The Dating Game

NINETEEN

My mind starts to scramble as I push myself out of the algebra classroom to go anywhere instead.

I can't believe that all just happened within one thirty-minute lunch period—with Chase of all people. I never expected my first time taking my shirt off for a guy would end up being with Chase Matthews, but I guess there's a first time for everything. But now Chase has seen me without one and he's never going to let me live it down.

The only thing I can do at this point is throw myself into my studies and completely ignore the entire situation. It's quite easy to do when I don't have Chase in any of my classes, but it's not exactly effective if I keep texting Isaac every detail.

isaac: no way you just made out with chase matthews.

I wish I could say I'm joking.

Yes way.

isaac: well??? was it good?

Honestly I don't want to talk about it...

isaac: NO DON'T TELL ME HE'S A BAD KISSER

As I'm about to respond, my shoulder rams right into someone's arm, knocking my phone right out of my hand. Are you serious?

"Watch where you're going," I tell the person as I lean to the ground to retrieve my phone.

"You're the one texting and walking at the same time," a familiar high-pitched voice barks back. I stand up, phone in hand, to reveal Anna Price glaring back at me. Just my luck.

"Of course it's you."

Her eyebrows dive deeper into her massive forehead. "I'd watch your mouth if I were you."

I can't stop the grin forming on my face. "Why is that? You gonna tell Chase I was being mean to you?"

"You egotistical bitch."

"Wow, she knows big words!"

With that, Anna's mouth lets out a defeated huff of air before she turns on her heel and stomps away, her ponytail bobbing side to side as she descends down the hall. I take the gracious moment of silence to walk to my class in peace, taking my rightful seat as soon as I get to the anatomy classroom.

As soon as the lecture begins, I sneak a chip from my backpack and take the time to finally answer Isaac back after getting several don't leave me hanging messages in a row.

Actually he's incredibly good at kissing. The problem is how he got so good at it.

isaac: don't be ridiculous, you've kissed other guys too. shit, you've kissed me before.

That was one time and I will live to regret it for the rest of my life.

isaac: stop being so hard on him, he's your boyfriend.

Only for a few more weeks. And then my attention can finally be focused on Miles instead. Just have to wait it out from now on, hopefully with less steamy make-out sessions.

///

Finally, the school day ends and I can hurry up and face Chase and get this all over with. I can't keep hiding from him forever, especially not when I was the one who initiated the entire thing in the first place. I don't even know what I was thinking; this game is taking over my entire life.

I take the courageous step as I open the doors of the entrance, searching the crowd for my fake boyfriend as I make my way down the stairs. And then I spot him—except there's something off. He's there–that's not the problem. The problem is who he's with.