Hope runs back to her room.
"Okay... we'd better figure out how bad this is. We'll give Hope a little while to cool off while we read what Chelsea and her friends posted." said Jess
"I get the feeling I'm not going to like this." said Julian
After Jess and Julian read for a while...
"This is horrible. Her diary for the last year is up here! Just paging through it, you can tell how personal this all is... And there are a ton of entries talking about how much she likes Asher!" Jess gasped
"Check out what people are writing about her on this site." said Julian
Diary is PROOF she wanted Asher from day 1. LIAR. Can't believe she hooked up w Asher. trashy."
"Hope acts innocent, but she's totally shady. Disgusting."
"UGLY girl. Can't believe she got Asher to kiss her. Hope is right... this is even worse than before."
"What a bunch of... I mean they're... just picking on some innocent girl!"
"It'll be okay... we'll figure this out, I promise."
"I'm not just going to sit here and read this!"
"Julian... we've already been through this. There's no way Hope is going to open up to you if you just charge in, ready to pick a fight! This time, you've got to do it a little differently... You've actually got to calm down... and listen."
"I... I'll do my best."
"Come on. Let's go talk to Hope."
Julian and Jess went to Hope room.
"Open the door, Hope! We need to talk!" Julian knock on the door
"Why... so you can just yell at me more?" Hope shouted
"I'M NOT YELLING AT YOU!" Julian shouted back
"You just yelled that!"
"Julian... just take a deep breath and try again." said Jess
"It's not that easy." said Julian
"It's okay. Take a little while and get yourself in a better headspace. Hope isn't going anywhere."
A few hours later
"Okay, Hope... I'm calm, okay? Now please let me in. We need to talk." said Julian
"You're sure you won't yell at me anymore?" Hope asked
"I'm sure."
"Okay."
The three sit down on Hope's bed.
"I can't believe how stupid I was... I didn't even put a password on my laptop!" said Hope
"Hey, it's not your fault... you couldn't have known someone would steal it, right?" Julian asked
"I just wish I'd protected myself a little better."
"We can't change the past, but we're here now. It's time to tell us the whole story... First, tell me more about this Asher guy."
"Well... I liked him for a long time, but he always had a girlfriend." Hope pulls up a picture of Asher on her laptop.
"Looks like kind of a loser to me. I'm sure you can do better." said Julian
"I don't think you understand."
"What's there to understand? He's not so great. Plus, he's taken. Get over it. Okay. Now about all this stuff people are writing about you... You just gotta stop reading it. Forget these losers. Make some new friends."
"It's not that easy for me."
"Sure it is! Forget about these losers writing this garbage!"
"I can't just ignore them... How am I supposed to walk around school when so many people there hate me? How can I even EXIST knowing that they've written all these horrible things about me?"
"So what? It's just words. It's not like someone hit you."
"Don't you see? That would be so much better! That would only hurt for a second!"
"Are you serious?"
"You don't understand... you're a guy, and you're popular. You have no idea what it's like to be a girl no one likes."
"I... I... I guess you're right." Julian sighed
"Julian, she IS right. You don't know what she's going through... As much as we want to help her, you and I aren't the best people to talk to Hope right now... But I know a couple of people who might be able to do a better job!" said Jess
Jess finds Tash (nerd) and Chad (cheerleader)
"Hey... I was wondering if you've ever been bullied online." said Jess
"Well, I'm a shy girl who spends most of her time on the internet. I'd say I've heard a COUPLE of mean comments." said Tash
"What about you, Chad?"
"I'm a MALE CHEERLEADER. Yeah. You could say I get teased a little, before I transferred here." said Chad
"Well, would the two of you mind talking to Julian's sister, Hope? She's getting attacked pretty hard online... she could use some support." said Jess
"Of course I'll help! No one should have to experience what I've gone through." said Tash
"I'm in." said Chad
"Sounds good! Let's head over to Julian's house." said Jess
Back at Julian's house...
"Hey, Hope... I brought over a couple of people who may be able to help." said Jess
"I doubt it." said Hope
"Hey Hope, I'm Tash this is Chad."
"I hear you're getting bullied online?" Tash asked
"Yeah." said Hope
"Well, you just met the queen of that. I've always been used to getting teased by the jocks at school because I'm good at math and like watching. But I never expected that I'd also get hated on by my fellow nerds! Do you know how many times I've been called a 'fake geek girl'?" Tash asked
"A lot?"
