The Dating Game

by: Jenni Short

"Amy! Brittany! Wait up! I've got something I have to tell you!" Marie Webb cried.

"Oh great, another of Marie's melodramas," Amy Shelby remarked dryly to Brittany.

"Shh, here she comes!" Brittany Johnson replied.

"Hey, Marie. What's up?" Amy said.

"Ohmigosh, you will not believe it! I think I'm like totally crushing on Marc!" Marie cried.

"Marc? Whatever happened to Gary?" Brittany said.

"Yeah, last I'd heard you were still going out with him!" Amy added.

"We-ll, I am, but you see, he got pissed at me for no good reason! He said I was flirting!"

"Well, were you?" Brittany asked.

"Well, kind of... But that's not the point! He's getting totally possesive! I mean, sure Marc and I were talking a lot during class, and yes, we were talking still during tech, you know, set-building for the play, but Gary completely overeacted!"

"What did Gary say when you talked to him?" Amy replied.

"Nothing- he got all in a huff because Marc got tired while we were painting and I kind of sat down next to his head where he was laying."

"Is that all?! Well, Marie, you're ri-"

"Well that's not all," Marie interrupted Brittany. "I kind of massaged Marc's head for a while there... And you know, he has the most gorgeous eyes..." she trailed off, seeing Brittany's and Amy's incredulous stares. Luckily, the bell rang for school to start.

"I guess we'll see you after school." Amy said.

"No, actually I'm staying after for tech."

"Bye." Brittany said, rolling her eyes and walking off.

"Bye." Amy added, following Brittany.

"Can you believe her?!" Brittany said to Amy once they were out of Marie's earshot.

"I know! It's always the same pattern with her!" Amy cried.

"Obsess over him, get asked out, debate accepting, saying yes, says they're too possesive after like a week, breaks up with them." Brittany replied.

"You forgot one step: flirt, flirt, flirt!!!" Amy added.

Amy and Brittany were Marie's best friends. Marie was great fun until she was around a group of guys. Then she ditched Brittany and Amy for who knew how long. Plus she was always coming to them about her guy problems. It all added up to complete annoyance for Brittany and Amy. Marie's guy cycle continued- through Gary, Marc, Jason, Andy, Alex, Charles, and Michael. Seven guys in six months!

Amy and Brittany had ditched Marie back during her Andy-going- on-Alex stage and they now had their own group of friends, including Brittany's boyfriend Peter. It was six months since the Gary-going-on- Marc incident, and school had just re-opened for their sophmore year...

"Brittany!!!" Amy called, racing up to her friend's side. "I haven't seen you since Peter's party in July! How are you?"

"Just fine! How was camp? Did you talk to Marie any?" Brittany inquired. Amy worked at a Scout camp with Marie every summer, and this year was no different.

"Yeah. She and Michael had a nasty break-up, you know. I kinda patched things up with her." Amy said.

"Nasty break-up? Yeah, for him! She dumped him!" Brittany said.

"Still, it was hard on her."

"Amy, you're full of it sometimes."

"Shush up, here she comes. Now you be nice!" Amy whispered. "Marie! Over here!"

"Hi, Amy, Brittany. How were your summers?" Marie asked.

"Just fine." Brittany said. The three sat there in silence for a few minutes, Brittany looking for Peter, Amy staring off into space, Marie looking at the guys who walked by. Suddenly, Marie gasped.

"What?" Amy cried.

"That guy, he's so cute!" Marie said, gesturing in the direction of a new guy in school. He was leaning against the wall next to the soda machine, looking around as he eyed everyone who walked by.

"Do you guys have any money?" Marie asked quickly.

"Yeah, here's fifty cents." Amy offered. "I don't think that's enough, though."

"No matter, I'll be sure to get some." Marie replied, walking off. Brittany gave Amy a look.

"Okay, okay, you were right." Amy said sheepishly.

Marie walked slowly up to the soda machine. She looked at the choices carefully before putting in the two quarters Amy had lent her.

