Page 18 of Dance with Me on New Year's Eve

SawyerRox4:Cats are better for people who aren’t home as much.

CastGamer55:Why don’t you have a pet then?

SawyerRox4:Ah it’s a little more complicated than that.

CastGamer55:OK.

SawyerRox4:It’s just … I can’t even keep plants alive. Maybe I’m just not cut out for keeping other living beings alive.

CastGamer55:That’s probably nonsense.

SawyerRox4:lol, is that so?

CastGamer55:You sell yourself short, most likely. But what do I know? Just some random guy on the internet.

SawyerRox4:I mean, that’s true. I was kind of hoping you’d have pets actually for that reason :D

CastGamer55:??

SawyerRox4:People with pets are less likely to be crazy, weird internet stalkers.

CastGamer55:Anecdotal or scientific conclusion?

SawyerRox4:Um … neither? Just a hunch. Pets humanize people, you know?

CastGamer55:I have no idea if that’s true. But in any case, I do like cats and dogs. Does that make you feel better?

SawyerRox4:lol, yes actually. Some day maybe?

CastGamer55:Sure.

I sat back, oddly pleased by this. Instead of seeming turned off by my weirdness in this meandering conversation, he was playing along!

SawyerRox4:So, uh, we should probably talk about thegame. Sorry I got sidetracked.

CastGamer55:I think you meanwegot sidetracked. I was in the conversation too.

SawyerRox4:Nonetheless, sorry for distracting us from the game project.

CastGamer55:No need to apologize. I like chatting with you.

My heart thumped hard in my chest. Why did this make me so happy? It wasn’tthatunusual for me to find it easier to talk to people online than in person. But there was something about his words that made me feel warm inside. Because I needed a friend, right? That must be why. I only had one friend, after all, and I hadn’t heard from Julia much lately.

Against my will, my mind wandered to the woman in real life who obviously didn’t see me as a friend. I mean, sure, Hazel was my boss. But she struck me as the kind of person who was friends with everyone, regardless of work relationship or status. Everyone except me. I furrowed my brow, only just now realizing how much this wasstillbothering me.

Was I just not friend material?

And worse yet: Why did I need to care?

CastGamer55:Are you still there?

SawyerRox4:Sorry, sorry! I just got distracted. Again. Thanks, I like talking to you too.

CastGamer55:Well, that’s a relief, because we have a great deal of work ahead of us designing this game.

SawyerRox4:You make it sound so fun.

CastGamer55:Well, work can be fun.

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