Shout-outs: Guest, mem052280, Jen, originalguest, katdvs, Allie, xoElle23
Author's Note I:
Any resemblance to real life tumblr blogs/urls deactivated or not is purely coincidental. Josh's URL comes from the Arthur O'Shaughnessy poem "Ode". Maya's URL comes from a quote from "The Little Prince" by Antoine De Saint Exupéry.
Rated: T
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Chapter 2
World_Loser: I hope your day was better than mine.
LivingInStars: I FINALLY got a job!
Maya typed back and pressed enter. She took a sip of wine and then clicked the keys again.
LivingInStars: That counts as a good day, right?
LivingInStars: Why did you have a bad day?
She opened a new tab and pulled up Pinterest, she was browsing Indian cuisine and pinning way too many recipes for coconut soup she would never make when she heard the telltale ping of a reply from her favorite fellow book blogger.
World_Loser: It doesn't matter. Where did you get a job?
LivingInStars: We said no specifics, remember?
World_Loser: Right. Congratulations on getting your new job. Coincidently, I got a new co-worker today.
LivingInStars: Wow THAT is a coincidence!
World_Loser: Mmmh. But I'd rather not talk about it right now. How's the new John Green ARC treating you?
LivingInStars: Pretentious, as usual. How's Updike treating you?
World_Loser: I just turned in my final paper for that class, thank you very much. So, you're not a big fan of John Green's newest novel? How are you going to review that for your book blog?
LivingInStars: Honestly.
World_Loser: You do realize every single one of his fangirls is going to go after you with vicious rhetoric.
Maya laughed aloud. If she had even a penny for every message she got for writing a bad review for a popular young adult novel, she'd be a wealthy young woman.
LivingInStars: Ha! I'm not afraid of Internet trolls. Most of them aren't even brave enough to come off anon. Besides, you've had your share of tumblr arguments. Need I remind you of the great Books vs E-Reader Debate of 2015?
World_Loser: Ah yes! But if it hadn't been for THAT then we would have never met. You sent me a message saying you agreed with me, e-readers aren't as good as the real deal.
LivingInStars: I stand by that.
World_Loser: Good, I would hate for such an important issue to get in the way of our relationship.
LivingInStars: Even though we agree on almost every other topic we talk about.
World_Loser: Except for Instagram poets.
LivingInStars: Oh come on, R.M. Drake is a legitimate poet! You can buy physical copies of his books now!
World_Loser: We agreed to agree to disagree the last time we had this discussion.
LivingInStars: I wasn't trying to start another argument. Hehe.
World_Loser: Have you eaten yet? I know how you tend to get distracted when we're talking and it is dinnertime.
LivingInStars: I was just thinking about making coconut soup actually.
World_Loser: You're always thinking about cooking. I'd like to see you do it one day. Go and order takeout, I'll be here when you get back.
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When Josh was certain LivingInStars had gone to get her dinner, he turned on some music and went to the kitchen to get something to eat for his own dinner. He toasted some bread and made a pastrami sandwich with pickles.
When he got back, she had messaged him again.
LivingInStars: I got Chinese again. I can't wait until I can actually cook my own meals but I'm always busy.
World_Loser: I'm having sandwiches.
LivingInStars: Pastrami?
World_Loser: You know me so well.
LivingInStars: Well, I better. We've been doing this for 2 years now.
World_Loser: Wow. 2 years. . . don't you think it's about time we bit the bullet and met?
LivingInStars: Meet?
World_Loser: It isn't that premature. . . if that's what you're thinking.
LivingInStars: Yeah but I just started a new job and I'm not graduating until the spring.
World_Loser: I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm not even asking you to DATE me. I'd just like to meet you face-to-face, share a cup of coffee. See what you look like, talk about the differences between the Red Planet Diaries books and the TV series.
LivingInStars: You've never read the series or watched the TV show. You're too hipster for that.
World_Loser: They just never interested me.
LivingInStars: You're too cool for them.
LivingInStars: If we met, we'd have to discuss Kurt Vonnegut.
World_Loser: You've read Kurt?
LivingInStars: No. . .
World_Loser: You said "if we met"!
LivingInStars: . . . . .
LivingInStars: I have homework. A five page paper on why Harry and Hermione was such a popular ship in the fandom. I haven't even started the research process.
World_Loser: But you'll think about meeting me?
LivingInStars: Maybe. ;)
LivingInStars: Later
World_Loser: Good luck with your research.
LivingInStars: Thank you! I really have to go now. So many messages to sort through about why "OMG, Harry & Hermione are OTP because. . ." I don't know why I put that message out on my blog.
World_Loser: Since when does researching and writing papers about "ships" count as actual work?
LivingInStars: ^_^
World_Loser: Cute.
LivingInStars: Stop distracting me!
World_Loser: Distracting you isn't that hard. I know 50 ways to do it. Example: Angelica Schuyler.
LivingInStars: OMG! DO NOT PLAY DIRTY! Because I really have to go.
World_Loser: You keep saying that.
LivingInStars: I'm not even here right now!
He didn't hear from her for the rest of the night, so he studied for a history test and tried not to think about the new girl they had hired at work. Joe and Kathleen had been enchanted with her.
Enchanting had been the literal word they had used.
He hadn't seen the appeal. Not even when Maya had used her own money to buy Nancy Drew for a middle-schooler who had come up 2 dollars short when she'd come in to the bookstore to purchase the next book in the series. He didn't know many college students who would do that.
Except for Riley.
Maya and Riley were already forming a bond. Like the other was the best friend they'd been searching for their whole entire lives.
He could sense the balance of his world starting to shift. He was sure he wasn't going to like it. He opened his message box again and typed out 6 words.
World_Loser: Maybe we should wait to meet.
TBC. . .
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Author's Note II:
THIS is not my favorite chapter. I always feel like the 2nd chapter is just the buildup for any story that I write. BUT I know people usually disagree with me and I'm my own worst critic. So, please leave me a review and let me know what you think. I'm not fishing for compliments, by the way. I'm just talking.
If you're into Riverdale, I've been writing Jughead & Betty stories. I have one posted here already but if there's interest, I'll post the other two!
Be back next week!
Until Next Time!
Love,
Holly, 3/3/2017