The Masqueraded Man (Chapter 1)

"We're all going to the Masquerade Ball, right?" Madeline checked in, pulling a spinach leaf from her sandwich.

"Correct," Andrea answered for everyone.

"What are you doing to your sandwich?" asked Lizzie.

"One of the leaves were rotting," replied Madeline.

"You can't eat rotting leaves?" Skye commented.

Andrea giggled.

"No, it's full of bacteria," said Madeline.

"But I saw you picking your ears and you said they're full of bacteria, too," said Lizzie.

"No, no. Shush."

"You still haven't found a date for the Ball?" asked Andrea.

"No, but the Ball isn't until Saturday so I have plenty of time."

"But no one is going to be your date if you're picking your ears," said Skye.

"They were itchy!"

"I can't wait to go to the dance," Lizzie grinned. "I picked the perfect dress."

"My mom is still working on my dress," said Andrea.

"Why can't you just buy a dress?" asked Debra.

"It's cheaper to have it made. Plus, my mom can design like crazy."

"Then maybe your mom can make me a dress that says 'Date-less' on it," said Madeline.

"Don't worry, Madeline," said Debra. "You will find someone."

"Speaking of 'someones'," started Andrea, "who are everyone's dates?"

"I'm going with my boyfriend," answered Lizzie.

"Of course you are."

"I'm going to ask out Gerald," said Skye.

"Who's Gerald?"

"Gerald Sanders."

"You mean Goth Gerald?" questioned Madeline.

"Like there are other Gerald's."

"But he's scary," said Lizzie.

"I like scary."

"But he looks like somebody dug him up and forced him to go to school," Andrea commented.

"Girls, we all have different tastes. If I want to go out with a goth, then let me go out with a goth. It's not a big deal; I like him."

"Enough to date him?"

"That's only if he wants to."

"Imagine Gerald sitting here," said Madeline. "I would not like that."

"Whatever. You can't stop me. Besides, I won't hang out with him that much at the dance because my band is performing there. Debra, who are you going out with?"

"Darrell," answered Debra. "Just as friends, though."

"You only go to dances with your friends," said Andrea.

"Listen, if I find the one, I will snatch him up and make him a dream catcher."

"Your specialty," added Skye.

"I'm going to the dance with Hugh," Andrea answered her own question.

"Are you guys dating?" asked Lizzie.

"No, just talking."

"Well, it's so great to hear you girls talk about your dates for the Ball," Madeline noted. "I will be going out with space."

"You said you didn't have a date," said Lizzie.

"No, I meant that I will be the only lonely person at the dance."

"Aw, Madeline, we'll hang out with you there," Debra insisted.

"I appreciate that but just to make it clear, I am not a third wheel. I will not dance with you and your dates when a love song comes up."

"There's no way you're touching my man," stated Lizzie.

"Hugh said it's a dream of his to be a part of a 'girl sandwich'," said Andrea.

"Well, tell Hugh to keep that dream to himself," Madeline ordered, "because it's not going to happen."

"You can't slow dance by yourself," said Debra.

"Oh, I've seen the movies. I definitely can slow dance by myself."

"Then that means you would be going to the dance with yourself, meaning you're your own date," said Lizzie. "Meaning you won't be dateless at all."

"I see that you're trying to cushion the blow but I still feel the blow, Lizzie."

"It's good to know that somebody noticed my cushion."

I'll Text You (Chapter 5)

After the weekend, the girls were back in school and all associated with each other in the cafeteria for lunch.

"I just want to say that I am so sorry to all of you," Debra started. "I let this whole texting thing block my eyes from what was real and I am sorry if I isolated myself from you all."

"Oh, Debra, you're a sweetheart no matter what," said Andrea.

"I forgive you," responded Lizzie. "Of course, Debra."

"Wait, we forgive her just like that?" asked Madeline. "You beat me up. Like you actually fought me. I have a cut on my face."

Skye scrunched her eyebrows. "Where?"

Madeline pointed at her forehead. "Right there."

Andrea squinted her eyes. "Where?"

Madeline pointed again. "Right there."

Debra leaned towards Madeline's face. "That little cut."

