Sun Signs (8 page)
2good
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From: starlight
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Hit
And another hit! Stargazer said we would “score” big today. I got the results back from my math test. 98%!! Yay me! Are you taking math? How did you do?
Shari
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From: 2good4u
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Hit
I always “score big.” No big surprise there.
2good
P.S. Where are you, Kaleigh? Haven’t heard your sweet little “voice” in a while.
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From: blondeshavemorefun
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Hit
Got a great score on my favorite computer game.
blondie
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From: starlight
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Worried
Hey Kaleigh,
Are you still mad at me? Please don’t be! Write to me!
Shari
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From: blondeshavemorefun
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: ??
Cosmic,
Where are you? I miss chatting with you.
blondie
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From: 2good4u
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Hit
Yep, my “creative juices are flowing,” as always.
2good
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From: starlight
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Write to me!
Kaleigh. i’m getting seriously worried about u now. r u ok?
shari
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From: 2good4u
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Hey girl
There’s only one small thing wrong with my perfect life. I’m not hearing from you. Wazup?
2good
--------------- From: blondeshavemorefun
To: starlight Cc: 2good4u
Subject: cosmicgirl
u guys are part of Kaleigh’s science project, right? have either of u heard from her in the last few days? i’m getting kinda worried. maybe her computer crashed. i hope that’s it.
blondie
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From: starlight
To: blondeshavemorefun
Cc: 2good4u
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
i’m worried 2!!! we had a little fight and i thought it was just me she wasn’t talking 2. how can we find out what’s happening? does anyone have mr. selenkski’s e-addresss? i’m not taking science this term.
shari
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From: 2good4u
To: blondeshavemorefun
Cc: starlight
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
i’ve been wondering about her 2. i’ll contact the good teacher and c what he knows.
2good
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From: 2good4u
To: jselenski
Subject: Kaleigh
Mr. Selenski,
Do you know why Kaleigh isn’t answering emails from her distantstudybuddies? Those of us who are the guinea pigs for her science experiment noticed that she suddenly stopped writing to us. Very strange for Kaleigh. She’s usually real chatty. We’re hoping it’s just computer problems.
Lucas Seymour
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From: jselenski
To: 2good4u
Subject: Re: Kaleigh
Dear Lucas,
I’m afraid it isn’t computer problems. Although I can’t give out personal information about my students, I would like to encourage you and the others to keep writing to Kaleigh, even if she isn’t responding. She may need some cheering up.
Mr. J. Selenski
P.S. By the way, it’s very good to hear from you, Lucas. Any word on when you’re going home?
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From: 2good4u
To: jselenski
Subject: Re: Kaleigh
Home. Not a word I relate much to, Mr. S., but I may be released soon, if that’s what you want to know. Good behavior and all that.
Lucas
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From: 2good4u
To: blondeshavemorefun
Cc: starlight
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
Soooo … selenski says it’s not computer problems, that kaleigh may need cheering up and that we should keep writing to her.
doesn’t sound promising, does it? and i was having so much fun being a leo guinea pig, too.
2good
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From: starlight
To: blondeshavemorefun
Cc: 2good4u
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
oh no! that means she’s either sick or something really bad has happened in her life. do either of u have her phone number? now i feel even worse about threatening to drop out of her experiment.
shari
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From: blondeshavemorefun
To: starlight
Cc: 2good4u
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
shit!! i figured something must be really wrong. i don’t have her number.
blondie
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From: 2good4u
To: starlight
Cc: blondeshavemorefun
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
i don’t have her number either. It’s a pity, such a sweet, sincere (& gullible) kid, too.
2good
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From: blondeshavemorefun
To: 2good4u
Cc: starlight
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
what do you mean by gullible?
blondie
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From: 2good4u
To: blondeshavemorefun
Cc: starlight
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
i mean that stupid science project on astrology. don’t tell me you were taking it seriously? lol! dumb and dumber all over again.
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From: blondeshavemorefun
To: 2good4u
Cc: starlight
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
when i say i’m going to do something, i do it. aren’t we supposed to be distantstudyBUDDIES? NOT distantstudyASSHOLES.
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From: 2good4u
To: blondeshavemorefun
Cc: starlight
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
chill out!! it was THIS BUDDY who suggested she do her report on astrology in the first place because she used 2 carry on and on about her horoscope saying this and that. i never thought she’d take me seriously, and i especially never thought selenski would. i even told her that, but she still went for it. just because they buy that horoscope crap doesn’t mean i have to.
2good
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From: blondeshavemorefun
To: 2good4u
Cc: starlight
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
2good, i always suspected u were a jerk
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From: 2good4u
To: blondeshavemorefun
Cc: starlight
Subject: Re: cosmicgirl
fuck off! i was just having some fun with her. and what difference is it going to make in anyone’s life whether i really have hits or not? u guys are 2 pathetic. i’m outta here.
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From: starlight
To: blondeshavemorefun
Cc: 2good4u
Subject: Kaleigh Wyse
ENOUGH ALREADY!! Fighting is not going to help Kaleigh.
i suggest we continue writing to her, recording our hits, and when she gets over whatever it is, we just carry on the way it was before. i don’t know about u, 2good. maybe it’s best if u don’t tell her the truth now. it will completely mess up her experiment.
Shari
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From: starlight
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Hit
Hi Kaleigh!
I know you’re not writing to me right now, but I’m going to keep sending you my hits and misses. Please write back when you can!
Today my horoscope said that my creative energy would be high, so I tackled my English project. The writing went really well once I got going. Yeah!
