28A Chat Room and a Teddy Bear
Precinct No. 38
Disclaimer: Any recognizable brand/name/object that belongs to someone else is obviously not mine. They are simply used within this work of fiction to add to its realism.
Rated T: language
When used right, chat rooms are generally harmless and unextraordinary in the grand scheme of things. Or at least that's what she thinks at first. It all starts with some fun. Then comes a bit of flirting. Within that comes the realization that he's actually a teddy bear. Now he's asking her a question that goes beyond harmless and unextraordinary and she has no idea how to answer.
oNE
I bit my lip as I pulled up the blank document that had been sitting in my files for weeks. "I really need to figure out how to start this," I muttered, sitting up a bit straighter.
The lump to my left shifted under the covers and I felt the bed bounce a bit as the mass turned to face me, his nose brushing my thigh and his eyes not quite open. I smiled at the sight and ran my fingers through his raven locks. "Hello to you too."
Tax put a hand over his face in an effort to shield his eyes from the bright light of my laptop and yawned loudly. "Is it time to get up yet?"
I suppressed a giggle at his sleepy tone. "Not even close. We're expected to be there at noon and it's only just turned five-thirty."
"In the morning?" Tax groaned. "Come on, sweetheart. Put the computer away and sleep. It's too early to be online."
I flicked his nose lightly. "It's never too early for the Internet. The whole world's awake on here. Besides, I'm trying to write something."
He grabbed my hand and brought it back to his head, obviously expecting me to continue combing my fingers through his hair. He grinned drowsily when he saw my raised brow. "What? It feels good."
I rolled my eyes but did as he wished. I didn't really have the ability to deny Tax of his childish wants.
He hummed with approval. "It feels magical."
"Sure. Let's go with that." I stared at the document in front of me, feeling a bit anxious at the thought of never finishing it. "I have a question, Tax."
"And I may possibly have an answer. What's up?"
"How do you think they did it?"
Tax furrowed his brows. "I'm assuming you're talking about our lucky couple." At my nod, he sighed. "Honestly, I'm not sure. It shouldn't have worked out the way it did, but they somehow managed to pull through."
I ventured a guess. "Because of hope? And trust?"
"I guess so." He yawned again and snuggled further into the covers as I brushed strands of hair out of his dark eyes. "There was also the fact that fate never played against them. I always thought they were crazy. Stuff like this doesn't happen in real life, but then again, neither of them were very fond of reality. That's how they clicked in the first place."
I stopped my ministrations and widened my eyes, inspiration hitting me almost instantly. "That's it! You're a genius, Tax. I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you." And with that, I placed an affectionate kiss on his cheek and started typing away at my keyboard.
"She loves me and I don't even know what I did. Tax Montgomery, you're living the life." And with that, the raven-haired man closed his eyes and dozed off to the sound of clacking keys.
(._.) (._.) (._.)
She found it on accident. The website, that is.
She decided that, since she had absolutely nothing better to do, she would go ahead and start her Art History project early. The one that was due in two months.
One wrong click found her blinking at a webpage that had nothing to do with Rembrandt and Michelangelo. Instead, bold red lettering blared up at her in the most ostentatious font she had ever seen.
ArTmOoCh . com - LiVe AnD ThRiVe aS ThE BeTtEr YoU
Her first thoughts were to roll her eyes and return back to the search engine, but those actions were quickly forgotten at the sight of the last three words.
The better you?
The online world, ladies and gentlemen, was a wondrous place. Dangerous, yes, if you abused the rights it gave you or if you fell into the traps laid by those who found pleasure in other people's misery. Nonetheless, it was still a wondrous place. To think, all that power was just within fingertip reach...
The chance to learn, the opportunity to access the world, the ability to meet people from across oceans, and everyone's favorite, the potential to become someone else...
However, it took a brave soul to reach out to that sort of magic. Because once you've had a taste, there was no turning back. You were utterly and undeniably hooked.
For many, the world of servers was a life of thrill. You could be anyone you wanted and no one would know any better. This was people's chance to become someone they weren't in real life, someone they were more comfortable with becoming. There were no rules, no regulations, nothing to hold their true personality back in this sphere of avatars and usernames. They had the option to immerse themselves within a world that was truly unique to them.
Tell me, what human would give up the chance for a do-over?
She hesitated for only a moment before dragging her mouse to the smaller words underneath the title.
SIGN UP
She, of course, opted for the do-over.
AnnalieseCaprese HAS LOGGED IN
XanderHolloway HAS LOGGED IN
AC: Hi! I didn't expect you to be on today. I was kind of startled to find you online.
XH: eh. i wasn't busy. practice got cancelled.
AC: Band practice? Why? You guys always rehearse on Tuesdays. Did something happen?
XH: toby got the flu. can't do anything without our drummer.
