Pssst! Marie! Did you get the app yet?"

Marie looked up from her book, startled. She saw Jenaya's wide eyes staring at her from across the library table.

I'll get it later, after school maybe.

 "Everyone has it, Marie, you're never gonna make friends without it." Marie felt herself go red. What if she really did go another year without making any friends at school? Jenaya was so popular and cool, but Marie...

Well, she never had put much time into making friends. She preferred being alone most of the time... didn't she?

Marie had plenty of friends in Everlend, the world of her favorite novels, the "Dragon Princess" series. She didn't need any friends at school... right?

Maybe I should download that app...

Marie went straight to her room when she got home. Her mom wasn't home from work yet, and her older brother was still away at college.

I wonder if any other fans of Everlend are on there?

The other kids at school had said that the app would make your dreams come true, that every one of them had made cool best friends on it...

Coming Mom!

Just before she could start the download, her mom called from the kitchen. She hit the download button as she replied.

Marie, dinner! I got El Pollo Loco again...

Marie's mom kept asking her about her day at school. Marie felt like she couldn't tell her everything... she didn't want her mom to worry.

How's school? Anything new going on?

Fine. No, not really.

As soon as she got back to her room, Marie opened her new app. It started with a quiz.

Welcome to Chimera!

Help us get to know you better with this short quiz!

1. Have you ever wished you were someone else?

o Yes      o No

The first question didn't seem so bad...

2. What would you do if your best friend told you to commit a crime?

o Do it      o Refuse 

3. Is there another world that you would prefer to live in?

o Yes     o No

"Hm," she thought, "This is getting a little weird..."

4. Do you have a best friend now?

o Yes    o No

5. If you could change anything about your best friend what would it be?

o Looks    o Money

o Personality

Marie thought: "Now we're getting somewhere... will this app really make friends for me?

6. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?

____________________

"This question is asking me to type out an answer... what should I put?"

6. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?

___Live in Everlend__

Marie thought for a moment, then typed....

Thank you for joining Chimera!

Email: ____________

Are you over 13?

o Yes      o No

Somehow she felt nervous about that answer. The last screen came up. Marie entered her email, then stopped. Should she lie? Everyone at school said the app didn't work right if you had a "kids" account.

She checked "Yes," even though she was only 11. What came up next was strange...

Meet your new best friend

"What!!" Marie exclaimed out loud. She couldn't hold it in. "Princess Freya?" But she wasn't real right? She was only a character from Everlend...

Send a message and say hi!

Marie thought about sending a message, but wondered if it was weird or not. She closed the app and got ready for bed. Maybe tomorrow she would decide. Send a message to "Freya" or delete the app.

She lay awake, clutching her phone. Who was that on Chimera? It couldn't have been the real Freya... she only existed in Everlend. What should she do? She had lied about her age to join the app, what was the right thing to do? What would the other kids at school think if they found out she'd deleted the app? She couldn't sleep with all these thoughts rolling around...