Chat Freak

by Terry Brown

  “Your online name is Jellybean?” Jared snorted. “Isn’t that what your dad calls you?”

  Morgan elbowed him in the ribs without glancing up. “Next week I’ll take my laptop to New York with me, so I’ll collect whatever stories get posted and e-mail them to you guys. You can decide where in your reports to use them. I’ll be visiting the Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation to interview the people who take care of the seals there.” She closed out the window then sighed and sat back. “Well, am I brilliant or what? Applaud if you like. Or throw money.”

  The bell rang then, and Morgan grabbed her books to head out the door behind the boys.

  “Remember the library tonight,” Jared said. “Bring all your info uptown and we’ll finalize stuff before you go tomorrow. Then we’ll know what we’re each responsible for.”

  “I’ll be there,” Morgan promised.

  Just before she rounded the corner by the music room, she heard a voice call out her name. She froze. Darryl!

  Without a backward glance, Morgan ducked into the girls’ rest room and hid in a stall until she was sure Darryl would have had to leave. Peering around the corner, she checked both directions before scooting into Mr. Myers’s vocal music room as the last buzzer sounded.

  Morgan hurried home after school to log some time online with her GlobalBuddies before supper.

  “Hey, Morg,” called Jacob. “How’s it goin’?”

  “Hey yourself. Did you eat all of those?” Morgan pointed to Jacob’s almost empty bowl of Fritos.

  “Nope. The bag’s on the shelf. I have to save room for all the travel junk food. And we’re stopping somewhere on our way out of town.”

  “Lucky! Who knows what we’re eating tonight!” Morgan said, swatting him on the shoulder. “So, are you heading out soon?”

  “In just a few. I packed already. Pete and the guys will be here to pick me up any minute.”

  “You’re going to have a blast.”

  Morgan took her own bowl of Fritos with her to Maya’s room, where she logged online using their teen line. Lucky for her that Maya was doing last-minute shopping, so Morgan could chat undisturbed. Crunching the greasy chips, she entered GlobalBuddies.com and clicked on Post-A-Note! She knew it was way early for any replies, but there was a chance. When she clicked on her request, she was surprised to find three responses already.

  One was from Mick in Australia:

  Our Marine Rescue Unit cares for sick and injured marine mammals. We see New Zealand fur seals and Sub Antarctic fur seals here.

  Mary in Canada wrote:

  Here in British Columbia we have a wildlife rehab facility. We specialize in alternative medicine like herbal treatments and physical therapy. Last year we treated 42 harbour seals and one Northern fur seal. We have an 80% survival rate at this time.

  And Jeff from Hawaii wrote:

  We try to protect our endangered Hawaiian monk seals here. Several have been born on Maui in the last few years. Even though we have the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, we still have to use yellow police tape to keep people on the beaches away from a hauled out seal.

  Morgan scribbled the information in her notebook, quickly thanked each person for their information, then clicked over to the GlobalBuddies Chat room. Maybe the people who’d responded to her question were still there.

  jellybean14: anyone here that answered my question about seals?

  last_wish: what question about seals?

  janine: what kind of seals?

  jellybean14: the flipper kind. I’m doing this big report on endangered seals and wanted 2 talk 2 anyone with experience with them.

  last_wish: I don’t have experience, but I live near the Marine Mammal Center in Santa Barbara.

  janine: is that California?

  last_wish: yup. they rescue seals there, like harbour seals & Northern elephant seals & some fur seals.

  jellybean14: have U been there?

  last_wish: once. but after I saw a baby seal tangled up & cut by fish line, i never went back

  jellybean14: isn’t that sad?! that’s just the kind of thing i want 2 help prevent!

  last_wish: if U R in CA, you could visit there.

  jellybean14: wish i could, but i’m in indiana.

  They continued to chat about school and the stuff last_wish loved about California—movie screenings, surfers, whale-watching— which all sounded a lot more exciting than anything Morgan did in Edgewood.

  last_wish: i gotta go. meds r making me sleepy.

  jellybean14: meds?

  last_wish: medication.

  jellybean14: 4 what?

  last_wish: pain medication 4 my cancer.

