By Erica Dias <ericaonline@hotmail.com>
Rated G
Submitted: August 2004.
Summary: When MDL meets BS on the internet, will their meeting be what they expected? (A longer micro-little-tiny vignette).
Author's notes: Ok. I can't talk much right now. After an endless night of insomnia, I am finally able to blink my eyes heavily. This not-so-little piece was written by a very sleepy and virtual addicted person who actually thinks finding a date on the internet is something nice as the author of this piece (me, by the way) has managed to find her 4- year-long-boyfriend on ICQ. It was written in one day and thanks to my noodles-speed BR it could come out the day after. Thanks SQD!!! And thanks to Larissa Kaye for GE- ing this for me. This piece should be located somewhere before Lois and Clark started going out together. I hope you like it. Any feedback is welcome.
Disclaimers: The characters shown here are not mine. They belong to DC Comics. I'm just playing with them because I have nothing else to do.
***
It was Friday night and Lois didn't have much to do. She hadn't been seeing anyone for some time now. Her sister, Lucy, had warned her, "I just want you to find a super guy. Lois, you have interviews, not dates. They aren't the same thing."
*Why didn't you listen to Lucy, you stupid gal? Now what? Should I call Clark to see what he's doing tonight? No, he said something about meeting his parents. Maybe he went all the way to Smallville. I won't even bother to call. Besides, staying at home with Clark is cool, but I'm always too lazy to come back home after the pizza contest we always hold. And I'd like to explore other possibilities for a change. Maybe I shou?*
"What am I doing? Babbling in my head?" she said, giggling.
*Oh, well? what are my possibilities now? Go to a bar, get drunk and bring any guy home?*
"Nah!!!?
She looked around her living room and saw her laptop. She lifted one of her eyebrows with the idea of cyber-chatting for a change.
"Why not? At least I wouldn't have to dress up, spend money on expensive places and come home alone. I'll just save time and money and stay here alone."
Lois got her laptop, deciding to chat in her room where it was more comfortable. After connecting to her phone line, she decided to grab a snack and some tea while she waited for a scandisk. Before long she was logged into a popular chatroom under the screen name of Lena — it wouldn't do for someone to recognize her.
She found many uninteresting people milling around. And from the little conversation with those people, she knew she would be in better company in the Arctic with the penguins. They all seemed to be so shallow, only talking about these empty and pointless stories that had faded out ages ago. After 10 minutes of pure waste in which she kept in silence in real and virtual time, she suddenly screamed to the screen:
"This is not news. This is history!!! Arugh!! These people make me sick."
She closed her notebook and went to the kitchen to set her empty cup of tea on the sink. She went to the bathroom, washed her face, put on all of the nasty cucumber creams that only women appreciate and think actually work, and stood in front of her mirror, looking at herself in a moment of reflection.
Lois looked at the notebook again. She seemed to be fighting against the fact that IT would be the only company she would have that night. She kept looking at it just as she usually looked at Clark when he had a point on any of their arguments. Right now IT had a point. She frowned and admitted her defeat. After all, she was there alone and the computer wouldn't be bragging about itself. She came back to her room, got some extra blankets from her closet as well as another pillow. She covered herself with the blankets and put the extra pillow on her lap in order to keep eye contact with her screen and keyboard. With everything all set again, she turned it on with a more confident approach.
"Let's see what you have for me."
She was fuming. She still would have to go to the site, submit another nickname, choose a chatroom and, after all that, try to find someone worth talking to. She couldn't find any other suitable nickname than MDL at the moment and entered a chatroom on cultural differences.
"Alright, now someone has to show up," she said with a demanding voice as if she was coordinating the sequence of events in the virtual world.
But no one showed up.
"Ok?. Let's try? groups per age? 25-30? Here you go," she said, pressing the enter key with extra strength.
Still nothing.
"Ok?. I've never liked to talk to people my age anyway. Let's try? 40-50?"
Nothing.
"All the grampas in bed? Wake up people!!! It's just midnight! Ok, last try? 50-70. You better work now, you piece of garbage!? she threatened her PC again, typing almost every key on it with anger.
(12:04 am) MDL enters the room.
