Game Theory × NH

065 | terbium

× Horan

"Abstract Convexity and Global Optimization," Jace read, flipping through a textbook. "Sounds like a lot of rubbish to me."

I didn't bother to educate him about the values of examining and solving optimization problems knowing it would just go over his head anyways, so I kept my mouth shut as he proceeded to flip through the pages.

I was currently lying on my stomach, my nose pressed into the sheets of my bed. The telly was on and playing through the room. My laptop was open in front of me, but neither the screen nor Jace's voice was more interesting than what was going through my head.

The lust I felt for the girls I slept with always went away once I was done, only to be returned a few days later. But nothing about it felt satisfying. There was something with Lynn that turned that lust into passion and it wasn't anything I had experienced before. Not even with Alina. I was terrified those feelings would disappear, but I was worrying about nothing because they never went away. If anything, they just intensified.

"Game theory," Jace said, breaking me away from my thoughts. "I've heard that somewhere..."

"It's the study of mathematical scenarios of conflict and collaboration between decision-makers," I said automatically. "It's mostly used for economics and political science. Coach and I use it for football plays."

I wasn't looking at him, but I knew he was staring at me like I was a walking encyclopedia. I wasn't someone who had an eidetic memory, far from it actually, but I applied it to every football game I had ever played, and knew the definition like the ABCs.

Jace sat in the chair in the corner, ankle propped on his knee with the book in his lap. I had asked him to come over and help me study, but that was before I discovered an important football game on the telly and naturally that was our first priority. It was currently cut to commercials and Jace was getting antsy, picking up the nearest thing to keep himself busy.

He told me all about Hazel. I knew exactly what I would do if I was in his place, but Jace always had his heart on his sleeve. He was an actual bleeding heart, finding the good in people even though they betrayed him years ago. No matter how long he ponders this, Jace is going to end up spending time with the girl. He's too good a person not to.

"This is interesting," he mused, his finger pointing at a passage. "'Today, game theory applies to a wide range of behavioral relations, and is now an umbrella term for the science of logical decision making in humans'," he quoted. "Too bad you can't use it with Lynn."

I lifted my head slowly and stared at him. "What did you say?"

"Game theory," he repeated, looking at me oddly. "Too bad you can't-"

"Jace, you're a fucking genius," I interrupted and quickly sat up, grabbing my laptop and placing it on my lap. "I can't believe I never thought of that before."

"Are you serious? You can't honestly think that using game theory with Lynn is going to do anything, right? It's all mathematical."

"No, it's not," I argued as I typed into the search bar. "It's also psychology. That's the whole point of it, Jace; to get inside people's heads to predict their next move and to see how it would benefit you."

Jace's mouth was open, like he wanted to say something but not sure if he should.

I pointed at the textbook. Jace understood and handed it to me. I lay open Abstract Convexity and Global Optimization beside me as I Googled anything I could on the theory. I already knew a lot about it, but I never thought to use it on Lynn. I needed to relate it to the situation I was in because what Lynn and I had wasn't anything like finances.