Back in my dorm, I stared at the conference submission page. The deadline was Friday. My finger hovered over the mouse.
I wanted to go. The part of me that loved the work, that built the model piece by piece, wanted it badly. To see it displayed, to talk to other people who cared about the same things.
But another part of me hesitated. I already knew how Aaron would see it. A risk. A distraction. Too messy.
My phone rang, startling me. It was Aaron.
"Cameron."
"Hi." I tried to sound normal.
"I've just finalized my schedule for next month," he said smoothly. "Blackwood Industries is sponsoring the AI Conference at the State. I'll be giving the speech."
I froze. "You're… what?"
"It's a good initiative," he said. "And it fits our goals." Then, after a pause, "It also means I'll be there. If your project is accepted, I'll be able to see it in person."
