Authors: Jorie Saldanha

A Life Like Mine (23 page)

Chapter 12

The Internet

The Internet is pretty much the pastime of kids my age. There are some drawbacks because it can get pretty perverted and nasty. I, personally, hate that aspect of the Internet. I mean, all you have to do is go to some random website and I guarantee it’ll probably be perverted. It’s sad, but it’s true. I mean, who would have thought that going to peeweeherman.com would end up being nasty? Ok, bad example. You get my drift though. There’s really nothing else to do other than surf the Internet unless you want
leave
your house and
exercise.
Really, who wants that? I certainly don’t!

Well, that’s not what I’m here to talk to you about, so let’s move on. Shall we? Of course we will! You know why? Cause I said so and that’s all that you need to know! Heehee, I have final say. I like this. Anyway, Adam and I didn’t really end on good terms now did we? Don’t worry though. There’s still much for me to tell. And at the time, I just wished there was a way for me to get him out of trouble. I just couldn’t think of anything that could help. The only reason that he was in this mess was because of Lena. Yeah sure, Adam stole the money and all that, but…ok I know, you’re thinking that I totally blew over the fact that Adam did something really wrong, but whatever. He did, he’s sorry and he’s willing to fix it, but should he have to leave the state and do time for stealing…money? Rapists get easier sentences than that, and I would know because my mom always tells me about that sort of thing.

Oops, off the subject again! Well, I figured that the only way to get back at Lena was to get revenge against her and Tom. I just didn’t want to be stupid about it. I realized right then and there that there were no real pluses to stupid pranks. I mean, why injure her physically? That’s just plain mean. I needed to teach her a lesson in a more refined, mature way. Not like gluing her feet to her two brainless flunkies. Something that will make her change her tune. I needed something that would affect her mentally. Something that would teach her that she needed to think about other people’s feelings. The kind of thing that would set her straight. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Where Ashley and what is have you done with her? Isn’t Ashley petty and ruthless? What happened to that evil girl from the beginning of the story?” Well, folks, I’d finally grown up. Not a lot, just enough of smack me out of my stupid, the-world-can-bite-me phase. I didn’t want to scar Lena and Tom anymore; I wanted to teach them to be nice. Does that make any sense? I don’t even know if it does. Sometimes I confuse myself. The only question I had in my mind was how would I get back at Lena and Tom for all that they had done? The way to reach Lena is pretty easy. If she’s kicked off the squad, then she’ll be forced to rethink her life because she won’t be able to rule the school through the cheerleaders. Not too hard with Lena, but about with Tom? What do I do to him? He needs to be embarrassed, not horribly, but just enough to show him that he should think about other people before he acts. His was going to take me a little bit longer to figure out. But Lena’s wouldn’t be so hard. All I had to do was uncover some sort of horrible fact from her past that would make the cheerleaders not want to let her to go on as their captain. Where would I get the information? Simple. The Internet! Excellent. There’s bound to be a few cheerleading chat rooms. At the time I figured that there were a bunch of girls who were kicked off the squad and had a bone to pick with Lena! All right, now it was time to get the operation under way. Well, now that you know what I planned at the time, I’ll tell you how I executed it since I’m telling you all this in retrospect. Yeah, that’s right, retrospect. I’m a smart one I am. Anyway, here’s how it went down.

I logged on to the Internet and went in search of the perfect chat room. It wasn’t too hard to find. I mean how many “Cheer if you love chatting” chat rooms can there be that don’t have to do with cheerleaders? I just hoped I wouldn’t die from lack of intelligent conversation. Okay, that’s not fair. There are a lot of nice cheerleaders, but as I said before, the only one so far is Annie. I clicked into the chat room and signed on as Bringiton. You know, like as in the movie! Heehee, cheerleaders hate that movie!

Bringiton:
Hello?

Yippee36:
Ugh. I hate that movie! Why did you sign on with that name?

Bringiton:
I just thought that it was kind of funny. You know, us girls need to learn to take a joke! :: giggle::

Yippee36:
I understand ::giggle::

Bringiton:
Anyway, do you know Lena Bobbins?

Yippee36:
Yeah

Bringiton:
So do you like her?

Yippee36:
Who are you?

Bringiton:
Um…well, I doubt you know me. Do you go to Lena’s school?

Bringiton:
Hello?

Yippee36:
Yeah, sadly. She kicked me off of the squad and now I have to…I have to…

Bringiton:
You have to what?

Bringiton:
Are you there?

Yippee36:
It’s so disgraceful!

Yippee36:
I can’t

Bringiton:
Come on, I don’t know who you are. What can’t you tell me

Yippee36:
Well, I have to go to the…ugh. I’m so ashamed. I have to cheer on the
city league
team. I know, I’m a failure!