  Morgan gasped when she read his reply. A kid with cancer? How scary!

  jellybean14: i’m really sorry. does UR cancer have something 2 do with UR screen name?

  last_wish: ya, my last wish is 2 see my mom taken care of B4 I die. she’s all alone. GTG rest. good luck with UR seals.

  jellybean14: thanks. hope I run into U again soon. C U

  Morgan sat motionless for a moment, stunned by last_wish’s words. How would it feel to know you were dying from cancer at such a young age? She could barely imagine it. Absent-mindedly, she clicked on her personal e-mail icon and watched the new messages load. She spotted one right away from ANNA:

  Dear jellybean, thanks for the advice about my mom. It worked. I decided to just listen to her, but not get excited about it. You’re right that she’s probably just overreacting from everything that’s in the news about eating disorders. If I keep quiet, she’ll see that I’m fine and hopefully stop nagging me. Thanks for listening! ANNA

  Morgan smiled as she hit the Reply button. It felt good to have someone thank her for her support.

  Dear ANNA: I’m glad I could help you! You’re doing the right thing just to listen to your mom’s lectures but not react. Don’t let her fear rule your life. She needs to get a grip and trust you more. Aren’t parents hard to handle sometimes? Keep me posted.

  “Hey, you’re the chat queen these days, smorgeous.” Morgan jumped at Jacob’s voice right behind her. “I mean . . . you hardly watch TV anymore.”

  “So what?” Morgan mumbled.

  “MORGAN.”

  “What?” Annoyed, she looked over her shoulder at Jacob, who was cracking his knuckles.

  “I’m heading out now. Pete’s here. So, I’ll see you. Have fun in New York, all right?”

  “Yeah, you too. Just bring me back something!” She jumped up and gave her big brother a hug, then watched him sling his bag over his shoulder and clomp down the stairs to his waiting friend below.

  Morgan followed more slowly, heading to the kitchen to refill her Fritos bowl. Just then she heard the chug-chug of Maya’s ancient Volkswagen Beetle, Mr. Beep, in the driveway.

  “Morgan Cross!” Maya’s shout was accompanied by the sound of the front door slamming. “Morgan! Did you talk to Darryl Tuesday night?” Maya’s words grew louder as she stormed through the hallway. “Did you tell him that I couldn’t come to the phone?”

  “Um, Tuesday? I can’t remember. I might have said something like that.” Morgan glanced at her sister’s furious scowl. “OK. That’s what I said.”

  “I can’t believe you. That is so lame, Morgan. It’s beyond lame. You knew he called. I asked you and asked you while I was watching that movie if you were tying up the line, and you said no. Thanks to you, I called Darryl a liar. In front of the football team. And most of the swim team.” Maya marched over to where Morgan was pouring chips. “I have never, ever kept you from an important call.”

  “It was just Darryl. I thought he would call ba—”

  “Just Darryl? I tell you when Jared calls. Like he’s even worth worrying about.” Maya stuck her finger in Morgan’s face. “Just because real guys don’t call you is no reason for you to trash my social life.”

  “Maya, I’m not trying to trash your social life. But you do get to use the phone line a lot more than I
do. I just wanted some time—”

  “You think those online weirdos are friends, but they’re not. They’re strangers. They don’t even know you. In fact, I should be so lucky!” Maya stormed out of the kitchen, and seconds later the TV in the den blared with a talk show.

  Morgan’s mouth was suddenly dry, and she decided to take a glass of juice back to the computer. As she stood in front of the ice dispenser to fill her glass, she studied an old snapshot stuck there with a magnet. She and Maya had been three and five at the time. The picture had been taken after Morgan gave herself a white beard with Dad’s shaving cream. Maya was wiping it off with the hem of her dress. Looking at the two round faces made Morgan’s eyes sting. Maya was such a pain sometimes, but she was still her big sis.

  “Morgan,” her dad said from behind her chair. She’d barely noticed his shadow looming over her. “It’s time for dinner.”

  “I’m not too hungry, Dad.”

  “It’s no wonder with supplies like this.” Dad nudged the nearly empty Fritos bowl.

  “Jacob had some, too.”