"It's a dot," noted Andrea. "You can barely see it."

"Dot or not, it's still a cut," said Madeline. "I am too beautiful to look this way. It stung this morning when I tried to put concealer on it."

"It stung when you put concealer on a dot?"

"Madeline, I am truly, deeply sorry," Debra apologized. "I don't know what else to say but I was way in over my head. I'm sorry for... giving you that... that tiny cut on your face."

Madeline smiled. "I can never stay mad at you, Debbie. Hey, I will take a cut to the face if it means helping you."

"Thank you, Maddie."

"It's barely a cut," Andrea commented. "You can make that dot on your face with a sewing pin."

"So are you okay with having no phone?" asked Lizzie.

"I'm sort of okay," answered Debra. "My dad told me he was going to get me another one away. Just one with no text messaging."

"Well, there goes our silent conversations," said Skye.

The girls giggled.

"But my dad said that I can't invite my friends over our house anymore," Debra added.

"All of your friends?" asked Madeline.

"No, he said just don't invite 'the white ones'."

"So I can still come over your house?" asked Andrea.

"Of course."

"Oh, yeah."

"That's a bit racist," Madeline commented.

"Well, you did destroy my phone with Coca Cola," said Debra.

"But it's not like all white people destroy their phones."

"That reminds me," said Lizzie. "I got to get a new cellphone."

"Why?"

"I destroyed my original one."

"See?" inquired Debra.

"That means nothing," said Madeline.

"Man, I am done with texting. It almost ruined my life. If I have to touch something with keys ever again, I will grow nauseous."

"That's too bad," said Andrea, "because in English class, we have to type reports in the computer lab."

"Ah! I am losing chi."

"So you don't need my ointment?" asked Lizzie.

I'll Text You (Chapter 4)

Over the weekend, the girls realized that they have been ignored by Debra as her eyes had been glued to her cellphone all week. Worried about Debra, Madeline decided to text message her about coming over to her house. Debra responded that she did not mind. Feeling like something big would happen, Madeline brought along Skye. They both walked together over to Debra's house.

"A texting addiction?" Skye repeated what Madeline said. "I don't believe that a texting addiction exists."

"If Debra cannot stop texting to save her own life," started Madeline, "then such a thing has to exist."

"Ever since she got that phone, she's been a bit of a spaz."

"And the Debra we know is not a spaz."

"A tiny bit of temper tantrums here and there but nonetheless, she is not a spaz."

"She needs to listen to herself and chill."

Once the girls were close enough to the front door, Madeline rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, an older African-American man opened the door.

"Hello, Mister Lincoln," greeted Madeline.

"Hi," Skye greeted as well.

"Hello, girls," said Debra's father. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to see Debra," replied Madeline.

"We hear she has a problem," Skye whispered.

Madeline nodded.

"Then you came here for the right reasons," said the father. He opened the door wider. "Come on in."

The girls entered with Debra's father closing and locking the door.

"She's been in her room all day. The last time I've seen her, she was texting. I tried to take the phone out of her hands but she tried to bite me so I'm not going to deal with her right now. It was a bad idea to give her a phone. I don't care about the environment but if she did, I should have supported that."

"What does phones have to do with the environment?" asked Skye.

"I don't know; you ask her. I'm going to make a sandwich. Her room is down the hall."

"Know that."

The father walked away as the girls walked from behind him as Debra's bedroom and the kitchen were in the same hallway. As they walked, they passed the living room which had Debra's younger brother, Leroy, sitting on the sofa, playing video games from the television.

"Hi, Leroy," Madeline and Skye greeted to him while walking slowly.

Leroy paid his attention to the girls. He nodded his head. "'Sup, ladies?"

The girls sped up their pace.

"Does he think we're hot?" asked Skye.

"Who said we were not?" replied Madeline.

The girls giggled.

"Actually, a few people," Skye said seriously.

"Yeah, you're right."

They stopped by a closed door, knowing it was the door to Debra's bedroom.

Madeline knocked on the door. "Debra. It's me; Maddie and Skye."

A few seconds later, Debra opened the door without looking up. "Hey, girls," she said, pressing the buttons on her phone rapidly. "How is it going?"

