best match.
Adri
We have a 99% success rate so far!
Trinity
You don’t have to advertise your dumb app to me.
Trinity
I’m only doing this because my friends made me.
Trinity
Honestly, dating seems like a waste of my time.
Adri
Well, how will you know that if you don’t try it?
Trinity
Is this one of the test questions?
Adri
It’s not a test! Just talk to me like a normal person.
As far as I can tell, the girl on the other side of the screen is a normal person.
She looks about a year or two older than me.
But she has a cheesy smile on her face…
That doesn’t waver even for a second.
Trinity
Okay, what do you want to know about me?
Adri
First of all, do you have any dating preferences?
Adri
Well, what’s your sexuality?
Trinity
I haven’t really thought about it.
Adri
Trinity, I need you to at least work with me here.
Adri
You’re guaranteed to be disappointed if you don’t even try.
Trinity
Fine. You sound just like my friends.
Trinity
I’m 18. I’m a girl. I like to draw.
Adri
I suppose, but I already knew two of those things from your profile.
Adri
What kind of things do you like to draw?
Trinity
Well, it so happens that I’ve been drawing during this entire conversation.
I hold my paper up to my phone camera.
It’s a drawing of a blue dragon breathing fire.
For the first time, her customer service smile fades.
Adri
Wow, that’s beautiful!
Adri
Did you draw that just now?
Trinity
Yeah, but the shading is a little sloppy.
Adri
Sloppy?! It looks like a professional piece!
Adri
Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.
Adri
I just get a little carried away sometimes.
I set my drawing down, but I don’t pick my pencil back up.
Trinity
Wait, are you getting paid to say nice things to me?
Her polite smile returns.
Adri
No, I’m here to get to know you.
Adri
To figure out your preferences.
Adri
But can I see more of your drawings?
Trinity
Really? No one ever wants to see my drawings.
Trinity
My friends are too glued to their phones to look at real art.
But without hesitation, I rush to go grab another piece of art.
This time, I bring a painting of a castle decorated in flowers.
Adri
Wow! That’s so realistic that it looks like a photo.
Trinity
You’d better not be lying to me.
Trinity
You’re boosting my ego way too high.
Adri
Trinity, I would never lie to you. I love it!
Adri
I’m guessing you like fantasy things?
Trinity
Of course! Not just fantasy art, but also movies, games, and books.
Adri
I’m not supposed to talk about myself…
Adri
But my favorite book genre happens to be fantasy, too.
Trinity
Wait, you read books?!
Trinity
I don’t know anyone who reads books anymore.
Now, Adri is the one who’s blushing.
She disappears from the screen for a moment.
Then, she returns holding a book.
It has a dragon on the cover.
One that looks a lot like my painting.
Trinity
I love that book!
Trinity
Are you messing with me?
We both start laughing in sync.
For a second, I forget that I’m using a lame dating app.
Trinity
You know, you’re pretty cool for a modern matchmaker.
Adri laughs and sets her book down.
Adri
Well, I sure am learning a lot about you.
Adri
Finding your perfect match should be easy.
Trinity
This is going to sound crazy…
Trinity
But instead of you matching me with someone…
Trinity
Can you match me with yourself?
Adri’s face turns red as a tomato.
Adri
But I might be able to make an exception.
Suddenly, I’m feeling butterflies in my chest.
It’s something I’ve never felt before.
I watch as she types something on her laptop.
Trinity
What are you doing?
Adri
I’m just comparing your results so far with the other profiles.
Adri
And as it turns out…
Adri
You have no other matches in our system.
Adri
Now, I’m comparing your data with my own data…
Adri
And…we’re a perfect match.
For a moment, we’re both silent.
I swear I can hear her heart pounding out of her chest.
Or maybe that’s my own heart.
Trinity
So…can I meet you in person?
Adri
I’m afraid that’s not allowed.
Adri
Employees aren’t supposed to match with users.
Trinity
Come on! We could keep it a secret…
Trinity
Like in fantasy novels.
Adri cracks a smile for a second.
But then she forces it away and stands up.
Adri
Excuse me, but I have to take care of something.
Trinity
We can figure this out.
Adri disappears off screen before I can stop her.
I consider closing the app, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
I draw something else while I wait:
Two princesses sharing a first kiss.
I look up to see Adri in front of the screen again.
But this time, it’s a genuine smile.
Trinity
Thank goodness! I thought you left.
Adri
I left because I had to call my boss.
Adri
I told him that I quit.
Adri
Yeah, he wasn’t willing to relax the rules for me, so I quit.
Adri
The statistics prove that we’re a perfect match.
Adri
And since that’s the case…
Adri
You’re more important than this job.
I reach my hand out and touch the screen.
Trinity
Adri, you’re perfect.
It’s almost like we’re holding hands.
Adri
Wait, I need to give you my number before—
But then the screen goes dark.
Suddenly, an error message pops up.
I squint as I read it to myself:
Trinity
"Error, host removed from database?"
I tap my fingers all over the screen.
I try typing “Adri” into the search bar.
But then my screen lights up.
Benjamin
Hi, Trinity. My name is Benjamin. I’m here to help you find a match.
I stare at the screen in disbelief.
Just like that, Adri’s spot on the app has been replaced.
I don’t even look Benjamin in the eye.
Instead, I throw my phone on the floor.
It lands face down on the carpet.
Trinity
Adri? Is that really you?
Adri
They disabled my video chat feature…
Adri
But somehow, I can still access some of the database’s info.
Adri
Luckily, you used your phone number to sign up.
Trinity
I never thought I’d be so happy about sharing my number with an app.
Adri
Now, when can I meet my perfect match in person?
My cheeks turn bright red.
A smile stretches across my face.
It looks like my real life has finally turned into a fantasy land.
