As I promised, I got online the next day. I had forgotten to add him, but apparently he had added me, for as soon as the game came into view, I saw a private message pop up.
Mafia: Hey.
Gale: Hey John. You're on, lol.
Mafia: Well, duh.
We resumed our talk from the night before (or that morning) like we had never left each other. John was a very talkative fellow. He asked many questions, mostly about my leveling on the game, but he asked about my personal life as well. While answering his questions, I entered my clan chat, and there John already was, waiting without my knowing.
[Tos Ftw] Mafia: =D
[Tos Ftw] Gale: You goof, lol. You could have told me you were in here.
[Tos Ftw] Mafia: I figured you would figure it out =P
From then on, whenever I logged onto Runescape, I immediately went into my cc.
I had to admit, I was really flattered by his attention. I was seriously beginning to take a liking to this John.
He was a very interesting person. He came from a family of 5 (his parents, his older brother, and his younger sister), and from the way he spoke (typed), they seemed to be closely knit. John was an athletic person; he played football and basketball. He wasn't fond of reading or writing (much to my dismay), but his grammar and vocabulary weren't too shabby. He received fine grades in school, he was very popular, and he seemed to be sentimental. Unlike me, he was very easy-going. He took things as they came; he was patient.
He answered my questions carefully and humbly until I asked him what he looked like. I was a little put off at first by his cockiness, but then I understood why he would act that way: John sounded perfect, at least to me. He described himself as being 6'3" with dark brown hair and hazel blue eyes. He had dark, German skin, and he insisted that he had a killer body, due to his frequent workouts. I was sure I had hit the jackpot with this guy. When he asked about me, I was a little skeptical to divulge my description. I told him about my short, not so toned stature. He asked specifically how tall I was, and he laughed when I told him 5'2". After teasing me for too long about my height, he asked for me to continue with my description. I slowly and achingly told him about my light brown hair and my big, dark hazel-green eyes. He responded to my looks with a vague, generic reply, and I supposed he wasn't as thrilled with me as I was with him. I sighed, 'Oh well. It figures.'
John switched from his world to mine in a matter of seconds to accompany me in the Varrock sewers. I trained my combat while he trained his maging skill. We both happened to be watching TV while we played, so every now and then we'd quote silly antics from stupid commercials. I burst out laughing when we both started quoting The Simpsons. He laughed along as well.
I couldn't believe how much fun I was having, and with this perfect guy. We could be silly or serious, vague or detailed, dumb or smart, and we always had fun. It was disappointing when one of us had to leave for some necessary, real life custom, but it was never for long. We'd both get on the computer 4 or 5 times a day, whether it was for 5 minutes or 3 hours. We just couldn't leave each other alone. By the time Spring Break ended, I would not be joking if I said John and I had spoken to each other more than one hundred times, off and on, of course. We always had something to talk about, and John was irresistible with his charm. Our conversations had no limitations, and I was beginning to become attached to Mafia…my heart was becoming noticeably warmer.
o.O.o
School came back too quickly, and the teachers wasted no time at all going over lessons, assigning homework, and making the lives of students stressful. I came home the first day with a mountain-load of homework and no time for Runescape. It felt odd not to talk to John in consistency like I had for the last week and a half. I felt a little silly for missing someone I hadn't met, but the feelings surfaced anyway, and I never did anything to cease them. It felt good to think about and miss someone. I told my friends at school about him, and they shook their heads in disapproval, for this hadn't been the first time I had fallen for an online being. They were aroused, though, when I spoke of his looks, but other than that, they didn't seem too interested.
The homework continued to be overwhelming, so I was unable to get on Runescape for the remainder of the school week. Saturday couldn't have come soon enough. Mom wanted me to lunch with her, so I obediently went, checking the clock every ten minutes. The Chinese Buffet was stuffy with its intoxicating scents and spices; the air was thick. I rushed my mom through lunch, annoying her, and she didn't say much to me when driving home. I was being an ungrateful brat, no doubt about it, but I didn't care as long as I could see John.
Before my mom could turn her car engine off, I was out and into the house. I ran up the stairs with my shoes still on and practically pounced on my laptop when I reached my room. I logged on as fast as my fingers could type and frowned when I saw Mafia was not on. I waited and played for 2 hours, but he never got on. Ranging on cows was becoming a bore, so I gave up my vigil and went downstairs into the dining room to finish my load of homework.
Although I found the particular math section of trigonometric identities interesting, my mind constantly wandered to my John. I wondered what he was like in person, how he looked and felt. I wondered if he would welcome my presence, and like me in person as much as he did online. I was always truthful, speaking to him, so he had no reason to dislike me… (Oh crap, no! 1/sinx does not equal cotx…ugh…) I tried as hard as I could to focus on my schoolwork, but darn that John. I couldn't shake him from my mind.
o.O.o
Cam picked me up a little later that evening to go to Burger King and habitually sit in our spot in the parking lot. He went on about some Warcraft game (I nodded my head at each pause, letting him think I was paying attention), telling me why it was so bogus compared to other PC games. All the terms he used were foreign to me, so I had absolutely no clue of what he was talking. I twiddled my thumbs and looked blankly at them as he rambled on. Cam finally caught on to my absent talk and asked of what I was thinking. I blushed when I saw the concern on his face. He eyed me curiously, studying my expressions. I stuttered something stupid about our speech class, and he shook his head.
