a serial-memoir
Notifications were all blinking when I finally logged in.
I clicked to the ‘messages’ tab first.
You all right?
How was your day?
Are you there?
Do you not want to talk to me?
I sighed in ‘two-retail-jobs-and-an-infant . . . and zero friends’ and folded into the chair. The most recent message was a couple hours ago; the first was maybe twelve.
Hey!!
I am so sorry
I swear I wasn’t ignoring you
I was at work, blargh
Immediately, the ‘typing’ indicator popped up.
Oh, you hadn’t mentioned.
Sorry, yeah, I had work today.
I pulled up my writing program and typed in a few lines before the notification blinked again.
Are you getting my messages?
Yes
Sorry, this messenger
doesn’t work right on
my computer.
Do you have a different one?
Uh, I don’t know,
what one do you use?
Have you heard of SkUpe?
Yeah, but I don’t have it.
You need your phone number,
if you send it to me I can add you —
Typity-type in the browser; download pending.
No, I just need an email.
Oh, okay perfect.
After a few minutes coordination, some swearing, and favorable download speeds, I signed-in and hopped-on. Within moments a new chat window popped up.
Hey! Long time no talk 😀
Hi!!!! 😀 Is this working better?
Yeah, it is working a lot better.
So, how was your day?
What are you up to now,
hanging out with your boyfriend?
At the mention, I sat back and stared around our dark apartment. The table where we never ate together. The quiet in the corners.
No.
He went out to hang with his car friends.
Like his friends are cars?
Hahaha 😀 , no.
They all go drive somewhere
and stand around
and talk about cars.
What do you do while he does that?
Besides talk to hot British guys 😀
Lol, well.
Usually I read.
Or write.
Or clean.
What do you write?
I clicked back to my writing program and frowned at the screen.
not much, I thought.
It is kinda random right now.
Can I read it?
You want to?
I’d love to read it.
Really?
Sure! 😀
I scoured some recently-disgorged typing: very ‘diary entry’, very ‘angry teen’.
Well?
Where’d you go?
<<<webcam request>>>
I stared at the screen. A raw kind of panic shot through my belly.
Uh, I don’t have a webcam.
Oh, sorry
I accidentally clicked it.
Okay.
Can I read what you’re writing?
No, nevermind
it’s all stupid.
It probably isn’t.
I gave it another scroll.
no, actually, it is, I thought.
I couldn’t bring myself to send any of it.
Please?
I bet it is great
the other stuff you posted is great.
I chewed on my lip as again my eyes flicked from paragraph to paragraph.
something he won’t think is stupid something he won’t think is stupid
Five seconds.
Ten.
Finally, I just copy-pasted half a page and dropped it into the chat. I quickly returned to the word document and typed OMG OMG OMG OMG over and over again until the notification ding’d.
Wow, this is really incredible.
Really?
I thought it was dumb . . .
Hey, how old are you again?
18
I think you act much older
much more mature.
I would have guessed 25.
Hahahaha, thank you 😛
You’re very welcome.
******
Okay, I should probably go to bed.
Really?
You don’t want to talk to me anymore?
😦
No! I’m just getting tired, is all.
Okay 😦
I guess I’ll just sit here
Alone
Hey!!! That’s not fair 😦
I mean, what about you?
We’ve been chatting for like
hours.
I’m not tired.
Do you have any writing anywhere else?
A blog somewhere?
Not really.
It’s just whatever I write and post.
Do you have any other pictures?
Just what’s on my page.
Actually . . .
I browsed through a friend’s profile and downloaded a few photos they had of me.
Actually?
Where’d you go?
Did you leave me again?
<<<webcam request>>>
Accidental click again?
lol
Here’s a pic of me and a friend
I’m on the left
You’re really beautiful.
You were blonde?
When was this?
A year or so ago.
What were you guys doing?
We were in dance together . . .
******
Okay, now I should go to bed for real.
I think the sun is coming up.
I hear literal birds
😦
Staaaaaahhhhhhp
Okay, fine.
Goodnight.
sweet dreams.
Good night!
You should take more pictures tomorrow 😀
I don’t have a camera.
You can take pictures with a webcam.
I don’t have a webcam!!!
Maybe you should get one 😛
GOODNIGHT
I AM TIRED
Goodnight.
Message me tomorrow!
Shut down.
Brush teeth.
Bed; shut down.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Fauna Lewis Writes 