I finished my god damn fucking meal. I wasn’t going to just leave after that conversation and give him the satisfaction of knowing he made me leave early. Nope.

Theo Kim might be popular, he might even be attractive, but I’d be damned if I was going to let any of that mess with my head.

I made sure to leave after they did. Gave me a better chance of escaping without accidentally running into any of them outside. I walked home quickly, silently, until I couldn’t stand my own thoughts anymore and I had to put in my headphones. I was past angry music now. I was just angry.

I was literally a game to him. A quick bet on it? and then abandon. I wasn’t sure why this was getting to me so bad, I just hated the idea of pretending to love someone only to get something in return. Love was far too rare and special to be played with so carelessly.

The stories my mom used to tell me about my father slid cautiously through my mind, asking if I’d linger on them. I granted myself a few minutes recalling her words. Remember the pictures of him holding me when I was a baby…

“Ravina, sweetheart.” My mom once kissed me on the forehead as she tucked me in.

“Your dad was the love of my life. Someday you’ll know what it means; love of my life. When you meet the right person, you finally understand what they mean when they say my other half.”

I didn’t even take my shoes off by the door, just marched straight back to my room. I stared from my bed across at my desk and sketchbook, realizing I actually feared opening it. I didn’t want to see Theo’s smug face on the throne as if he was gloating. Haha I won!

No, actually. I was winning.

Monday. I was telling on him like he’d just broken my favorite-fucking-action-man. Love games or not, Theo was a cheater and he’d get what he deserved.

I blinked my eyes open and stared at the ceiling, my shitty conscience piping up from the dark depths of my mind…

He needed into college too, I remembered the look in his eyes when he’d said so. Could I really stoop to his level and deny his future like that by telling someone what he did? I hated the idea of being responsible for someone’s unhappiness, and while Theo was a selfish jerk, he still didn’t deserve to have his future completely taken away.

I remembered when he’d saved me in the cafeteria. That guy didn’t deserve to have his chance ruined. Damnit, I hated taking the moral high ground.

I sighed and put my hands over my face so that the room went dark, letting my thoughts come to me like hesitant birds approaching a french fry.

What was I thinking! Was I really considering what he’d said?

We have to do everything we can to get the other to fall in love with us…

One month. Just until school is over. Well, would that really be so bad? If it meant I got my rightful place I’d probably do it, but he’d looked so sure of himself when he asked if I thought I’d lose.

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Ew, no way. But… one month. Just one. I’ve had colds that lasted longer than that and I’ve survived them.

Also, it would be so dang amazing to beat Theo at his own game. I imagined the look on his face, when at the end of the month he asked me if I’d lost and I just got to say; sorry bucko, you did.

I smiled a little and then moved my hands away to stare at the ceiling again. One month isn't much when you consider that college is going to affect my life forever. If this is the way to do it without hurting his chances as much and doing it fairly, then maybe I should just agree? I’d taken acting classes, I could flirt. A bit. Theo struck me as the type of guy that seemed really confident on the outside but was a total loser in reality. Poor guy. I could totally win.

I mean out of the two of us, if anyone was falling in love it wasn’t going to be me.

My heart raced a bit as I realized I might actually go through with this… It didn’t race at the idea of being around him, heck no. I was excited to prove him wrong. Make sure he remembered not to mess with me.

Love was not just a game. He thought he could win? You just handed too much power to the wrong girl. We women are like fucking fire, we’ll steal your hearts and burn them down while you ask us to.

A month of dating one of the most popular guys in school…

As far as college entrance exams go I was pretty sure this one would be fairly unique.

My mind was made up. I was nowhere near falling for this guy but I can do my best to make him fall. And if he didn’t? Plan B for bitch. I’d simply go to Principle Hamilton and rat him out. I’d win either way, problem solved.

The rest of the night was a blur… I think I spent two hours eating ice cream, went to bed listening to death metal and then woke up with a splitting headache.

I met Julie outside school on Monday morning to inform her of my plan.

“You’re nuts.” She said.

“It was his idea.”

Julie patted me sarcastically on the back, as if I was a little kid about to make a horrible decision and there was nothing to be done about it.

“Have fun Ravina. Be careful,”

She sounded worried. But I wasn’t.

“I don’t plan on having fun, games like this aren’t fun. I’m playing to win.”

Julie laughed, “You sound serious.”

“It’s college, Jules!”

She smiled. “Just be sure he’s actually going to give you your spot if you win,”

“Of course.”

I was about to make sure of it… and remind Theo who he was dealing with. If there was ever a person who embodied the word determination, it was Ravina Jane Dobs.

I wanted this scholarship. Theo had laid down the terms.

I spotted him walking with his friends on their way to 1st period, and I suppressed my sudden nerves as I decided what I was going to do. It had to be drastic. If I was going to get him to like me I had to start strong…

No turning back, I told myself as I went up to them.

Theo looked down at me as I stood directly in front of him and blocked his path. His friends stared at me curiously, looking slightly afraid. Hah. They should be.

“Ravina?” Theo frowned. “What are-“

Do it.

I had to grab onto his shoulders and stand on my tippy-toes, but I did it. Theo’s eyes went wide in surprise as I leaned in and kissed him. When I let him go he looked absolutely stunned.

“Deal,” I said.

I ignored the looks that his friends and everyone around us were giving me and I just grinned.

“Your move.”

Score, Ravina: 1 Theo: 0