Lizzie stared intently into her computer screen, paying special attention
to Adam Gerbalm. She didn't say anything, she just observed, wanting to
see what this Adam person was like.
Adam, like other chatters who first enter a chatroom, said hello to the chatters already there and gave out general information about himself: male, age 23, just out of college. So far, so good, thought Lizzie.
Just please don't start coming out with cheesy pick-up lines, thought Lizzie.
Adam did no such thing; instead, he started asking the other chatters some probing questions about their experiences with chatrooms. He fired off questions left and right: so, how long have you all been using chatrooms? What do you enjoy about chatting online with people you have never met before? Do you sometimes find interacting with people in chatrooms preferable to interacting with people in real life? Have you established friendships and relationships with people you've met in chatrooms?
Wow, thought Lizzie, thoroughly impressed. This Adam guy is *smart.* It's all still good.
The other chatters responded to Adam's question the way that they responded to Lizzie's questions: with not much enthusiasm, and with a lot of inane answers. Lizzie rolled her eyes for Adam.
Okay, it's time that I started actually chatting with Adam, can't put off destiny or fate any longer, thought Lizzie, still not quite sure what to believe. Lizzie thought hard, and then typed, "Hi, Adam. I must say, I'm very impressed with your questions." Lizzie nervously waited for a response.
Adam: hi Hilary Duff. Thanks for the compliment. So, do you hang out in chatrooms frequently?
Hilary: Well, sort of. Let's just say I have a special, secret reason for visiting chatrooms.
Adam: Oh? Tell me.
Hilary: Uh, no, I can't! It's a secret! If I told you it wouldn't be a secret anymore, now would it?
Adam: Oh, I see. Well, looks like I'm going to have to resort to my abundant supply of patented spy techniques to pry your secret from you! : )
Oh, a smiley face! That's cute, thought Hilary. Hilary adored smiley face emoticons, and especially liked it when guys typed them, as long as they didn't overdo them. He also does have a way with words. And, more importantly, thought Lizzie, he's starting to flirt with me! Now, all he has to say is "mouse stuck on hand," and then she would know for certain that this was *her* Adam.
Hilary: Oh, you think you're going to charm me into telling you my little secret, do you?
Adam: Oh, believe me, Hilary, I have my ways, I have my ways. My parents didn't spend $100,000 for me to go college for nothing! : )
Lizzie giggled to herself. A funny, quirky answer. She liked it. Still all good, thought a captivated Lizzie. Wonder what he looks like? Is he tall, dark, and handsome? Does he have blue eyes or brown eyes? Wonder what he does for a living? Where does he live? And most importantly, is he single? Lizzie was dying to know, but she didn't want to ask those questions quite yet.
Hilary and Adam continued on with their flirtatious banter. Although a few other chatters were also still in the chatroom, Hilary and Adam acted as if they were the only ones there.
Hilary: so, Adam, I'd like to ask you something. It's for research for a project I'm working on.
Adam: oh, what project? What do you do, Hilary?
Lizzie was hesitant to give out her personal information just quite yet.
Hilary: Hey, it's a secret! : )
Adam: Ah, another secret! You're making my job of charming secrets out of you even harder!
Hilary: lol. Yeah, well, sue me, I'm a girl, that's what girls do.
Adam: lol! You're absolutely right about that one! Okay, I give. . .ask me your question.
Hilary: So, have you ever gone out with someone you met online? In a romantic way? And are you still with her right now?
Please say no, please say no, please say no!
There was no immediate response from Adam. After a few more moments had passed, Adam finally answered.
Adam: The answer to your questions would be no, no, and no.
Lizzie's eyes lit up with excited relief! Great answers, thought Lizzie.
Adam: But. . .
Uh, oh. What did he mean, "but?"
Hilary: But, what Adam?
Lizzie suddenly received a private message from Adam. She accepted it and read it with curious anticipation. The message read, "Hi Hilary. I'm enjoying talking with you; mind if we continue our conversation in private? I'm getting pretty annoyed having to chat with HotDude2000 in the same chatroom." Lizzie responded in the affirmative, and the couple began to chat in private.
Adam: Ahh, much better. Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that, if I have to be honest, Hilary, the reason why I haven't met a girl online is that I've been in love with this girl for as long as I can remember.
Lizzie's heart sank. He's in love with some girl? Wait, if he loves some other girl, than how in the world can he be my true love?
