Are You The One? •

six - the connection

  

   It was the night before the day of the dates and the house was mildly wild. Charlie was chugging cans of cheap beer alongside Jett, while most of the other house members were engaged in an intense game of Truth or Dare. The game was forcing Brooke to give a lap dance to Flynn and forcing Erin to give a lap dance to Matt.

  All the while, in one of the bedrooms, Laurelle, Hadley, Joshua, and Prosper were huddled up, just making conversation.

  "I know that it's early and we're trying to figure out matches and there's no real strategy, but like I found a few of the couples for the dates..pretty weird.", Hadley admitted.

  "Agreed.", Prosper said, as the other two nodded. "And I think we do need to have a strategy. Maybe not right now, like maybe week 3." Hadley nodded at his words.

  Laurelle spoke up next. "I can see why you picked Nat, Joshua. And I can kind of see where Alex picked Jamey, because he's always looking at her with heart eyes, but Tessa and Thatcher is weird."

  "Well, I told Tess to give him a chance but it was a little more for Thatcher's sake. Not that he isn't great" she said, directing it towards Prosper, "but they just aren't clicking that well. I think she honestly likes Jett."

  Prosper responded, "No, I agree completely. Tess is fantastic but I think Thatcher was only initially attracted to her because she's pretty. Like, she isn't at all what he goes for."

  "Jett definitely likes Tessa, though. He was bummed that she didn't pick him.", Joshua revealed.

  "All my fault.", Hadley sighed. "I'll fix it or it will fix itself."

  "Okay, but what about Summer and Logan? Like him and Fallon were attached at the hip.", Joshua continued.

"Yeah, Summer picking him was strange, too. Like maybe he's also been flirting with her, I mean she picked him for the date.", Laurelle groaned.

  Prosper added, "But that's the way of the game. You have to get to know everybody."

  "Yeah, you're right", Hadley agreed.

  Downstairs the game of Truth or Dare had died down and the housemates had split off. Summer was sitting within a large group but mainly talking to Matt and Jamey, who was cuddled up to Alex.

   "Um, Summer." Matthew had stopped mid-sentence and pointed over to a section of the yard with a large hammock and a small, unlit fire pit. Sitting on the rocks of the pit were Andy and Logan, kissing furiously. Summer rolled her dark, earthy eyes.

  "It's whatever."

Summer: "I sort of tried to play it off...but that's the guy I'm going on a date with tomorrow and I feel stupid because I picked him and here he is making out with someone else, so maybe he doesn't like me all that much."

  "I'm gonna go inside.", Summer sighed sadly. Matt jumped up from his seat.

  "I'll come with you. You want me to?", he offered. She nodded.

  "Please."

  Matt threw his built arm around Summer's dainty shoulder and they walked together. The two of them settled down on a small couch and Summer pulled a blanket around herself.

  "That date tomorrow is just gonna feel so awkward. I feel used, almost. Is that dumb?", she asked Matt.

  He shook his head furiously. "No, of course not. Like that's someone you considered and he made it seem like he had different intentions than he seems to have now. That sucks."