Chapter 40 – Viral Genius and Gay Shenanigans
The week after Jake turned down Yahoo's $120 million offer was pure insanity.
FaceWorld's user base exploded—12 million users and rising—and Jake's daily life was now a blur of code reviews, business meetings, and dodging media requests. At only twelve, he was running a multi-million-dollar company and navigating Caltech coursework like it was casual Sudoku.
Still, despite the madness, he was having the time of his life.
---
Monday – Scaling the Platform
Inside their modest office suite in Westwood, Jake stood at the head of the conference table, pointing a laser at the projector screen showing performance graphs.
"This spike here? That's from last Thursday. A single user posted a study guide to her college class. The post hit 300 comments. That's the kind of interaction we need to nurture."
His engineers nodded. One of them—a lanky guy in his mid-twenties—spoke up.
"We can handle the load short-term, but if user growth keeps this pace, we'll need to scale horizontally by Friday."
"Do it," Jake said. "Double our server instance and start optimizing for video. I'm still undecided on launching Reels, but I want the infrastructure ready."
"What's the verdict on moderation tools?"
"Still building them. Until then, we go manual. Bring on three new community managers, and implement early user flagging."
The meeting ended with Jake firing off a list of tasks faster than anyone could write them down. He was confident, efficient, and laser-focused.
FaceWorld was becoming unstoppable.
---
Tuesday – Talk Show Spotlight
Jake sat backstage at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, dressed in a blazer that made him look more like a miniature CEO than a kid.
Jay walked over before the segment. "So, you nervous?"
Jake shook his head. "No. But I think my mom is."
The audience erupted when Jay introduced him. "He's twelve years old, goes to Caltech, and has built a website with over twelve million users—Jake Harper, everybody!"
Jake walked out, gave a practiced smile, and shook Jay's hand.
"So, FaceWorld," Jay said. "Didn't we already have MySpace? How's yours different?"
Jake grinned. "Well, for starters, we don't let you crash our homepage with glitter and auto-playing music."
The crowd laughed.
He talked about college life, skipping grades, and FaceWorld's growth—all while staying charming and composed.
By the time the segment ended, Jake had earned a standing ovation.
---
Wednesday – Grounded, But Not Silenced
Jake sat outside his Caltech lecture hall, watching a squirrel steal an entire granola bar from a vending machine's return slot.
His phone buzzed.
[Haley:] Still grounded. Still bored. My mom won't even let me look out the window dramatically.
[Jake:] Did she confiscate your sarcasm too?
[Haley:] I'm hoarding it for later.
[Jake:] I miss you.
[Haley:] Same. I asked if I could visit. She said not until I "earn back her trust."
[Jake:] So… next year?
[Haley:] Maybe sooner. I'm getting good at the sad eyes thing.
Jake smirked and slid his phone back into his pocket.
---
Friday – Beach House Mayhem
The Malibu sun painted golden stripes across the hardwood floors when Jake stepped into Charlie's beach house. His room—fully furnished with a sleek desk, proper bedding, and a stocked bookshelf—felt like a personal fortress.
But peace didn't last long.
Alan burst into the room.
"Buddy, you won't believe what your uncle has gotten me into."
Jake turned slowly. "I'm afraid to ask."
---
Charlie's Plan
It turned out Charlie had a jingle client named Eric—talented, successful, and absolutely convinced that Charlie was gay.
Charlie, ever the opportunist, hadn't corrected him. Why? Because Eric paid really well and was offering more gigs under the assumption Charlie was "a kindred spirit."
"So now I have to pretend to be his boyfriend," Alan said, "and we're going to a party tonight."
Jake blinked. "You're pretending to be gay… for jingles."
"I'm pretending for your uncle's jingles!"
Jake leaned back. "This house is insane."
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The Party
That evening, Jake sat at Eric's fancy beachside condo, sipping root beer while watching chaos unfold.
Charlie dressed sleek—tight pants, velvet blazer.
Alan?
Alan looked like a mid-2000s game show host crossed with a disco ball. He wore a lavender scarf, oversized sunglasses, and kept saying things like "you go, girl."
Jake wasn't sure whether to laugh or call social services.
Eric approached, delighted. "Charlie! You brought the adorable Alan!"
Alan gave a dramatic air kiss. "Love the drapes, sweetheart."
Jake choked on his soda.
The evening devolved into Alan's performance. He swished, gestured, dropped theatrical sighs. It was like watching someone act out a stereotype from memory.
Eric couldn't stop smiling.
"You two are just darling together," he gushed. "So comfortable. So authentic."
"Thank you!" Alan said, batting his lashes.
Jake buried his face in his hands.
---
Then It Got Awkward
At one point, Eric cornered Alan near the bar.
"You're very charming, Alan," he said, voice low. "Not many men can pull off lilac."
Alan blushed. "Oh, well, you know... I do try."
Eric leaned closer. "Would you be free for dinner sometime? Just the two of us?"
Jake, watching from across the room, froze.
And that's when Charlie walked in.
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The Save
Charlie didn't miss a beat.
He waltzed over, slid between Eric and Alan with a laugh, and wrapped an arm around both.
"Well now," he said, grinning. "Trying to steal my man, Eric?"
Eric laughed nervously. "You know me—just appreciating art when I see it."
Charlie winked. "Appreciate away. But no returns accepted."
Alan looked like he might pass out from trying to keep his fake smile intact.
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The Reward
Later that night, as the three of them walked out under the stars, Eric clapped Charlie on the shoulder.
"You're amazing, Charlie. So open. So brave. And your jingle for that herbal shampoo campaign? Genius."
Charlie shrugged modestly.
"I'm bumping your rate," Eric added. "Starting next week, double."
Charlie nearly tripped over the sidewalk.
Jake just shook his head. "Unbelievable."
---
Late Night Reflections
Back at the beach house, Jake sat on the deck watching the waves, the night air cool against his face.
He checked his phone.
[Haley:] You survive?
[Jake:] Barely. You ever see a flamingo and a raccoon pretend to be in love?
[Haley:] I'm jealous I missed it.
[Jake:] I'll reenact it someday. You'll cringe.
[Haley:] I already am.
Jake smiled.
The world was insane.
But it was his.