Sweet Secrets

Mariza pressed her face against the cool window glass, watching her older sister Lindsay walk down the driveway toward school. The house felt different when Lindsay left - quieter, but also full of possibilities.

"Finally," Mariza whispered, her colorful lollipop clicking against her teeth.

She tiptoed down the hallway to Lindsay's room. The computer sat on the wooden desk like a sleeping giant, its black screen reflecting the morning sunlight. Mariza had discovered something wonderful weeks ago - Lindsay's chat program where she could talk to her computer friends.

Her fingers danced across the keyboard as she logged in. Two familiar usernames appeared: Miku and Teto. Mariza smiled and began typing.

"Good morning! It's Mariza again!"

The responses came quickly. Miku, with her turquoise twin ponytails, always seemed excited to chat. Teto, with red drill-like hair and small black horns, was more mysterious but equally friendly.

After an hour of chatting, Mariza heard the front door slam.

"I'm home!" Lindsay's voice echoed through the house.

Mariza quickly logged off and reached into her pocket, pulling out two wrapped lollipops she'd saved from yesterday.

Sweet Offerings

Mariza carefully placed the two lollipops on Lindsay's desk next to the computer keyboard. One strawberry, one grape - just like always. She imagined Miku and Teto finding them somehow, maybe through the screen's magic glow.

"What are you doing in my room?" Lindsay's voice made Mariza jump.

Her sister stood in the doorway, backpack still slung over her shoulder. Lindsay's dark hair was messy from the wind, and her cheeks were pink from the cold morning air.

"I was just..." Mariza clutched her own lollipop tighter. "I left something for your computer friends."

Lindsay walked closer, staring at the colorful candies. Her brown eyes looked confused and a little annoyed. "Computer friends? Mariza, those are just people online. They can't actually take anything from my desk."

"But they're real!" Mariza insisted. "Miku and Teto talk to me every day. They're nice, and they like sweet things."

Lindsay shook her head and sat on her bed. "You shouldn't be using my computer without asking. And you definitely shouldn't be talking to strangers online."

A sharp scratching sound came from inside the computer's hard drive, like tiny fingernails against metal.