Chapter 7

I spent the rest of the evening playing through the first few levels of Warcraft III. They did a nice job with the 3-D engine, as well as divorcing the game from the pure strategy and tactics genre into a role-playing/strategy hybrid. When you get the commercial version, you'll understand what I mean. The amount of memory required for optimum game function, however--<shaking head>--they weren't kidding when they said that it worked best on SGIs. Even my souped-up Pentium 4 was having problems with adequate game speed.

At eleven fifty-eight, I headed over to Anya's room, having finished my evening ablutions. In case you're under the impression I made any extra effort regarding the meeting, I was in sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt--despite the central heating, it did get chilly in my room.

The door was open, but I knocked before entering. Anya was in a beanbag, watching SNL--an Alec Baldwin rerun. "Close the door," she said softly as she turned off the TV. I shut the door gently, then sank into the other beanbag. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday. What I said was completely out of line, and I'm sorry."

Wow. I hadn't been expecting this. "Apology accepted. There were a few things I said then I wouldn't mind taking back," I replied after a short pause.

"Can we start over?"

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Anya, we are who we are. I don't think we'd get along in the long run."

"Is it because you think I'm a manipulative little bitch? Or that every time you see me, you see Kathy?" She smiled sadly. "By the way, you fibbed earlier about how much I looked liked her."

"How did you-"

"Mostly from Natalie, though the haunted expression on your face when we ran into each other this morning answered a few questions. Before you realized that it was me, that is."

I took a few moments to gather my thoroughly scattered thoughts. "Mostly the former," was all I could manage.

"What if I changed? For you?"

Damn. And the shocks just keep coming. "Anya, why are you doing this? Why does it mean so much to you that we-" rapid assessment, then a quick decision, "-stay friends?"

"Because you make me want to be a better person," she said simply. "I've manipulated people throughout my whole life, and you're the first one that called me on it and made me realize what I was doing. You made me see myself for the arrogant self-centered girl I've been."

"And you think that being around me will somehow make you a better person?" I said incredulously. "I'm flattered, but it doesn't work that way."

"Just think about it, please?"

"I guess I can do that."

"Do you guys tell each other everything!?"

Natalie had happened to *wander* by scant minutes after I went back to my room. She was sprawled on my bed, wearing a long flannel nightgown (her normal sleep attire), while I was comfortably ensconced in a pile of throw pillows on the floor. At my semi-irritated remark, she rolled over to the side of the bed and looked down on me.

"Well, almost anything," she said lazily. "Not our waterfall conversation, but just about everything else."

"'Waterfall conversation'? That gives new meaning to the phrase 'body language'!"

She had the grace to blush. "It was a valid form of communication."

"Fair enough."

We enjoyed a moment or two of comfortable silence.

"Did she ask you?"

"Ask me what?"

"About becoming friends again."

"Yes."

"And?"

"I said I'd think about it. The way she spelled it out freaked me out a little."

"Like how she wants you to play Pygmalion?"

"You know you classics, I see."

"No, just George Bernard Shaw. Her situation doesn't really fit the mythical version.'

"Though one could argue about the heart of stone-"

"Alex!"

"Okay, I'll stop being mean. heaven knows I'd hate for you to start poking me again."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Don't even think about it."

Which meant that three seconds later, we were wrestling on the floor. Having had some advance warning, I managed to eke out a draw this time.

"I have a confession to make," she said five minutes later, her head resting on my head as we recovered from out brief tussle. She was lying mostly on me, with my arms around her.

"Hmm?"

"It's really selfish of me, but I hope you don't get over Kathy any time soon."

That startled me out of my lassitude. "Why in the world would you want that?"

"Because we'd never be able to do this-" she gestured to out partially entangled bodies, "-without things getting sexual very soon, very fast." She looked at me intently. "Don't you think we just might get carried away if you weren't worried about hurting me?"

"A little." Trying desperately to switch to a more innocuous subject, I essayed, "But you're forgetting one thing."

"What's that?"

"As I said before, I'm not looking for a girl who's charming, intelligent, beautiful, and used to getting her own way." I touched her nose lightly. "Last time I checked, you were three of the four, so I guess that disqualifies you."

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

There was an earnestness in her voice that made me remove all traces of frivolity in mine. "Yes, I think you're beautiful. Anyone would have to be blind if-"