(12:04 am) MDL: Hi, anyone out there care to chat?
(12:05 am) MDL: Hi, anyone out there care to chat?
Nothing.
(12:07 am) BS privately says to MDL: Hi there, MDL. Good morning.
(12:07 am) MDL privately says to BS: Ooo? finally someone's talking to me.
(12:07 am) BS privately says to MDL: Why? No one else available?
(12:08 am) MDL privately says to BS: I don't know. No one talked to me till now. Except u.
(12:08 am) BS privately says to MDL: Actually, I'm kinda busy in another conversation. But I can talk to u 2? I mean? if it doesn't bother u that I'm talking to other people.
(12:09 am) MDL privately says to BS: Go ahead, it's not like we're married or anything.
(12:09 am) BS privately says to MDL: LOL. Thanks. So why r u here? Problems sleeping?
Lois liked the guy. He wasn't writing that internet speech thingy (Hi, how are you? Asl, plz..)
(12:12 am) MDL privately says to BS: U could say that. I felt like staying at home 4 a change.
(12:13 am) BS privately says to MDL: So u usually go out on Friday nights? What happened? Ur bf/gf left u at home and went out with his friends?
(12:13 am) MDL privately says to BS: No, I don't have a BF.
(12:14 am) BS privately says to MDL: So, you're a girl? (hopefully)
(12:14 am) MDL privately says to BS: No. I'm a woman.
(12:16 am) BS privately says to MDL: I like the sound of that. LOL.
(12:17 am) MDL privately says to BS: And what brings u here?
(12:17 am) BS privately says to MDL: Just spending some quality time around. I usually like to stay at home and surf the web for some reading.
(12:18 am) MDL privately says to BS: What kind of stuff do u like to read?
(12:21 am) BS privately says to MDL: About almost everything. You know? internet is good for that. Meeting new people each day. Some people think it is boring and others think it is something to be used as a last resource to get a date, but I don't. When you're alone you have a chance to know everyone, but when you are with someone you just concentrate in one.
(12:22 am) MDL privately says to BS: That's so cute. So, I suppose you're a guy, uh?
(12:22 am) BS privately says to MDL: No. I'm a man.
That impressed her. The man had learned his lesson really fast.
(12:42 am) MDL privately says to BS: Smooth. But for a guy? I mean? a man, u seem to be more out-of-fashionly romantic than the men we usually find these days. I mean? guys are just so busy trying to find ways to get women falling at their feet that I think it is amazing u are different from this huge majority. Nowadays, people r just willing to impress u and they usually lie about everything from their hair color to their body build. I'm so disgusted by those kinds of men that just can't realize women are of the grown up status. We work, we raise families alone, we manage to have total independence and control of our lives. Why do they always have to treat women like prey? That's just so wrong. I'm sorry? people usually tell me I babble. Am I babbling to you? I just wanted to make a point here, but I guess I didn't make any sense.
(12:46 am) BS privately says to MDL: LOLOLOLOL. Don't worry, I'm kinda used to it. But? yes? you made sense in a way. Men nowadays don't respect women's rights. I guess you would change your mind if u met me. You'd be surprised by how women manage to control me.
(12: 48 am) MDL privately says to BS: Maybe I would. LOLOL. But right now I think I better head to bed. It was nice talking 2 u.
(12: 49 am) BS privately says to MDL: Say, MDL? are you free tomorrow night?
"That fast? Is he really serious?" Lois shrank on her bed.
(12:53 am) MDL privately says to BS: You mean? for a date?
(12:53 am) BS privately says to MDL: Yeah, a date.
(12:56 am) MDL privately says to BS: I? uh? look, no offense but I'm not as old as u think I am. I'm only 27. I'm sure u would be expecting a? more mature woman.
(12: 58 am) BS privately says to MDL: No, for me it is fine. I'm only 29.
(01:00 am) MDL privately says to BS: And why r u in a chatroom 4 50-above?
(01:01 am) BS privately says to MDL: Because I've always found it more interesting to talk to older people.
He had her there. Exactly what she had in mind when she started talking to him in the first place.
(01:04 am) MDL privately says to BS: Well, I guess it would do no harm. Could u pick me up at work?
