Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi

glanced
helplessly back at the screen where Sir Leo had just attacked a pack
of wolves, not realizing I'd turned away from the computer to talk to
Mom. His life was low and he was calling out for me to help him.
    "Hang on,
Mom. I have to ..." I turned to the keyboard to finish the
fight. I'd save him and then say good-bye. Maybe we could meet later
to play more after I got through with Mom.
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    But before I
could launch my fireball spell, my computer screen turned black. "Wha
. . . ?" I cried, confused. Then I realized my mom had walked
over and hit the computer's Off switch and was currently standing
above me with a self-satisfied look on her face. "Mom! I was
right in the middle of-"
    "When I
say turn off the computer, I mean turn off the computer, not continue
to play your game," she admonished, walking over to take a seat
on my bed.
    "But I was
helping my friend!" My stomach churned in panic as I stared at
the blank screen. This was terrible. Sir Leo had been so nice to me
and I'd just up and disappeared without even saying good-bye. The
wolves probably killed him and it was all my fault. Great. Now he was
never going to want to play with me again. Not that I blamed him.
"Can I just log back in and tell him--?"
    "No. I
came up here to talk to you and I need your full attention," Mom
said. "If you're going to become this addicted to the game, I'll
take it away altogether."
    I swallowed
hard, knowing she was perfectly able to make good on the threat.
    "Sorry,"
I muttered. "I'm listening."
    Mom nodded.
"Look, Maddy. I'm sorry I blew up earlier. When you mentioned
your father . . . well, it's a sore subject, as you can imagine."
    I stared down
at my hands. "Yeah. I know. I shouldn't have said that."
    "Sweetie,
I know your father and me separating and your
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    having to
switch schools has been really tough on you. It has for all of us.
But you can't let it turn you into someone you're not. You're a
wonderful girl. Beautiful, smart, creative. Yet all I see these days
is someone who's mad at the world and wants revenge. You just can't
go around punching other kids, no matter how angry you are at your
father."
    Argh. I
squeezed my hands into fists. So, like everything else, she was going
to blame this on Dad. "I'm not angry at Dad," I informed
her. "I'm angry at Billy."
    "Billy?
Who's Billy?" demanded Mom, obviously baffled that anyone could
be mad at anyone else in the entire world besides my father.
    "The kid I
hit, Mom. Try to keep up." I knew I was being bratty, but I
couldn't help it. "He destroyed my drawing on purpose. He's a
total jerk."
    "Why would
he destroy your drawing?" She sounded confused. Of course.
    "Because
he's trying to make my life a living hell." I squeezed my hands
into fists. "You want to know the truth, Mom? No one likes me at
school. They all think I'm a freak."
    Mom gave my
black-dress and black-and-white-striped-tights outfit a look. "Well,
I did warn you about dressing that way. . . ."
    "Oh, I
see. So it's all my fault."
    Mom sighed.
"No, of course not. But you go to a smaller school now. And kids
aren't going to be as diverse as in Boston. But that doesn't mean
they're bad people. You've just got to give them a chance. Get to
know them. Let them
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    know you.
You're a wonderful, beautiful girl. I'm sure in time the other kids
will realize that."
    "I want to
go back to my old school. In Boston."
    Mom slumped her
shoulders. "Maddy, you know we can't do that. I can't afford
it."
    "If you
just got back together with Dad--"
    "Maddy,
we've had this discussion."
    I wanted to
press her further, but I knew it would do no good. "Fine,"
I relented. "I promise to work harder to make friends. And I
won't fight and . . . stuff." I knew my promises sounded flimsy
and lame, but I'd say anything at that moment to get out of the
lecture.
    Mom stared at
me for a moment, then shook her head. "Let's talk about this
later when we're both less upset, okay?" she said. "It's
dinnertime anyway. Grandma cooked a lovely pot