Pity...

I do not use IM and am not sure what the prompts are or how things are displayed, so please let me know if I am doing it wrong so I can fix it. This chapter is choppy because a lot of it takes place over IM, so be forewarned.
Enjoy!

Sorry had to come back on and do some major editing for spelling and shifts in verb tense.

Chapter 2

Early lunch of pepperoni hot pockets and now time on the internet that I normally don’t get outside of homework because… guess who is ALWAYS on the phone?

It has been almost a month since I was last on my IM account, or my e-mail, so it’s no surprise that my in-box is overflowing with spam and the occasional note from my on-line friends. Everybody that goes to school with me knows my chance of getting an e-mail before they see me the next day in class is non-existent so they rarely ever try anymore. Picking through the mail is relatively simple—I don’t need penis enhancements, blind dates, home meds, mortgages or a cyberscrew. Delete! What is left amounts to three chain letters, another annoyance, and a message from an unknown address. Leary of it, I delete it without chancing a virus.

Logging onto IM, I go to my usual chat room and search for a familiar username. WKUBOB catches my eye; she always keeps her IM open. I have been talking to her off and on for about a year. Bob is another military brat from Wyoming that is currently enrolled at Western Kentucky University.

Kativa: Sup, Bob?

Her away message doesn’t pop up so she must be close by. The plinking of the computer heralds her reply.

WKUBOB: Nuthin’. How’s Knox?

She started calling me that when I told her I was a military brat for KY.

Kativa: Same. But I have the house to myself, so it’s better. lol

WKUBOB: What about the ‘rents and the sibs?

Kativa: My brother went to gov’s school and my parents r at the airport.

WKUBOB: What about the sis?

Kativa: On tour.

WKUBOB: Miss her?

That was an odd question. We normally stick to impersonal stuff like anime, art, military brat trauma and other unimportant stuff like that.

Kativa: Guess so. Haven’t heard from her in a while.

WKUBOB: Too bad.

Kativa: I guess. So how goes the schooling?

WKUBOB: okay. The teachers r pretty strict though. Lots of hands on stuff right now. Not a lot of downtime, but I did see the latest Full Metal Alchemist. Did u see it?

With that our conversation turns to the usual and hovers around our favorite topic—music. I love international music, especially j-rock and j-pop. I know I am a rabid fan girl, but the language is so pretty even though the lyrics hardly make sense when translated. I’m in the middle of tying a screen long tirade about the poor coverage of the last Hyde concert when a ping interrupts me.

Kosovo_Misha has asked to chat, the screen prompts me to accept or decline at my earliest convenience. Kosovo? Wasn’t that somewhere in Bosnia?

Kativa: Hold on a minute, Bob.

Accepting before I get a reply, I wait.

Kosovo_Misha: Hey brat!

Who the heck is this calling me a brat!

Kativa: Who r u?

Kosovo_Misha: Who r u? I don’t see u in a few months and u forget me?

Kativa: Haley?

I’m not one hundred percent sure, but who else could it be. I don’t ever remember Haley calling me a brat before though.

Kosovo_Misha: Duh, brat. Who’d u think it was?

Kativa: OMG! How r u? Where r u? OMG!!!!

On another pop-up screen, Bob has finally answered me.

WKUBOB: Did she find u?

Did she find me? What the heck’d she mean? I’m so excited, but confused. I don’t know whether to ignore one in favor of the other, but Haley’s screen pings before I can decide.

Kosovo_Misha: great, so far. We had some activity today, but nothing unusual. can’t stay on long. Security and all that good stuff. How r u?

Which also means that Haley can’t tell me where she is. I will assume Kosovo though. Bob’s response is still bothering me, so I leave Haley to herself for a moment to pose the question.

Kativa: How did u know?

WKUBOB: We r friends. She’s been lookin’ 4 u.

Kativa: Did u tell her where to find me?

WKUBOB: yeah.

Kativa: thanks!! =)

WKUBOB: no prob. Tell her Hi!

WKUBOB has signed off.

Still confused, I take up the conversation with Haley.

Kativa: I’m good. Bro is going to gov’s school. The ‘rents are still weird and busy.

Kosovo_Misha: Typical.

Kativa: Who is WKUBOB?

Kosovo_Misha: My girlfriend.

I have known for a long time that Haley is lesbian. I have my suspicions that’s why she and mom are so distant now.

Kativa: I luv her. She’s nice.

Kosovo_Misha: Me 2! Do you have plans for the summer yet?

Kativa: No. Why?

Kosovo_Misha: I have leave soon. A few weeks.

Kativa: Coming home?

I want to see her so bad; I can feel my heart trying to strangle me as it rises into my throat. It’s been more than a few months since she has been home and seeing her in pictures and through vidphone is not ‘seeing’ her. Please say yes!

Kosovo_Misha: No.

Noooo!? My stomach is starting to churn and I am afraid to ask.

Kativa: Is it mom? If it is, I’m going to scream.

I want to see Haley and it’s not fair for her not to want to come home because of something so trivial.

Kosovo_Misha: No. & Yeah. I have 2 go.

Kativa: Why did u ask?

Kosovo_Misha: Curious. Be good or I’ll kick your ass.

Kativa: would it get you 2 come home?

Kosovo_Misha: Don’t be like that, please.

I can just imaging the begging in her voice, she has always been so soft spoken.

Kativa: I miss u.

Kosovo_Misha: Luv u. Be good.

Kosovo_Misha has signed off.

Staring at the screen, I resist the urge to cry and then finally concede defeat. There’s no one to see me anyway. Tears slowly turn to anger—at mom for being narrow, at Haley for even asking and at myself for getting my hopes up. I don’t know why I even bother anymore. Then I have to wonder how Bob could get ahold of Haley so fast. She must have for us to be on IM at the same time. That doesn’t just happen when she’s halfway around the globe. I will ask the next time I get on. I know I will be using IM more frequently now that the line hog is gone and summer is fast approaching. Hopefully, Bob, our cyber-angel, can help us find each other again.