The Checklist

The boy who does not send smileys

“You mean Jace,” Madison explains, raising an eyebrow.

“Everything you said has Jace written all over it.” I drop my finger from my mouth and let out a frustrated groan. “No it’s not. You just think that.” She gives me a promiscuous look, clearly telling me that she believes the opposite.

Rolling my eyes, I continue my point. “Besides, when does one date suddenly make a guy fall in love with me? Let’s think of this logically Mads. I wont be seeing these guys again. All I will be doing is going on one date, determining their behavior for my list, and then calling it quits.”

Madison points her bagel sandwich at me, her mouth full of food.

“That’s what I am saying. You say this is all in hopes of helping girls find the perfect man, but how can you determine from only a few guys and their dates who is or isn’t perfect? Besides, what if they are awful on your date, but amazing in real life?”

The question of the day. Thankfully, I thought ahead. I reach over for the pack of papers I printed earlier and slide them across the counter to Mads.

Which, might I add, is pretty hard while doing sitting on top of said counter.

“This is my checklist. In print. I am going to spread it around school after I do my own experiments and have people check off what their couples, ex’s, crushes do or don’t do. They will put a check next to the things they do and an x next to the things they don’t. Depending on how many x’s and checks someone has determines if they are reliable for the perfect man.”

Madison's eyes runs over the pages in her front of her, her eyes bright with the idea of it all. Once you got a full look at it, it was truly amazing to think about. It was no longer a few lists in a notebook. It is slowly turning into so much more.  

“Your names not on here.” She questions, finally realizing the obvious. I bring out my breath and run my hands down my pajama pants.

“No, it’s not.” She looks up, a question in her eyes, and I quickly answer it. This is the part of the plan I made up. The new plan. The plan that has to work. “This is what I came up with this morning. I was thinking how can I decide all of this on my own? Why not get everyone elses results on their guys and let me collect the data for myself.”

She runs her fingers over the paper, shaking her head.

“I don’t get how this plays in with Jace and his thing with you.”

I reach over and stop her wandering hands. “At the bottom of the page it says that ‘results will be tested’ meaning I will take these peoples own personal checklists and tell them if who they have is perfect or not. I can’t tell if a guy is perfect or not on one date. No. But other girls can and I am going to help them test it.”

“So what you are saying is what exactly?”  

I gather up the papers and puff out a small exhale of breath. Now comes the complicated part of the plan. I can’t decide if a guy is perfect or not after one date. It’s not possible. So, therefore, in comes Madison.

 “You will go on a date after me.”

“What!” She exclaims suddenly, dropping the rest of her bagel on the counter. “No way! I did not agree to this stupid thing.”

“That’s the thing! I need you to go on the dates after me to see if they are indeed correct. Like you said, I can’t figure it out all on my own. And I already have this all planned.”

I quickly hop off the counter and pull open a drawer next to the fridge. In it, stacks of notebooks lay one on top of the other. I pull out three before turning and holding them up to Madison.