Chapter 6
Ryan
Life sucks.
There’s no better way to explain it.
This past week, I’ve done everything in my power to avoid Claire, and I’ve actually been pretty successful. I thought that would make me feel better—out of sight, out of mind, right? But instead, I’m completely miserable. I miss my best friend, and I feel like I’m about to lose her forever.
At least I have my guys. It’s Saturday night, and we’re gathered around my kitchen table.
Aaron invited his friend, Kevin McDonald, an accountant who’s scary good at poker.
Which is why we’re not playing poker. Instead, we’re playing a card game that resembles the TV show Survivor.
I invited Chase, an English professor who was hired with me three years ago, and a reputable ladies’ man.
We’re opposites in looks—he’s got dark hair, olive skin, and dark eyes, and don’t forget the eternal feud between English and math—but we get along well.
Then there’s Marshall, a chemistry professor in his fifties who’s a little cranky but seemed like he needed a friend.
Maybe it was weird to throw him in the mix, but I felt bad for him when he started complaining about the math professors taking over the lunch area.
“Camp raid!” Kevin calls out, placing a card on the table, and we all groan. He points at me, and the light from the chandelier above catches his tiny glasses perched on his nose. “Lemme see those cards.”
I show him my cards, and he gets to choose one, then sits back smugly. Of course he took my extra vote card.
“So, Ryan, how’s work?” Kevin asks, moving his cards around in his deck.
“Fine.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Anything interesting going on with your classes?”
“How about we just play the game?” I snap.
“Yikes. You weren’t kidding,” Kevin mutters to Aaron.
“Kidding about what?” I ask, looking at Aaron.
Aaron’s eyes dart between me and Kevin. “I just thought…you know…that he should be prepared for your moodiness over Claire.”
“I’m not moody!” I cry out. Everyone around the table jumps. I clear my throat and sit back in my seat, feigning a leisurely stance. “I’m not moody,” I repeat, this time in a calm voice.
There’s silence for a moment, then they all burst into laughter. I take an angry swig of my soda. “Whatever. You all suck.”
“I get it, man,” Chase says, slapping me on the shoulder. “Claire is hot. No wonder you’re mad.”
The way he says it makes my blood boil even more. He’s dated every woman in town, so his reputation is well known. I glare at him. “She’s not hot,” I reply. “She’s beautiful. And sweet. And funny. And—”
“Okay, okay, we get it, Romeo,” Marshall grumbles in his low, seasoned chemistry professor voice. He gestures at Chase. “Get on with the game.”
Chase just smirks and points at Kevin. “Gimme a card.”
Kevin groans. “Quit ganging up on me.”
“Too bad.” Chase takes his card and smirks.
He finishes his turn and picks up a new card.
Marshall takes his turn, stealing a card from me, and then it’s time for tribal council.
He clears his throat and begins reading the script, and I feel like a student in his class, slightly terrified but simultaneously bored.
After a brief introduction, he allows for discussion.
“I say we vote out Kevin,” Chase says. “The poker champion is obviously better at this than the rest of us.”
“Seriously,” I agree. “We have no chance.”
“Nah, we need to get rid of Ryan,” Kevin says, peering at me through his little round glasses.
My head rears back. “Hey! What did I do?”
“You’re being too moody. You need to be voted out.”
“I agree,” Marshall grumbles. “Get rid of the grumpy one.”
“Now that’s saying something,” Chase says under his breath.
I look pleadingly at Aaron. “Don’t vote me out. I don’t need that.”
Aaron shrugs. “It’s all about the game, man.”
Whatever. I have an immunity card, so if they try to vote me out, I’m still safe.
I’ll just play it after the votes are cast. We all shut our eyes and take turns dropping our vote cards in the slot of the box that represents the player we want out, while everyone else drums their hands on the table.
It seems very childish, but for some reason, we all love it.
Well, usually I love it. Today I’m just going through the motions.
“You may open your eyes,” Marshall says, and the drumming stops.
He asks if anyone wants to play an advantage or idol, and I proudly pull my card out, slapping it on the table. “Boom!”
Marshall picks up the card. “This is an immunity card. Any votes cast against Ryan will not count.”
“Double boom!” Chase says, slapping a card on the table. “Idol nullifier.”
My jaw drops. “What? Where did you even find that?” I want to slap the smug grin off his face.
“It was tucked in the box, hidden away. I added it to my deck when you all weren’t watching.”
“Dude, that’s totally cheating.”
“Is it? It’s Survivor. You can’t cheat. There really aren’t any rules.”
Marshall inspects the card and nods. “All right. All votes cast against Ryan will count.”
I throw my hands up in the air, my cards flying around me, and heave a giant sigh. Marshall counts the votes—four votes against me, and one against Chase. My vote.
I stand and stretch. “Cool, guys. Thanks for ruining my one night of fun.”
“Hey, you’re still on the jury!” Chase points out.
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Let’s take a break,” Aaron says, easing the tension.
He grabs the empty chips bowl from the center of the table.
“I think it’s time for a refill anyway.” He takes the container to the kitchen, Marshall heads to the restroom, and Kevin moves to the couch to scroll on his phone.
He’s probably competing in some online poker tournament while we’ve been playing Survivor.
I pace over to the corner of the room and back to the table.
Chase points at my seat. “Dude. Sit. Chill.”
I take a seat, hitting the chair hard.
Chase shakes his head. “What’s gotten into you? You’re never this sore of a loser.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Is this really about Claire?”
I grimace, and he raises his brows. That’s enough of an answer for him. How pathetic.
“I didn’t know it was that bad.”
I rub my jaw. “Whatever. I’ll move on.”
“Not like this you won’t.”
I turn my head to him. “And what do you suggest?”
“Date. Find someone new. I’ll set you up.”
I fix him with a glare. “No, thank you.”
“Come on. You need it. At the very least, you need a distraction. Just the company of a beautiful woman over a delicious dinner. What’s wrong with that?”
She won’t be Claire, I think. But I can’t say that out loud. He already thinks I’m a sap.
“Yeah, maybe,” I say, keeping it noncommittal. I have to maintain some semblance of a reputation. At this point, I’ve ruined whatever street cred I had with these guys by acting like a teenage girl.
“Ready to start?” Aaron asks, reappearing with a bowl full of chips.
“Let’s go,” I say.
But I’m never going to be ready to start over from Claire.