Free Starting from Square Two by Caren Lissner Page A

designed. Gert knew that both Erika and Ben had been big fans of modern art. Ben had always wanted to be an architect, although from what Gert heard, he had never ended up going to graduate school.
    Gert knocked on Erika’s front door. She heard cackling inside, then steps. When the door swung open, Erika was there, looking pretty and smiling at Gert. Her blond hair was streaked with a few dark lowlights, and it was back in a ribbon. Graphic designers always dressed well.
    â€œGertie!” Erika said, and she threw her arms around her and hugged her. Gert felt a surge of warmth. She realized why Hallie always wanted to please Erika. If Erika was in a happy mood, she could make you feel like the most accepted and wanted person in the world—like you were as glamorous as she was. “I’m so glad you’re here,” Erika said. “We need you.”
    Maybe Erika wasn’t so bad.
    Gert followed her to the far corner of the room. Hallie wasalready sitting in front of Erika’s enormous Macintosh. It had little color printouts taped to it. They were impressive designs.
    â€œThis is great!” Hallie said. “This is so great!”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œTake a look.”
    Gert peered closely at the screen.
    TO WHOEVER KEEPS POSTING THE
OBNOXIOUS MESSAGES
    I know your the same person because their all coming from the same server I checked it out. Even if you use diff. screen names you can’t fool me. Your unintelligent and unoriginal to. You obviously don’t like me and I’m not sure what I ever did to you, but tell me and maybe we can come to an understanding about it otherwise I’ll delete every one of your postis.—C.S.
    â€œYou have to help me,” Erika said to Gert. “We need to write some posts, but from different computers. You have a computer at home, right?”
    â€œYeah…” Gert said uneasily. She didn’t like where this was going.
    â€œI need to create more screen names and send messages from different servers,” Erika said. “That way, it won’t be coming from just mine and the Internet café. It’ll really drive Challa nuts. I’m going to write that I’m some girl who had an affair with Ben on a business trip.”
    Hallie’s mouth dropped open, and her gaze moved from the screen to Erika’s face. “You’ve mentioned that before,” she said. “But you said you’d never do it.”
    Erika said, “This girl is living my life, and wasting Ben’s. She’s stupid and needs too much attention. She took my whole life. I should be having kids with him right now.”
    Gert felt nervous. “What if you write that,” Gert said, “and she takes the site down?”
    Erika was quiet for a second.
    â€œDon’t you understand?” she said, her voice rising. “Don’t you get it? That would be the most wonderful thing in the world.”
    Erika sounded ready to cry. Gert felt embarrassed for her, so she stared at the floor.
    â€œIf Challa took this stupid site down,” Erika said, “then I wouldn’t have to maniacally check it every day to see what Ben’s doing. I wouldn’t have to know everything that’s going on in his life. But I just have to. I have to figure out what he’s doing now, and whether I did the right thing. I just wish the site didn’t exist. But if it does, I have to check it.”
    Gert considered suggesting that Erika pretend the site didn’t exist. But she knew people couldn’t trick themselves in matters of the heart. Hell, she’d certainly tried. She had dutifully repeated positive messages as her therapist had instructed. “If I get through today, I’ll have accomplished something.” “Marc would want me to be happy.” “There was nothing I could’ve done.” “Everything happens for a reason.” These were the lies she’d told herself.
    â€œI