Page 15 - Cyber Nightmare
P. 15
‘Someone made a remark about my clothes,’ he said.
‘Someone? Who?’
‘I don’t know who it was. It was a text message.
Anonymous.’
5 ‘What did they say?’
‘That I dress all wrong. I’m out of style or something.’
His mother shook her head as if she couldn’t believe
what she was hearing. Then she reached out and touched
his arm. ‘Listen, Neil. I don’t know who said that or for
10 what reason, but I wouldn’t pay any attention to it, if I
were you. Your style is perfectly okay.’
Neil looked her in the eye. ‘Are you sure, Mom? Or are
you just saying that to make me feel better?’
She held his gaze and said, ‘I’m sure. You look good in
15 your clothes, you really do.’
Neil gave her a little smile but then his face darkened.
‘It’s not the first message like this,’ he said.
‘Tell me about it.’
‘I don’t know if I should.’ Neil hesitated a moment.
20 Then, suddenly: ‘They said I stink.’
‘What?’ A look of shock crossed his mother’s face.
‘Obviously,’ she said slowly, ‘someone’s trying to hurt
you. Who could it be?’ Her eyes studied his.
‘I’ve thought about that but – but no – I don’t know of
25 anyone who would want to hurt me.’
His mother took his hands in hers and looked him
deep in the eye. ‘I don’t give you advice very often,’ she
said. ‘You’re so grown up you don’t usually need it. But
right now I think you do.’ She paused to emphasize the
30 importance of what she wanted to tell him. ‘Listen! Don’t
14