AC: Oh, no! How bad is it?
XH: he'll live.
AC: Tell him to get lots of bed rest and drink plenty of fluids. It'll flush out anything unnecessary from his immune system.
AC: Oh, and make him some soup. Warm tomato soup always helps me when I get sick.
AC: And make sure he doesn't sing. His throat might become sore and he'll feel even worse than before.
XH: dude. chill. it's toby. if he can survive an eighty foot jump into freezing water then he can survive this.
AC: Oh, yeah! I forgot you guys went cliff diving last month. Ehehehe...
XH: whatever. how was your day, beautiful? ;)
AC: EEEP. DON'T CALL ME THAT.
AC: It was surprisingly pleasant actually. I got my English essay back today.
XH: the poetry analyzing one? how'd you do?
AC: 97 percent, my friend. Highest grade in the class :)
XH: nerd :P
AC: Hey!
XH: kidding. but seriously congrats. i know you were stressed out over this one and lost a lot of sleep because of it.
AC: Thank you! But how'd you know? I hardly ever mentioned it...
XH: you cut our conversations short last week so you could work on it.
XH: i know there's nothing besides homework that can keep you away from me. i'm pretty much irresistible, you know? ;)
AC: Hah! As if. And I've tried to do homework while talking with you on here, but it never works out.
XH: eh? why not?
AC: Somehow or another, you always end up distracting me with your stupidy :D
XH: oh, so now i'm the stupid one. what does that make toby? he's the one who spent five hours in the rain last night.
AC: Oh, how fun! Toby was simply enjoying himself. He was living life to the fullest while you, Mr. Sourpuss, decided to spend the night in a constant state of boredom.
XH: i see how it is. you care about toby the asshat more than your best friend, who is apparently a sourpuss. thanks a lot.
AC: Heehee! You're jealous of Toby.
XH: im not helping you with your math homework for a month.
AC: Nooo! I was just kidding! Please help me with trig! T^T
XH: well i can't ignore a face like that, can i? ;)
Side Note: The percentage and dollar signs are unavailable for use within the ArtMooch chat rooms. Yes, it is stupid, but we'll just have to bear with it.
Side Note: Please notice the girl uses correct grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. The boy only uses the first two of the three.
Interlude
Definition of art: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination
Definition of mooch: loiter in a bored or listless manner
ArtMooch serves as a place where people of all ages can gather and simply do whatever. These days, many websites exist for the sake of being there. ArtMooch is one of them.
It's only key detail is that it gathers people into chat rooms that are organized by unsystematic filters. Each time the user logs in, they are sent to a different chat room each time. If they happen across someone they like in one chat room and wish to talk to them in the future, a simple friend request can be sent. If it is accepted, they have the ability to open a private chat room with only that one person.
So how does the word ArtMooch come into play?
Well, you could argue that by MOOCHING around in these chat rooms, one will come across a person who will spike their interest. And thus, the ART of conversation shall occur.
Or you could just figure out that ArtMooch is an anagram for Chatroom.
XanderHolloway HAS LOGGED IN
AnnalieseCaprese HAS LOGGED IN
XH: ahh how's my favorite girl today?
AC: Shocked. I passed my learner's permit test.
XH: umm shouldn't you be excited? you're one step closer to being able to drive.
AC: Erm... it's like this. I'm sort of terrified of driving.
XH: ...is this because you're clumsy and you manage to hurt yourself and everyone within five feet of you?
AC: No, it isn't. Thanks for reminding me though. My self-esteem hasn't had a good beating yet.
XH: oops. my bad hehe.
XH: but seriously, i think you'll be fine.
AC: How can you be so sure?
XH: because you're you. you're smart enough to learn how to drive properly and you're not going to do anything stupid.
AC: ...
XH: trust me for change, will ya? :P
AC: Haha, alright I will. And I actually do trust you.
XH: good. because everything i say is right. never forget that.
AC: That's a bit too self-assured, don't you think? -_-
XH: not if it's true. which it is.
AC: Sure. Let's go with that answer. So how was your day?
XH: i got a black eye.
—:—
XH: hey, u still there?
AC: Yeah, I am. I'm trying to process what you said. You got a BLACK EYE today?
XH: um, yeah. i just said that.
AC: HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU GET A BLACK EYE?
XH: i got in a fight.
AC: WHY?
XH: the son of a bitch spread degrading rumors about danny being gay. poor kid's the laughing stock of the school. he hasn't been coming to school either. he's that upset.
AC: Um, but Danny IS gay. And I know he wouldn't be upset because everyone knows about his sex preference. Danny's not the self-pitying type.
AC: And he wouldn't mind the gossip. Didn't you say that Danny doesn't care about what people say about him? As long as he had his real friends?
