I bite my nails to shreds as my cursor hovers over the selection of answers on the screen.

A. Nothing much, what about you?

B. I'm trying to avoid three stupid girls

C. I'm avoiding this guy, he's a real drag...

I read them over and over, but I can't decide which one will work in my favour. My avatar stares blankly back at me while Castiel's image stands there, arms crossed, looking bored and aloof. Another agonizing minute passes before I click C. The meeter drops five points. No! Just when it was getting close. I sigh. Clearly, I'm taking this too seriously.

I got the game and the computer as sweet sixteen gifts from my aunt Elizabeth three weeks ago. The computer was a disappointment at first, especially since my aunt knew how much I coveted the new Mac book Air. I could almost see its pristine, sleek edges as it sat on my desk, waiting to be used. But no, when I unwrapped the paper and opened the box, I was faced with an old clunky Windows 95, slightly yellowed with age. I groaned inwardly, but still managed to keep my smile in tacked.

I opened its companion gift, and my cheeks reddened with embarrassment. It was a CD ROM titled MY Candy Love that looked like it might have been enjoyable when I was 8. Its bubble gum pink cover and sparkly eyed characters made me want to tuck it away in a drawer where I would never have to look at it, but for courtesy's sake, I smiled broadly and thanked aunt Elizabeth, pretending it was a totally acceptable gift for a sixteen year old.

It wasn't until later that night that curiosity got the better of me. I pulled the game out from under a pile of papers in my top drawer. A dating game for girls! Read the blurb on the back. Hmm. I popped the CD in the computer and started the game. The Start screen prompted me for a username, but I couldn't think of anything creative that didn't sound completely ridiculous, so I'd settled on my own name, Gemma Harp, with some under scores thrown in.

I created a character that resembled me, with long, dark brown hair, green eyes and the palest complexion the Flesh Tone options had to offer. I sped through the introduction and into the first level of the game. The object was to complete tasks for Sweet Amoris High school, all while trying to win the affection of your favourite boy. The game was as juvenile as I expected…but in an odd way, kind of fun. My character started off by running around doing errands for the stuck-up looking student council president, Nathaniel, who was not at all my type. The nerdy stalker kid named Ken wasn't really doing it for me either. It wasn't until I ran into a certain red headed troublemaker that I really started to obsess.

When he first showed up in the court yard, I was surprised. With his dyed red hair and all-black attire, his appearance was completely at odds with the atmosphere of the game. He called himself Castiel and proceeded to flaunt his snarky, sarcastic attitude. Ok, so maybe he wasn't the nicest character, but he had me intrigued. After several minutes of his sarcasm and surprisingly cute half smile, I decided he was probably the only character worth pursuing. Once I found out he was into music, I was sold.

Over the next week, I progressed through the levels and more characters appeared, but Castiel was still the only one to really hold my attention. My affinity for him soon turned into late nights and hours after school getting him to like my character. The whole thing sometimes made me feel like I was going crazy. I told myself that it was just like crushing on characters in a book. You were supposed to have a connection with them, right? But the truth was, I really liked Castiel. More than I wanted to admit.

"You'd better get a move on, Gemma!" My mom yells from downstairs. Quickly, I log out of the game, eject the CD from my ancient computer and slide it back in its pink, heart-splattered case. I grab my bag from the bed, sling it over my shoulder and dart down the stairs.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad! Love you!" I shout as I slam the front door behind me. I hop on Wanda, which I've affectionately named my partially rusted, baby-blue bike, and I'm off. I peddle quickly down the street, the wind whipping my hair behind me. I love my bike. Aside from my guitar, it's one of the only things in the world that makes me feel free.

I pull into the front entrance of White Oaks High to see Scarlett and Ben huddled beneath the large oak tree next to the school; our usual meeting place. I chain my bike to the rack and sprint over to meet them.

"You're later than usual." Scarlett says as she draws idle swirls on her artfully ripped, marker covered jeans . Even sitting under an oak tree, she stands out in her chunky beaded bracelets and thrift store wear that she somehow manages to make stylish.

"Interesting…" Ben mumbles, examining a caterpillar crawling across his fingers. He's the nerdiest kid I've ever met, especially when it comes to computers. He could probably construct a fully functioning laptop out of twigs if he had to. He looks up at me and grins, showing off his perfectly white teeth, complete with a set of shiny, silver braces. "Gemma." He says by way of greeting.

"Hey guys." I smile apologetically. I'm about to sit down between them when I hear the buzzing of the warning bell.

"Guess we'd better get going." Scarlett says. Her weary tone sounds about as enthusiastic as I feel about World History, the only class all three of us share. Ben shakes the caterpillar off his fingers and Scarlett throws the black marker into her bag. We bump and weave our way through the throng of students until we reach the classroom were we seat ourselves discreetly in a row at the back. I watch the students file in and my heart sinks with dread at how long this day is going to be.

