Playing The Player

:Chapter Twenty-Seven:

The truth was that most likely, it was all just a game for Blake.

I didn't want to believe it; hell, it hurt even to think about it. If this were a movie, Blake would confess his love for me, I would gasp in happiness, and we'd skip off into the sunset. The thing was though, Blake and I were not characters from a Nicholas Sparks novel, we were just ordinary people in reality.

It was almost irritating to know that so many of us didn't get a happy ending, I thought as I slid open my phone. We lived in the 21st century, so obviously Blake wouldn't track me down and give me a long heart-felt speech declaring his undying love; instead, he'd send me a text with a few simple words that explained how he felt.

But there were no new messages.

I locked the phone and threw it on the grass angrily. Of course he wouldn't text me saying he liked me; why would he if he didn't like me? I laid down on the cool grass; I was at the park only a few blocks away from home, the place I went to when I needed some time to think.

Or in this case, some time to fume about my life.

"Hayleigh?"

I snapped my eyes open, half expecting to see Blake standing right in front of me. Instead, Liam and Colt were looking down at me, amused looks on their faces.

"Go away," I moaned, waving them away, closing my eyes again, "I'm having a pity party."

Instead of going away like I had very politely told them to do so, they dropped on either side of me, making a great deal of noise and forcing me to scowl irritably at them. I liked them sure; but really, I was having a pity party here!

Colt grinned brightly at me. "So what's upsetting poor Hayleigh today? Is it your boyfriend?"

I was never good at ignoring people. "I don't have a boyfriend," I said pointedly, wanting to add that not having a boyfriend was the problem.

"But you want one," said Liam knowingly, nodding very wisely, "Which is why you're upset."

Seriously, were these guys mind readers or something?

"I don't want one," I said, slightly annoyed that they were able to read me so well. "I don't need a boyfriend. Especially someone who finds it fun to play with peoples' hearts and then tell them that it was a game even though it wasn't for the girl which is just really plain mean," I finished quickly.

Oops. That was so not meant to slip out.

"If it makes you feel better, we think you deserve much better than Blake," Colt said helpfully.

"I wasn't talking about Blake. I was talking of a hypothetical case," I huffed grumpily, sinking back into my pity party mode. It was a lot easier to feel sorry for yourself than it was to actually get up and do something.

Liam regarded me for a second, before grasping onto my hands and started to pull me up, despite my protests. "C'mon, get up Hayleigh. We're going make this fun."

"What?" I was confused.

My questions went ignored as they marched me to my house, out of all places. I mean, how did they even know I lived here? Freaky stalkers. And more importantly, why were they being so stubborn? I mean, it wasn't like I was going to run away, it was so unnecessary for Liam and Colt to link my arms with their tightly. I felt and looked like a little child who was being difficult.

Which to them, I probably was.

My front door was open, to my surprise. I was sure I had left it locked; after all, I was very aware of the bad people in the neighbourhood. I looked at Liam and Colt curiously but they just gave each other looks, leaving me out completely.

How rude.

They pulled me upstairs into my room, where my wheelie chair was facing the wall. It turned dramatically, and Courtney was sitting in it, tapping her fingers against each other as though she was some genius mastermind. She had outlined her eyes with dark kohl, and the red lipstick she only wore on special occasions was applied to her lips professionally. She had obviously gone out of her way to prepare for her dramatic entrance.

Laaaaaame.

I raised my eyebrow. "Really Courtney, really?"

She huffed at me. "Stop ruining my moment, I've always wanted to do that," She persisted, tossing her red hair back as she stood up and walked to me. She stopped right in front of me, then looked at Liam and Colt approvingly. "Good job."

I turned just in time to see Liam give Courtney a mock salute. What the hell was going on?

"So you were at the park, weren't you?" Courtney asked.

"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't." Wow, great comeback Hayleigh.

Courtney nodded, not surprised. "So you were at the park, probably enjoying a little pity party, thinking, oh, why doesn't Blake like me? Am I too girly? Do I study too hard? Am I too boring? Is it because I have an awesome best friend who is way more awesome than I am? Is it because I don't have red hair like my awesome best friend? Is it because he likes awesome girls and I'm not as awesome as my best friend? Is it because my best friend - "

"I get it," I interrupted her.

Courtney looked momentarily distracted, then nodded and turned back to me. "Well, the point is, having a pity party isn't going to solve anything. What you have to do is show Blake that you're going to win this game you guys having going on. And how to do that, you ask?" She continued, even though I didn't say a word, "First of all, there is a party going on tonight. Second of all, you are going to let your best friend work her magic on you. Third of all, you are going to look so damn gorgeous. Fourth of all, you are going to make Blake regret he even dreamt that he was going to win. Fifth of all, you are going to go to that party and go crazy."

I took it all in. "I think," I started to say, "You got number four and number five mixed - "

Courtney interrupted me. "So are you going to just stand there talking and talking or are you in?"

I swallowed my nervousness. "I'm in."

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Hey you, yes you with the face, you're fucking AMAZING