I recently watched Inside Out, which was a huge mistake for someone as nostalgic as I am. I cried through the entire movie while reflecting on the fleeting memories of my childhood. In an effort to fight back against these feelings of loss, I decided to go back to my roots: the things I loved as a kid. Along that journey, some memories that I didn’t necessarily want to remember got pulled up to the surface, one of them being my first real heartbreak. When I was in elementary school, I got ghosted on Club Penguin.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Club Penguin, allow me to direct you here to learn about this virtual penguin world. Let me assure you, back in the day, Club Penguin was where the cool kids hung out. I remember calling my best friend on the home phone every night to coordinate our Club Penguin adventures. We would always go on everyone’s favorite server, Ice Berg, to maximize our popularity. For a long time, it was just the two of us friends goofing around, battling for the win in sled races and connect four. But one day, I met the penguin who would change my life forever. Well, maybe not forever. Just a few months.
His name was Ace123. He was a paid member of Club Penguin, so he had all the cool clothes. Spiky blonde hair, a black hoodie, black converse, sunglasses. He was the resident bad boy. You could just tell he loved to rebel against authority. He had a huge igloo with a pool, a flatscreen TV, and tons of colorful puffles for pets. I, on the other hand, was not a paid member. My name was SamiStar1997, and I had virtually nothing. I had a one-dome igloo and a single red puffle. I wore a blue lei, an umbrella hat, and a neon green rubber ducky floatie. I was a loser. A social outcast.
None of that mattered to Ace123. In his eyes, I was perfect. We started talking one day at the Pizza Parlor, and from that day on, we were inseparable. Together, we tried to tip the iceberg, went on cute coffee dates, and threw ragers at his igloo. Finally, after days of hanging out, he sent me a heart emoticon. Then I knew he was for real. Our love was true and pure. Ace123 didn’t care that I wasn’t a paid member. He loved me for who I was on the inside.
For days, I felt unadulterated happiness. Ace123 and I were in love, and all of Club Penguin deserved to know it. We saw each other every day, and when one of us had to log out, we would always agree on the time and place of our Club Penguin date for the next day. But one fateful evening, Ace123 didn’t show up. I waited in the Pizza Parlor for hours. He didn’t show up that day, or any day after that. I never saw Ace123 again.
To this day, I can’t help but wonder why he didn’t show up. What if something happened to him? Maybe he got grounded. Maybe his parents found out he was dating a free member, and didn’t approve. With reluctance, I wonder if maybe he just never liked me in the first place. He led me on, and I fell. Hard. Ghosting can happen to anyone, anywhere. Even on Club Penguin.
