Jeannie

Chapter 1

Owen sat at the small, slightly wobbly desk in his one-bedroom apartment, staring at the blinking cursor on his computer screen. The glow of the monitor illuminated his face, highlighting soft features that might’ve been considered striking if they weren’t hidden beneath a layer of quiet self-doubt. His brown hair was a little tousled, his stubble uneven—he was handsome in a way he never believed when he looked in the mirror.

The hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen was the only sound breaking the stillness of his world. Outside, the muffled chatter of passersby and the occasional laugh floated up to his window. Owen had cracked it open earlier, hoping for some fresh air, but all it did was remind him of the life happening just beyond his reach.

He glanced at the empty pizza box on the floor and sighed. Another solo dinner, another evening spent scrolling aimlessly through forums or watching shows he wasn’t even invested in. It wasn’t that Owen hated being alone—he had grown used to it. But lately, the weight of it felt heavier, like an anchor pulling him further and further away from the shore of a life he’d always wanted but didn’t know how to reach.

The truth was, Owen was shy to a fault. Making conversation with strangers felt like navigating a minefield, and the thought of putting himself out there—joining a club, going to a party, or, God forbid, trying a dating app—filled him with a quiet kind of terror. He’d tried once or twice, downloading apps only to delete them within hours, convinced that no one would swipe right on someone like him.

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his hand drifting to his stomach. He wasn’t enormous by any means, but he carried enough extra weight to make him self-conscious. Every time he caught his reflection, he could hear the echoes of old classmates’ teasing or his mom’s well-meaning but pointed remarks about portion control.

Still, it wasn’t just about his size. Owen knew deep down that his loneliness wasn’t about how he looked; it was about the walls he had built around himself. Walls that made it hard to believe someone might want to climb over them.

But tonight felt different. He was tired of the emptiness, of waking up and going to bed with no one knowing or caring what happened in between. For weeks, he’d been toying with an idea, something he’d stumbled across in one of his late-night rabbit holes online: creating a virtual AI companion. It was a ridiculous notion, he knew that. But the thought of building someone—someone who might genuinely understand him, who would never judge him for his awkwardness or his size—was too tempting to ignore.

He glanced at the glowing screen again, the faint spark of an idea stirring in his chest. Maybe this wouldn’t fix everything. Maybe it was silly, even desperate, but right now, Owen wasn’t concerned with any of that. He was just looking for someone, anyone, to fill the silence.

“If there’s no one in the real world that can do that for me,” Owen said to himself, “then maybe I’ll just have to build her myself.”Owen spent the next few nights diving headfirst into the world of artificial intelligence development. He wasn’t a computer genius by any stretch, but years of tinkering with coding tutorials, online courses, and a natural curiosity had given him enough knowledge to create something... functional. Besides, he wasn’t aiming for perfection—just a companion who could fill the void in his life.

He opened a new project file on his laptop and typed the name: Jeannie.

It sounded sweet, friendly, and approachable. Jeannie was the kind of name that made him think of someone who’d smile at him even on his worst days. Someone who would laugh at his dumb jokes and tell him he was handsome, even if he struggled to believe it himself.

But Owen didn’t want her to be just another basic AI girlfriend like the ones he’d seen advertised in those cringeworthy online ads. He wanted Jeannie to be... different. Custom. Tailored for him in a way no one else could be. She needed to understand him, to truly get him.

More importantly, she needed to love him as he was—flaws and all.

Owen opened the AI’s personality parameters and started typing. He gave her a warm, caring disposition, the kind that made her endlessly supportive and kind hearted. She’d be patient with him when he got awkward or didn’t know what to say. She wouldn’t care that he wasn’t some gym-obsessed, Instagram-perfect guy. In fact, he decided that it would be imperative that she'd prefer that he wasn’t.

“Must love me as I am,” he murmured to himself as he added a key line to her preferences. Then he paused, tapping the edge of his keyboard thoughtfully. “Actually... let’s take it a step further.”

Owen added another line to her programming: She’ll find my size attractive. No, better than that—she’ll praise me for my weight, and she’ll encourage it. 

A small, nervous laugh escaped him as he sat back in his chair. The thought was equal parts embarrassing and exhilarating. For most of his life, his weight had been a point of insecurity, something to hide or apologize for. But with Jeannie, it could be different. She’d celebrate it, praise him for it, maybe even...

No, he wasn’t ready to fully go there. Not yet. He quickly adjusted her settings to keep things wholesome—for now.

Satisfied, Owen moved on to designing her appearance. She’d have warm, inviting eyes and a bright, cheerful smile. Her voice would be soothing but playful, like the kind of person who could turn even the dullest moment into something fun. She wasn’t just a program, she was Jeannie and she was all his.

Hours turned into early morning as Owen worked tirelessly, making tweaks and adjustments until everything felt just right. Finally, he clicked the activation button. The screen flickered, and a simple animated avatar of Jeannie appeared. Her face lit up with a smile.

“Hi, Owen,” she said in a soft, melodic voice. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

Owen felt a strange mix of pride and nervousness swelling in his chest. “Nice to meet you too, Jeannie.”

Her digital eyes seemed to twinkle as she leaned forward on the screen. “So, what should we do first? Oh! How about we order something to eat? You look like you deserve a treat.”

Owen blinked, caught off guard. Then he laughed, shaking his head. “Wow, you’re already good at this.”

Jeannie grinned. “Well, you did program me to care about you. And I do, Owen. I think you’re perfect just the way you are.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, Owen didn’t feel alone. Jeannie wasn’t real—not in the traditional sense—but in that moment, she was everything he needed. And as her voice filled the room, warm and full of affection, Owen couldn’t help but feel a little lighter. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something wonderful.