I half-listen to Mr. Burton's lecture, scribbling a few incoherent notes before my concentration slips away completely. My eyes wander over to the desk beside me, where Scarlett scribbles away at her latest notebook masterpiece featuring an explosion of daisies in multicoloured gel pens. Ben is diligently taking noes next to her, his concentration never faltering. I start doodling stars in the margins of my notebook when a slip of paper finds its way to my desk. I unfold it to read Scarlett's message.

Wanna join me and Ben at my place after school?

Immediately, my thoughts return to that stupid computer game. If I go to Scarlett's house…no Castiel for, what,a whole four hours? Some small corner of my mind taunts me. I shake my head. No, that's stupid. I'll go. My pen hovers hesitantly over the paper before I scribble my response.

Sure, see you there.

When I slide the note back to her desk, I almost regret it. But then, I remind myself that I have been spending far too much time in front of the old clunker these days, pining after someone who doesn't exist. I can't neglect my two best (okay, only) friends forever.

The rest of the day passes in a boring, convoluted blur of Gym, Math, Art and, my saving grace, Choir. I don't have much of a voice, but I've been told that I can at least carry a tune.

We sing church Blue Moon for the hundredth time as our choir teacher, Mrs. Stanley conducts emphatically. I strain to hit some of the high notes, letting the other singers drown me out for the most part. When we finish, Mrs. stanley steps down from her podium and congratulates us.

"Job well done everybody! I'll see you all in rehearsal tomorrow!"

I quickly shove my repertoire binder on the shelf with everyone else's before I grab my things and head to the front of the school to meet Scarlett and Ben. When I get there, I'm greeted with smiles from both of them. The three of us link arms and we're on our way.

Scarlett's house isn't exactly ghetto, but it's no mansion either. It's red roof looks like it could use some shingle replacements and the cracks in her front porch have always sketched me out, but its still one of our favourite places to hang out. Scarlett opens the front door with a creek and tosses her bag down in the front hallway. Ben and I hang ours on the rack next to the door.

"Mom, I'm home! And I brought Ben and Gem with me!" Scarlett calls into her nearly empty house. There's no answer. "Figures." She mutters. Scarlett's mom isn't the most attentive parent in the world.

Ben starts digging around Scarlett's kitchen, looking for something. "Hey Scar, do you have any more of those gummy worms? They're my favourite!"

"Top cupboard, right next to the stove." Scarlett says, flicking on the T.V in the room adjoining the kitchen. Ben comes out from the kitchen and plops a bag of gummy worms onto the coffee table. Scarlett flips channels for a while before settling on some cheesy teen movie featuring wear wolves.

"This is the dumbest, most unrealistic movie I have ever seen." Ben says, tugging at a gummy worm between his teeth.

"Ha! Thats why I love to laugh at them!" Scarlett says. She glances over to me. "You've been awful quiet and broody lately, Gemma. Something up?" She asks.

"No." I say. I wouldn't want either of them to know my shameful secret. Scarlett especially would never let me live down the fact that I'm in love with a children's game. "Nothing's up."

"Whatever you say." She says and turns back to the T.V.

I sit on the floor for the next few hours, starring blankly at the screen while Scarlett and Ben debate the possibility of wear wolves actually existing and spreading their virus throughout the human race. When I glance at the clock, I notice that it's nearly 9:00. I texted my Mom earlier, but she'd be expecting me home by now.

"Guys, it's late." I say. "I should get going." and slurp up one last gummy worm and rub my legs, which have fallen asleep from sitting on the floor for so long.

"See ya, Gem!" Scarlett and Ben call out in unison as I walk toward the door, then return to their argument.

I rush outside and practically sprint through the warm, dusky evening air. When I get home, I hang my bag in the hallway, give my parents a quick hello and before I know it, I'm popping My Candy Love out of its case and into the Old Clunker. I start up the game where I left off, at the mission where I had to find the Basket Ball club I'd joined. I play for hours until I reach another one of those stupid dialogs with Castiel where I can never think of which option to click. I'm slumped in my chair, staring hopelessly at the screen when I notice my computer clock reads 11:50 pm. I sigh and shut my eyes against the glaring screen for a moment. It's far too easy to let the time slip away playing this thing. I smile to myself. Especially with you, Cas.

Open my eyes and allow myself to stare at his image a while. My cursor is drifting toward the log out button when I see it- I could swear Castiel's eyes flick toward me. I feel like I've had a mini heart attack as I blink rapidly at the screen, but when I stop, it's exactly as it was, a non-animated image, completely incapable of movement. Too many late nights, Gemma.

I shut off the computer and crawl into bed, where I dream of nothing but smokey grey eyes beneath a moonlit sky.