Hilary: "Oh? You are?" Lizzie typed the last response with little real enthusiasm.
Adam: I don't know why I'm telling you this, Hilary, because it's really dumb to tell this wonderful girl I'm chatting with right now that I'm in love with some other girl, especially since she literally hates my guts right now and won't even speak to me.
Oh, he thinks I'm sweet! Lizzie started to feel a tenderness well up in her heart. There was something about the poignant honesty in what Adam said that touched Lizzie deeply. She also suddenly began to think about her estranged best friend, Gordo, a friend that she has refused to speak with for the past six months. Gordo, whispered Lizzie, I'm sorry. . .
Adam continued: But, Hilary, there's something about you that makes me want to open up my heart to you. It doesn't make any sense, I know, since I've just met you, and still, I haven't even really really met you. But, some strange force is making me tell you things that I usually keep to myself, things I don't even tell my best friends. Especially to my best friend. Am I making any sense?
Adam's heartfelt words broke Lizzie's thoughts about Gordo, and she quickly began to type her response.
Hilary: you're making perfect sense, Adam. And you're being awfully sweet.
Oh well, even if this Adam wasn't her "Adam," he still seems like a really great guy, and well, who knows, maybe they could become good friends. He seems so familiar, though, Lizzie kept thinking.
Adam: Thanks, Hilary. You're very sweet, too, for listening to me to ramble on about my unrequited love.
Hilary: I've got another question for you, Adam.
Adam: Sure, ask away.
Hilary: do you believe in destiny?
Adam: That's really funny you should ask, because I've had some strange things happen to me lately that's made me start to believe that, maybe, just maybe, there's a life out there, waiting for us to take it by the hand and to make it our own.
Hilary: that was beautiful, so poetic.
Adam: Thanks. I don't really consider myself a poetic guy, but I guess the warmth and tenderness I'm feeling from you is bringing out the latent poet in me. : ) What about you? Do you believe in destiny?
Lizzie blushed upon reading Adam's compliment. She was starting to feel . . .something towards Adam. Get a grip on yourself, McGuire, this is insane! For one thing, you don't even really know this guy, he could turn out to be a 700 pound schizophrenic car thief, and for pete's sake, he's in love with some other girl! Stop feeling whatever you're feeling, right now! ordered Lizzie to herself. Nope, not working, sighed Lizzie. Still feeling. . . .*something* towards Adam. Lizzie composed herself and began to type her response.
Hilary: well, it's funny, but I've met some unusual people lately, too, who've made me think a lot about destiny and fortunes. But, I still don't know. . . So, I guess the answer is, maybe. Anyway, do you mind telling me what happened between you and the girl you're in love with?
Adam: I'm dying to, actually, if you're willing to listen.
Hilary: of course I am.
Adam: okay. Well, I've known this girl for almost all my life. We grew up together, went to elementary, middle school, and high school together.
Oh really? Thought Lizzie. Sounds a lot like the friendship that she has had with Gordo.
Adam: She's my best, my closest, my most cherished friend. But, well, it got complicated when I started to fall in love with her in the 7th grade.
He sounds so much like Gordo! Except that Gordo never loved me that way, thought Lizzie. She knew he had a crush on her in middle school, and they kissed once, in Rome, but things never developed between them, as Gordo never expressed any real feelings for her. So, she just assumed that Gordo's crush was just a crush, and nothing more, and they just remained platonic friends throughout high school and college.
Hilary: She sounds like a great girl.
Adam: She is, she truly is. She, oh wait, brb. Don't go anywhere, k? : )
Hilary: I won't!
Lizzie smiled to herself. She really liked Adam. She could feel a beautiful soul in his words. His words entranced her, enticed her, and enwrapped her in a delightful swirl of joyous feelings and sensations. She could almost start to picture him in her mind, and that picture, although still very fuzzy, was wonderfully new and familiar all at once. And it didn't matter to her at all that Adam was in love with someone else, because at this precise moment, all she cared about was that she was with him and connecting with him now, and more importantly, she could envision developing a deep friendship with this man. So, Adam didn't have to worry in the least bit. . . she was most definitely not going anywhere.
A few minutes passed, and Adam still had not returned to the chatroom. Lizzie began to worry. . . had he disconnected? Was he gone? Would she ever be able to meet him in real life? As she was about to start a worrying frenzy, Adam finally responded. What she read made her jaw drop. . .
