The Dating Game

TWO

Wednesday, January 3rd

Isaac's face scrunches up in disgust after leaving the bathroom for the third time this morning. He takes another sip of water from the glass I left for him on my desk and his back hunches over as he leans down on it to take a breather.

"Do you always get like this after a party?" I'm almost incapable of controlling my laughter.

His eyes shoot a menacing glare at me in response. "I hate you."

"Yeah, if that were the case, I wouldn't have taken you here yesterday. You're lucky I didn't leave you at home for your mom to see you all drunk like this."

"You know she wouldn't have cared," he complains, taking a seat on my bed while I finish pulling my hair up for school. Which reminds me:

"I still can't believe someone threw a party on a Tuesday night. Why not wait until the weekend when you have more time to recover from a hangover?"

"Probably just a late new year's party," he brushes it off like it's typical for people to get drunk on a school night. "Plus I guarantee half those people don't even come to school anyway."

I allow a sigh to escape past my lips. "Are you sure you're okay to go in today?"

"It's a hangover, Michelle. It's not like I'm dying."

"I know, but-"

"Just drop it, okay? I'll be fine." He starts to rummage through my closet, finding one of the many shirts he usually leaves over here in case of emergencies.

I let it go as he asked, analyzing myself in the mirror while I wait for him to change. There's nothing new about me, just the same turtleneck and cardigan I've been wearing to school since it started to cool down. I still can't believe how short our winter break was; just a week and a half to enjoy Christmas and New Year's and nothing else? I feel robbed.

Isaac walks back out of my closet repping his t-shirt and some flannel jacket I had laying around; it was far too big on me so it seemed to fit him just fine. He ruffles his dark hair before fixing his attention back on me.

"Ready to go?"

I sigh. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Isaac and I hop into my old car, though usually, I opt for walking to school since it's only ten minutes away on foot. But since he's having a hard time with a self-induced hangover, I figure I should be a good friend and help him out for the day.

We pull into the parking lot smoothly and I hand Isaac a bottle of water before he opens the door. He thanks me with a smile and takes a sip as we finally get out of the car and start heading towards the entrance gate.

Until I see him. Chase Matthews standing in front of the gate, searching in the crowd of people as they all walk through. Like an idiot, I accidentally make eye contact with him, to which he responds by starting to walk toward me with a smile.

I glance over at Isaac and start to panic. I cannot let him see me with Chase. He's going to ask way too many questions and I won't have any answers for him that would protect me from losing this ridiculous game that I don't even know the benefits of winning.

"Hey, I left something in my car," I lie through my teeth, desperate to get him away from me as soon as possible. "You go ahead, I'll catch up with you."

He just walks off with a nod and without a second more to think, I am met by an open-armed Chase Matthews with the audacity to greet me with, "Michelle! Babe!"

Instantly, I point my finger out and stop him from coming any closer by shoving it in his chest and pushing him away.

"Don't call me that."