XH: exactly. that's what i thought. when i called danny out on it, he told me why he's been holing himself up at home.
AC: Would I be prying if I asked why? I don't want to invade your and Danny's privacy.
XH: no, it's fine. apparently he was also being bullied by the douchebag and his cronies. nothing major, but danny didn't tell us anything about it until today.
XH: but the worst part was that the idiot who told everyone danny was a fag was the same guy danny liked. and the fuckhead knew it too.
AC: ...What?
XH: yup. when i found out, i beat the shit out of the bastard. the guy needed to pay for making danny as depressed as he is.
XH: i just gave him everything he earned. plus interest.
AC: Tell me you won the fight. Tell me the guy got everything he deserved.
XH: duh. of course i won. we're talking about me after all ;)
AC: Did you break anything of his?
XH: his nose. and probably a few of his ribs. oh, and his arm. why?
AC: Good. Because he needs to feel an equivalent amount of physical pain to Danny's internal pain. If it was me, I would've hired someone to murder him.
XH: murder? you're not that violent, liese.
AC: Well, close enough to murder. HE HURT DANNY. Danny is the sweetest guy in the world! He wouldn't hurt a fly. Or anything alive. For God's sake, he's a vegan!
XH: i know. me and the guys are trying to cheer him up, but danny's stuck in rut. it's gonna be a while till he picks himself back up together.
AC: I have faith in Danny. I know he'll be back to his normal self in no time. Now that I'm thinking about it, beating the fu**ing bas**** might not have been a good idea.
AC: You got suspended, didn't you?
XH: yeah so? i've been suspended before. by the way, i think it's cute how u don't like using swear words. do you think it makes you a bad person? like me? :)
AC: Good attempt, but you're not allowed to change the subject. You're a senior in high school, Xander. You have to try to keep a somewhat clean record this year.
XH: thanks for the advice, little miss freshman :P
AC: Don't be snippy with me. I know Danny's probably going to say the same thing to you, even though he's also grateful for what you did for him.
XH: eh. he already has. and you're right. the guy was shocked when he heard that i defended him in my own special way, but definitely thankful. i could tell.
AC: That's because you guys have known each other since elementary school. You're practically brothers.
AC: You still have to be careful though. For mine and Danny's sakes, can you please try not to get into any more fights? And try not to skip class as much?
XH: for you, madame, i will do my very best ;)
AC: You're so weird.
AC: Hey, can I ask you something crazy? You don't have to agree to it if you don't want to.
XH: depends on what you're asking. what's up?
AC: Can you give me your address?
—:—
AC: Um, Xander? Are you still there? I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. Please ignore that I ever asked you. I'm really sorry. Forgive me.
XH: no, don't be sorry. you're fine. i just wasn't expecting you to ask something like that.
XH: any particular reason you want it?
AC: Um, it's a surprise. I want to send you something. Like mail. Or a package.
XH: a package?
AC: Um...yes.
XH: sure.
AC: Sure?
XH: i'll give you my address.
AC: What? You will? O.O
XH: on one condition.
AC: What is it?
XH: give me yours in exchange XD
AC: Oh.
XH: haha. didn't expect that, did you ms. liese?
AC: No. Not at all. I really didn't :/
XH: so what's your answer?
—:—
XH: oi. u still there?
AC: Yes. Sorry, I was undergoing a bout of internal conflict. Don't mind me. Just a simple first world problem.
XH: haha if you say so. well?
AC: *breathes deeply* I'll do it.
XH: wait, seriously?
AC: I'll give you my address in exchange for yours.
XH: ...seriously?
AC: Gahhh. Yes, Xander. I'm being 100 percent serious. No hint of sarcasm at all.
XH: oh. alrighty then.
XH: i guess i'll give you mine first since you're the one who asked initially.
More Interlude
It's interesting to see how two very different people from opposite ends of the earth can become such close friends, how they learn so much about each other to the point where they know each other as well as they know themselves. They know about each others' friends and their families. About their fears, about what makes them tick, about what makes them happy, about their dreams. They tell each other everything.
Simply put, it's interesting to see how two people can become true best friends over the Internet. Simply because it hardly ever happens.
Before today, AnnalieseCaprese and XanderHolloway weren't completely at that level. No, they weren't from opposite ends of the earth, but they are best friends. And yes, they know about each others' loved ones. And yes, they tell each other everything, from how their day's going to their deepest secrets. But before today, they weren't true friends.
This is the Internet. This is the place Annaliese and Xander have come to forget their true selves. Like I mentioned before earlier, everyone can become someone else in this world of avatars and usernames. Who's to say Annaliese is her real name? Who's to say it's the same for Xander? Neither of them can tell.
Today, however, they exchanged addresses. It might seem like a somewhat normal thing to them, but it started a cycle of events that would continue to escalate. Why? Because it was physical proof that the other exists.
