Read Online Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi - Free Book Online

quick,"
she said, storming back to her seat and grabbing the remote control.
She pressed Play and turned up the volume to a nearly deafening
level.
    Unfortunately
the volume didn't drown out the giggles of the other party
princesses. Nor did it prevent me from hearing their whispers as I
passed through the room, stepping over bowls of popcorn and bags of
makeup.
    "What's
she doing here?"
    "Yeah,
it's Friday night, way after school. And she's, like, old. Doesn't
she have a date or something?" "Look at her. Who would date
her?" "Dracula?"
    "Ooh, ooh,
what about Frankenstein?" Ah, to be judged uncool by a bunch of
kids who watched SpongeBob SquarePants on a daily basis. Not
that they were far
    71
    off the mark.
Though I wasn't sure at this point whether even Frankenstein's
monster would consider me a worthy date.
    I paused at the
other end of the room before heading upstairs. "Have fun,"
I said in an overly sweet voice. "And don't eat too much or
you'll all grow enormously fat and have faces full of zits."
    The girls all
screamed and gasped.
    "Get OUT!"
Emily cried, throwing a pillow at me. I easily dodged it and ran
upstairs, feeling the tiniest bit better. I entered my room, shut my
door, and turned up my stereo, blasting My Chemical Romance's The
Black Parade album. I'd heard it a gazillion times, but I still
loved Gerard's passionate voice. It was as if he totally understood
all my pain. If only he went to Hannah Dustin. We'd be soul mates,
for sure.
    I threw myself
down on my bed, exhausted and annoyed. My eight-year-old sister had a
full social life and I was a total outcast. So not fair. How did she
find it so easy to fit in? To make friends? She would be one of the
Haters someday, most likely. Ruling her school with her haughty
glare, ridiculing poor innocent people like me for breathing the same
air she did.
    I glanced over
at my computer. Maybe Sir Leo was online. I owed him a major apology
after Mom pulled the plug on the game last night. After all, he was
the closest thing I had to a developing friendship. I didn't want to
lose that.
    So I logged on.
A few moments later, my character, Allora, smiled up at me. I smiled
back at her. "Ready?" I whispered, though of course she
couldn't hear me. "Let's go play."
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    I realized my
hands were trembling as I typed in "FIND SIRLEO." I tried
to steady them, annoyed. After all, I didn't even know this guy. I'd
played with him once. I might never run into him again. And if I did,
he would probably be annoyed at me for abandoning him anyway.
    CHARACTER
NOT ONLINE
    I let out the
breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Of course he wasn't online.
It was Friday night. He was probably on a date with some hot chick
who, in real life, looked like my Allora character--not even giving
the video game or me a second thought. Virtual life might be all I
had to keep me sane, but that didn't mean Sir Leo was as big a loser
as I was.
    Dad evidently
had more of a life than I did as well, as he was not logged on
either. So I decided to take Allora adventuring by herself. We headed
over to the easy section, where the beginner quests were, and started
attacking monsters with her firebombs. It didn't take long until I'd
gained another level and was able to get some new, tougher armor and
a more powerful magic wand. I also got a new spell--a sort of
ice-shield thing that would help protect me. Pretty soon I was strong
enough to head out of the town's gates and attack those wolves that
had kicked my butt the day before.
    "Whoo-hoo!"
I cheered as my firebomb blasted them dead. "You go, Allora!"
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    [SirLeo] Well done, m'lady. I see that the wolves are no longer a trouble to
thee.
    My heart
fluttered with excitement as I read the message sent from Sir Leo. He
must have just logged on. Squee!
    [Allora] Why, yes. I have been busy learning some powerful new spells to
combat the evil wolves that once caused me so much pain.
    [SirLeo] I am impressed. Perhaps you would care to join me on a