Dedicated to Cindi F, who dealt with her own Brian, and to Randy, her sweetheart, for being there for her, just as Brent was. Also to Marie E., who was like Bailey to Cindi. I'm sure there's more, but that's the immediate people....

"Hello?"

"Samantha Tyler, age 16," he noted. The brunette looked around.

"Who's there?" she asked timidly. The man slunk further into the shadows. It wouldn't do for her to see him this soon. Shrugging, the petite woman jogged to her car. She jumped in and took off.

Brian Malano stepped out of the shadows. How he longed to hold the girl... No, he scolded himself. He had waited two long years, patiently getting closer to her. It wouldn't kill him to wait a bit longer, would it?

INSTANT MESSAGE:

cheerleadinghottie: Hey Brian! hugz

crazytburd: hey sami huggles

crazytburd: how are yu?

cheerleadinghottie: awsome, you?
crazytburd: good thnx

cheerleadinghottie: so when ya comin down? :-P

crazytburd: yu want me to?

cheerleadinghottie: shrug

cheerleadinghottie: hey, i g2g, homework is callin my name... i'll bbs..

CHEERLEADINGHOTTIE HAS SIGNED OUT

"Lalala," Sami hummed, bustling around the house. She had had a short conversation with Brian, one of her clostest friends, then attempted homework... four HOURS of it. now bored, Sami roamed about in her apartment she shared with her offline ex, Justin. Yes offline. In times of boredom, two years ago, she ventured onto the Internet and talked in chatrooms. She developed friends from it, but her two closest friends online were Brian (crazytburd) and Brooke (BrookieBrooke). Sami and Brian were not only friends, but also ex's. "Maybe I can call Brian," Sami muttered. Brooke, for some reason, wouldn't give out her number. Sami shrugged it off and picked up her cell phone.

"Hello?" came Brian's deep, raspy voice. "Hey," Sami smiled, and flung herself onto the couch. "Hey, Sami, whatcha doin?" Sami and Brian talked for about two hours, then hung up. Bed! rang a voice in her head. She took a quick shower, then let waves of sleep roll over her.

crazytburd: hey hun

cheerleadinghottie: hey

crazytburd: whuzzup?

cheerleadinghottie: nm, you?
crazytburd: nuthin

crazytburd: you never answered me...

cheerleadinghottie: what?

crazytburd: do yu want to meet in person?

cheerleadinghottie: well...

cheerleadinghottie: I dunno..

crazytburd: shrug

crazytburd: well

crazytburd: when you make up yur mind.. let me know

CRAZYTBURD HAS SIGNED OUT

"Go Panthers!" Sami screamed from atop the pyramid. Brian watched as she flipped and fell into a group of girls who safely returned her to the ground. How he longed to hold the beautiful girl in his arms, to wrap his hands around her throat, to watched her gasp for air... He snapped out of it and noticed the girl was heading his way. Quickly, he ducked behind the building.

"Go Sami, go Sami," the girls chanted as Sami did a series of complicated flips. She eventually landed lightly on her toes, grinning. Brian slipped behind the building, then jumped over the fence. "Her day will come," he promised himself.

Instant Message:

BrookieBrooke: hey gurl! whuzzup?

cheerleadinghottie: Broooooooke nuthin u?

cheerleadinghottie: how are ya? Same o' same o' here

BrookieBrooke: good good, and yu?

cheerleadinghottie: I'm okay-hey my boyfriend Brent just got here, I gotta run.

BrookieBrooke: ooooo!
BrookieBrooke: ok babes, talk to yu laterz, and when yu get back yu HAVE to give me the 411!

cheerleadinghottie: okies

cheerleadinghottie has signed out.

Sami laughed heartily and choked on her salad. Brent, her boyfriend and her friend's friend, grinned. "Then I look up, and they look up, and he's like, "Uh...Hi?"

Sami laughed again and looked closely at her boyfriend. Her friend, Bailey, (another girl she had met on the Internet, but the two only live a block away from each other), had introduced the two less than a month ago, now Sami and Brent were seriously dating. Brent caught her eye and leaned in hesitantly. Sami saw him come closer and closer...

BrookieBrooke: soooo?

cheerleadinghottie: I'm sooo floating on air!

BrookieBrooke: what happened? hmm hmm? yu PROMISED to tell!

cheerleadinghottie: well... promise you wont tell Brian? i didn't even tell him me and brent are together... he'd freak if he knew cuz i think he still likes me..

