My Own Jolene

This story deserves no dedication…

"What's the name of the game?"

"Blizzards 101"

"Ok, give me a sec."

"There it is."

"Ok, let me download the game and make a character."

"Ok, I hope you get a cool school though, I got stuck with water."

"Ha ha, ok, here I go."

That was what the conversation was like when I entered a roll playing game. My sibling had already made her character and had many friends. It seemed like a nice enough game; fight creatures, win battle, get rewards in the form of clothing and hats. It seemed easy enough.

I entered the game as a noob to others. I was not experiences in how to fight so I got sent to the kiddie corner of the game even though I was eighteen in real life. I made a few friends, learned that the very friend that I made was in college in real life. He stopped playing the game about a month after I met him.

The next fun guy I met was from the balance school. We became close friends, always helping each other out in battles and on quests. He was a few levels behind me but he always beat me in a battle in the arena, no matter how strong I became.

Then one day he told me how to get open chat. Open chat was considered used only by the highest level of players; they could say anything they wanted to and it wouldn't be locked by the game. Of course only other open chat players could see what they had said but that made it seem even cooler to have it.

I made my character more able to talk with his character. I found out that he was the same age as me. We spent all of our time together on the game. We became known as boyfriend and girlfriend in the game. We became unstoppable in the arena. Then one day he was asking me strange questions.

"What if I wasn't really eighteen?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what if I was thirty five."

"I would say what the hell are you doing playing this game?"

"Well, what if I was like fourteen?"

"I would say why didn't you tell me your real age?"

"I thought you would stop talking to me." Was his answer, yes, he was fourteen. But I thought it was only a game right, what harm could it be. Yeah…..if only it was a game.

A few months later we exchanged phone numbers. We started texting about everything to each other. What we were doing, what we thought about this and that, what would we do if this happened. We became even closer than in the game.

Exchanging pictures was the next step in everything. He sent me his, I sent him mine. Then our talking grew farther and fewer between. Then one night I really wanted to talk to him, here is what happened….the TO: is me, the FROM: is him.

July 25, 2010 6:20pm

TO: it's ok, i kinda thought you wouldn't really want to talk to me again after seeing my senior pic.

FROM: are you serious

TO: :/ yeah

FROM: are you really going to be like that

TO: no?

FROM: thank you i dont want you to be acting like that or think anything just because i saw your picture ok

August 1,2010 12.46am

TO: um...hi?

FROM: what up

TO: nothin' much...you?

FROM: just here making out with my girlfriend my cousin brought her over

TO: ...

FROM: ok so what have you been up to

TO: nothing

FROM: why not

TO: look, i don't want to interrupt you doing anything so i am going to bed. 'night

FROM: ok

August 3, 2010 6:39pm

FROM: Nicky

TO: lol, nicky?

FROM: yeah umm i know you wanted the same thing to but i thought you were going to tell me first so here i go umm i dont really like to do this but its over we could still be buddies

TO: yeah...i kinda figured that one out

FROM: ok

TO: ...well...

FROM: yeah but if you want me to erase your number i will

TO: you don't have to...well...its up to you...whatever you want to do

TO: just tell me if you do so i know not to text you anymore

He never texted me back, I assume that means he did delete my number. It might not have looked like I was sad or heart broken in the text messages, but that's the beauty of them. You can hide everything you feel because no one can hear you, no one knows that you're crying on the other end, no one knows that it's getting harder and harder for you to see the keyboard because you can't see through your tears.

But that's life right?

This happens to everyone, so people say. Get over it, if only I could.

"Jolene"
(feat. Dolly Parton)

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can

Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene

He talks about you in his sleep
And there's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene
But I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can

You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
He's the only one for me, Jolene
I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him even though you can
Jolene, Jolene