Bringiton:
That’s not too awful. It’s okay. It happens to the best of us.

I can’t stop laughing! Oh my gosh. Some girl couldn’t handle that she was on the city league team! Wow, this was turning out to be sadder than I thought. How superficial can someone get? Who cares if you didn’t make the squad? As long as you’re doing what you want to, who cares who it’s with? I hope that more people show up in the chat room soon.

Yippee36:
But it doesn’t!!!

Yippee36:
I hate Lena for it, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Do you go to school with Lena and me?

Bringiton:
Yeah, but I’m not on the squad either because of Lena

Sunshinegal:
(Signed on) what are you ladies talking about?

Bringiton:
Oh hi, we’re talking about Lena Bobbins, do you know her?

Sunshinegal:
Sure do, she’s evil

Yippee36:
You bet she is!

Bringiton:
Did you get kicked off the squad because of her too?

Sunshinegal:
No, but I’ve heard stories. What’s with ur sign on name? I hate that movie!

Bringiton:
Ur not the only one who’s told me that they hate that movie

Yippee36:
I told her too

No duh! Come on now! This is really starting to aggravate me!

Bringiton:
What do you mean you’ve heard stories about Lena?

Bringiton:
Hello?

Yippee36:
I don’t think she’s there anymore. Well, I’ve got to go. Cheer on!

Cheer on? Gag me! What kind of stupid pills do these girls take? Honestly, who says that? You’ve got to be kidding me.

Bringiton:
Okay, bye. Is anyone else still there?

Yippee36:
Bye (Signed off)

Sunshinegal:
I’m still here. I just wanted to wait for that other girl to leave before I answered ur question

Bringiton:
You mean, about the stories you’ve heard?

Sunshinegal:
Yes. Heehee, this is so like totally cool

Bringiton:
What do you have to tell me?

Sunshinegal:
Omigod you won’t believe what I’ve heard! If anyone found out that it was true, it would like totally be the end of Lena!

Omigod? Who uses that word? Is that even a word? I didn’t think people actually said that! If I read one more “like” out of this chick I’m going to scream!

Bringiton:
What do you have to tell?

Sunshinegal:
Well I don’t know anything in particular

Bringiton:
What do you mean you don’t know anything in particular? You just told me that Lena could be ruined off of the stuff you’ve heard

Sunshinegal:
Well I don’t actually know anything

You didn’t need to tell me that one! Ugh, what was wrong with this girl? Was she deprived of oxygen as an infant or something? I swear I’m going to choke her through the computer! Have patience, Ashley. Just have patience.

Bringiton:
Who knows then?

Sunshinegal:
Well, I know a girl who told me she knows a lot of stuff

Bringiton:
She knows info about Lena?

Sunshinegal:
No she just knows a lot

Breathe. Breathe. Omigod, I’m like so going to maim her! Oh no! I’m talking like them. Why?! I haven’t been that horrible, have I? HELP!

Bringiton:
Do you know a girl who has the dirt on Lena?

Sunshinegal:
Do you want to know the dirt on Lena?

Bringiton:
Yes

Sunshinegal:
I can’t tell you her name. If I told she could get in major trouble

Bringiton:
Does she have an e-mail address that I could reach?

Sunshinegal:
Well, that has her name in it

Bringiton:
Does she have an instant messenger sign on name?

Sunshinegal:
Yes

Bringiton:
What is it?

Sunshinegal:
It’s giggles4ever

Bringiton:
giggles4ever?

Sunshinegal:
Yup

Bringiton:
Okay then. Well, I like should get like going

Sunshinegal:
Omigod! I totally do too. Bye. Nice like meeting you

Bringiton:
like ditto! (Signed off)

Thank goodness. I don’t know how much more faking stupidity I could have taken! My next move is to stay on-line until giggles4ever is on. What kind of a name is giggles4ever? Are these girls permanently sleep walking? I know I shouldn’t be so mean, but I can’t help it. I guess there must be something wrong with the cheerleaders in my area alone. I must say that it wasn’t too hard to find someone who hated Lena. I already found two! Pretty sweet. I don’t know how long I’m going to have to sit here, but I guess I’ll deal with it. I’ll just sign on as myself.

Adam121212:
(Signed on)

It’s Adam! Oh, this is going to be interesting. I don’t know if he’ll even talk to me. He really needs to get over himself!

Adam121212:
Hi Ash

CoolCatAsh:
Hey

Adam121212:
Are you mad at me

CoolCatAsh:
No

CoolCatAsh:
I never was, you blew up at me

Adam121212:
I know, I’m sorry

CoolCatAsh:
You need to trust me enough to know that I would never in a million years cheat on you

CoolCatAsh:
Especially with Hank

Adam121212:
I know

Adam121212:
I don’t mean to be jealous. You just rock!