Saturday night
He was on his computer, typing away answering e-mails and trying to forget the disturbing thing Lilly had told him earlier.
Hey, loser… Mia chose Josh… Where are the Ho Hos?
He shook his head, trying to scramble the loop of Lilly's voice playing endlessly – Mia chose Josh… Mia chose Josh…
How could Mia choose Josh Richter? He couldn't understand it–
There was a sudden knocking noise and an IM box popped up on the screen – it was between himself and…FtLouie.
Mia.
"Crap."
He decided to start the conversation himself, and he started it sounding pissed.
CracKing: What do you want, Thermopolis?
FtLouie: I want to talk to Lilly. Please go off-line so I can call her.
Nice and straight to the point – the point being Screw you, Michael.
CracKing: What do you want to talk to her about?
He couldn't help but ask.
FtLouie: None of your business. Just go off-line, please. You can't hog all the lines of communication to yourself. It isn't fair.
The word struck him right between his eyes. Fair. Fair. Well, he knew of something else that wasn't 'fair'…
CracKing: No one ever said life was fair, Thermopolis. What are you doing home, anyway? What's the matter? Dreamboy didn't call?
It was low and dirty and completely called for.
FtLouie: Who's Dreamboy?
She didn't even know she had hurt him.
CracKing: You know, your post-nuclear Armageddon life mate of choice, Josh Richter.
There was a long pause. She knew he knew. He wanted to feel smug, shocking her with that little bombshell, but he just felt hurt and hollow. Mia had chosen an air-head pretty-boy over him…
FtLouie: WOULD YOU PLEASE GO OFF-LINE SO I CAN CALL LILLY?
CracKing: What's the matter, Thermopolis? Did I strike a nerve?
The sound of a door slamming shut announced her exit from the conversation window…and the IM program altogether.
Hurt and hollow.
He immediately logged off and then went off-line entirely, thinking to himself he was doing it because he was finished and not because she asked him to.