Shari
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From: blondeshavemorefun
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Hit
Hi Cosmic,
I had a very creative day, just like Stargazer predicted. You should have seen the sandwich I created for my mother! Peanut butter, mayonnaise, dill pickles, cream cheese, lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion. Who needs to go to one of those fast-food joints for a good sub sandwich?
I’ve been thinking about how bad I’ve been, not letting you know whether I’m a girl or a guy. That was mean, and I apologize. Because of that, I’ve decided to tell you my name. Are you excited?
Are you?
<
<
<
<
<
Ready now?
<
<
<
Okay. Here it is.
<
<
<
<
eimaj.
Oh yeah. I forgot to mention. It’s in code. You have to unscramble the letters. :)
imaje
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From: starlight
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Hit
You are going to be SO proud of me, Kaleigh. My horoscope today said that it would be a good day to “confront the situation that’s been bothering you.” So guess what I did. I called a family meeting and told my parents that I was attending school on the mainland next year. They very calmly asked why I wanted to go there. I very calmly explained. They were SHOCKED when I told them how unhappy I am on the island. How trapped I feel. I know I’ve told them — many times!—but I guess I haven’t explained it calmly and clearly until now. (Maybe they didn’t understand the reason behind my little temper tantrums.)
Anywho—guess what! They said that was fine. That they supported my decision because I’d given it a lot of thought. They suggested I commute next year, and then if everything goes well, they will try to find a family on the mainland for me to live with in Grade 12! Can you believe it? My escape plan is becoming a reality!
I sure miss hearing from you, Kaleigh. I hope everything is okay. Love you lots.
Shari
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From: blondeshavemorefun
To: cosmicgirl
Subject: Hit — maybe
Well? Did you guess my name? Did you guess Jamie? So now you know I’m a guy. Or girl. :)
Cosmic, did you notice the subject in this email? The reason I wrote in “maybe” is because I’m not sure if I’m going to do as Stargazer advises. She says to “confront the situation that’s been bothering you.” Well, the situation I’m going to confront concerns you, and I don’t know if I’ll actually send this email once I tell you about it. So I’m not sure yet if it is a hit.
Okay, here’s the situation. Your other two Leos and I have exchanged a few emails because we were worried about why you’d suddenly stopped contacting us. At one point, the guy called 2good admitted that he hadn’t taken your science project seriously. Can you believe it? So now I don’t know if you can use the data he gave you. Some of it might not be completely true. Or maybe none of it is. I suspect this will come as a complete surprise to you, and I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
The reason I may not even hit the send button on this email is because I’m not sure if this is the situation I should be confronting. I already confronted 2good. It didn’t do me any “good.” But I’m wondering if in some way he is right. He implied that what you don’t know won’t hurt you. Maybe he’s right. You could complete the project thinking all your data is legit, score an A+, and Selenski will never know. And neither will you, actually. But 2good, Shari and I will, and I don’t feel right being in on this scam.
There’s another situation that I haven’t confronted, and that is to ask you directly why you’ve stopped writing to us. I’m super worried about you. Mr. Selenski won’t tell us what’s wrong, but we do know your computer is working. Please write to me. Just one word is all I need.
Jamie, who now has to decide whether to hit send or not.
Long pause.
Long pause.
Thinking.
Considering.
Here it goes.
Feb. 25
Writing to an imaginary twin was so stupid. What was I thinking? From now on, it’s Dear Diary. Oh yeah, that’s way less stupid. Why do I write at all? Bad habit.
And yep, the astrologer was bang on this week. The gang was talking about me “behind the scenes.” But then, who cares? Not me.
Forecast For the Week of
Feb. 26 – March 4
by B.A. Stargazer
Gemini (May 22 – June 21)
You will be facing a solar low this
week. Take things slowly, save
your energy. This is a good time
for reflection and meditation.
A stranger is attracted to you.
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To: B.A Stargazer
From: cosmicgirl
Subject: Science Project
Dear Ms. Stargazer,
I think I told you that I’ve been getting radiation treatment for the past few weeks. Talk about a solar low. It’s not as bad as chemo, and at first I didn’t feel much, but now I’m completely zapped. With my energy gone, it’s hard to get interested in anything. Things I used to care about don’t seem important anymore. Some days it’s hard to remember why I even want to get well.
I decided to write to you today to try to sort out some of my thoughts. Do you remember how, when I first started my report and experiment on astrology, I was so excited? That was in the lull between chemotherapy and radiation. I was feeling okay and the project seemed to have such possibilities. Now I’m having trouble remembering what the big deal was.
I first became interested in astrology about a year ago when I found out about my tumor. There was a lot of anxious waiting around for tests etc. at the cancer clinic. I remember flipping through a newspaper one day and spotting your Sun Signs column. I’ll never forget what the message for Gemini was that day. You said, “Miracles happen when we focus as much on our dreams as we do on our fears.”
I only had one dream, and that was to get cured, so I began to focus on that. I didn’t know how you knew what I was about to go through, but somehow I felt sure you did, and that you wrote that specifically for me. I was pretty naïve, looking back on it, but I silently recited that message before surgery, after surgery and then throughout my chemo treatments, even when I got so sick I couldn’t get out of bed. I recited it while standing in front of the mirror, combing my hair and seeing the huge bald spots appear as my hair fell out in clumps. I continued to recite it even when all my hair was gone, and when I had so many sores in my mouth I couldn’t eat anything. Believing in the possibility of miracles got me through that time, and every day I would read my horoscope, looking for hope in what often seemed like a hopeless situation. I was sure I would get well if I continued to focus on my dreams.