She walked away, letting Madeline and Skye enter the room. Skye closed the door before walking up next to Madeline who was getting closer to Debra, who sat down on her bed with a giant peace sign on the bedspread.

"We're doing well," said Madeline. "How about you?"

"I'm awesome," Debra answered, still not looking up.

"Are you?"

"Yeah."

"How are you doing in school so far?" asked Skye.

"Good. Except they don't allow texting during class hours. How ridiculous is that?"

"Not that ridiculous."

"We've heard that you tried to bite your dad," Madeline threw out.

"Oh, yeah, he's been acting weird," said Debra. "I don't know why."

"Maybe it's because you're the one acting weird."

Debra scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"Debra, who do you text to?" questioned Skye.

"Friends, like Darrell. He is so funny, I can't believe it. L.O.L."

"People don't say 'L.O.L.' in real life," Madeline stated.

"Well, there's a person and that person is me."

"Debra, look at us."

"Can't."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I--"

"Debra, look at us!" shouted Skye.

"I'm too busy texting."

"Debra, listen to me," Madeline took a step forward. "Texting is ruining your life. And if you don't stop, seriously bad things can happen to you."

"Like what?"

"What if you text while you drive?"

"Maddie, you know I don't drive. But my dad did say he was going to get me a car so I might have to get into that."

"Debra, you helped me when I had that problem."

"A shopping problem," Skye added.

"Now I'm going to help you with your problem."

"Problem?" Debra scrunched her forehead. "I ain't got no problem."

"Oh, if you don't have a problem then look at me."

"It's a free country; I can do whatever I want."

"Then since it is a free country, I can do this."

Madeline quickly grabbed onto Debra's cellphone, making her finally look up. Madeline tried to pull the phone away but Debra hung on to it tightly.

"No!" Debra screamed. "I'm not finished!"

Madeline struggled to take the phone away but did not stop grabbing onto it. "No, you're finished!"

The girls became involved in a tug of war over the phone while Skye watched, not knowing what to do. Debra later grappled Madeline, forcefully knocking her down on the floor and attempting to pull away the phone while climbing on top of her. The girls screamed and rolled around, both of them latching on to the cell phone.

"I got to record this or something," Skye said to herself, watching her friends fighting and shrieking.

After a good minute, Debra took one of her hands off of the phone and used it to slap Madeline in the cheek several times. Madeline finally took her hands off the phone to protect her face. Debra sloppily stood up over Madeline and looked down at her.

"I ain't got no problem!" she screamed.

Madeline tried to pick herself up a bit by lifting up with her elbows. "I got ninety-nine problems but Debra, you ain't gonna be one."

Debra ran to the door and opened it to run out. Skye ran after her with Madeline carefully getting up and sprinting out of the room.

"Debra, don't do this to yourself!" said Skye.

Debra turned her head, still running. "Why? It's in my blood. I can stop anytime I want." Once Debra turned her head back around, she ran flat into the front door. She fell on her back on the floor, not moving at all.

The girls knew the slam was hard by how loud the sound was. They stopped inches away from Debra.

"Oh, my God!" Madeline cried. "Is she dead?"

Debra moaned and switched her head's position.

"No, she moved," said Skye.

"Okay," Madeline sighed. "Where's the phone?"

The girls scanned the lobby floor. Skye eventually found Debra's cellphone in the corner of the floor. She rushed over and picked it up.

Debra tried to lift herself up but dropped down. "Phone," she muttered.

"We're doing this because we love you, Debs'," said Skye, hoping that Debra could hear. She marched inside the living room and looked for anyone that could spark an idea in her head. She immediately spotted a glass of soda on the coffee table. With no hesitation, she walked towards the glass and dropped the phone in, mainly breaking the function of it.

"Hey!" Leroy called. "I was drinking that!"

"Sorry," said Skye. "It was for Debra's own good."

"You're lucky you're hot."

"Okay." She walked out and stood next to Madeline who was helping Debra stand up.

"What did I do?" asked Debra, almost in a groan.

"You ran into a door," replied Madeline.

"You ran into it pretty hard," Skye added.