Adam: mouse stuck on hand. brb.
Adam, like other chatters who first enter a chatroom, said hello to the chatters already there and gave out general information about himself: male, age 23, just out of college. So far, so good, thought Lizzie.
Just please don't start coming out with cheesy pick-up lines, thought Lizzie.
Adam did no such thing; instead, he started asking the other chatters some probing questions about their experiences with chatrooms. He fired off questions left and right: so, how long have you all been using chatrooms? What do you enjoy about chatting online with people you have never met before? Do you sometimes find interacting with people in chatrooms preferable to interacting with people in real life? Have you established friendships and relationships with people you've met in chatrooms?
Wow, thought Lizzie, thoroughly impressed. This Adam guy is *smart.* It's all still good.
The other chatters responded to Adam's question the way that they responded to Lizzie's questions: with not much enthusiasm, and with a lot of inane answers. Lizzie rolled her eyes for Adam.
Okay, it's time that I started actually chatting with Adam, can't put off destiny or fate any longer, thought Lizzie, still not quite sure what to believe. Lizzie thought hard, and then typed, "Hi, Adam. I must say, I'm very impressed with your questions." Lizzie nervously waited for a response.
Adam: hi Hilary Duff. Thanks for the compliment. So, do you hang out in chatrooms frequently?
Hilary: Well, sort of. Let's just say I have a special, secret reason for visiting chatrooms.
Adam: Oh? Tell me.
Hilary: Uh, no, I can't! It's a secret! If I told you it wouldn't be a secret anymore, now would it?
Adam: Oh, I see. Well, looks like I'm going to have to resort to my abundant supply of patented spy techniques to pry your secret from you! : )
Oh, a smiley face! That's cute, thought Hilary. Hilary adored smiley face emoticons, and especially liked it when guys typed them, as long as they didn't overdo them. He also does have a way with words. And, more importantly, thought Lizzie, he's starting to flirt with me! Now, all he has to say is "mouse stuck on hand," and then she would know for certain that this was *her* Adam.
Hilary: Oh, you think you're going to charm me into telling you my little secret, do you?
Adam: Oh, believe me, Hilary, I have my ways, I have my ways. My parents didn't spend $100,000 for me to go college for nothing! : )
Lizzie giggled to herself. A funny, quirky answer. She liked it. Still all good, thought a captivated Lizzie. Wonder what he looks like? Is he tall, dark, and handsome? Does he have blue eyes or brown eyes? Wonder what he does for a living? Where does he live? And most importantly, is he single? Lizzie was dying to know, but she didn't want to ask those questions quite yet.
Hilary and Adam continued on with their flirtatious banter. Although a few other chatters were also still in the chatroom, Hilary and Adam acted as if they were the only ones there.
Hilary: so, Adam, I'd like to ask you something. It's for research for a project I'm working on.
Adam: oh, what project? What do you do, Hilary?
Lizzie was hesitant to give out her personal information just quite yet.
Hilary: Hey, it's a secret! : )
Adam: Ah, another secret! You're making my job of charming secrets out of you even harder!
Hilary: lol. Yeah, well, sue me, I'm a girl, that's what girls do.
Adam: lol! You're absolutely right about that one! Okay, I give. . .ask me your question.
Hilary: So, have you ever gone out with someone you met online? In a romantic way? And are you still with her right now?
Please say no, please say no, please say no!
There was no immediate response from Adam. After a few more moments had passed, Adam finally answered.
Adam: The answer to your questions would be no, no, and no.
Lizzie's eyes lit up with excited relief! Great answers, thought Lizzie.
Adam: But. . .
Uh, oh. What did he mean, "but?"
Hilary: But, what Adam?
Lizzie suddenly received a private message from Adam. She accepted it and read it with curious anticipation. The message read, "Hi Hilary. I'm enjoying talking with you; mind if we continue our conversation in private? I'm getting pretty annoyed having to chat with HotDude2000 in the same chatroom." Lizzie responded in the affirmative, and the couple began to chat in private.
Adam: Ahh, much better. Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that, if I have to be honest, Hilary, the reason why I haven't met a girl online is that I've been in love with this girl for as long as I can remember.
Lizzie's heart sank. He's in love with some girl? Wait, if he loves some other girl, than how in the world can he be my true love?
Hilary: "Oh? You are?" Lizzie typed the last response with little real enthusiasm.