"A lot of people who I THOUGHT were my friends all teamed up on me and made a whole website about how much they hated me... At one point it got so bad that I ended up in a really dark place... I didn't leave my room for like a month. If my parents hadn't stepped in and gotten me some help, I don't know what might have happened." said Tash
"And as a guy cheerleader, I've heard every insult you can imagine. In-person and online. For some reason, people think that who I'm dating, how I dress, and what I do in my free time is their business. I got called a lot of names online... and dealt with a lot of hate I didn't deserve. I actually ended up getting help from a therapist. It didn't make the bullies go away, but at least I'm better at dealing with them. It took me a long time to get comfortable with who I am... and it still hurts when I get insulted." said Chad
"So what do you do?" Hope asked
"Well, talking with friends like this is a god first step."
"I guess so."
"If you just need some time to yourself, we can take off."
"No, wait... I want to hear more."
A little later...
"Feeling any better, Hope?" Jess asked
"I guess so. I feel like I'm not alone Tash and Chad were really sweet to come and talk to me... But it doesn't change what all those people online are writing. I feel like if I could just talk with Asher, maybe he could get Chelsea and their friends to stop hating me." said Hope
"Do you really think he'll listen?"
"I think so! I still believe he's a good guy... just misunderstood, you know?"
"Maybe."
"I was thinking of IMing him... Would you mind watching over my shoulder to make sure I type the right thing?"
"I'll do what I can."
"It looks like he's online."
Hope13: Hey... have a few minutes to talk?
Ash_Cash_1: sure thing. sup?
"Ask him if he knows about what people are writing online." said Jess
"Okay... here goes nothing." said Hope
"Okay... good luck, Hope. Just be straight with him and see what he says."
Hope13: Can you talk with Chelsea about everything she and her friends are writing online?
Ash_Cash_1: yeah right. not gonna get involved in that drama.
"Don't let him weasel out of this that easily!" said Jess
"I... I just have to make this clearer to him!" said Hope
Hope13: Please please please say something. Have you read what they're writing?
Ash_Cash_1: yeah. pretty funny.
Hope13: Funny?
Ash_Cash_1: don't take it too seriously. it's all just a joke anyway.
Hope13: Maybe to you.
Ash_Cash_1: like I said. girl drama.
"He... he logged off." said Hope
"Hope... I'm sorry." said Jess
"I used to think... at least I thought Asher cared about me. For just a second after we kissed I saw this whole future in front of us where we were in love, dating... Now it's clear... he and everyone else at school would be happier if I just disappeared."
"Hope... I'm so sorry."
"Thanks for trying to help... but this is just something I'll have to deal with. You've done enough for now."
A few days later...
"Hey, Jess.. I'm worried about Hope." said Julian
"Any developments?" Jess asked
"You could say that. Those online comments about her are worse than ever. She's like a zombie at home... just looking at her computer and then staring off into space." Julian explained
"We can't let things go on like this... I'll go talk to her."
Later, at Julian and Hope's house...
"Hope, there's got to be something we can do." said Jess
"What's the point? It's never going to change. Maybe it would be easier for everyone if I just... left." said Hope
"Please don't say that. You've got a ton of people who care about you! I care, Julian care your welcome to come hang with us anytime. I'll go talk to Chelsea... I know I can get her to stop bothering you!"
"You're welcome to try... for all the good it'll do."
At Chelsea's dance studio...
"Chelsea, we need to talk." said Jess
"You again... Hope's friend. I should have known she was too pathetic to face me herself." said Chelsea
"This has gone far enough, okay? You have to stop." Julian glared
"Who are you? Her new boyfriend. What a back stabber."
"I'm her brother no one messes with my sister."
"Oh, I'm just getting started! Did you READ her journal?" Chelsea asked
"You bet I did." Jess glared
"So you know she wanted to get with Asher for MONTHS. Then she hooked up with him at the party... and now SHE has the nerve to play the victim?" Chelsea yelled
"Look. I'm not going to say that Hope is totally blameless in all this... But isn't there a point where the revenge is worse than the crime? If you could see the way she's suffering."
"What about MY suffering?"
"Jess! You've got to help me! My Mom called It's Hope... She's gone!" said Julian
"Hope's just... gone?" Jess gasped
"She left a note... said she couldn't take it anymore. I'm really worried about her. We need to go find her!"
"We'd better get going... now!"
"Wait." Chelsea called
"What do you want?" Jess glared at Chelsea
"It's just... I never meant for it to go this far. If something happened to her." Chelsea sighed
"It would be your fault." Julian glared
"Please. Please let me come with you and find her."
"Like I said, we don't have much time to waste... If you want to help look for her... we'd better go now." said Jess