Look Closer

Harry meets his online love interest.

“It’s love.” Harry glanced at his best friend. The glow from the TV reflected off her glasses. 

 

“Oh come on. Love? You guys haven’t even met.” Onscreen the hero pumped a shotgun, firing it into hordes of approaching zombies.

 

“We connect. It’s about more than just looks or faces. It’s personality ... fate.”

 

Brenda chuckled. “Can you even hear yourself? Fate? And tell me you’ve at least seen a picture.” In the movie the stereotypical damsel in distress cried out for help. 

 

Harry glared at his friend. It was hard to see her in the darkness reigning in the living room, but he could still make out the two braided ponytails and dark brown hair. “It’s not about looks. But yeah, course.” He smiled despite himself. “Blonde hair, blue eyes ... she’s hot.”

 

He could make out his friend rolling her eyes. “Of course.” The hero in the movie rescued the girl by killing the last of the zombies. She stood there, quivering, as she whispered words of gratitude to her strapping rescuer.

 

“I told you, it’s not about that. I love ... her. I know it sounds crazy, all we’ve ever communicated through is words, but I do.”

 

On the TV screen the hero and the girl shared a passionate kiss. “It’s not crazy,” Brenda said quietly. It wasn’t long after that the credit list began to roll. Brenda grabbed the remote and turned the screen off. She stood up and switched on the light. Harry blinked a few times, the sudden onslaught hurting his eyes. 

 

“Speaking of,” Harry stood up, “when are you going to join this new instant messenger revolution? I mean, it’s time to step out of the dark ages.”

 

“Haha. I prefer you know, talking, with words and sounds.”

 

“Suit yourself.”

 

Brenda looked at him for a moment, with an unreadable expression. “So ... are you two lovebirds ever gonna meet?”

 

Harry shrugged. In truth it was something he had been almost obsessing over, but for some reason he didn’t feel like revealing his enthusiasm to her. “I don’t know. She lives almost on the opposite end of the country. Not for a while probably.”

 

She nodded quietly. “Okay.” He thought he saw sadness in her eyes �" but it got quickly replaced. “So ... I gotta go. Talk tomorrow.” Brenda turned and left the living room. Harry heard the main door slam shut with a bit more force than usually. 

 

He felt oddly alone, standing there. “But we usually talk about the movie ...” he said to himself. She was upset about something, but he couldn’t figure out what. Eventually he shrugged, and went into his room. Ignoring the mess, he plummeted straight into his computer chair, put headphones on and pulled up a computer game filled with guns and violence.

 

But really, it was just to pass the time until she came on. Even as some monster’s guts splattered all over the virtual walls, all he could think about was her. He routinely replayed their conversations in his head. They filled him with a warm glow that was hard to explain or ignore.

 

Of course there was a flipside, if she didn’t come on he always felt disappointed. A familiar message sound brought a smile to his face, and told him that wasn’t today. He quit the game without another thought, and brought up the instant messaging window. 

 

DancingSmurfette: Hey :)

 

HarryTheMagician: Hi!

 

DancingSmurfette: What are you doing? No, wait, let me guess. Video game? *knowing smile*

 

HarryTheMagician: You know me too well ;)

 

DancingSmurfette: Hihihi. But. Today I got kind of some big news.

 

HarryTheMagician: Really? What’s happening?

 

DancingSmurfette: Okay ... okay ... promise not to freak out but ...

 

HarryTheMagician: Promise. Now tell me. Before I die of suspense :P

 

DancingSmurfette: You know the town. Where you are. Right now. Typing this.

 

HarryTheMagician: Yeeessss ... ???

 

DancingSmurfette: I’m there too right now!!!!!!!

 

HarryTheMagician: What???!! Tell me you’re not joking ...

 

DancingSmurfette: No joke. It’s real. An aunt died down here. I didn’t even know we had an aunt down here. Total surprise when my parents told me where we were going. You can just imagine what my face looked like. Something like this: :O :O :O

 

HarryTheMagician: But that’s ... wow. So we can meet? I mean, I’m sorry for your aunt but ... 

 

DancingSmurfette: Lol. I hardly even knew her �" but thanks. Apparently she was close to my dad way back when but ... *shrugs*

 

HarryTheMagician: I ... I’m just shocked, I don’t even know what to say.

 

DancingSmurfette: Don’t worry, I’m feeling exactly the same way. Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner but ... I wanted it to be a surprise. So surprise!

 

HarryTheMagician: ... There’s this diner. Sea Soup Diner. (Somebody’s idea of a clever pun) Me and my friend go there all the time. Maybe we can meet there?

 

DancingSmurfette: Yeah. Sounds good :) I’m sure I’ll find my way there, lol.

 

HarryTheMagician: Cool. Maybe ... around four?

 

DancingSmurfette: Okay. Lol. But hey, I gotta go now. See you �" actually see you for once �" tomorrow :D

 

HarryTheMagician: Yep :D

 

Harry watched as the girl of his dreams logged off. Strange emotions clashed within him. Fear, anxiety, pure bliss. They made him feel like getting sick and skipping around the room at the same time. It was pretty late, so he did neither and instead prepared for bed, and as he laid his head on his pillow, only one thought existed in his brain.

