The Dating Class

9 // The Proposition

DELILAH  //  SEPTEMBER 15

"Lunch?" Noah asked me.

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Save me a seat?"

"Of course." He nodded.

"See you in a bit," I gave his hand a squeeze. I waited until Noah (and Lauren) were a ways down the hall before meandering over to Will.

"Hey," I said to Will as we were leaving Mr. Hart's Class. He was too preoccupied staring at Hannah to even notice me. Hannah on the other hand, was too busy storming out of the classroom to notice anyone.

"You're such a jerk, Ben!" Hannah said to him as she walked by.

"How's your girlfriend, Bennyboy?" I asked him as he stalked by me, after Hannah.

"Really wishing she wasn't mine," Ben called over his shoulder.

"Uh, yeah, I'll take her." Will put his hand up, like he knew the answer to a question.

"You can't. You already have a girlfriend," I said.

"Ben and I can trade."

I laughed. "Not a chance in hell, Romeo. But nice try." I shook my head, not understanding how a person could be so obsessed with another person, and make them their whole world. Personally, I thought that was a stupid idea because what happened when your whole world walked out? Then what were you left with? Nothing. "Besides, you have a girlfriend," I said as we started walking down the hall.

"Only for a semester." Will couldn't get his words out quick enough.

"Because you're not counting the days or anything," I rolled my eyes. Will opened his mouth, presumably to tell me the number of days until the semester ended, but I just held a finger up. "What if I told you that you could get Hannah back quicker than whatever number is in your head?"

"I'm listening," he said, as we started to walk slower.

"Make her miserable with Ben. Make her hate Ben and not want to be with him. So much, that she has to come running back to you." I tossed it out there like it was a casual idea. "Just a thought." I shrugged.

"As much as I don't want her to be with Ben, I don't want her to be miserable," Will cast a sidewards glance at me.

"Fine, you can just let Ben kiss her, and touch her, and hold her hand, and take her on dates for an entire semester. Then when the semester ends and both of them are happily in love, you're going to be the one kicking yourself. But hey, it's your life, Romeo." I said, pulling out my phone. "If you change your mind, come find me, and we can get Hannah back," I left him with that last thought before strolling off down the hall towards lunch, towards a boyfriend who actually wanted to be with me.

I walked into the cafeteria and over to where Noah usually sat with his friends.

"Hey, boyfriend," I said to him as I sat down at lunch with him.

"Hey," Noah said to me, pushing his glasses a bit farther up on his nose. "What's up?" he stumbled over his words.

"Nothing, just eating some grapes." I said as shaking my container of grapes.

"Grapes are good." Noah nodded. "I like grapes."

"Me too. We must be soulmates." I laughed as Lauren sat down. "Hey, Lauren," I said.

Lauren was so shocked that she just kinda stared at me. "Um, hi," she swallowed before staring down at her hands.

"Excited for field hockey today?" I tried to make conversation with her.