Logging On - Chapter 1

"What's this?" I asked my friend as I went through her phone, looking at games, and photos, and music. It was a shortcut to something, a small speech bubble with some lines - probably meaning words - in the middle.

"Oh, that?" She answered dismissively. "That's just a chat messenger, or something. I'm not sure what they're technically called." Her face seemed to light up a bit more as she mentioned it. I smiled knowingly at her.

"Is this the same 'chat messenger' that you met that guy, what's his name, Pat, in? Oh, can I read the messages?" I opened the messenger, to see an open conversation between her and this internet guy.

"His name's Pete, and NO YOU CAN'T!" She grabbed for the phone. I ran from her, both of us laughing - me especially - and dodging each others friendly attacks.

"Amy! Please! Give me back my PHONE!" She stopped to catch her breath. I stopped, too. I hadn't realised I was out of breath.

"But Lauren!" I paused to take a breath. "I'm your.....best friend.....I need..... to know these things!" I should really do more exercise.

"But you can't read ALL of my private messages! Being my best friend is no excuse for that! You can't just assume that because we're close, that you can just pick up my belongings and search them? Is that what you think being a friend is, Amy? Just getting close to someone so you can raid through their personal life? Do you, Amy? Amy?"

"Too late!" I called, as I ran off again.



"Good morning, sweetheart. xx" I read off the screen. Let's see, what was Petes username? Pete95. Did that 95 represent the year he was born in? Oh, an older man, then? Lucky girl, Lauren.

LaurenLove: Good morning to you, too. I missed texting you last night. xx

Pete95: We texted until 7 this morning, sweetie. xx

LaurenLove: I  know, but for those 8 minutes of sleep I got this morning, I missed texting you. xx

Pete95: Okay, okay, I admit it. I did, too, honey. xx

LaurenLove: I knew it! I'm just too hard to stay away from! xx



And that was only this morning? I turned to look at Lauren. She was very close to me. Literally. I looked at my feet. They weren't moving. Huh. I realised I had stopped running. I turned to face the rath of my best friend, and as I looked her in the eyes, and saw the anger flaring in them, the way her lips had clasped shut in a thin, straight line, her brows furrowed together in anger..... and I laughed. I laughed at her hair in her face, her make up smudged, her clothes not being neatly in place anymore.



"Sweetheart? Sweetie? HONEY? ARE YOU GOING OUT?"

"What?! No! Not a chance! Oh my, No! I barely know him!" She smiled a bit. "He's just..... very affectionate."

"Oh, is he? And you're not?"

"Of course I'm not. I don't have pet names for him, do I?" She wasn't getting out of this one easily.

"No, you don't, but you did smile whenever I mentioned him, and his pet names for you. Whenever you mention him, you practically burst. Oh, and the fact that you sent him, oh, you know..... KISSES!"

"Okay, so maybe I'm a bit affectionate, but you know. Look at his profile picture. He's hot. Capital H. And O. And T."

"Yes, but how do you know he's a seventeen year old babe? Are you sure he's not a fifty year old perv?"

"Well....." She hesitated.

"See!" I laughed. "You have no proof! I bet he is fifty! HEY, EVERYONE! LAUREN IS GOING OUT WITH A FIFTY YEAR OLD BABE!" We both laughed together as the men and women on the street passed us. They looked confused.

"Shut up." She gave me a playful punch. "You'll figure it out when you're older." Lovestruck. That's what she was.

"Lauren. I'm older than you."

"Only by a few months!"

"Still older, though!"

She looked at me, frustrated. She had no argument there.

"Sorry, what was that, still-fourteen friend of mine?"

"In a few weeks you won't be able to say that to me."

"Still older."

"Screw off."

We laughed together as we walked into the school.