Excerpt:

“Samuel! Come down to dinner!” A voice rang up the stairs. A twelve-year-old boy was immune to the summons, his lime green headphones sufficiently filtering out his mother. A lightscreen illuminated his face, as he scanned a window listing the most recent patch details for War and Conquest: Rivers of blood. A second window hovered to the right of the first, showing the War and Conquest discussion forums, with topics ranging from the massively overpowered fireball spell to the newest hack to strip your character to their skin. From a short distance, music seemed to trickle softly out of the headphones, though in-between those lime green domes, a cacophony raged.
Two clicks on his fingerpad and Sam had a third window open, this one clearly the War and Conflict game interface. A buxom and curvy woman wearing a left-draw shoulder holster, matching drop-leg thigh holsters, knee high six-inch heeled black leather boots, and nothing else, winked out of the window at Sam. Sweet hacks... Sam thought to himself as he ignored his mother's second call to dinner. The figure turned and looked over her shoulder at Sam, tipping her hat in salute.
Opening a third window, Sam sent out a video chat request to his girlfriend, Chloe. As he waited for the connection, Sam turned down his music to better hear his girlfriend's call. A video image of a redheaded young girl sitting in front of a lightscreen appeared in the third window.
“Hey Samuel. Little late for homework, isn't it?” Chloe's voice came through the lime-headphones. Sam wasn't listening though. He was too busy glancing back and forth between the two female images on his lightscreen. She's way fat. The twelve year old boy thought as he looked between the digital female mock-up and his own average twelve-year-old girlfriend.
“Samuel?” Chloe said again. “Where's your picture?” Sam gave the wink command to the digital Sascha, and watched the blond commando's naked form move as she blew a kiss at the screen and winked.
“Hey Chloe.” Sam mumbled back. “So, gimme a wink, would yah?” The boy asked.
“A wink?” Chloe started. “There's something wrong with your picture, I can't see you-” Chloe's brow was furrowed as her picture seemed to search her own lightscreen. She shrugged and continued. “Well whatever. A wink? Okay.” Chloe agreed, and turned her head in a cute little wink.
Not even close. The words ran through Sam's head. Chloe's not even close to Sascha. Sam squinted a little in a face of mild disgust as he looked on at Chloe.
“Samuel? Was there something you needed?” Chloe asked, a little impatient.
“Uh, yeah.” Sam stammered. “See, you're nothing like the girls in movies, or in games. You're just plain, and... and ugly. I don't think we're going to work out...” The words came in a nonchalant manner, as if Sam was refusing to eat his peas. Chloe's face dropped, and tears welled instantly.
“Well, see you around.” Sam finished, closing the video chat. I hate girls that cry... Now that thats done. He thought, turning back to the short haired blond commando. The image giggled and turned coyly, before trotting forward in the digital arena, lifting her AK-47 and hunting down virtual government operatives.

A red-haired twelve-year-old girl looked at the red haired operative in full jungle green camo fatigues and wasn't sure what was wrong. The image had gone all blurry and melted, and her eyes stung terribly. Why would Samuel be so cold? She thought between sobs. Her breath was coming in racking coughs, she could barely breathe her chest hurt so badly.
“Chloe!? Are you okay?” The door burst in and Chloe's father charged into the room, instantly going to one knee by his sweet little daughter. “What on earth happened!?” His shocked and slightly scared voice said, brushing a wisp of hair out of his daughter's face. The girl turned from her father, jumping off her chair and burying her sobbing face into the pillows on her bed. It felt as if an elephant was sitting on her chest, and she couldn't get him to move.
“I'm hideous! And terrible h-a-ah and fat and u-ugly! I'm plain and dumb-muh-m-m!!! The creature tried to get out between breaths that wouldn't seem to come. Chloe's father took a deep breath, and told his daughter what a beautiful person she was. He told her about the merits of kindness and understanding, of inner beauty as a good person. He knew she wouldn't listen though. She fought his words tooth and nail, spitting her poor self image back at him at every turn.
“I don't know why you wont let me take them out, like every other girl at thirteen! I'll be hideous and fat forever!” Chloe finally bellowed in one whoosh of breath, hiding her pink tear-stained face in her hands.

A man of thirty-nine remembered days when thirteen year old girls didn't have to undergo major surgery at thirteen and remove ribs to fit in. What happened to the days of brand name jeans and tennis shoes? He thought, running a hand through his hair, in a state near tears himself.