“Harrison?”
Chapter Nine: Popularity Blues
“Who’d you think it was?” He snorted.
“Why can’t you take a hint?”
“So I’ve been thinking,” Harrison said calmly as if we talked on the phone every day. “I’ve been trying to figure out what it is about me that you don’t like.”
“Gee, and you’re finished already?” I stood up and collected the clean clothes that were on my bed.
“I realize you may be intimidated by the fact that I have a girlfriend.”
I dropped the clothes on the chair and yanked open the closet door. “Intimidation is the least of—”
“Which is why I’ve decided to do it.”
My hand stilled on the end of an empty hanger. “Do what?”
“Dump your—uh, sister. Is she your sister?”
The hanger pinged off the rod and almost hit me in the eye. “Wait. You’re dumping Lauren?” Dang! “Why?”
“Just to prove to you how serious I am.”
I tossed the hanger on the top of the clothes and wandered back over to my bed. It took me a moment to compose myself enough to remember to sit down. I collapsed. Is he really this stupid? Really? “Harrison?”
“Yeah?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers and closed my eyes for a second. “Let me get this straight. You . . . uh, are going to break up with your girlfriend, a girl who’s sort of my sister, to prove to me that you’re serious about making me fall for you?”
“Well, when you put it that way—”
“And how is that going to make me like you more? Honestly?”
“Uh—”
“No. Please, Harrison, enlighten me, because as of right now, you just went from being a massive jerk to the biggest loser who’s ever walked the face of this earth.”
“Fine. What do you suggest I do?”
I started to laugh—like, really laugh. “Are you kidding me? You’re asking me how to go about making me fall for you? Why? So you could win your own game? The game where you make the rules and you win all the prizes?” Conceited, arrogant, overconfident . . . “And just what’s in it for me, huh? Is it so I can say in two weeks from now that I got dumped by you the second some other girl came along? Did you ever stop to think that I didn’t want you as a prize? That maybe I valued relationships a little more than you obviously do?
“Look!” I continued, drowning out his protests, “I’m sure there are lots of girls willing to get burned by you, but frankly, I don’t have the time or the inclination to deal with a guy who’s just playing games. I want a real guy. A guy who thinks of me first. A guy who’s dependable and nice and caring and well, all the things you’re not. Oh! And by the way, if you dump my sister to win some stupid game, you aren’t any better than I thought you were!” I flung the last words at him like I was in a shouting match.
“Wow.” The phone got really quiet.
I stood up and headed back to the closet. Just as I picked up the hanger, I heard Harrison mutter, “I don’t think anyone has ever had the guts to say that to me before.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed the first shirt. “Then maybe I’ve done you a favor.”
“Maybe.” I heard him heave a sigh and then, almost whispering, he mumbled, “Fine, you win.” He cleared his throat as if he were uncomfortable.
I flipped the phone to my other ear, wondering what he was going to say next. Harrison surprised me. In a deep, sad voice, he quietly said, “You’re right. I’ll still go out with Lauren. I definitely can’t have her making your life more miserable than it already is.”
“Wait. Harris—”
“No, let me finish.”
I waited.
After a pause, he cleared his throat again. “Look, I’m really not good at this thing I’m trying to do here. I’ve never had to do it before. So if you could just give me the benefit of the doubt for a little while until I figure out a way to balance this cheesy soap opera, you may find I’m not who you think I am.”
I didn’t know
Chapter Nine: Popularity Blues
“Who’d you think it was?” He snorted.
“Why can’t you take a hint?”
“So I’ve been thinking,” Harrison said calmly as if we talked on the phone every day. “I’ve been trying to figure out what it is about me that you don’t like.”
“Gee, and you’re finished already?” I stood up and collected the clean clothes that were on my bed.
“I realize you may be intimidated by the fact that I have a girlfriend.”
I dropped the clothes on the chair and yanked open the closet door. “Intimidation is the least of—”
“Which is why I’ve decided to do it.”
My hand stilled on the end of an empty hanger. “Do what?”
“Dump your—uh, sister. Is she your sister?”
The hanger pinged off the rod and almost hit me in the eye. “Wait. You’re dumping Lauren?” Dang! “Why?”
“Just to prove to you how serious I am.”
I tossed the hanger on the top of the clothes and wandered back over to my bed. It took me a moment to compose myself enough to remember to sit down. I collapsed. Is he really this stupid? Really? “Harrison?”
“Yeah?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers and closed my eyes for a second. “Let me get this straight. You . . . uh, are going to break up with your girlfriend, a girl who’s sort of my sister, to prove to me that you’re serious about making me fall for you?”
“Well, when you put it that way—”
“And how is that going to make me like you more? Honestly?”
“Uh—”
“No. Please, Harrison, enlighten me, because as of right now, you just went from being a massive jerk to the biggest loser who’s ever walked the face of this earth.”
“Fine. What do you suggest I do?”
I started to laugh—like, really laugh. “Are you kidding me? You’re asking me how to go about making me fall for you? Why? So you could win your own game? The game where you make the rules and you win all the prizes?” Conceited, arrogant, overconfident . . . “And just what’s in it for me, huh? Is it so I can say in two weeks from now that I got dumped by you the second some other girl came along? Did you ever stop to think that I didn’t want you as a prize? That maybe I valued relationships a little more than you obviously do?
“Look!” I continued, drowning out his protests, “I’m sure there are lots of girls willing to get burned by you, but frankly, I don’t have the time or the inclination to deal with a guy who’s just playing games. I want a real guy. A guy who thinks of me first. A guy who’s dependable and nice and caring and well, all the things you’re not. Oh! And by the way, if you dump my sister to win some stupid game, you aren’t any better than I thought you were!” I flung the last words at him like I was in a shouting match.
“Wow.” The phone got really quiet.
I stood up and headed back to the closet. Just as I picked up the hanger, I heard Harrison mutter, “I don’t think anyone has ever had the guts to say that to me before.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed the first shirt. “Then maybe I’ve done you a favor.”
“Maybe.” I heard him heave a sigh and then, almost whispering, he mumbled, “Fine, you win.” He cleared his throat as if he were uncomfortable.
I flipped the phone to my other ear, wondering what he was going to say next. Harrison surprised me. In a deep, sad voice, he quietly said, “You’re right. I’ll still go out with Lauren. I definitely can’t have her making your life more miserable than it already is.”
“Wait. Harris—”
“No, let me finish.”
I waited.
After a pause, he cleared his throat again. “Look, I’m really not good at this thing I’m trying to do here. I’ve never had to do it before. So if you could just give me the benefit of the doubt for a little while until I figure out a way to balance this cheesy soap opera, you may find I’m not who you think I am.”
I didn’t know
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