Puff_Greenie: HEY PEEPS, WHAT’S UP?

Fluffy_Puffy_Chickens: N/M

WEIRDGRL25: NOTHING

Puff_Greenie: COOLNESS

Puff_Greenie: ANYONE WANT TO CHAT?

ZH_85: FINE, DON’T SAY HI, I’M OKAY, JUST A LITTLE EMOTIONALLY DAMAGED, NOTHING TWENTY YEARS OF THERAPY CAN’T FIX....

Puff_Greenie: ZAC! I’M SORRY! I DIDN’T SEE UR S/N! WHAT’S UP?

ZH_85: N/M, JUST CHILLIN’

Puff_Greenie: SINCE WHEN DO U ‘CHILL’

ZH_85: OH, UR FUNNY..

Puff_Greenie: U KNOW IT!

TAYZGURL: U 2 NO EACH OTHER?

Puff_Greenie: YEP

ZH_85: WE GO WAY BACK... :)

TAYZGURL: COOL

ZH_85: WHATEVER

An IM from Zac popped up on my screen.

ZH_85: HEY

Puff_Greenie: HEY

ZH_85: WHAT’S UP?

Puff_Greenie: N/M U?

ZH_85 N/M, I’M BORED

Puff_Greenie: U R NOT ALONE

ZH_85: U R NOT ALONE... I AM HERE WITH U... SORRY! IT JUST CAME OUT!

Puff_Greenie: OKAY, CUT THE MICHAEL JACKSON CRAP

ZH_85: HEHE, SOWWY

Puff_Greenie: IT’S A O-TAY

ZH_85: COOLNESS

Puff_Greenie: ZACHARY! WHY DO U INSIST ON USING MY LANGUAGE?!

ZH_85: I’M AN ADDICT! I’M TRYING TO GET HELP BUT THERE RN’T ANY SUPPORT GROUPS FOR THIS KIND OF THING.

Puff_Greenie: U CAN START THE FIRST

ZH_85: YEAH! I’LL BE FAMOUS!

Puff_Greenie: LOL, U R SO WEIRD

ZH_85: BECAUSE U RN’T?

Puff_Greenie: OH HUSH!

ZH_85: HAHA!

Puff_Greenie: U R JUST SOOOOOO FUNNY!

ZH_85: THANX!

Puff_Greenie: :)

There was a pause in our conversation. A minute later the phone rang. “Hello?” I said, almost not needing to hear his voice to know it was Zac.

“Hey G.” I smiled to myself.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Talking to you.”

“No crap. Besides that.”

“Baby-sitting.”

“For?”

“Mackie, Avie, and Zoe.”

“Oh, coolness. Are those your siblings?”

“Yep, hold on... Mac! Give Zoe the Elmo back! I don’t care, she’s younger than you, let her have it. Joshua Mackenzie! Thank you.... Sorry, had to yell at my little brother.”

“How old is he?”

“Six.”

“Cuteness! So, are you as bored as me?”

“If you are about to watch Teletubbies out of boredom then yes.”

“What?! You are going to watch Teletubbies?!” I laughed.

“It’s on and it’s Zoe’s favorite show and I’m about ready to fall asleep anyway so I might as well.....”

“True. Well, I’m watching something a little better than Teletubbies.”

“What are you watching?”

“The Road To Albertane.”

“As in the Hanson movie?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause I haven’t watched it in a while and I’m bored.”

“Oh...”

“Yep.” Another pause. After a few minutes, I could hear light breathing as if Zac had fallen asleep. Then, I heard some movement from somewhere near Zac.

“ZAC! Wake up! I’m bored! Teletubbies is stupid! Play with me!” I heard a little boy yell in Zac’s ear.

“Huh?! Oops. Sorry. What Mac?”

“Play with me.”

“Okay, hey G? I gotta go. My little brother wants me to play with him.”

“Okay. Talk to you later.”

“Hey, you gonna be on around 10:30?”

“Um.... I think so. If I’m not, email me.”

“Kay, talk to you later.”

“Bye.” We hung up. I smiled to myself and went back to my computer only to find it had auto signed-off. I sighed and shut off the computer, not wanting to do anything with it at that moment. I picked up the phone again and dialed Sadie.

“Hello?” her mother said.

“Hi Mrs. West, is Sadie home?” I asked, trying to sound as polite as possible even though Mrs. West and I were not on very good terms.

“Yes, one moment...” she sounded a bit disappointed as she said this. I smiled, good, she deserved it.

“Hello?” Sadie said after her mother had clicked off.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Not much. You?”

“Same. Talk to lover boy lately?”

“You’re funny. I just got off the phone with Zac.” I emphasized ‘Zac’ as if to say he was not my ‘lover boy’.

“Really? Coolness. How’s he?”

“Tired. He fell asleep in the middle of our conversation.” I heard Sadie laugh. “Shut up! It’s not funny!”

“Sorry. So what are you two now? A couple or just friends?”

“Just friends. Why would I go out with someone I still have never seen?”

“Oh, I don’t know........ maybe because you’ve been talking on the phone with him for a month and a half and you’ve been chatting with him on the net for over.... three months. Why not go out with him? You said he was really nice.”

“Yeah but I’d kind of like to meet him first. That would be nice. I want to know what he looks like. I mean, he could be a total dog for all I know. I still haven’t seen a picture of him. And what about the fact that every time I ask him something semi-personal, like when I asked him why he travels so much, he changes the subject! It’s like he’s hiding something important from me and I don’t know what.”

“He’s probably just weary of people on the net.”

“And I still haven’t gotten his phone number.”

“What? Is your caller ID not working or something?”

“His number is blocked and besides, he’d be out of area.”

“His number is blocked? That’s weird.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Why don’t you just ask him for it?”

“Why on Earth would I do that? What? Do you think I’m intelligent or something? I am such an idiot! I should just ask him for it. I’ll email him.” I signed-on again and emailed Zac, asking one simple question, ‘What’s your phone #?’ Then, I signed off again. “And he will hopefully tell me.”

“Hopefully... Hey I gotta go. My mom wants me to do some stuff for her. I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay bye.” we hung up. I, not knowing what I should do, turned on the television and flopped down on my bed.


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