That seems kind of silly. Of course they know the other exists. They've been talking to each other for six months now with an average of six times a week.
But anyone can talk to a virtual stranger online. Let's take YouTube for example. Oh, of course. It's that popular video sharing website, ranging from innocent-like videos that make kids laugh to mature videos that creep out the most sane of humans. But I don't really care about YouTube videos right now. I'm more interested in the comments system.
You watch a video, it elicits a certain response from you, and you type out your thoughts in the comments. You wake up the next day and spontaneously decide to watch the same video again. To your surprise, someone has replied to your comment from yesterday. The reply is anything but positive. You are outraged to find that this stranger has mocked your thoughts, calling them stupid and wrong, and then proceeding to list reasons why it is so. And so, you reply back to this idiot who dares to go against your opinion, ready to defend your position.
Because, duh. You're the one who's right. They must obviously be in the wrong.
Hooray. You have engaged in a conversation/argument with a virtual stranger. Yes, you acknowledge that they are real, but it doesn't completely register in your head. They are simply a name on the Internet. An entity. Not a person.
Until now, AnnalieseCaprese and XanderHolloway have regarded each other as best friends in the form of entities. It is not until Annaliese sends her package to Xander through her local post office that she finally grasps the realness of the situation. She has a best friend. A best friend whose real name is unknown to her. A best friend whose face she might never see.
And yet, she smiles. In fact, she smiles so hard that her cheeks start to hurt. Because after all this time, he was finally real. XanderHolloway was real.
More Random Interlude
A boy of eighteen yawned drowsily as he made his way downstairs toward the front door, where someone had rung his doorbell. Cursing at whomever had the gall to wake him up at two in the afternoon, he opened the door to find a man in a navy blue uniform. Mail's here.
If the mailman was shocked to find the boy wearing nothing but his boxers, he didn't show it. "Parcel for you, sir."
Huh. Didn't know people still used the term 'parcel.'
The boy glared at him through tired eyes. "Why couldn't you have left it on the doorstep like you people usually do?"
The man was unfazed by the boy's attitude. "I had specific directions to hand it to the person who lived at this address. Apparently, its contents have been labeled as fragile."
At this information, the boy's eyebrows furrowed. "Fragile? Who'd send me anything like that?"
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that, sir. The sender was anonymous. I do, however, have the address from which it was sent." The mailman pulled out a sheet of paper from his satchel and handed it to the boy. The boy's eyes blinked when he recognized the address. He was wide awake now.
The mailman was very used to grouchy recipients. After all, patience was simply a part of his job description. He was now, however, wondering if he should add instant acclimitization alongside.
Or maybe he just needed it with this customer. In the mailman's opinion, anyone would be startled if an incensed individual went from glaring with irate distaste to smiling like a child receiving a present from Santa Claus all in a flat second.
The boy grinned brilliantly. "Thanks for bringing this to me, mister. And thanks for the trouble of bringing it all the way here with good care."
The man blinked. "Err, you're welcome. I just need you to sign your name on that same piece of paper at the bottom." He gave the boy a pen.
"Yeah, yeah. I can do that."
With a quick scribble, the mailman was gone with a confused frown and the boy slammed the door, eager to open the package in his hands. He sat on the couch and carefully pulled at the tape holding the box together. It was a lot bigger than he expected, which only served to further nurture his curiosity as to what he'd been sent.
Finally, the package was open. Inside were two Tupperware boxes and a letter taped to the lid of one of them. He read the letter first.
Dear Xander,
Hi! It's me, Annaliese, but you've probably already guessed that. When you told me about Danny, I cried. I don't know if you'll believe me, but I really did cry. I couldn't believe that Danny had to go through something like that. I know Danny wouldn't just pick a random boy to crush on. He'd have to be someone special if he caught Danny's attention. It breaks my heart to know that it ended the way it did. Danny didn't do anything to deserve it. It must be hard on you and the other guys as well. You're all trying your best to get him back to his silly joyful way, but I guess Danny isn't budging.
I decided I wanted to do something to help Danny as well. My part in Operation: Make Danny Gay Again. (I love puns). One of these Tupperware boxes is solely for Danny. I baked him a variety of things since I didn't know what he liked. I guess whatever he doesn't like will go to Toby. Toby's always begging for free food, isn't he? So there are brownies, muffins, cookies, and some slices of different flavored pie. I also included some colorful candy to brighten up the box a bit! I hope he feels better. Tell him I'm rooting for him.
The second box is for you. You told me once that your favorite dessert was key lime pie.
Best wishes to you, Toby, Tax, Jared, Mark, Liam, and of course to Danny,
Annaliese
(._.) - Hi.
(._.) - Thank you for reading.