The Online Experience

August 20, 1995

The past week had drug on like no other week in my life. The library had been understaffed for most of the summer session, leaving me with a ton of work to catch up on. Then of course there were meetings with professors and my academic advisor to get a plan in place for the next two years. By far the most taxing had been my multiple arguments over the phone with my boyfriend, Miko, who lives back home.

I had spent sometime online nearly every night, doing one thing or another and each night I checked for him, but he was never there. By Sunday night Miko was on the top of my shit list and I was nervous about starting classes the next day. What I needed was a breath of fresh air, the type of relaxing banter our conversation had brought last week. Sitting in my black computer chair in cut off jean shorts and a tank top trying to ignore the constant him of the window fan that was doing a poor job of cooling the late summer night air, I waited impatiently as the Internet took its time connecting. That familiar blue screen came up, following by my contact list:

SixStringGuy offline
I felt my smile fall as I read those words a second and third time.

"Sydney!" My roommate Alley walked through my open door as I brought my juice glass filled with white wine to my lips. "We're going out, last night before classes," her eyes wide and done up in her favorite bar hopping attire, "you should come."

"Nah, I'm gonna stay in and relax."

"Come one..."

"Nope, you go out, have fun and have a drink for me."

"Hey," walking towards me she leaned over my shoulder and studied my screen, "who's SixStringGuy?"

"What?" My voice a little too excited as I turned to see a few messages has popped up from him.

"Ok then," a laugh in Alleys voice, "I'll let you get back to your online boyfriend."

"He's not my boy..."

"Sure sure." She grabbed her keys and headed for the door. "I won't tell Miko." She yelled from the front door before I heard her leave. Shaking my head I returned my attention to the screen and propped my feet up on the lower shelf of my cheap computer desk

SixStringGuy: Hey there!
SixStringGuy: Hello??
SixStringGuy: Anybody home?
SixStringGuy: Is this how people play hard to get online??????

Grumpybluebear: Hi! Sorry, my roommate was talking to me.

SixStringGuy: Hello Grumpy :). That's ok. I was worried you were ignoring me.

Grumpybluebear: No no. I've been looking forward to our chat.

SixStringGuy: Oh really?

Grumpybluebear: yeah. You just seem different from the people I have in my life right now and that makes you really nice to talk to.

SixStringGuy: oh? And?

An awkward blush rose over my cheeks at my own admission. Then it dawned on me, I could tell him anything. He doesn't know me in person and he certainly doesn't know anyone in my circle. A smile appeared on my face as I briefly thought about this liberating idea.

Grumpybluebear: and, how was your week? Did you get everything worked out for the new strip club??

SixStringGuy: interesting change of subject. You know that's not really what I do.

Grumpybluebear: well until you tell me what you do that's the story in sticking with.

SixStringGuy: lol! Ok. No, we still have some final details to hammer out.

Grumpybluebear: how long have you been working on this anyway?

SixStringGuy: a few years now.

Grumpybluebear: Damn! You must really want that location.