The Boyfriend Games {Complete | Book One}

22- Forming a Plan

Thera's mom, Allison ^

"Hey sweetie," my called as she entered the living room. I was laying on the couch on my back with my feet pulled in close to my butt so my knees stuck up. "When's the next guy coming? Are we going to have a visitor this Thanksgiving?"

"Mom," I groaned.

"Answer the question, goof. It's not like I haven't met any of them before." I sat up and patted for her to sit next to me. I briefly explained the different stages and how this week was a possible break.

"Well that sounds fun," she said when I finished, "waiting for Prince Charming to phone you. No offense, but what happens if no one asks for a second date this week?"

"Then I throw a party," I replied. "Honestly, I hadn't thought of that idea, but it'd be great if no one chose me." Mom laughed a little, like Crazy kid, then got up and left.

The first few days of break I spent doing some pretty incredible things like sleeping and eating food and more sleeping. What? It was my recuperation time.

Wednesday I unexpectedly heard my phone go off from the nightstand beside me. Who would be texting me? It's not like I really had any friends that got together, plus it was the day before Thanksgiving and I was pretty sure Amanda had gone out of town to visit family. I struggled to a sitting position in the dim lighting and turned on my lamp.

Rye:
~Hey my mom has to work on Thanksgiving and we were having dinner the day after, I was wondering if you wanted to join?

I was frozen for a good 30 seconds before I realized I was supposed to reply to it.

•Isn't it supposed to be family time?

~My sister's stuck at college. Don't leave me alone with my parents!

•That's kind of the point of this holiday, Sherlock

~Holy crap Thera I'm trying to ask you on another date without it being too date-y, just say yes

•Oh

~Well?

•I have to ask my parents

~Your dad'll say yes

•Is that a bet?

~I'll bet you one date the week of girls' choice that he does

•So either I get two dates or zero dates?

~Like double or nothing

~All of me

~Or none of me

•Dramatic

~Very. Now quit stalling and ask!

•Fine!

I went down to the living room and couldn't decide whether or not I wanted dad to say yes. On one hand, I wouldn't mind hanging out with him again, but I also didn't like committing to things as far ahead as two weeks. What if something drastic were to change by then? How would I get out of the agreement?

When I found my parents snuggling on the couch, I had to hold back a gag while asking my question. Unfortunately, they said yes. Which meant Rye was right.

•They said no

~Liar

•You calling me a liar?

~I ain't calling you a truther!

~But seriously

~He said no?

~:(

•Ugh fine, he said yes

~Wait

~WHAT WAS THAT

~SWEET SWEET VICTORY

~IS MINE

•CALM DOWN, SPAZO

~I shan't!

•You just did

~Party pooper

•How?

~I'm not really sure. Anyways, dinner is at 6 that Friday. Want me to pick you up?

•I can drive myself

~But you don't know where I live

•Touché

•So just send me your address

~Fine, I'll send it later

•M'kay

Later, after the conversation with Rye died down and he finally sent me his address, I realized that I had yet to form a plan for I'd be doing. Even if I were to continue going on 'dates' they were more like get-togethers with the guys I thought would make awesome friends. I still had to pair everyone up!

I struggled out of my comfortable, comfortable bed and grabbed something to write on and write with. Flipping open the notebook I thought about how I wanted to get this done.

Oo, I thought, I'll write out the names. Yeah, that's a good first step!

So, I wrote all ten of the guy names down. Then, at the bottom of the page, I made a box with all of the girl's names in it. I tried not to think about how it resembled a word bank on a test. I looked at the names I had written and realized I didn't know all nine of the girls. Thinking smart, I had to go back through the group texts from Amanda and Hope to figure out the rest of them. There were still four I had yet to meet.

That meant (I shuddered) I would have to intentionally make friends, or at least small talk, with these new people to figure out who would best be suited with who. While I understood that who I chose to ship may not in the end be who gets together, it helped calm my over-active nerves that keep yelling, Leave the competition. You don't want to be here. You don't need to be here.

I agreed, but I knew I could never leave with Amanda in the picture. Don't get me wrong, that girl could annoy the crap out of me at any given time, but she was still a good friend of mine and I didn't want to lose her over the petty argument I knew it would ensue.

Bringing my attention back to the paper before me I continuously shifted my eyes back and forth between the two collections of names to find the first couple I could cross off. Finally, I spotted one that I just knew would work perfectly.

The self-absorbed jerk, and the obsessed doll.

Giovanni and Barbie.

With a grimace on my face from the bad experiences with each of them, I wrote her name next to his and crossed the according from the bottom box.

I thought back to a phrase Destiny had used during her fangirling moments: OTP. One True Pairing.

I looked back at the two names written side by side. OTP? More like NO-TP because of how much I hated them both. I decided I would approve of them though, so they could leave everyone else alone.

There were eight names left. Four I didn't even know. I hadn't a clue who to put my long term friend Misty with. Destiny, Duke's sister, was too crazy to currently decide. Rayna, the chick from paintball that had fought well and taken some pretty beast shots, was too hardcore for me to name. Plus, I didn't know her very well. Olivia was the last one. Where had I met her?

Oh yeah, she was Oscar's friend that I had met at lunch. She said that she was just friends with Oscar, but he had been looking at her funny that day. Like he actually liked her, I realized.

Aha! Another couple to ship. I made the adjustments on my paper and sighed. With the lack of further knowledge, I was done with it for today. I closed my notebook and set it to the side.

Later I went downstairs to get more food (shocker, right?). Though it was odd, I gave a small smile in content. I was forming a plan on how to beat these games.