Chapter 18
EMILIA
“Miss Stiles?”
I gulp down my final bite of tuna salad sandwich and close my web browser as soon as I hear Ryder’s voice.
“Ryder! Did you finish your lunch already?” I open the browser on my laptop again and delete my search history real quick, because what am I even doing Googling Alex Vega on my lunch break and because these kids are so smart and sneaky they could totally check my search history and probably hack into all of my accounts when I’m not looking.
“Yeah. Can you help me with something, please?” He crosses over to the front of my desk with his hands behind his back. He’s being so polite, I’m a little afraid he’s going to stab me or something.
“What’s up?”
“Can you help me to set up something for my dad?”
I clear my throat and check to make sure my browser is closed again. “What kind of something?”
“A profile. For WooHooCupid.”
I bark out a laugh. “The dating site? You want to set up a dating profile for your dad?”
He nods. “He’s really sad and lonely now. I think he needs a girlfriend.”
“Hmm. Well, does your dad want a profile on a dating website? I mean, are you sure he isn’t already dating someone?”
“He’s not. I’m sure. I think I should help him.”
“Well, that’s very sweet of you, I guess.”
“So you’ll help me?!”
“Sure, why not?” I mean, what am I gonna do—not help a seven-year-old student set up a dating profile for his hot single father who I’ve made out with twice? “But only if it’s okay with your dad. I’ll help you set it up, but we won’t make it public. You have to let him be the one to do that, okay?”
“Yes!” He jumps up and down. “Now, right? Can we do it now?”
“Well, we have about fifteen minutes before class starts.” I open up my laptop. “We’ll need an email address.”
“It’s mydadneedsagirlfriendnow@. I made him a special email account.”
“Well, that is very adorable.” I type in the email address on WooHooCupid. “What should the password be?”
“Can it be my birthday?”
“Better not use your birthday. Or his.”
“Your birthday?”
“Nope. What’s your favorite color?”
“Blue.”
“Okay. What’s your favorite food?”
“Waffles. No—gelato! No—fried chicken! Wait, do I have to pick one?”
“Okay, remember this—the password is Bluewaffles123, with a capital ‘b.’ Will you remember that?”
“Bluewaffles123,” he repeats. “And for his picture?”
“Do you have one?”
“I want to use the one I did of him today.”
We both look over at the Art Wall. He drew a picture of his dad that’s so freaking cute it actually made me tear up a little. And Google Alex Vega as soon as I could.
“Do you want me to take a picture of the drawing?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to use an actual photograph of him?”
He waves his hand dismissively. “Nah, it doesn’t matter.”
“If you say so.” I take a picture of the drawing with my phone and then upload it to the website once it’s in the Photos library on my laptop. “This is the best dating profile picture I’ve ever seen.”
“Are you on here too?” he asks, coming around to my side of the desk and resting his elbows on it.
“Nope. I don’t use dating websites.”
“Why not? Do you already have a boyfriend?”
“Nope. But remember what we talked about on the first day of school?”
He slaps his forehead. “Oh yeah! Sorry.”
“It’s fine. But since it’s not class time right now, I will tell you that I do not have a boyfriend. Are you sure your dad isn’t seeing anyone?”
“Oh yeah. I’m sure. Is it set up yet?”
“Nope. We have to answer a bunch of questions.”
“Like what?”
“Well there’s a whole bunch of them, and then depending on how you answer them, that’s how they find a match—or a whole bunch of matches—for your dad.”
He shrugs. “Okay.”
“Sooooo, did your dad tell you that he wants to find a girlfriend? Like, did he say that recently? Like since before Halloween week? Is that why you’re doing this?
I mean, you don’t have to tell me. But I should probably know since I’m helping you with this.
” I’m pretty sure I sounded super casual asking that.
“I asked him yesterday if he has a girlfriend.”
“And he definitely said no? Because he could still be dating someone. Or several people.”
“He’s always at home with me. Or driving me places. He says he’s busy working on something.”
“But you’re at school for most of the day. He might be seeing someone during the day, when you’re not around.”
He watches me, so closely that it creeps me out. “I just want him to be happy, Miss Stiles. He’s a really good dad. And I want him to have a nice girlfriend.”
“Well, like I said, that is very sweet of you. He’s lucky to have you.”
“Can we hurry up and get to the questions now?”
“Yeah… Okay, what would you say your dad is all about? Like, how would you describe him to someone? Or I guess, how would he describe himself to someone? Because it’s supposed to be him answering these questions…”