almost 2 weeks later....
LakeJ0321: You're late...
Drliztn: You try pulling a cheap end of a plastic fork out of a 4 year old's throat without damaging their vocal chords.
LakeJ0321: I think you were just watching Emeril on Food Network.
Drliztn: gasp...was not!!
LakeJ0321: Were too!! Can you believe he still has that damn show?
Drliztn: He's a food god. And I WAS pulling a fork from this kids throat!!!
LakeJ0321: Ok, ok. I know. Thanks for comin babe.
Drliztn: No problem creep.
LakeJ0321: God you turn me on...
Drliztn: It's a gift :)
LakeJ0321: So what dvd we watchin?
Drliztn: Well I would go for the sexy XXX porno's I got stashed away..but I kinda have been in the mood for 80s
LakeJ0321: Like breakfast club 80s or Indiana Jones 80s
Drliztn: compromise...Goonies..
LakeJ0321: HELL YEAH. I got that..you?
Drliztn: It's already in.
LakeJ0321: Well give me a few moments I gotta go put mine in.
Drliztn: I'll go make popcorn
LakeJ0321: K
While "Randall" went and got his movie in, Liz went to the kitchen with a smile on her face. Her and LakeJ had now had their weekly "Internet dates" where they would watch a movie or TV show "together" and discuss it. He had become a permanent fixture in her life. She loved his place, she just wished...dreamed..hoped all the time that he was a REAL part of her life. That he was a person, that she could see and touch and hear, not just read...
He had become her last hope. With all of her other sisters and basically everyone else she knew settling down and what not she felt left out. Where was her dream man?
Something in her told her that LakeJ0321 might be her dream.
---------
Justin found himself quoting the movie outloud. "Hey, you guys!!!" He laughed at the movie.
Drliztn: I love sloth.
LAkeJ0321: ME too...but I always had a thing for chunck. lol.."truffle shuffle, do it..come onnnn..do it..Come onnnn.."
Drliztn: I liked Data. He's adorable. Mouth reminds me of you...
LakeJ0321: Score! Mouth is awesome.
Drliztn: He's annoying as hell.
LakeJ0321: so..
Drliztn: you love me..
LakeJ0321: Yup. Liz, why are you so bitter? I mean, when I first talked to you, you were very kind and informative and nice. Now that we talk so much you are...bitchy....
Drliztn: Sorry
LakeJ0321: It's not that big of a deal, makes you witty. But why do you get so defensive.
Drliztn: In honesty I figured this out just a few years ago. It's my wall, my guard. When I get around guys that I like...I, I turn bitchy, I don't know why. I guess I figure that if they can withstand my bitchiness they are worth the investment of my time.
LakeJ0321: When you are in a relationship are you bitchy?
Drliztn: No I'm like a damn Sleepless in Seattle, crying at love stories girl...
LakeJ0321: So behind the tough facade of Liz there's a soft, longing woman, waiting for love, named Elizabeth.
It took her a little bit longer to respond than normal and he figured she was writing a paragraph worth of curses at him. So he was a little surprised when the response he got back was...
Drliztn: yeah
In reality he was shocked. He didn't know how to respond to that. So he changed the subject completely. Honestly he wanted to talk about that side of her, to get her to open up to him and trust him...but it was making him uncomfortable, because...if she opened up...so would he.
LAkeJ0321: What a great movie. You gotta love Rosalita "No pennamen!!"
Drliztn: Randall you are making me feel things I thought were impossible. You..you give me hope. And..I'm...I'm falling for you
HE uncomfortable feeling faded away. He sighed happily.
LakeJ0321: I've already fallen for you.
Drliztn: Wow...
-How to respond? how to respond?- He thought to himself. HE twirled around once in his chair, thinking about what to say back to her when something made his feet press into the hard wood floor and stop.
After several minutes of staring he spoke. "What are you doin up?"
"No fair. I wanna stay up too. How do you get to stay up and play and I don't?"
Justin tried not to giggle at his son's pout. "Cause you have pre school tomorrow buddy."
"You have work." He said defiantly.
"You're 4 years old."
"5." Hunter smiled and stuck up his hand, his fingers spread apart.
Justin just laughed. "Hunter you're birthday is tomorrow."
"It's twelve twerty."
He looked at the clock and sure enough it was his son's 5th birthday. He sighed, turned around and typed quickly.
LakeJ0321: brb
"Alright, buddy. I'm putting you back to bed. You got a big day tomorrow."
"But I don't wanna gooooo."
"Come ere..."
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about 10 minutes had past and he hadn't returned yet. She was frightened she had scared him off. So immediately she started scolding herself for saying the things she did. She had just let her heart fly and hadn't let her mind get one word in. But she was tired to having to always think, "Well you are only going to get burned." "Don't trust Lizzie." She was running out of time in her mind, and out of hope.
He was her last hope.
She had never seen him, met him, seen him, heard him...and let she felt like she had known him for years. He was so familiar to her. Like she had felt everything she was feeling now for him, years earlier, but now it was 10 times stronger.
She was being irrational, giving her heart to a stranger over the Internet. But in her mind that was better than never giving her heart out to anyone. For 6 long, lonely, hard years she kept a tight lock around herself...and for the first time she was letting that lock fall...she was breaking out, and she felt free.
And at the same time he seemed to good to be true. He was perfect in every way to her. He made her laugh, he made her smile, he made her happy, he made her feel special, he made her feel loved...and it had been so long since someone had done that for her.
He was no longer just a part of her imagination. No longer just some perfect person she had made LakeJ0321 into being. He was real. She felt it...she felt him.
She felt crazy.
No matter how stupid she was being, she wouldn't have changed it. Ever.
The phone ringing startled her and she stretched and yawned before reaching across her desk and picking up the phone.
"Yeah, yello?" She cleared her throat and yawned once more.
A heavy sigh breathed into the phone. "Thank God you're there."
Her eyebrows furrowed, quite confused as to why her sister would be calling her at 12:00 at night. "Hey, Kimmie? What's up?"
After a few silent moments she whispered. "Can..you need to come home..."
"Umm why?" Liz fought the urge to roll her eyes and muffled a scoff. She crossed her arms over her stomach and rocked a bit in her chair, yawning. But half way in a yawn her mouth snapped shut. Her body stiffened and her breathing got shallow.
She stared at the wall, stunned.
She awoke from her daze about a minute later "Liz, Lizzie..ELIZABETH!"
"Oh..yeah..um..I'll..I'm on my way. I'll be there tomorrow." With that she hung up. She sat there for a moment not moving one muscle.
Finally without second though, she Xed out AOL, shut down her computer, stood up shakily, paused, and then quickly walked towards her bedroom door, whispered "oh my god" the whole way.
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5 minutes later...
Justin sat down still giggling at how he was forced to sing happy birthday to his son to get him to get in bed. He started typing with a smile on his face.
LakeJ0321: Sorry, It's not officially Hunter's bday and he had to make it known to the world. Hence the numbers in my screename 03/21
Member name: Drliztn is currently not signed on.
He double checked his buddy list and sighed. "Dammit.."
He sat there, thinking maybe her computer was just having problems. He sat there..and sat there...waiting...
But she never came back online.