The Boyfriend Games {Complete | Book One}

29- Welcome to Stage Three

Amanda's brother, Austin ^

We burst into Amanda's house without knocking or ringing the doorbell. "I think we're early," Rye laughed as he looked around at the absence of people.

A little boy with a mop of dirty blond hair came rushing from the kitchen. "Tera!" he gushed. This little gem used to have issues pronouncing the 'Th' sound, and still called me by his nick name. I kneeled down and held out my arms.

"Hey tiger," I said as he jumped into my arms. Standing up, I started spinning him around in circles. Giggles came from his smiling mouth and I couldn't help but smile too.

"Rawr," he insisted. Coming to a stop, I hoisted him higher onto my hip so I could adjust and hold him better. Rye walked up next to us.

"Who's this little squirt?" he asked. The little boy looked at him with wide eyes.

"Squirt?" I laughed, for he seemed offended by this accusation. "My name is Austin and I'm four! I'm not a squirt."

Rye raised his hands in surrender. "You're right, my bad. You are a big guy." Austin nodded, almost like he was thinking, "Yeah, that settles that."

"'Manda!" he yelled. "Friends are here!"

"She'll be down soon," I told Rye. "It'd be hard not to hear that." He chuckled as Austin squinted at me. "What?" I whispered as I started tickling him. "You got a problem, little man?"

Austin was still giggling when Amanda and Hope came out to where we were. "Who is it Aussie?"

"Tera!" he told her. Both girls looked up.

"Oh, hey guys," Amanda greeted.

Hope looked at the clock. "You're here awfully early," she said, stating the obvious.

"We were hanging out, just figured we'd come now," I told them. Amanda and Hope glance at each other before returning their gaze to us.

"What was that?" Rye questioned. I was thinking the same thing. Are they actually mad at us for being early? I thought it would be a good thing.

"What was what?" They were faking their ignorance. Or maybe they're really that stupid. It wouldn't surprise me if—stop, I had to tell myself. Play nice.

"We're just finishing up the video we're playing tonight," Hope told us.

"Make yourselves at home," Amanda said. It seemed like eons, (okay maybe it wasn't that long) before everyone had showed up and the party was in full swing. Though I didn't really move around to say hi (why would I willingly engage in conversation with humans, ew), I still noticed those who were there and responded if someone greeted me first. I felt like someone here was missing, but that was probably crazy talk. There were like 22 of us here, I'm sure I'd just forgotten.

Looking around, I started rechecking who I had paired off together. Standing closer to the edge of the room on the opposite side of me, were both Trevor and Christie. Christie kept moving her eyes towards him while biting her lip, not really paying attention the conversation between the three people in front of her.

Treading my fingers together I cracked my knuckles and made my way over. Let's make it happen people, I told the imaginary matchmaker beings in my head.

"Hey Trevor," I greeted. He looked at me slightly startled.

"H-hey, Thera," he responded.

"So, you see the blondie in the group there?" His gaze followed where I motioned.

"Andi or C-Christie?" He questioned. Oh yeah, I'd forgotten hat everyone had already met in Stage One.

"Christie." He nodded. Now here was the tricky part. How was I to get them together or progressing? Could I just say, Hey, date her. Good match. Is that how it works? "If you ask her, I'm sure she'd walk with you to get some punch."