ChatRoom101

Chapter 1

**12 years on**

I slipped on my white pair of converse and grabbed my car keys from my table. I walked over to my mirror and grimaced at the girl staring back at me. I had on faded denim shorts, a plain white shirt and my favourite light blue Jack Wills jumper. My brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun and I didn’t even bother covering my face up with make-up. I just wasn’t that type of girl. Definitely not impressing anyone today, I thought. I chuckled at myself and slung my tattered bag over my shoulder, heading downstairs.

“Bye mum!” I called out to her.

“Bye honey, be safe, ok?” she yelled back. I chuckled again, ah the life of the Mason’s.

I went out the door and walked to my beloved Mini Couper, slightly shivering against the cold wind. It’s mid-May which means autumn’s nearly over and winter is fast approaching. I slid into my car, turn on the heater and just let the warm air settle before I backed out of the driveway. I hummed to an unfamiliar tune on the radio, just letting my mind relax for another day in university.

As I sat through another boring and monotonous lecture, my mind wandered off on its own accord and I found myself thinking about a mystery guy that I had met online. We’d been chatting for a few weeks and already, I feel like we’ve been friends for ages. At first I was apprehensive, I mean, this guy could be a creepy stalker for all I know but then we got talking and it continued on every single day, until now. I still don’t trust him completely, he doesn’t know any personal details, not even my name, we just like to talk, nothing more.

Slowly, my fingers almost danced across the keyboard of my laptop accessing the site we talk on. Surprisingly, he was online! I tapped the mute button so I don’t embarrass myself if he messages me. Sure enough, a tab pops open and a new conversation begins.

Irish93: Wassup, gorgeous. What’re ya doin online? Aren’t you in uni?

Mase101: Gorgeous? How do I know you’re not a creeper? Haha, kidding. How’d you even know that I’m in uni?

Irish93: It’s called time difference, Liz. Not that hard to calculate ;)

I told him to call me Liz, short for my middle name, Elizabeth. He told me to call him James, I don’t know if it’s his real name or if it’s even a part of his name, but I accepted it nonetheless. It was easier that way rather than having to call each other by our IM names.

Mase101: Still a creeper, James! Besides, what are YOU doing up? It’s like 5 in the morning there.

Irish93: Now who’s a creeper? Eh? Haha, kiddin’ love. I can’t go back to sleep, besides I have to be up soon anyway. I got, uh, work…

Mase101: Work? That early in the morning?!  You sure about that? :P

Irish93: Haha, you don’t even know the half of it.

Mase101: Oh really? Why don’t you explain yourself then?

Irish93: I will, one day. Now’s not the right time, besides, you should be concentrating on your lecture, not me.

I rolled my eyes before typing in, ‘Yes dad. Gee, you make it sound like it’s the hardest thing to do, James.’

Irish93: It kind of is, Liz. Don’t worry, someday, hopefully soon, I’ll get to explain. Right now, I’m going to tell you to go. We’ll talk again later, ok?

Mase101: If you say so, J. Have fun at work. Xx

I sighed, I was kind of anxious to meet the guy. There’s so many questions that I want to ask him. Soon, he keeps on saying. It’s like he knows we’re going to meet soon.

Another message popped up on my screen.

Irish93: ASTA LA VISTA BABY ;) Haha, have a good night, love. Xx

I giggled, his sense of humour makes me even more intrigued. I sighed as I logged out of the chat room and forced myself to focus on the rest of the lecture.