(01:05 am) BS privately says to MDL: Sure. At what time?
(01:05 am) MDL privately says to BS: I leave at 7pm.
(01:07 am) BS privately says to MDL: That's fine for me. Well, I'll see you tomorrow.
(01:07 am) MDL privately says to BS: Wait! You don't want to know where I work?
(01:10 am) BS privately says to MDL: Sorry, I? uh? forgot to ask. I may be more sleepy than I thought.
(01:12) MDL privately says to BS: Well, I work at the Daily Planet.
(01:13 am) BS privately says to MDL: A reporter?
(01:13 am) MDL privately says to BS: Yes.
(01:14 am) BS privately says to MDL: Great. I just have this hunch that you're a really good one.
(01:14 am) MDL privately says to BS: The best.
(01:15 am) BS privately says to MDL: And modest. LOL.
(01:16 am) MDL privately says to BS: So, how would I recognize you?
(01:16 am) BS privately says to MDL: I will be holding a red rose for you.
(01:17 am) MDL privately says to BS: Ooh, that's so cute of u. But listen, you have to get in the newsroom and I'll be there waiting for u. Don't worry. Probably at 7 pm few people will be there. I'll be able to recognize u in a second. Trust me. I'll c u tomorrow.
(01:16 am) BS privately says to MDL: C u.
(01:17 am) BS leaves the room.
(01:18 am) MDL leaves the room.
That's it. She had set a date. She called it a night and turned off her laptop and disconnected from the phone line. She covered herself with her blankets and hugged the extra pillow. She was having a weird sensation. She stared at the ceiling for a while, trying to remember each sentence she and BS exchanged. She was wondering what BS would stand for.
*Brian Sullivan? Bruno Silva? Bernard Shaw? Bart Simpson?* She laughed at the last two names that came to mind.
After some time, Lois finally got some sleep.
***
The following day in the newsroom, everything was pretty quiet. She didn't have to go to work that day. Usually senior reporters had the privilege of staying at home on weekends and that's why she thought Clark would be with his parents. Instead, she found him working at his desk. It was 6:50 pm and he was shutting off his screen when she arrived in front of his desk.
"Lois, I thought you'd take the weekend off."
"So did I. I thought you went to see your folks in Smallville."
"No, I just stayed at home. And what are you doing here?"
"I'm waiting for someone."
"One of your snitches?"
"No."
"One of your sources?"
"It's Saturday night, Clark. You actually think I'm so addicted to work like that?"
"Ooo? sorry. Who is he?" he said, grabbing his jacket from the hanger and getting ready to go home.
"What makes you think I'm waiting for a man?"
"Just have this hunch. A good one, I guess." He blinked.
"It's 7:03 already. He's late!?
"You worry too much, Lois."
Lois went to her desk and lay her head on one folded arm. She didn't sleep much thinking that it had been a mistake to accept a John Doe's invitation for a date like that.
Clark was ready to go. He caressed her hair and asked her if she wanted him to wait with her.
"Just go, Clark. I'll be fine."
She returned her head to the desk and stayed there for a few minutes. She couldn?t believe how she could make such a fool of herself. She rose up from her chair and decided to go home and just shut down that computer for eternity. She turned to the elevator and she was astonished by what she saw.
There was Clark standing with a single red rose in his hand.
"Clark? It was you?"? All that time? How?"
"I don't know how you did it, Lois, but you entered an age group chatroom that me and my parents use to talk when we're not on the phone and I'm working on my computer."
"How did you know it was me?"
"I didn't at first. But for the initials of the famous Mad Dog Lane and for the babbling, I could recognize you in a billion."
"That's why you didn't ask where I worked."
"Exactly. And even before you said you worked at the Daily Planet, I knew it was you."
"Ok, you got me on that one." He gave her the rose and she smelled its perfume. "Thanks." She smiled.
"So, are you hungry?" he asked, leading the way to the elevator.
"Kind of. It's past 8 now. You were late by an hour!"
"I wasn't. I was here all the time."
"Alright, alright? but let me ask you something? what does BS stand for… no, wait… let me guess?"
They said it in chorus, giggling. "Boy scout!!!"
THE END :D