BrookieBrooke: I promise

cheerleadinghottie: lol ok well Brent took me to dinner and we came back

cheerleadinghottie that's it :)
BrookieBrooke: uh huh

BrookieBrooke: did yu kiss him?

cheerleadinghottie: shh... yea... don't tell Brian he'll have a cow.. :-S

BrookieBrooke: awwwwwwww

BrookieBrooke: lol

BrookieBrooke: how old is he?

cheerleadinghottie: lol.. 20

BrookieBrooke: oo four years older than you :O

cheerleadinghottie: lol yeah

cheerleadinghottie: i really think he's... the one..

BrookieBrooke: aww... g2g ttys

BrookieBrooke has signed out.

Sami didn't let Brooke's leaving get to her. Instead she found her 13 year old friend (online) Carrisa and IMed her:

cheerleadinghottie: CARRISAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I'M SO HAPPY!!!!!!
xoxsouthernangelxox: SAMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII why?

xoxsouthernangelxox: lol

cheerleadinghottie: oooooooooommmmmmmgggggggg you know that guy you and bailey introduced me to?

xoxsouthernangelxox: brent? of course he's like a brother to me I told ya that..

cheerleadinghottie: we're going out !!!!
xoxsouthernangelxox: O M G

xoxsouthernangelxox: wow!

cheerleadinghottie: i knowwwwwwwww i'm soooo happy I LOVE BRENT!!!
xoxsouthernangelxox: lol... one thing... what about brian?

cheerleadinghottie: he's not my boyfriend he's my ex.. i don't care what he thinks right now i'm too HAPPY

xoxsouthernangelxox: lol im glad ur happy but remember we all know Brian.. he'll prolly freak...

cheerleadinghottie: o i know

cheerleadinghottie: i don't plan on telling him anytime soon you know?

xoxsouthernangelxox: of course hun i'm glad ur happy

cheerleadinghottie: ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Soooo," Brian raged, "She got with that furball. Well, we'll have to take care of that!" The anger in his eyes shined brightly as he flipped on his computer. Temper flaring, he wrote Sami an e-mail, sent it, then threw a chair across the room in rage.

"You have 1 new message," said the computer. "Ignore it," Brent murmered. "I can't it might be my mom," Sami broke free. Reluctantly, Brent let her go. "Ohmy," Sami gasped and froze. "What?" Brent came up behind her.

To: "Samantha T."

From: "Brian M."

Message: Listen here girl and listen good, all I've EVER done for yu is love yu and this is what i get in return? Keep it up and yu, me, and Justin are gonna sit down and have a little chat. Remember, I know EVERYTHING about yu... lock yur doors :) -- Brian.

"What the hell?" asked Brent. "Justin is my ex, and i share this apartment with him... ugh... he doesn't know I talk to Brian anymore... UGH!" Sami logged intoChat-A-RamaMessengerunder "invisible" and saw with some gratitude that Bailey was on.

cheerleadinghottie: BAILEY

bballchick1451: hey Sammerz hugz wuzzup?

cheerleadinghottie: brian sent me an awful email

bballchick1451: huh?

Sami pasted the email to Bailey, who instantly got quiet.

bballchick1451: wow

cheerleadinghottie: he knows my address and everything im scared :(

bballchick1451: hmm... hi brent...

cheerleadinghottie: he said "hi" how did you know he's here?

bballchick1451: cuz... he signed in YIM... and connected ur cam to his comp... and turned it on?

cheerleadinghottie: huh? he hasn't touched the computer...

"Hello Samantha." Pure hatred rang through the room as Brent fell to the ground, blood spattering the carpet under him. "Oh.. My.. GO-" Brian held up a knife. "Shut up," he whispered. Sami saw that the cam was panned at where Brent had been standing, and moved it toward Brian. Hopefully, Bailey would get the message. If she didn't...

Bailey stared at her computer. That was Brian, alright. She'd seen his picture before. What scared her the most, however, was the long beautiful knife in Brian's hand. How close he was to Sami. Brent's absense.

Calmly, Bailey reached for her cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. Then, she 3wayed the woman that answered with Sami.

Ring, ring! Sami's cell rang. Angrily, Brian pointed at it. "Answer." Sami picked up the phone. "Hello?... Yes... yes... yes... no.. not yet... yes... thanks... bye." "Who was it?" hissed Brian. "My mom." Sami moved away from the door and toward the couch. She saw Brent's unconsious body stir. "I've waited sooo long for this," Brian whispered. Sami continued to move backwards. Brian stood about three feet in front of her, and cornered her quickly. "Brian, no," she whispered. He turned his back on her, then turned again and lunged.

