"Alicia, I love you."

Alicia stared at John. Blood was rushing in her ears. How long had she been imagining this moment? How long had she been wishing for this? But today, she hesitated. Another boy had arrived at her school today — not just anyone, but the teen superstar Jake Brondo, the internet’s darling and every girl’s crush.

No, Alicia, you can’t. You don’t know him. He’s a superstar, but everyone wants him. You will be much happier with John. You love him.

She looked him in the eyes and said:

"I love you too, John."

~

Mia Courtez stared at the screen.

"What's the ratio?" Michael, her fellow labmate, asked.

"Currently, 92.7% of the Alicias kept their first choice of John. About 6.3% changed to Jake. One Alicia was hit by a meteorite before she could decide."

"Huh." Michael scratched his head. "I’m wondering if we should make Jake hotter in the simulation. This is the outcome we expected, but I think the numbers are off."

Mia started typing. "Yes, we should adapt the scenario. Also, add a new experiment where Jake has a chance to spend time with Alicia." She paused. "We could also add a scenario where the stakes are higher. Maybe a zombie apocalypse?"