Behind A Computer Screen

Promise

I quickly attach the picture I described in the email and hit send, sending it to a stranger that could be a pedophile who's faking as a 16 year old boy in South Africa. I look over at Kenzi to see her typing away, typing away towards some guy from Ontario, Canada. I don't understadn why he's making us do this because it's strangers. He doesn't know who these kids are, it's dangerous.

Then again...dangerous, and wreckless is exactly what Darin Clark is. It's why Lou is as careless as she is. When she was 12 years old she watched her dad be so careless in the garage that he caught himself on fire with BBQ lighter.

Lou, or legally Louise, recently moved back hom after living with her mother for years back in Canada. Lou would come home every summer but it was only in the 7th Grade that I stared hanging out with her. Kenzi hung out with her in the 5th or 6th but, that was because she had recently moved back herself. Lou is 15 years old who will be 16 on the 19th of July. She's book obsessed, she has a make believe social anxiety, she has a hard time seperating fantasy from reality and in my mind...It's a wonder she has any friends at all. I'm not even including her wrecklessness.

Kenzi on the other hand isn't half as crazy as Lou. She may have this thing about having to have a giant teddy bear in bed with her when she sleeps but that's about it. It's like Kenzi is constantly hyper or overtired because she's that weird at times, but then it comes to her love for writing and music. If the music isnt' loud she's writing, if there's no music at all she's probably sleeping or playing her guitar. If her music is loud...spontaneous dance party by herself. Kenzi's 16 years old as of the 24th of February and like's to maintain her 3.5 GPA like me.

School is challengeless and boring because I haven't found a thing challenging since the end of the 7th Grade.

I must have been off in my own world because when my computer dinged, the picture of a smiling Kenzi came back into view. I shook my head and turned back to the computer in front of me. Erik's email address was on the screen telling me I had a new email.

Hey, It's Erik Kepner.

I'm 16 years old and in the 11th Grade. I'm very sorry if I'm such an inconvience to you but you never know...talking to me could be fun. I can be the best thing that has happened to your life. I actually think you'll like me once you get to know me but...your opinion on me is completely up to you.

I understand that you may think this whole penpals thing is elementary and idiotic my darling. That talking to strangers is the stupidest thing ever but wasn't Kenzi a stranger once? Like in kindergarten .

My favourite colour is black. I live on a farm, I too...maintain a lot of good grades and I'm a DJ across the country at events like weddings, or dances.

I expect an email back soon.

-Your soon to be friend Erik.

So...Erik Kepner was going to be a persistant loser. Great. Just freaking great. I'm either stuck with Erik until June or I completely 'forget' about this project and lose 45% of my grade because I refuse to talk to strangers. This is Kenzi's thing, it isn't mine. I don't want to make it mine because I remember what happened between Kenzi and Elijah and it was not pretty.

"I'm not replying to this," I speak out loud and lou kicks me. "What? You want to talk to strangers go ahead. But I'm not going to do this idiotic project because your father wants us to do something carelesss like he's always doing."

"My dad isn't doing this to torture you Avery. He's doing this so we won't become dependent on our peers. He's doing this so in 2 years...we're not going to be calling each other up while the other's trying to study because...we're the only people we have," Lou explained and Kenzi finally looked over at me.

"When I leave here in 2 years. I'm moving in with Elijah and Ryan until I can get my own apartment. Then I'm going to major in Biology and Chemistry while I try to get into med school," Kenzi says, she had turned her body towards me now and all of her brown hair was officially for view of everyone.

"I know that but talking to strangers on the internet isn't teaching us that. It's teaching us that we can trust people behind a computer screen. Kenzi...in 2 years you're probably going to have a boyfriend and maybe even time then, you and Elijah might be back together. No one knows. But I can promise you time then you're going to be thinking the samething I am today. Strangers behind a computer screen or cell phone screen cannot be trusted until you meet them in person."

There I said it.

I don't trust what Mr. Clark is making us do...but...grades wise. I'll make myself do it.

I'm not going to trust whoever this Erik person is and I most definitely am not going to become an emotional wreck over him like Kenzi was over Elijah. After she left him for the sake of her best friend Elena who honestly set them up and then...after three weeks decided she didn't like them together anymore. That caused arguements between the two and arguements between Elijah and Kenzi until...Kenzi finally had enough and broke it off with Elijah.

I was about to add to what I was saying when the bell rang telling us school was over with. "I'll see you tonight," Kenzi said, getting up off of her chair and walking out of the computer lab. Her buckled combat boots hit off of the cement floor hard; and her back tights, black dress shorts, and dark grey t-shirt were the last thigns I saw of her.

I clearly pissed her off for mentioning her and Eljiah. She has every right to be mad at me for mentioning that because even when she should hate Elijah for moving on as quickly as he did...she still supports him with Ryan. She still stands by him and gives relationship advice when they go through troubles because Kenzi is his friend. Kenzi is his only help in this world besides Ryan.

I get up off the chair and look to Lou who wouldn't speak. "What?"

"You know how she gets about Elijah. I sometimes wonder if she's still in love with the douche but y'know. That was uncalled for," Lou said softly and I knew. I knew it was. Bringing up that was uncalled for but I was feeling so attacked. "She'll get over it, but...don't act shocked if she doesn't show up tonight."

Greaaat.

I look to the computer once I hear Lou's converse hitting the floor as she ran after Kenzi.

Erik, Listen. I'm going to talk to you because I need this for my school and that fact that I may have just called my best friend out on something that I really shouldn't have. I'll get to know you but I won't like you. I'll share some...personal details about me but you'll never be my friend. Got it?

-Avery

I sigh and hit send before logging off. I get up off of the chair and look around at the vaciant computer lab before leaving. I walk out into the hallways to find Elena and her boyfriend of 3 months making out against the lockers. I start to walk past them then accidently drop my books.

"Oops!"

Jarod pulled away from her and looked down at me while I grabbed my book on computers and the scattered papers off the floor. "Stop playing grab ass in the hallways of the school. No one wants to see you sucking each other's faces off."

I grab the rest of it and walk past them. I store everything but the paper with the information about Erik away and grab my dark grey leather jacket. I make sure I have everything before leaving. I send a quick text to my cousin Winter to make sure she's still in the parking lot and walk out to her.

"Hey," I say with a smile. She smiles back and gets in her car.

"Hey...heard that you got a new penpal," Winter joked and turned her car on. I just nodded and pulled my cell phone out. Kenzi and Lou have been out of school all of 7 minutes and she already knows. "Just promise me this...don't become attached to you phone."

"Promise."