Sami didn't expect it, she was brought to the floor instantly. Brian was on top of her, she flailed her arms helplessly but it didn't help. "Think," she screamed silently. She rolled to her side and kicked out, getting him in the knee. He was taken offgaurd and stalled. Sami, taking advantage of it, rolled across the room and pulled herself up by the computer. Bailey, she saw, had signed off. "Damn it," she cussed, then ducked as a glass vase flew by. Brian yelled a war cry and charged at her. Right as he was about to reach her, Brent flew up. The two men engaged in a very quick fistfight. Yet again, Brent was on the ground, this time the blood flow was much worse. "That's IT," Brian growled. He reached Sami quickly. "Goodbye, Samantha," he breathed. As he raised the knife, she screamed.

As he brought the knife down, the door burst open. "DROP YOUR WEAPON!" Someone yelled. Brian froze, staring into Sami's horrified eyes. Though they were just inches apart, Brian had never felt so far away. He had come so CLOSE. The last two years flashed through his mind. A love gone spoiled. A death gone spoiled now, he told himself. Brian smiled and dropped the knife. Sami gasped in pain as the knife caught her arm and a long line of blood appeared. The cops and Bailey stepped out of the doorway. While the cops cuffed Brian, Bailey hugged Sami. "Girls," said a young male cop, "we're going to need to bring you down to the station."

The detectives started by questioning the girls. Their names, ages, how they met, what happened, ect. "Let me get this straight," the detective said. "Names are Bailey Bigby and Samantha Tyler, ages are fourteen and sixteen. You two met over the Internet, then in person?" "I live a block away from her," Bailey explained. Tthe detective nodded. "Okay, so you know this guy on the net, and only two girls can testify his threats?" Sami nodded. "Yeah, Brooke Harris and Carrisa Daniels." The detective rolled his eyes. "So Carrisa is this thirteen year old girl you know over the Internet that lives in Texas. Brooke is 23 and also lives in Texas? Carrisa's you gave me, but do you not have Brooke's phone number?" Both girls shook their heads. "Brooke hasn't given me her number..." The detective put the phone on speaker and waited while it dialed. "Hello?" Carrisa's familiar voice asked. The girl's smiled as soon as she spoke... her young southern accent always made the two laugh. "Carrisa, I'm Robert Sherman, a detective, I believe you know Samantha Tyler, Bailey Bigby, and Brian Malano?" "Sami, Biley, and Bri? Of course, why?" The detective explained what had happened, and she sighed. "Hey Carrisa," said Sami when the detective signaled. "Saaami!" You could hear Carrisa's smile. "Are you ok?" "Yeah, but Carrisa, we need your help. Do you know anything about Brooke? We found out there is no such person as Brooke Harris."

Carrisa got quiet, then, "Are they the same person?" The detective, Sami, and Bailey all exchanged looks. "Why do you say that?" the detective asked. "Just... I'm looking through my message archives now, and neither are on at the same time, and they both type alike. Both say "y-u" instead of "you" and "w-h-u-z-z-u-p" instead of "wuzzup..." "Detective Sherman?" asked a young cop, sticking his head in the doorway. "Yes?" The cop's face grew grim. "There is no such person as Brian Malano either. There is, however, a Brian Harris." Sami sunk to the floor. Could Brookie-Brooke really be BRIAN?

The officers seached Brian's computer and found out that indeed, he was Brooke. Brian was sentenced five years in prison for stalking a minor and breaking entry. He was sentenced another year for an online relationship with a minor. He pleaded guilty for attempted murder, and got three years. When he got his parole in his fifth year in prison, he dissapeared. Most believe that he crossed the mexican border. Twenty-one year old College student Samantha Peirce and her husband Brent didn't know. 19 year old Bailey also didn't know, but the three and the two Peirce kids all hoped he would stay gone... forever. When Samantha turned 29, eight years after Brian's dissapearance, his body was discovered in some brush. Apparantly, he had commited suicide with his wife of two years, Kim. Although Sami felt sorry for Kim and Brian's two children, three year old Kendall and eight month old Kassie, they were relieved that Brian was gone for good. Eventually Sami and Brent adopted Brian's two children. Carrisa moved up to New Jersey with Sami and Bailey. The three girls got together and created a group for girls that go online. The Girlz" group were a huge success, and eventually spreaded all across America. Soon every big city in America had a girlz" headquarters. Carrisa, Sami, and Bailey worked with hundreds of other girls to help protect and warn online girls of what to watch out for. Because of them, many online stalkers were eliminated, and the Internet became a slightly safer place. On Brent and Sami's 20th anniversary, their oldest daughter Mellisa took over .com girlz. Sami and Brent lived a long life, and never again did Sami or any other girl have to look over her shoulder, wondering if an online stalker was behind the corner.