 

I’m going to see her.

 

Morning came and time passed far too slowly. Almost the entire day he obsessed about the upcoming date. Brenda came by briefly and they played a few video games co-op, but she had to leave. Harry was left with nothing to distract himself for a few hours. Eventually �" after hours of staring at the computer clock, trying vainly to pass the time with online games �" the time finally arrived for him to get dressed and ready.

 

Fortunately his parents were out of town this weekend, so he didn’t have to explain himself to them. Fifteen minutes later, he stared at himself in the mirror, thoughts battling in his head. What if he wasn’t handsome enough for her. He looked at his pale face, his brown eyes, the thick copper hair. Harry knew he wasn’t exactly built like an athlete �" more like a beanpole. He had shown her his photo, and she said he looked cute but ...

 

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. And what about his clothes? Jeans ... striped shirt ... Should he lose the shirt? He never wore shirts. “Okay, okay, get it together, Harry.” He glanced at his mobile. Fifteen minutes? S**t. He’d have to leave now. Harry took one last look at himself in the mirror, before running to the front door, grabbing a jacket, jumping into his shoes, and leaving the house.

 

Harry walked in the slightly chilly fall air, putting his hands in his pockets. He tried, and failed, to clear his mind as he walked. The diner wasn’t far �" part of why it had been his and Brenda’s favorite destination for so long. A twinge of guilt carried through him at the thought of his friend. He had neglected to mention this date when she came over today. And he usually never kept secrets from her.

 

Oh well, he’d tell her after he knew how this went. The familiar red-and-blue diner came into view. The neon sign felt oddly comforting as he walked across the parking lot. He entered the diner, wondering if she was there already. It was still three minutes early. Harry scanned the faces.

 

He did see one he recognized �" but it wasn’t her. Harry grimaced, not sure how to handle this. Brenda sat at one of the tables. After a few moments of just standing there, he sat in her booth. “Oh hey.” She brightened up as she saw him. 

           

“Hi.” He sighed. “Okay, I have ... something to tell you. The girl I was talking to online is in town. I told her I’d meet her here. I know it’s ... could you just give us some privacy? I’m sorry, I just want to meet her alone for the first time. I promise you, you’ll get to meet her too later.” A bout of laughter slipped from Brenda’s lips. Harry stared at her. “What?”

 

Instead of answering, Brenda reached into a gym bag she had next to her on the bench, and pulled up two things and put them on the table. One was a blonde wig, the other was a box for contact lenses. Harry recognized the wig, and a horrible suspicion gathered in his mind. Brenda looked at him. “The contact lenses are blue, in case you were wondering.”

 

Harry shook his head. “Stop it. She’ll be here any moment. How did you see her picture anyway?”

 

“Harry ... I saw it cause I sent it. I’m her. My sister lent me the wig and ...”

 

“No! ” Harry shot up in his seat, towering over Brenda. The fury he felt right now surprised even him. “You’re not her. Stop messing with me.”

 

“I got a cousin. Remember, I told you about her. Nikita. Most of the details I told you were from her life. Some I just made up. Like the story about the aunt to make her trip here believable. I did that and this meeting so you were more likely to believe me. But the connection you said you felt? That was real. We’ve had it for years in real life. But you never noticed me �" not like you noticed Dancing Smurf. And why? Cause she had blonde hair? Cause she wasn’t me?”

 

Unbidden the gears in Harry´s mind began aligning up the facts. They coincided with what she had told him. The reason he felt so close with her �" her views on everything. Why hadn’t he seen it? The way she talked. Was he stupid? “You tricked me.” 

 

Brenda looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “It was just a joke in the beginning ... but you liked her so much more than me! And I like you so much more than you like me. So what was I supposed to do?”

 

Harry stared at her for a moment, aware that other eyes in the diner were on them. “Not this.” He turned, and walked away, ignoring the stares. Willing himself to keep going, and not to turn back, he opened the door to the diner, and went outside. Now all he had to do was to walk home and ...

 

And what? All he had been looking forward to for over a month was a girl that didn’t even exist. But a voice whispered something in his head. A voice he knew in his heart was right. It said, but she does exist ... she’s sitting in that diner right now, crying because of you.

 

Harry didn’t allow himself to think. He turned around, went back into the diner, and walked to the table Brenda was still sitting at. She tried to discreetly wipe her eyes. “So ... come to tell me we can’t be friends anymore?”

 

He shook his head. “I was wondering ... how do you feel about wearing a blonde wig and blue contacts daily?” 

 

She stared at him. “You …

 

He smiled. “I’m kidding. Jeez.”

 

Brenda rolled her eyes. “Funny.”

 

“So ... Dancing Smurf,” he laid his hand, palm up, on the table, stretching towards her, “I can't promise you anything, but maybe, maybe we could go on a date? Together. Not as friends, but as …” he couldn't help but grinning, “two strangers who met online.”

 

She matched his grin and took his hand. “Harry The Magician, pleased to meet you.”