"Test, test!"
The voice crackled through Joe's gaming headset as he settled into his gaming chair, controller in hand. He adjusted the microphone, ensuring his voice was clear.
"Yo!"
A familiar voice responded in his headphones. It was Ebri, his best friend since childhood. They had been through thick and thin together, and their bond had only grown stronger over the years.
"Are we just playing two?" Joe asked, still fiddling with the settings.
"Ye-yes," Joe stammered, "well, actually I need someone to talk to and I couldn't find anyone I trust more than you!"
Ebri chuckled on the other end. "Okayyy, so are you trying to make me blush right now? What do you want to talk about, handsome boy?"
Joe laughed, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Wait, I'm changing my skin," he said, referring to his in-game character's appearance.
"Okay!" Ebri replied, his character ready and waiting in the virtual world.
"Okay, done!" Joe informed him.
"Okay!"
With their characters set, they started their game. For the first five minutes, there were no words between them, just the sounds of virtual warfare. The tension was palpable as they engaged in battle, but it wasn't long before Joe decided to break the silence.
"So..." Joe began tentatively.
"Yes, so?" replied Ebri flatly, clearly absorbed in the game.
"I don't know where to start. You know..."
Joe waited for Ebri's response, but there was no reply from his best friend. He took a deep breath and continued, "You remember the girl we met at the restaurant before the charity concert last week?"
"Shea?" answered Ebri quickly.
"Yes! You remember!" Joe responded, a touch of excitement in his voice.
"What about her?" asked Ebri, his curiosity piqued. "Did you meet her again?"
"No!" Joe replied, "Not yet. I hope we'll see each other again, actually! I really hope!"
"Oh-oh!" Ebri teased, "So, tell me, what about her?"
"Don't laugh!!!" Joe warned, feeling a flush of embarrassment creeping up his cheeks.
Ebri, who had heard Joe's request, suddenly burst out laughing. "Your words make me laugh! Come on, just say it before I laugh even harder!"
"Shut up!" Joe said, chuckling along with his friend. "Listen," he took a deep breath and continued, "I can't find her anywhere!"
Ebri couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. "You're still looking for her?"
"Yeah," Joe replied, "I googled her, and oh my God, I feel so stupid because I only asked her name, and you know what?"
"What?"
"You know how many search results come out on Google when you type 'Shea' into it? 1,740,000,000, bro!"
"1,740,000,000?" Ebri's laughter exploded again.
"Yes, 1,740,000,000!" Joe's voice suddenly sounded annoyed. "And you know what? Out of the 1,740,000,000, it doesn't only show results with people named Shea, but there's also Shea butter, shea butter benefits, Shea publishers, and other insignificant things!"
Ebri laughed even more. "Shea butter? Oh my God! You really made my night, bro! Oh, God! So please tell me, what are the benefits of shea butter? I think I have a hand body somewhere around this house with shea butter in it."
"Oh, shut up! What if the spelling of her name is not s-h-e-a, what if it's in another language and it's spelled like c-e-a or something?" Joe began to wonder aloud.
"It's better if you just misspelled it. What if she gave you a fake name?" Ebri continued to tease Joe.
Joe fell silent, contemplating this possibility. What if the girl had indeed given him a false name? It bothered him that she had recognized him at the restaurant but didn't seem interested in him. Most women in the country were completely infatuated with Joe's charm. Either they realized he was Joseph Ilyas or they didn't recognize him, but there was something about Joe that few women could say no to. Yet, this girl had been different. Could she be one of his haters?
"Joe?" Ebri called out, making sure his friend was still there.
"Hmm," Joe muttered in response.
"I was just kidding!" Ebri said, realizing he might have taken the joke too far.
"But it's also possible," Joe mused, "I mean, I always introduce myself with a fake name, you know."
"Well, if you want to talk about the worst-case scenario, it could happen. But I have to ask, how many pages on Google did you search with the keyword 'Shea'?"
"About five thousand," Joe replied quickly.
Ebri was surprised by Joe's answer. "Five thousand? Within a week?"
"Uh-huh," Joe confirmed.
"Bro, at this point, you're not just curious about this Shea girl; you're obsessed with her, man!"
"Shut up!"
"Well," Ebri laughed softly, "Have you tried Instagram? At least the keyword 'Shea' won't be as overwhelming as Google. Besides, who nowadays doesn't have Instagram, right?"
"Ohhh-my-God! Ebriiii!!!" Joe's excitement returned. "I love you so much, man!"
"Hmm," Ebri replied nonchalantly.
"I didn't even think about looking her up on Instagram. Oh, God!" Joe chuckled at his own oversight.
"Okay, I'll help you look around too!"
"Thank you!" Joe's spirit soared again. "Thank you so much, bro!"
"Yeah, yeah," Ebri responded, feigning indifference.
"So?" continued Joe, his voice turning playful.
"What, so?"
"So, what if I start looking for her now?" Joe asked sheepishly.
"You freaking biachhh, you know that, right!" Ebri shouted on the other end, followed by a mocking laugh.
Joe joined in the laughter. "Okay, I'll leave you alone now. Thanks again!"
"Yeah, yeah, bye!" Ebri said, ending the call with a smile on his face.