Adam: I don't know why I'm telling you this, Hilary, because it's really dumb to tell this wonderful girl I'm chatting with right now that I'm in love with some other girl, especially since she literally hates my guts right now and won't even speak to me.
Oh, he thinks I'm sweet! Lizzie started to feel a tenderness well up in her heart. There was something about the poignant honesty in what Adam said that touched Lizzie deeply. She also suddenly began to think about her estranged best friend, Gordo, a friend that she has refused to speak with for the past six months. Gordo, whispered Lizzie, I'm sorry. . .
Adam continued: But, Hilary, there's something about you that makes me want to open up my heart to you. It doesn't make any sense, I know, since I've just met you, and still, I haven't even really really met you. But, some strange force is making me tell you things that I usually keep to myself, things I don't even tell my best friends. Especially to my best friend. Am I making any sense?
Adam's heartfelt words broke Lizzie's thoughts about Gordo, and she quickly began to type her response.
Hilary: you're making perfect sense, Adam. And you're being awfully sweet.
Oh well, even if this Adam wasn't her "Adam," he still seems like a really great guy, and well, who knows, maybe they could become good friends. He seems so familiar, though, Lizzie kept thinking.
Adam: Thanks, Hilary. You're very sweet, too, for listening to me to ramble on about my unrequited love.
Hilary: I've got another question for you, Adam.
Adam: Sure, ask away.
Hilary: do you believe in destiny?
Adam: That's really funny you should ask, because I've had some strange things happen to me lately that's made me start to believe that, maybe, just maybe, there's a life out there, waiting for us to take it by the hand and to make it our own.
Hilary: that was beautiful, so poetic.
Adam: Thanks. I don't really consider myself a poetic guy, but I guess the warmth and tenderness I'm feeling from you is bringing out the latent poet in me. : ) What about you? Do you believe in destiny?
Lizzie blushed upon reading Adam's compliment. She was starting to feel . . .something towards Adam. Get a grip on yourself, McGuire, this is insane! For one thing, you don't even really know this guy, he could turn out to be a 700 pound schizophrenic car thief, and for pete's sake, he's in love with some other girl! Stop feeling whatever you're feeling, right now! ordered Lizzie to herself. Nope, not working, sighed Lizzie. Still feeling. . . .*something* towards Adam. Lizzie composed herself and began to type her response.
Hilary: well, it's funny, but I've met some unusual people lately, too, who've made me think a lot about destiny and fortunes. But, I still don't know. . . So, I guess the answer is, maybe. Anyway, do you mind telling me what happened between you and the girl you're in love with?
Adam: I'm dying to, actually, if you're willing to listen.
Hilary: of course I am.
Adam: okay. Well, I've known this girl for almost all my life. We grew up together, went to elementary, middle school, and high school together.
Oh really? Thought Lizzie. Sounds a lot like the friendship that she has had with Gordo.
Adam: She's my best, my closest, my most cherished friend. But, well, it got complicated when I started to fall in love with her in the 7th grade.
He sounds so much like Gordo! Except that Gordo never loved me that way, thought Lizzie. She knew he had a crush on her in middle school, and they kissed once, in Rome, but things never developed between them, as Gordo never expressed any real feelings for her. So, she just assumed that Gordo's crush was just a crush, and nothing more, and they just remained platonic friends throughout high school and college.
Hilary: She sounds like a great girl.
Adam: She is, she truly is. She, oh wait, brb. Don't go anywhere, k? : )
Hilary: I won't!
Lizzie smiled to herself. She really liked Adam. She could feel a beautiful soul in his words. His words entranced her, enticed her, and enwrapped her in a delightful swirl of joyous feelings and sensations. She could almost start to picture him in her mind, and that picture, although still very fuzzy, was wonderfully new and familiar all at once. And it didn't matter to her at all that Adam was in love with someone else, because at this precise moment, all she cared about was that she was with him and connecting with him now, and more importantly, she could envision developing a deep friendship with this man. So, Adam didn't have to worry in the least bit. . . she was most definitely not going anywhere.
A few minutes passed, and Adam still had not returned to the chatroom. Lizzie began to worry. . . had he disconnected? Was he gone? Would she ever be able to meet him in real life? As she was about to start a worrying frenzy, Adam finally responded. What she read made her jaw drop. . .
Adam: mouse stuck on hand. brb.