The late morning sun was shining through Josh's window. Josh and Andy had finished playing a number of games of G-Force and had logged off the game to go to video chat. Andy's face appeared on Josh's computer screen.
Andy frowned, "Katie never showed up. She knows we have a Saturday G-Force game. What do you suppose happened to her?"
"We sort of had a fight," Josh admitted. "I think she's mad at me." He paused for a moment and continued, "Actually, I know she's mad at me."
"What happened?" Andy asked, her frown deepening. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," Josh protested. Then he sighed, "That's the problem. She wants our relationship to progress but every time it starts to go anywhere, I hold back."
"Josh, I told you that you should 'give her a little loving'," Andy said. "I really meant that."
"Well, I don't want to," Josh said. "And it really isn't fair to her for me to be dating her as a stand-in for you. It's you that I want to be going out with."
"You know we can't go out," Andy said, "I'm in Cleveland." She sighed, "I like Katie. I think if I were there we'd be friends – except for fighting over you, of course. But I'm not there and I think she deserved a real chance to have someone. You should have given her that chance. It's not like we're going to be together any time soon."
'Well, making out with someone else is not a substitute for being with you," Josh said firmly. "I am just going to have to wait for the real thing."
"You might have to wait a long time, Josh," Andy was slightly subdued.
"Then I'll wait as long as it takes," Josh said. "We can still play G-Force and talk to each other. I can see you, even if I can't touch you. That will have to do." He looked down for a moment and then back at the screen, "Unless you have someone else."
"I don't think that's going to happen," Andy said. "I'm not very popular here, and I've kind of gotten used to your quirky style. There don't seem to be any candidates worth interviewing."
"So we'll hang out online until we can be together again," Josh said. "I'm sure we can do something next summer. My parents and yours expect that we will drift apart. If we show them that we don't intend to, they'll have to let me visit you."
"I suppose so," Andy said. She looked at him out of the screen, "You really are stubborn," she said with a smile.
"I am about you," Josh said firmly. He continued more subdued, "I love you, Andy."
"I love you, too, Josh," Andy said. They looked at each other for a moment and then she said, clearing her throat, "So how did Kyle and Jessi's date go?"
"They seem to have had a great time," Josh said, "They were making eyes at each other over the breakfast table."
"That must be strange, them dating and both living there," Andy said.
"My mom didn't want them to, but they seem to have talked her into it," Josh said. "It's only been one date so far, so we'll see what happens." He shrugged and continued, "I'm hoping that it might mean she would have some flexibility in other situations."
"You really are hopeless," Andy smiled, "a one track mind."
"That's unfair," Josh protested. "My mind has lots of tracks. They just all lead to the same destination."
"That's my boy," Andy laughed. "You have to work today, don't you? Do you want to chat after dinner, before I go to bed?"
"I'd love to," Josh said. "Oh, I can't. Tonight is Lori's night at 'Pockets'. I promised her I was going to go and cheer her on."
"We can do it tomorrow night, then," Andy said. "Are we still on for G-Force tomorrow?"
"Absolutely," Josh said.