  “I’m sure he did. Did he get off all right?”

  “I think so.”

  “Morgan, switch that thing off.” He tugged on her arm. “Your mother made some vegetarian dish that I’m sure she and Maya will love. Time to go act like we love it, too.”

  “But I’m talking with a girl from the UK.”

  Dad tapped his index finger on the glass above the “close screen” box. “Click that. Or I will. It’s dinnertime.”

  During dinner, Morgan dished up the smallest amount of tofu and bean sprout casserole she could get away with. Halfway through dinner, the phone rang. Muttering that people had no manners anymore, her dad got up to answer it. Morgan’s ears perked up a moment later at the sharp rise in her dad’s voice.

  “When did that happen?” His words were crisp. “What hospital did the ambulance go to?”

  Morgan gasped.

  “Jacob!” her mom cried, jumping up and running to the phone.

  Morgan and Maya froze, staring at each other. Morgan barely breathed.

  “Yes, thank you for calling,” her dad finally said. “Tell her not to worry about anything. We’ll figure something out.”

  Her?

  “What was that about?” Maya asked as her parents came back to the table.

  “Mrs. Delaney, the woman who was going to run the Gnosh for me next week. She fell this afternoon from her garage roof—”

  “Garage roof!” Maya cried.

  Mr. Cross nodded. “She’d been helping her husband replace shingles. That was him on the phone. She broke one leg, and the other leg has a hairline fracture. She won’t be able to help us out next week at all.” He slapped his hand palm-down on the table, making the glasses jump. “That would figure! I was counting on her, too. She knew the ropes, moved twice as fast, and did twice the work of most servers.”

  “But we’re all leaving for New York in the morning,” Maya said. “Will you just close the Gnosh next week?”

  “Amber and Jamie can’t run it alone,” their dad agreed. “Amber’s brand-new at this. Even with Benny to prep the food and cook, we need more help out front.”

  “And cleaning up,” Mrs. Cross added. “You know Benny won’t touch a dirty dish or sweep a floor.”

  Mr. Cross shook his head slowly. “I can’t afford to close the restaurant for an entire week.”

  “But you have to attend that management seminar to keep your license,” Mrs. Cross said.

  “True. Even if we just kept the restaurant open during the breakfast and lunch crowds, and closed at five or so, that would be enough.” He looked from Maya to Morgan, and then back at Maya again.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Maya said. “I can’t stay home and work. I have those colleges lined up to look at next week.”

  “I know.” Her father paused. “But you don’t actually have to be in New York for a school visit till Tuesday. You could run the Gnosh Pit this weekend, then fly in on Monday.”

  “Daa-aad!” Maya moaned. “No fair! Can’t Morgan do it? She knows the restaurant as well as I do, and she doesn’t have to be in New York for anything. She could stay behind.”

  “But I have somewhere to visit in New York, too!”

  “Hold it.” Their dad rubbed a hand wearily across his eyes. “If Jacob hadn’t left already, I’d make him stay behind and work, but he’s already on his way to Florida. And I won’t let your mom miss this chance to meet that big gallery owner and maybe sell some of her work. So the bottom line is this: I need your help, girls.”

  Both girls stared grimly at their father.

  “Maya, you can work here this weekend, then fly in and meet us on Monday. It’ll probably cost $50 to change your ticket, but that’s well worth it for the weekend business.”

  “What about me?” Morgan asked.

  Her dad sighed, looked at his wife, and then sighed again. “I don’t see a choice here. Morgan, I need you to stay and keep the business open next week.”

  Stunned, Morgan sat with her mouth hanging open. She couldn’t believe it. How could they leave without her?

  “We hate for you not to join us. But Maya has to see those schools. And we’ll need another pair of reliable hands at the restaurant.”

  Morgan struggled to keep from crying. “So I’ll stay here by myself?”

  “Of course not,” her mom said. “Since Alex will be in Texas, I could call Jamie’s mother and ask if you can stay there for the week. We’ll make it up to you, sweetie. Honest.”