"Wow, I was really acting crazy, wasn't I?" Debra asked.

"Yeah," Madeline and Skye answered.

"Huh. I'm sorry if I've offended you two. I just really liked texting."

"Well, you needed to stop texting," said Madeline.

"It's all over so we can forget about this," Skye added.

Soon, Debra's father walked out of the kitchen into the lobby with the girls. He was eating a hero sandwich, which was dripping mustard in his collared shirt. "What happened?" he asked with a bite of sandwich in his mouth.

I'll Text You (Chapter 3)

A few days later, around ten O'clock in the morning, third period was getting through the middle. Debra was receiving knowledge in her history class. Technically, instead of receiving knowledge, she focused on her cellphone. As the teacher spoke to the class on a lesson about the American War, Debra text-messaged Lizzie through a conversation. She texted more unnoticeably but the teacher finally caught her.

"Miss Lincoln!" he called.

Debra looked up. "Hi!"

"Are you text messaging in my class?"

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean 'yes and no'?"

"Yes, I am text messaging in your class. And no because I don't want to seem rude about it."

"Well, either/or, put your phone away."

"Whatever you say."

Debra closed her phone and dropped it in her open fringe purse.

The teacher continued to explain the American War, talking about the important factors of it such as significant figures. As he did so, Debra waited until the teacher turned away to face the other side of the classroom of students. She slowly reached into her purse and picked up her phone. She opened it from under her desk and began to type. Once the teacher turned back around, he quickly spotted Debra.

"Miss Lincoln!" he shouted again.

Debra, startled, looked up.

"Are you text messaging again?"

"Yes and no."

"Either/or!"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry; just don't do it! I'm going to take away your phone."

"No."

"N-No?"

"I have to text my friend, Lizzie, a joke I heard today."

"Where is your friend, Lizzie?"

"She's in study hall. Nobody cares what you do in there."

"Well, I care what you do in here!"

"Sorry."

"Talk to your friend later!"

"I would but--"

"Give me your phone!"

"I can't. I love my phone."

"You're disrupting my class."

"You're talking to me."

"Then get out."

"What?"

"If you won't give me your phone, then get out."

"Can we settle this?"

"Put away your phone and we're settled."

"I can't do that."

"Then go. Get out."

Debra slid out of her chair. "Alright. You need to chill."

"What?!"

"Oh, my chi." Debra sprinted out of the classroom, afraid of her teacher.

I'll Text You (Chapter 2)

On a Monday, after school, the girls met up and chilled outside on the front bench for a while. While they were enjoying the warm weather, Debra decided to ask about the cellphone she had out.

"So how do you work this thing?"

"Are you seriously asking that question?" asked Skye, putting her music sheets.

"The only phone I've used in my life is a telephone."

"You might've well gotten a telegram," commented Andrea.

"What's a telegram?" asked Lizzie.

"I don't know."

"Debbie, if you know how to use a computer, you can use a phone," Madeline regarded.

"Shouldn't I know how to use a computer in order to use an iPhone?" asked Debra.

"Possible," Madeline said in a French accent.

"I think a monkey would know how to use a phone before it had an idea of what it is," stated Skye.

"Guys, don't make fun of me," said Debra. "I never had a cellphone before. I've always been rejecting them. Now that I have one, it's very important."

"We're sorry, Debra," said Madeline. "So it's an old-fashioned phone?"

Debra held up her phone. "What the eyes see are what the eyes can do."

"That's what my grandmother says," Lizzie brought up. "Except it usually has to do something with monkeys."

Madeline got up and sat next to Debra. She received the phone and pressed away the buttons to instruct Debra on the simple things.

"This is how you call," Madeline directed. "This is how you text. You can call when there is an emergency but if there is no rush, you can text somebody. I will put in all of our numbers to go along with your family's numbers. If there is a significant emergency, you just dial 911 and hit 'Call'. That's it. And those are the most important factors of a phone since that is what a phone is meant to do: call."

"Wow, I think I got it," said Debra.

"Monkey see, monkey do," Skye remarked.

"That's what my grandmother says," Lizzie repeated.

"You said that already."

"Oh, yeah."

