How To Be A Player

</3 Chapter 1 </3

"So, who's our next target?" I asked Zack while leaning against the bare walls. He glanced up at me for a moment to finally take in my presence, but then simply ignored me and returned to his laptop in a matter of seconds to continue his relentless typing.

Zack isn't rude, if that's what your thinking, he's my best friend. It's just that when he's in front of a computer your chances of having a nice conversation with the boy are nonexistent. He gets sucked into whatever he's doing, especially when he really wants too. And I can respect that. He had determination.

Zack spun around in his swivel chair, facing the printer, which was spitting out the picture of my - our - next target. I waited for it to finish by busying myself with observing the familiar room I'd analyzed about a hundred times before.

Although, there wasn't exactly much to look at, in a common sense. The walls were white and bare, the floors grey and un-swept, and our furniture... well, it wasn't really furniture. We simply had a fold up table in the middle of the room, plastic chairs strewn around the small empty space, and a corkboard with pictures of all my old and completed targets on them. The rest of the space was taken up by Zack's tech-y things. Don't get me wrong, I'm a nerd at heart, but I'm more of a literature nerd, technology isn't exactly in my department - that was all Zack's. So, I wouldn't be able to tell you what half of the stuff in here was, even if my life depended on it.

But suprisingly, this was the only place I really belonged. Our little club room was the one place where I could be me.

I didn't realize Zack had gotten up until I heard him slap his hand against the corkboard. I jumped, startled, and turned to look at him. He leaned against the edge of the board, his arms crossed firmly. "Subject: Cameron Baker. He was a request, although I planned on going after him anyway."

"Who requested him?" I interrupted while looking at the picture of Cameron Baker that he had just tacked up on the board. He was good looking. Almost as good as they come with his gem-like blue eyes and brass-like blonde hair - he was a knockout, but I've seen and dealt with better.

He glanced at his computer screen. "Gabriela Di Lorenzo."

I knew that girl, we had History together. "Nice girl." I said thinking aloud. I'd only had a few interactions with her, but she seemed kind enough. Pretty too, with long black hair and creamy brown eyes, the two seemed to balance each other out nicely.

"That she is." Zack said while pushing his glasses farther up his nose. "According to the data, they were dating for about three and a half months until he dumped her in the lunch room - in front of just about everybody. Caused a big scene, those two did, if you asked me."

Ah, the lunchroom, typical place to humiliate a girl. I'd know. "What's his type?"

Zack crinkled his nose in disgust. "Girly. Fragile, even."

I made a gagging noise. "Gosh, how stereotypical. I'm so sick of wearing mini-skirts because of the last guy. I still have blisters from those stilettos too!" I said pointing to my foot, as if it'd confirm it. "Can't they like tomboys or something? I'm still waiting for the day you tell me I can wear sweatpants again." I complained while looking down at my circulation stopping skinny jeans.

"Hey, you signed up for this." Zack replied while walking over to me and leaning against the same wall I was on.

I waved my hand at him. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Give me a break, will you? I only ask for a little venting time." I paused and turned back to look at the corkboard. Face after face of countless players that I had mercilessly broken. No matter how long I gazed at their flawless faces, no guilt sunk in. No regret, remorse, guilt, nothing. Absolutely nothing. I tore my gaze from the pictures and on to my fellow nerd friend. "You know how much I want this. And you know how much all those girls need this. If I have to get my hands dirty for their sake, then so be it. It's about time somebody stepped up to the plate." I said seriously and Zack just nodded back at me.