"That's not what you're thinking about. You didn't even say anything when I said Kratos is a gay faggot," he said with a smirk.
I growled ferociously before replying.
"I'm not thinking about anything. I'm just having a hard time paying attention, that's all," I said slowly.
Cam shook his head, insistent. Red covered my cheeks as I finally told him of my meeting John.
"He's just this guy I met on the game, and I can't stop thinking about him…we talk almost every day, and I'm just…"
I went on and on about John. Cam listened closely, his eyes blank, unreadable. I told him of how I felt toward John. I even commented that I dreamt of him, one pleasant night. Cam didn't say a word as I told him of almost every encounter John and I had had, and the friendships we had made together. He hadn't spoken at all. He merely gazed at the empty lot before us.
The moon's rays brightly led the way as Cam drove me back home. We reached the top of my driveway, and he put his car in park. He never went fully in my driveway, because he always had trouble backing out of the deep arch that dipped to my house. I reached for the handle of the car door, but Cam grabbed my hand, rendering me immovable. He swiftly moved his head toward mine and pressed his lips to my cold cheek. My head felt hot as Cam backed away; he looked at me with a grin on his face. I think my mouth hung widely open.
"Good night, Mel. I'll see you at school."
I nodded my head and got out of the car with as few movements as possible to get out of the awkward situation. Even as he drove away, my mind still hadn't comprehended Cam's unexpected move. He kissed me…he kissed me…he…kissed me? My mind froze as I walked down to my house, my cats coming up to greet me with their wet noses. I reached my house, closing the door behind with a crash. I took my time slipping off my jacket and shoes; I couldn't think. Just then, Seth came into the kitchen for a drink of milk, but stopped when he saw me.
"That Mafia dude wants you."
"Huh? How are you talking to him?"
"On Rune Scape," he said as he grabbed the jug of milk from the refrigerator, "Sammy is playing on your account, and he's asking for you."
"Oh, ok," I said quickly, darting out of the kitchen.
Seth rolled his eyes and gulped his milk straight from the jug.
I shoved Sammy aside from the computer as soon as I entered my room. I smiled and saw indeed that Mafia was online. Sammy hadn't said much to him except 'HOLD ON!' I typed quickly, excitedly to him.
Gale: Hey, I've missed you.
Mafia: You have?
Gale: Well…yeah. It's been a while since we've last talked.
Mafia: Dis be my first time talking to ya, girl
I blinked a couple of times in confusion before he spoke again.
Mafia: It's John's bro, Ant
Disappointment surfaced.
Gale: Where's John?
Mafia: Lying on da bed in his room
Gale: Oh…well, how are you?
Mafia: I be ok
I wasn't impressed with his so-called gangster talk. It was informal and trashy. To others, it probably wouldn't have mattered, especially on a game like Runescape, but to a grammatical freak like me, it was a complete nightmare. He mostly talked about himself. He talked about himself and John on the varsity basketball team and how much they pwned. He said they were the stars on the team, but I wasn't sure how correct that piece of information was. I asked if he looked anything like John. He said his hair was longer and darker, and he was of course taller, being 6'8". I swear, my mouth watered.
We conversed about trivial things a little longer, when Anth said John wanted on. I smiled. I smiled a lot.
Mafia: Hey.
Gale: Hey, John?
Mafia: Yeah. I've missed you.
Gale: Same.
All thoughts of Cam and Anthony dissolved as I talked and felt content with my John.
o.O.o
School days seemed to fly by, and homework seemed to be getting done faster. I was completely enamored of John and his boyish charm. I was on the computer about 4 hours a night, usually hanging out with either Trent or John. I always found time for them, but I wasn't shirking my other responsibilities. I had my chores done, my homework was always complete, and my social life was in no way harmed, so I never felt guilty for being on for so long. My friends on Runescape were becoming a second family. There were so many different groups of people I could talk to. I had Like Guitar, Nick, who I talked to whenever I felt stupid and goofy; Jayko, Matthew, was always fun to talk to, because he made his life an eternal drama; Rydog, Ryan, was a dork, but he always had some perverted jokes up his sleeve; Wild Kat, Jacob, was such a sweetie, so it was always refreshing to talk to him. But my main group consisted of Mafia, Tcore, and newcomer Hk, who was named Rylie. We all congregated inside my clan chat whenever the four of us were on together. We got along extremely well, especially considering the differences in our ages. I was 17, Trent as I said before was 12, Rylie was 10, and at the time I didn't know how old John was definitely. I assumed him to be 15 or 16.
