"No, not Matt," I said, as casually as I could.

It was another message from Fickle, and when I read it, her telling me she was thinking about me, it was all I could do to stop the biggest, stupidest grin from spreading across my face.

The next few days went in a bit of a blur. Thankfully I managed to avoid seeing Matt again, but the gossip-mongers at my college had evidently been hard at work, as, by the Thursday, at least two different girls from my Maths group, neither of whom I knew particularly well, nor wanted to, asked me if it was true what they'd heard about me and Matt.

When a third girl asked me the same question, shortly before my last lesson of the day, I sent a curt text to Emily asking her, Just how many peeps have u told 'bout me & Matt? to which she replied, None. If peeps know it's 'cos Matt's a popular guy. Nothing 2do with me. I thought about replying, but figured she was probably right. News travels fast, especially when the subject of that news happened to be one of the hottest guys in the college. That would be the hottest guy I'd just dumped, then.

I went straight to my room when I got home, resisting the temptation to go onto the message board, even though I knew what I needed was a pick-me-up from the people on there. I put the finishing touches to a couple of assignments, all the while my mind on MSN and Fickle, hoping she'd be around when I finally finished my college work and felt I'd done enough studying to allow myself time on MSN.

She was already there when I eventually signed in, and I felt the familiar flutter of excitement in my tummy the minute I saw her name.

Fickle: At last! Pleeeease save me from the boredom that is Daisy2011!

Barnaby Rudge: LMAO! She boring you rigid?

Fickle: She's telling me about her dog #yaaaaawn#.

Barnaby Rudge: Aw, don't be tight!

Fickle: You wanna talk to her?

Barnaby Rudge: Nah, you're all right.

Fickle: Exactly! Chicken! Wait, I'm gonna tell her someone MUCH more interesting has turned up for me to talk to.

She put a winking sign after that and I felt my heart flip.

Barnaby Rudge: Don't tell her that!

Fickle: I'm kidding ya! But I'm telling her I gotta go.

I waited a while as Fickle did whatever it was she was doing and suddenly found myself bringing up her latest photo on my screen. I thought it would be neat to talk to her and look at her picture at the same time. Kinda bring her closer to me, that sort of thing.

Fickle: K, I'm all yours now, honey.

Barnaby Rudge: Good! Sooooo...You had a good day?

Fickle: Not bad. Better now I'm talking to you.

Barnaby Rudge: You say the sweetest things!

Fickle: Only to you.

My heart thumped. I read her words again, slowly. Only to you. I grinned and flicked screens, looking at her lovely face gazing back at me. Damn, she was hot, and damn, how I wanted to tell her that too! Suddenly she wrote: Fickle: You still with that boyfriend of yours?

Why would she write that? Why?

Barnaby Rudge: Who've you been talking to?

Fickle: No one, why?

Barnaby Rudge: Why would you ask me that?

Fickle: Just making conversation, honey. Keep your hair on!

I paused, my heart still thumping madly away.

Barnaby Rudge: I'm not with him anymore, no.

Fickle: Oh. Hey, I was only kidding before! I didn't know, honest. I'm sorry, Immy!

Barnaby Rudge: Don't be. I'm not.

Fickle: Ouch.

Barnaby Rudge: I had to do it. I was having, uh, issues.

Fickle: With him?

Barnaby Rudge: With me.

I paused again, staring at the screen. I swallowed hard, feeling like I was in some parallel universe or something as I wrote: Barnaby Rudge: And issues with you.

Fickle: With me, Immy?

Barnaby Rudge: Can we change the subject now? How was college?

Fickle: Again, not bad.

Barnaby Rudge: You got lots of work? I tell you, I've got shitloads. It's gone crazy!

Fickle: Yeah, quite a bit. Can we stop this?

Barnaby Rudge: Stop what?

Fickle: This polite chitchat.

Barnaby Rudge: Oh, K. Have I pissed you off or something?

Fickle: Quite the opposite.

Barnaby Rudge: Well as long as I've not irritated you?

Fickle: No. What issues you got with me, Immy?

Barnaby Rudge: Forget I said it.

Fickle: No. LOL.

Barnaby Rudge: Please?

Fickle: I wanna ask you something.

Barnaby Rudge: Go ahead.

Fickle: Can I ask you if you're...I dunno if I can ask you!

Barnaby Rudge: Ask me what? If I'm what?

Fickle: Immy! If you're confused!

Fickle's abrupt message made the hairs on my arms practically sit up and beg. I paused, staring at the flashing message on the screen, unsure how to answer.

Immy?

Another message flashed up.

Barnaby Rudge: Yeah, I'm confused. I dunno what I am anymore.

Wasn't that the truth?

Fickle: Are you, curious? I mean, you know, bi-curious?

Barnaby Rudge: Why would you say that?

Fickle: I've been getting vibes from you, is all.

Vibes from me?

Barnaby Rudge: I dunno. I suppose, well, I don't really know what bi-curious really means.

I added "LMAO" to let Fickle think I was embarrassed.

Fickle: You don't?

Barnaby Rudge: Nope. And if you laugh at me I'll kill you!

Fickle: Hmm. Well I can only equate it to, I dunno...OK, say you've never eaten something but one day you think you'd like to...

I could feel my face getting redder by the second.

Fickle: OK, maybe eating something ain't such a good comparison, LOL, but say you've always wanted to try something, yeah?

Barnaby Rudge: Yeah.

Fickle: And you're kinda curious to try it, even if you're not sure you'd like it, yeah?

Barnaby Rudge: Yeah, like artichokes?

Fickle: LMAO!!!

Why were we talking about artichokes? I didn't want to talk about flipping artichokes!

Fickle: OK, so you've always wanted to try artichokes but you've never had the chance to?

Barnaby Rudge: I s'pose not.

Fickle: Well, just imagine someone put an artichoke in front of you? Right there in front of you, so close you could touch it. You're not sure what it'll be like, you're not sure you'll even like it, but there's something about it that makes you wanna try it.

Barnaby Rudge: And if I don't like it?

Fickle: Then you go back to eating boring old cabbage!

Fickle added a winky and I felt my tummy go to mush again for the second time in about ten minutes.

Barnaby Rudge: LMAO! Sooo, in layman's terms, you mean, do I consider myself straight but curious about what the other side has to offer?

Fickle: Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. Are you curious now, Immy? Have you found yourself an artichoke you wanna try?

I leant forward in my chair and read Fickle's message over three times.

Barnaby Rudge: Why do you wanna know?

Fickle: Just do. Tell me to piss off if you like, I don't mind.

Barnaby Rudge: I don't mind you asking. I'm confused! That much I do know! But lemme put it back to you...are you curious, Fickle?

I sat back in my chair, looking at the screen, chewing at my fingers, not really sure where this conversation was heading, but kinda hoping...

Fickle's answer sprang back at me: Fickle: The only thing I'm curious about is you.

Chapter Eleven.

The skin on the back of my neck prickled. What did she mean, she was curious about me?

Barnaby Rudge: Curious as to whether I'm curious? LOL.

What a dumb reply!