Love's A Prick

I Take a Bet

** Felix Herald **

Holy mother, was Yasmine staring at me again?

Yasmine Jenkins was my ex-girlfriend, for a reason. She was psychotic and sticky. And though we'd broken up late last year, that fact hadn't drilled its way into her thick head.

She'd been pestering me all summer long to get back together. I wasn't going to do it.

My best friend, Aidan Grange, came shoving through the crowd, saying,"Hey, that crazy girl Yasmine's staring at you. Wonder what she wants."

"Yeah, I noticed."

She came over, hips swaying, trying to look seductive. As if. Too-tight clothes and an inch-thick layer of make-up were not seductive.

"Hey baby," she crooned.

I so did not want this so early in the day and in the year.

"Don't 'hey baby' me," I snapped at her.

"Ouch. No need to get rude," she said. "I was just coming over to offer you a chance to be my boyfriend again."

"A chance?," I snorted. Was she for real? "Over my dead body. Last I remember it, you cheated on me. And nobody cheats on Felix Herald."

"You know what?"

"What?" I challenged.

"You date one girl, one girl of my choice. Once she falls in love with you, real love, I'll leave you alone. But if you can't, you come back to me. You'll realize how much you're missing."

I thought about it. On one hand, I'd have to date a totally embarrassing girl. On the other, I had the chance to get rid of Yasmine forever.

"Hold on," I narrowed my eyes at her. "What does 'love' mean?"

"Take her to prom. Convincing enough for me."

Prom?!? Piece o' cake. I was going to go with some random girl anyway, might as well kill two birds with one stone anyways.

"Deal."

"Addison Whitley."

"Who now?"

"You'll find out. I believe she's in your English class. You better bring your A-game."

"Whatever."

"Bye, sweetie."

I ignored her.

Aidan turned to me, a look of urgency in his eyes.

"Felix, this is not good."

"Why?"

"Of all the girls she could have chosen...she chose the one girl in this school who isn't attracted to you."

"That, sir, is impossible. All the girls love me!"

"She doesn't."

"How do you know?"

"She's Courtney's best friend. She told me."

Oh. Courtney was the only girl Aidan ever truly liked. They had dated, but they broke up. He was never able to get over her.

"I'll convince her. I always do, don't I?"

"That's different. All those girls were just playing hard-to-get. She isn't."

Frankly, I was more than a little hurt by Aidan's lack of trust in my undeniable swag with girls.

In class, Aidan pointed Addison out.

Huh. She was so...boring! And out of fashion, too. Like, who wears oversized shirts anymore? Long, black hair, wheatish skin, and big glasses that hid her eyes.

Hmm, I thought. She should be pretty easy to win over. Let's start old school.

I caught her glancing at me, which frankly wasn't surprising. Holding her gaze (girls dig that stuff, right?), I wrote her a note.

Hey gorgeous.

When I got it back, there were three words written on it, three shocking, maniacal words.

Go die alone.

What? What? She insulted me? How could she insult me?