Jason really wasn't in the mood to wait. He was determined to get this over with as quickly as possible. But with the Connelys' phone off the hook, there wasn't anything he could do about it. Unless...maybe Becky was on the computer? He still had her username in his IM list from back when she was Benny, though he hadn't talked to her online since before she'd dropped out of public view. Hopeful, he booted up his computer, and then the IM client.
No luck. If Becky still had the same username, she wasn't on. But Andrew was; they still weren't on the best of terms after what had happened earlier that week, but right now Jason was (reluctantly) willing to swallow a bit of pride if it meant getting closer to a lead. He initiated a conversation, and to his relief Andrew accepted. Alright, he'd have to choose his words carefully.
Hey, he typed.
Hey.
Jason wasn't normally the type to be bothered by the lack of inflection in text communications, but it would've been comforting to know whether or not that was a casual response or a bitter one. How's it going? he continued. He was eager to get to the point, but if he got too far ahead he might blow his chance.
Not too bad. You? That was a relief; Andrew didn't appear to be particularily angry with him. Kind of a hectic day, he replied; the sense of understatement was almost tangible. But I guess that's life.
Yep.
So, he said, um...how's Becky?
She's okay. Why?
Phew. Subject broached. Now if he could just avoid pissing Andrew off long enough to get help. I dunno. I just...kinda feel bad about the other day, is all.
Well, you were a major asshole. But she got over it pretty quick.
The odd thing was that, even if he hadn't been trying to keep the conversation going well, Jason didn't really feel like arguing. He still thought the whole thing with Becky, and Andrew's friendship with her, was creepy and weird as hell, but...well, he kind of had been a jerk, hadn't he? He wasn't really sure he felt like doing anything about it, but if she really had been turned into a girl against her will by magic, maybe he should try and be a bit less annoying about it in the future.
...yeah, he typed. I guess I should apologize, but she's not on. This wasn't quite true, but he needed to keep the conversation going where it should, and he'd probably have to apologize to her to get any help, anyway. Is she under a different nick now?
...
No.
Jason breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like Andrew was willing to tell him how to get ahold of Becky. But that meant she really wasn't on...oh wait, there was another reply. She's over at Ellen's house tonight, Andrew had written.
Right, Jason replied. Huh. Guess I'll talk to her some other time, then. He closed the window. He couldn't ask Andrew about it without sounding like a stalker, but he was pretty sure that "Ellen" was Ellen Carlisle, one of the girls in his class, who lived about ten blocks away. Maybe he could just walk on over and see if Becky would talk to him. He wasn't sure that his mom would go for it, but he had to give it a try.