"Oh no, I still need a quarter!" she cried. Marie had picked up Gary, Andy, and Michael this way. "Um, excuse me," she said to the strange boy. "Do you have any change?"

"Nice try. I saw you staring at me with your two friends, and I saw you get money from one," the boy said.

"Um-uh, will you at least tell me your name? I'm Marie."

"Brian." he said, walking off as the first bell of sophmore year rang out.

"Amy!! Brittany!! Wait up! I have something I have to tell- Well, hel-lo!" Marie remarked slowing down after school that day.

"Marie, this is my boyfriend, Peter Willas," Brittany said, smiling sweetly while shooting Marie venemous "paws-off-he's-mine"- looks.

"Nice to meet you, Marie. I've heard lots about you," Peter stated politely, streching out his arm to shake Marie's hand.

"All good I hope," she giggled. "Oh don't be silly!" she cried, batting his arm away. "You're Brittany's boyfriend! Give me a hug!" Peter put his arm around Marie and kind of patted her on the shoulder.

"Um, Marie!" Marie looked up at Amy with an innocent "who me?" look. "What did you need to tell us? And hurry it up, I'm meeting someone here soon." Amy finished

"0h, you will not believe it!! That guy, Brian Arthur, was like totally enchanted by me. I think he's going to ask me out!" Marie began.

"Amy, are you okay?" Brittany asked, noticing her friend's face falling faster than rain in Seattle.

"I've got to go, Brittany." Peter gave Brittany a kiss before addressing the other two girls. "I'll see you around, Amy. Nice meeting you, um, Marie, wasn't it?" Peter quickly left, hating to be there during "Girl Talk."

"Um, aren't you going to miss your bus, Marie?" Amy asked, wanting to be alone to talk with Brittany.

"Silly, I walk home. Remember? I moved last year!"

"Oh yeah." Amy said quietly.

"Anyway, this thing with Brian, I really like him! I mean more than I liked Michael!" Marie continued.

"God, Marie would you just shut up! Are you blind or stupid or something? Amy likes Brian too!" Brittany snapped.

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Amy. I mean it must be so horrid for the guy you like to be after me!" Marie said.

"What makes you so sure he wants you?" Amy said in a small voice.

"Well, clearly any guy would pick me over yo-"

"Marie Carolyn Webb! What the hel - What gives you the right to say that, you two-faced, two-timing flirt!!" Brittany exploded.

"Sorry, Brittany, sorry, Amy. I didn't mean it?" Marie said, dounting the words herself. Then she gasped "Shut up! Here he comes!!" Marie fluffed up her hair, quickly redoing her lipstick.

"Forget it, I'm out of here." Amy stalked out of the lobby and started walking down the steps out front in the drizzle.

"Amy! Wait up!" She turned around.

"Brian?" Amy said disbelivingly.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I had to get a couple of my classes switched around." He smiled at her.

"Which ones?" she asked.

"Oh- not Photo! That's staying. I changed Chem to second and, um, " he looked down sheepishly. "English to fourth."

"Those are my classes!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know."

"What's he saying? Why couldn't she stay in here!" Brittany said inside.

"He didn't even look at me!" Marie complained, her mouth in a bratty pout.

"Hey, Marie, come here!" Brittany called.

"What? Did he say my name?" Marie asked, coming up to the glass door. Brittany smacked her upside her head. "What was that for?!"

"That was for Amy. Do you want me to get on you for flirting with my boyfriend?" Brittany said.

"Hey, what are they doing out there?" Marie remarked.

"Ohmygosh, look, they're kissing! He must have just asked her out!" Brittany said.

"Well, what do you know!" Marie said.

"You okay?" Brittany asked.

"Me? Yeah. You know, there's this adorable guy in my Bio class and I think he really likes me..." Marie began.

"Oh, Lord." Brittany mumbled, rolling her eyes. "Here we go again."

Past Stories

Any comments on "The Dating Game"? Write to Jen at jrshort@crosslink.net Make sure the subject begins with WT!!