  Morgan mechanically put down her fork and slumped back in her seat. This was the absolute pits. The pit of the pits. Maya always got special favors—Mom’s car, more money even though she didn’t work as hard as Morgan—but this was too much. Besides, she knew her parents weren’t just going to New York for that seminar and gallery meeting. They were talking about moving back there, and Morgan would be expected to uproot herself from her life in Edgewood with no thought for her feelings at all.

  “I understand,” Morgan forced out. “I’m going to my room.” She slowly left the dining room and headed upstairs. She needed somebody to talk to. Desperately. And obviously no one in her family cared how she felt. She brightened slightly at the sight of her computer. GlobalBuddies were so much easier. And on the Net, somebody actually cared.

  chapter. 4

  Morgan took her laptop down to the den and logged . on, using the family phone line. She didn’t care if she tied it up. Nobody cared about her feelings obviously. Soon she’d blotted her family from her mind as she logged on to GlobalBuddies.com. Great! Last_wish was there. Looked like he was sharing his struggles with the cancer.

  jellybean14: U R dying? 4 real??

  last_wish: yeah. they’ve tried surgery & chemo. not much left 2 try.

  NYGuy4u: man, that’s a total drag.

  timberwolf: my uncle died last year from the Big C. tuff 2 beat.

  jellybean14: U can always talk 2 us. we want 2 B your friends.

  last_wish: would b nice 2 have good friends. i spend so much time in the hosp. that i’m not 2 close 2 my friends anymore. at least my mom is cool. we’re real close.

  jellybean14: howz she doing? I mean . . . U really think U won’t get well?

  last_wish: it’s like . . . i can handle the meds, the pain. what kills me is seeing my mom. my dad left when i was little. i’m sorta all she has.

  jellybean14: there’s still hope though.

  last_wish: nope, ran fresh out of hope. i’m gonna die. i’m not afraid of that. i’m just afraid 2 leave my mom. she works so hard--two jobs--trying 2 pay hosp bills. she’s worn out. me 2.

  jellybean14: i know u have 2 go rest. i’ll check on u tomorrow.

  last_wish: C U then. thanks.

  Morgan twisted in her chair and glanced out a den window, surprised to see that it was already dark. Looking at the clock, she realized that she’d been talking to last_wish so long that she’d spaced out the TodaysGirls cha
t for the night. None of them had Instant Messaged her a reminder either, even though they could see she was online. She figured everyone was still mad at her for losing the biggest swim meet of the season. Well, what difference did it make? She was helping a boy who was dying. It made her own hurt feelings seem totally petty.

  Out in the hallway, Morgan noticed how quiet the house was. Her parents were packing for their trip. Jacob had left for Florida already. And Maya wasn’t speaking to her because of Darryl. She might as well return to the Net. There was always someone to talk to there.

  An hour later, her mom padded barefoot into the den and sat on the arm of a chair. “It’s about bedtime. You OK?”

  “Yeah. Just talking to some kids whose problems are way worse than my not going to New York.” Morgan watched the conversation flow onto the screen. “I still need to check my Save the Seals bulletin board again. I didn’t realize how many kinds of seals all around the world are endangered.”

  “I love what you’re doing. You’ve always had a kind heart.” Mom glanced at the active computer screen. A smile grew on her face. “Remember when you were six and you tried to revive that dead squirrel out in the street?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Morgan giggled. “What was I thinking?”

  Her mom laughed, too. “You kept waving acorns in front of its nose, telling it to wake up and eat something, then it would be OK.” She patted Morgan’s shoulder. “Just don’t forget about yourself, honey. Get some sleep.”

  “I’ll get off soon, Mom.”

  “All right. I talked to Janet Chandler, and she’s thrilled that you can stay with them next week. Remember, your dad and I will be leaving for the airport very early tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, and without me.”

  “I’m so sorry it worked out this way. But we’ll call every night. You’ll probably get sick of us. We also want to take you on a special trip once school is out.” She got up to leave. “Oh! I almost forgot. The art gallery is supposed to call. They’ll leave a message for me about my appointment with the owner to show my work. Be sure to leave the answering machine on, and stay off the family phone line so they can get through.”

  “I will. I’ll use our teen line. Oh, and don’t worry about the Gnosh Pit. I’ve got it covered.”