It all started with a game

Chapter 9

I believe in love at first sight...
But it's not the first moment you lay eyes on a person, it's the moment you first see the person they truly are.
~Ranata Suzuki

A/N
Any guesses on whose a Taurus?

Chapter 9
Ryder's POV
"You have a girl coming over to your place for a sleepover," Mateo repeated for the hundredth time.

"I am aware." I set the phone down on the counter, putting Mateo on speaker phone while I shuffled my homework back into my backpack, trying to clean up the mess I had managed to create in the last half hour of trying to study before Mateo was bugging me.

The maid had thankfully cleaned up the remnants of my sister's last escapade, which left the entire house in ruins. I almost felt bad for Azariah, the maid, but mother paid her enough money that she could retire in a few years.

"What are you gonna do?"

I raised my eyebrow despite the fact that Mateo could not see me. We could be FaceTiming right now if Mateo didn't refuse to give up his android. "Normal stuff? It's just Beatrice."

He clearly was not seeing my point. "Just Beatrice? You mean the girl you're supposedly trying to get to fall in love with you."

"Look, I'm just trying to make Tanaka mad. I just need to show Beatrice a good enough time that it drives Tanaka completely insane."

Mateo groaned. "Please don't tell me you're planning to..." he trailed off, not finishing my sentence.

I rolled my eyes. "Dear goodness, Mateo, I am not going to try to seduce her if that's what you're implying."

"Well I'm aware of that," he scoffed. "You only have meaningless sex when your mom upsets you, and last time I checked your mother is away on business."

"Exactly." Beatrice was safe from my cruel ways, as most would put it, as long as my mother is nowhere near me.

Mateo continued, "And don't roll your eyes at me!"

How did he—

"I did not—"

He didn't even let me finish my sentence. "Oh bull, I heard it."

He has to be joking. "You heard me roll my eyes?"

He spoke with the utmost confidence. "Yes."

I don't even want to know. I crumpled up my papers, tossing them at the bottom of my bag, knowing full well I was going to have to reorganize them later.

Mateo reverted the subject. "Alright, back to the girl—"

"The girl?" And I thought I was the one who was bad with names.

"I am aware her name is Beatrice but that's beside the point." I could only imagine the hand gestures he was using right now. Mateo always talked with his hands, especially if he got invested in something and by the tone of his voice right now, his hands are getting a workout. "You need to make tonight memorable."

Memorable? What does he want me to do: lay out a path of roses around the house, light a few candles, tell her how pretty she is? He tried all that with Maria and it clearly didn't work. I don't think he's the best guy to be taking relationship advice from considering the girl he's 'in love with' hates his guts.

"And what are you suggesting?"

I swear I'm hanging up if he suggests any of that sappy romance stuff like you see in the movies.

He didn't miss a beat. "You should make her your ratatouille."

I chuckled, knowing full well why he wanted me to do that. "You just want me to make her ratatouille so that you can eat the leftovers."