Madeline handed Debra back her phone. "Now you can call us or text us. Kids of our generation text now so..."

Debra pressed the buttons on her cellphone. "I think I'm getting the hang of this."

Instantly, a vibrating noise occurred. Madeline dug in her pants' side pocket and pulled out her pink cellphone. She turned it on to see a notification on the screen. She went through it and saw a text reading, 'Hello' from an unfamiliar number.

"That's from me."

"Well... hello to you, too."

"No, text it."

"Okay." Madeline opened the messaging section of her phone and started to text back a response to Debra's number. Once she hit 'Send', Debra's phone made a boing sound, making the response from Madeline pop up on her screen.

Debra read, "'Hello'." She chuckled. "I should send you all text messages."

"That's okay, Debbie," said Skye.

When Skye talked, Debra twiddled her thumbs on the phone's buttons. "Done!" she finished.

Cellphone noises occurred simultaneously. The rest of the girls checked their phones, all getting a response of, "Text is amazing!"

"It most certainly is," said Skye. "According to you."

Debra grinned, holding her phone against her chest. "This is a great experience. I can work a phone!"

"Yes, a sixteen-year-old learning how to work a phone is certainly magical," Andrea remarked. "Next year, we'll teach you the value of Christmas."

"I know this sounds stupid coming from me but I am open to new things. Taking in unfamiliar knowledge burns up my chi."

"Oh, I have an ointment at home that soothes burns and itchiness," said Lizzie.

"No, chi. Not 'itchy'. Just chi. It's the energy that flows inside every living thing. And things that make me excited adds new life to my chi."

"You want to be a flower when you grow up, don't you?" asked Andrea.

"Anything I would do for reincarnation."

"I wasn't serious."

"Oh, Madeline! People make symbols when they text, right?"

"Yes, they do so," responded Madeline.

"Can you teach me how to make a yoga pose in my messaging?"

"Girl, people don't make yoga poses... but it's not impossible. Give me your phone."

Debra gave her phone to Madeline. "Feeling the chi."

I'll Text You (Chapter 1)

Over the weekend, Debra practiced her yoga in her relax-decorated bedroom. Once her father entered the open-door room, she stood up straight, coming from a bent position.

"What is up, dad?" she asked.

"Doing your yoga?" Debra's father asked back.

"Every day, all the time."

"I know you're not crazy about this but I got you this." He pulled out a regular cellphone from his pants' pocket.

"What is that?"

"It's a cellphone."

"Oh! No thank you."

"No, you need it."

"But you know how I feel about cellphones."

"I know but you need one for emergencies."

"When am I ever involved in an emergency?"

"Just because you've never been in an emergency doesn't mean you'll never be in one. You can't send letters all the time."

"Letters are natural."

"Then when you're kidnapped, make sure you brought a pen and a piece of paper."

"Dad--"

"No, Debra. You need a phone so I'm giving you one. Here."

Debra sighed before taking the phone. "I don't think I even know how to use a phone."

"You just open it up and make phone calls."

Debra flipped up the phone. "I know but there are letters next to the numbers on the buttons."

"Yeah, you can text with the buttons."

"But... how is that possible?"

"Debra, I swear I feel like I'm talking to an old woman all of the time."

"I am young; I think I am allowed to ask questions." She placed her hand quickly on her waist. "Ow, my hip!"

"Yeah, you're young alright. Ask your friends when you get to school. They have phones."

"Yeah but their phones are so advanced. It's like they talk into little computers all the time."

"I'm pretty sure that they had your type of phone before."

"Okay, then I'll ask them."

"And I set up your account so you use it right away."

"Set up my what?"

"Again, old woman."

"Thanks for considering me of having a phone, dad."

"You're welcome. Maybe I should buy you a car."

"Dad, I told you I don't want a car."

"Walking home to and from school is dangerous."

"Everybody walks to and from school."

"Yeah but their parents don't love them like I do."

"Cars pollute the environment."

"And they get you where you need to go. I'm getting you a car." He headed for the door.

"I don't need a car."

"I'm doing this because I love you," her father said, leaving the room.

"Stop spoiling me! Heart center."

Lizzie's Outfit to "Cool Beans"