"But I don't even know what you look like!" Matt complained.
"Matt why.."
"Why.. what?" It was just text on a screen, but Katherine could almost see the grin that he had had on his face while typing that.
"Why," she continued, "do you need to know what I look like to be friends with me?! You KNOW me."
"If I can't pick you out of a crowd, I don't know you, Kit-Kat."
Her stomach flipped. She had told him to call her Katherine many times, like everyone else she knew, but he had insisted that he called her Kat or Kit-Kat instead. It was almost as if he were naming her for himself.
"Fine!" she typed back. Chewing her lip, she browsed through some of the photos that she had stored on her computer of herself. She wasn't entirely sure about giving a photo to someone she had met only a few days ago, and over the internet no less. She didn't want to give him any ideas. The IM box lit up on the bottom of her screen, indicating that he had typed back. He's being very insistent, she thought to herself. After going through two folders of old photos and seeing that almost every decent one of herself was taken with her ex-boyfriend, Kyle, Katherine decided to just take one right then and send it, instead. She wasn't wearing any make-up, but she didn't want to look like she was trying too hard; besides, many people told her that she didn't need it. Her olive complexion was smooth and clear and her brown, almond-shaped eyes demanded attention all by themselves. She looked down at what she was wearing: white tank top and flannel pajama shorts. "They're just going to have to do," she thought. Katherine reached behind her head and let out her long, dark hair. She loved that her mixed background had rewarded her with both fine, straight hair as well as a seriously sexy, ethnic appeal. Smiling widely, she snapped the photo and sent it off, waiting nervously for him to reply.
"...wow."
Dismayed, she quickly responded, "I know, I know. I've been up for hours writing this paper, I probably should've just sent you an old one.."
"No way, you took this right now..?! You're gorgeous, Kit-Kat."
"Um?"
"Really. I like the way your cheeks dimple when you smile,too." Her stomach flipped again. He seemed to do that to her often.
From that point on, Katherine noticed Matt commenting more about her looks and staying up later and later to talk to her. He'd slip in a comment about her looks, she'd tease him, they'd flirt. It was 2 months after they'd first started talking when Matt again found her on their forums. He made a public post about having "the cutest girl talking to him on IM right now." She saw it and rolled her eyes, and responding in IM to tell him to quit it. Other posters quickly posted back to harass him and ask who.
"They're asking about you, Kit-Kat." Matt would reply back in IM. "Should I tell them?"
"Matt stop being a weirdo."
"Hey Kat, I forgot to tell you. I bought something that I think you'd like." A video request popped up alongside their conversation. "Accept it!"
"A webcam?" She clicked yes. A man's face appeared in the small box on the screen. His brows were furrowed in concentration, the blue eyes staring intently at something below the camera. 'He's fucking cute!' thought Katherine giddily. His dark hair was tousled, as if he'd been sleeping. Katherine made out a bit of stubble that softened his strong jawline. He had on a plain white t-shirt, which showed off his lean, muscled arms as he worked at the keyboard. 'I can't believe HE'S been the one calling me hot for the past 2 weeks!'
"What are you looking at?" she typed to him.