CHAPTER 2: MY LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL
Narrator: When Matt walked back to his friends, who were all sitting around a table talking, waiting for their pizza, he realized that Lori was no longer there.
Matt: (sitting down next to Greg) Did Lori leave?
Jessica: No. She's around here somewhere.
Frankie: (whiny voice) I want peanut chews.
Chris: I think I saw her in the arcade.
Jesse: Why is she in the arcade?
Greg: Probably 'cuz she might be playing games.
Matt: She's not playing games.
Lori: How do you know that I'm not?
Narrator: Matt turned around and saw Lori standing there with a bunch of orange tickets in her hand.
Matt: Where'd you get all those tickets from? You beat up some little kid?
Lori: Nah. I'm not that cruel.
Matt: Then where'd you get all those tickets?
Lori: I played skee ball.
Matt: So you got all those tickets playing skee ball?
Lori: Yeah, I did.
Matt: You must be pretty good if you got all those tickets.
Lori: Well, to get tickets you have to be good, right?
Matt: Yeah, I guess.
Lori: Then yeah, I guess I am good at skee ball.
Matt: Yeah, I guess so.
Jesse: This place sucks. They don't have any gummy bears.
Jessica: I have gummy bears at my aunt's house.
Jesse: Really?
Jessica: Really. There's about 3 containers in the pantry that haven't even been opened yet.
Matt: So you couldn't race against me, but you could play skee ball?
Lori: Yep.
Matt: So you don't like competitive sports?
Lori: Well, I like hockey and that's a pretty competitive sport. You either play your best, check your opponents, and score a ton of goals or you end up getting your ass beaten. (short pause) I may be a girl but I'm just as competitive as the next person, Matt.
Matt: You like hockey?
Lori: Yeah....there's constant action. It's not like football where it stops every 3 seconds.
Matt: I guess.
Lori: You've probably never even been to a hockey game. You probably don't even know what it is.
Matt: I haven't been to a hockey game, but I definitely know what it is.
Lori: You should go to a game. They can be a lot of fun, especially if it's a championship game. I love going to championship hockey games....the people are so crazy and upbeat and pumped and everything. It's quite the rush.
Greg: You seem to know what you're talking about.
Lori: That's because I do. I grew up around hockey. My brother's been playing since he was 6 and when I was younger I used to play street hockey with my dad and my cousin Jesse and his sister, Julia. And my dad tried out for the Red Sox way back in the day but he didn't make it.
Matt: Your dad tried out for the Red Sox?
Lori: Yeah. He did. He was kind of old though and everything so....it didn't really work out the way he planned....the coaches and stuff are looking for young athletes or whatever.
Chris: So if you had to pick the Red Sox over the Yankees who would you pick?
Lori: The Yankees, of course. They've won more world series than any other team.
Jesse: Defnitely true. (pause) So who's your favorite player?
Lori: (without a second thought) Derek Jeter.
Frankie: Have you been to a game?
Lori: No, I haven't. I've asked my parents if I can go to a game, but they say I'll get bored because the innings can be long and everything so you never know how long you're going to be sitting there.
Jesse: Yeah. That makes sense. (pause) It'll probably be boring if you don't like baseball.
Lori: I DO like baseball. I just said that I wanted to go to a game, but my parents won't let me 'cuz they think I'll get bored easily.
Matt: And you think they're wrong?
Lori: Yeah, I do. Is there something wrong with that? My parents don't know me, they don't know what I'm thinking....
Matt: Well, you just don't look like the type...
Lori: I don't look the type? What is that supposed to mean?
Matt: You don't look like the type to go to a baseball game.
Lori: You can't say that because you don't even know me, Matt.
Matt: I can tell by the way you're dressed that you don't look like the type to go to a baseball game.
Lori: I'm wearing jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers. I'm not exactly Britney Spears who will freak out over a broken nail. I could care less about a broken nail. And it's not like I'm wearing some $1,000,000,000.00 dress from Versace.
Frankie: What are you two arguing about?
Lori: Matt, over here, is telling me that I'm not the type of girl who goes to a baseball game 'cuz of the way I'm dressed right now and I'm telling him that he doesn't know SHIT about me.
Frankie: Oh. OK.
Lori: Yeah...so like I was saying I'm not some millionaire who only cares about the shallow things like money, clothes and how big my house is or how rich I am....I'm just a girl from Rochester, New Hampshire who doesn't care about all that shit. Where is that gonna get ya? If I was millionaire, I'd be living out on the street 'cuz I would be in debt way over my head.
Matt: Are you saying that you don't care about money?
Lori: I'm just saying that I don't care if I'm the richest person in the world or if my boyfriend, which I don't have one, is rich. I could care less. To be honest, all I want is time. His time....for him to want to be with me just as much as I want to be with him.
Matt: So you don't care if he's living on the street?
Lori: I have my standards and everything. I mean I like a hot guy just as much as the next girl, but if he thinks he has to spend thousands of dollars on me.....it's not exactly what I'm looking for.
Matt: What if he did spend thousands of dollars on you?
Lori: I'll try to make him understand that all I want is his time and for him to want to be with me..and to love me..he doesn't have to spend a dime. I dunno. I just..I don't want 'my boyfriend' thinking that he needs to spoil me like some helpless princess who can't do anything for herself...I mean, if I want a necklace or something, I'LL go buy it. I can afford a necklace.
Matt: What if it was a really nice necklace that you wanted and you couldn't afford it....would you get mad at your boyfriend if he bought it for you?
Lori: I wouldn't exactly get mad at him...my point is....my love don't cost a thing.....it's unconditional. I don't need to be treated like a princess. I can do things for myself.
Chris: So, what type of guys do you like?
Lori: Funny guys. You know....the Ashton Kutcher/Justin Timberlake type. I want a guy like Justin Timberlake, but he has to have a personality like Ashton Kutcher.
Chris: So you want a celebrity?
Lori: No, I don't want a celebrity. I'm just saying...I want a cute, sweet, caring, sensitive guy like Justin...but he has to have a good personality. The guy needs to be able to make me laugh and Ashton makes me laugh really hard."
Chris: Ashton is definitely funny.
Matt: So who's your dream guy?
Lori: Um...I'd rather not say.
Matt: How come?
Lori: Because I already said who my dream guy was.
Matt: I.....spaced out.
Lori: I figured that much. Very rarely do guys ACTUALLY pay attention to me.
Matt: No. I was paying attention until you started saying things that I've heard no girl say before....I mean, most girls wanna be treated like royalty.
Lori: Well, I'm NOT one of them.
Matt: No, I guess you're not.
Lori: Like I said before.....my love is unconditional.
Chapter 3