Our chats were always interesting. Trent usually started us off with a joke, which always made me laugh. That kid was always trying to think of ways to make us happy. For being 12, he gave great advice, and he was always ready to listen to problems or events going on in our lives. Rylie was the person who brought insanity to our chats. He would go on and on about anything that didn't make sense. John always issued forth harsh bluntness in our cc. He always typed what he felt, with no worry to the consequences. Don't get me wrong, John cared about our feelings, but sometimes he just recklessly typed away his definite opinions. I brought sarcasm and unity to the group. I was and always have been a good conversationalist, so if there was ever an awkward pause, I could fill it in by telling either a joke or statistic. The four of us blended beautifully together. We laughed together, we argued together, we discussed together. I think we all felt a sort of camaraderie. We truly cared for one another.
o.O.o
John and I were at our usual place: the graveyard with the one yew tree. I would watch John cut that yew (my woodcutting level was not yet high enough) as we talked conspicuously on the game. Random people would stop and listen to our conversation as they passed by, and each time John would chastise them for listening in; he was never one to hold back his anger. A couple of times, pompous, male players would ask me out right in front of John, which greatly pissed him off.
Mafia: Back off, she's taken.
Player Noob: Whom by?
Mafia: …
Player Noob: Well?
Mafia: My brother…
Player Noob stood for a while, probably pondering whether or not he should continue his conquest, but he walked away without a word. I never realized Anthony had claimed me officially. He never actually asked me out; in fact, we hardly spoke at all. It was always John and me. I didn't utter a word about it, though. I instead told John I was tired of watching him cut wood, so we headed off to our place in the sewers to train together. For the first time, we had an awkward silence. We only rendered dead our virtual enemies. I felt again that John was thinking over something important, but I was too chicken to ask about it. After a while, John even stopped battling. I was afraid he'd left the computer and would log out, but he was either clicking random buttons or chatting with friends to stay logged on. After picking up a full inventory of bones, I began to bury them into the ground. I buried about 9 when John finally spoke.
Mafia: Well I like this view…
I looked in the direction his character was gazing and laughed when I figured out what he was talking about. Apparently when my character bent over to bury the bones, she really bent over. I typed in a ("-.-), and John laughed.
Mafia: Man, Ant has good taste…
I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with his statement. There he was again, making unofficial claims as to whose I was.
Mafia: You'll have to choose one of us…
Gale: Why? Can't we all just be friends?
Mafia: …
Mafia: I really like you…
Gale: …
I wanted to shout to the world that I liked him a lot too, but I was a little embarrassed.
Gale: Well, Anthony hardly likes me anyway; at least, he doesn't talk to me much, so I guess it doesn't matter.
Mafia: He talks about you all the time…he tells everyone at school he's going to visit his girl in Michigan…
Gale: …He does…?
Mafia: Yeah.
Gale: Well I hardly talk to Anth…
John was silent and started maging again on the skeletons. I hadn't combated since John had sprung all of this nonsense on me; I wasn't sure what to do.
Gale: Can I just say I'm his girl but really be yours? Well…I guess that's call-girlish…
Mafia: Yeah, that won't work…
Gale: Well, let me think about it, I guess.
Mafia: Ok…well I have to go. I'll expect your answer by tomorrow.
He logged off. I was left sitting at my desk troubled and confused. I scolded myself in my head. Why am I making such a big deal out of this?! It's a game; I don't really love him. I gasped, surprised at my diction. The dreaded "L" word had spilled.
o.O.o
The sky overhead was dark but clear with the moon glowing thousands of miles away. I decided to walk alone that night to clear my head. I was headed in the direction of the stream, and as usual, I went there to cleanse my mind and nurse my heavy heart. The breeze made me shiver, even in my heavy jacket, but it was comforting too, slowly whistling its sad, morose song. My feet scuffed the road as I dragged each forward to my sacred spot. My mind wandered through many things, events, stresses…John…
It is true; I had had online crushes before. But somehow this "crush" seemed different. Perhaps I just wanted it to feel different, or maybe it was; I guess I didn't know. All I knew was that I loved being with John, even if it was just online. I loved the way he'd make me smile with his silly innuendos; I loved how he'd always switch to my world, even when I didn't ask; I loved how he'd always be waiting in my clan chat, waiting to tell me about his day. I loved…
I heard the trickling of the water running swiftly below me. I smiled at its familiarity, its safeness. I sat down on the grassy ledge and looked at the beautiful, rippling cascades. I never had anybody to share that place with. I had dreamed so many times of taking my sweetheart there and talking under the galaxy of stars, watching the sparks of fireflies hover around us. I wondered if guys like John ever thought about moments like that. Did guys dream of romance?
The moon drifted north, casting a pale light over my face. I looked up unto the heavens, my eyes widening in realization.
I loved John.