chapter three

h e d a n c e s w i t h t h e p o - p o

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Character Picture: Nate

Dedicated to this gal (PMoonface) because she leaves amazing comments and I want to thank her for dat. xx

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(not edited)

Tyler and I had cleaned off our dinner and I was, yet again, looking up at the stars. My dad is an astronomer and when I was a little kid he used to take me out to this lookout that he found, where it showed the stars so clearly and beautifully. I have always been entranced and fascinated by the little 'lights in the sky', I used to call them; so much that I had the night sky painted on the ceiling of my bedroom.

Tyler sat silently beside me, while I lay observing the sky. The way Tyler acted tonight was weird – different – and I don't know how to feel about it. Around his friends, he's a jackass. He'll push me, make fun of me and taunt me with horrible words. Yet, I couldn't shake off the weird feeling about how he is alone.

I've always been told to not judge a book by its cover, but Tyler is just so easily judged. I've only experienced a few insults directed towards me tonight with Tyler, which is entirely different to the usual.

I remember, just last week, Nate, him and I were all at Nate's house. I was reluctant to go after hearing that he would be there, but Nate convinced me to go nevertheless pulling off some 'you're my best friend' act. Tyler practically tortured me. I made an agreement with myself to never be in the same house for more than ten minutes with Tyler ever again, but I guess the tables have turned.

I checked the time on my phone – an iPhone 5 which I worked my ass off to get. I work at a local diner as a waitress. It pays well and has good hours so I enjoy working there. Plus, Emily is employed there alongside me which makes it ten times better. I come from a middle class family, so it didn't hurt for me to lift my weight and start working instead of sitting on my butt the entire time.

Mom and dad may work all the time, but their jobs aren't high paying like lawyers or anything. But, with dad's alcohol binges every now and then, it hits us pretty hard. Let's just say that my father only drinks the best...

It was 11:47 and I had better get back to the party in case Nate or Emily noticed me missing – not that they would, since they're so engrossed in each other, but I could only wish. I cracked a small smile at my screensaver. Emily, Nate and I had taken it at last year's annual Carnival – which is coming up soon. It was while we were on the Ferris wheel, and Nate had insisted we took a picture. In the picture, Emily is grinning at Nate who is puffing his cheeks out like a fish, while I'm poking my tongue out to the side of the frame.

"Nova," Tyler's voice cut me out of my internal chat. "We better get going back, I'm still not drunk and you aren't giving me a lap dance yet."

I glared at Tyler as he winked and joked around. He's been dead set on me being 'in love with him' all night – which I am not – and cracking jokes about how he can't wait for the kiss at the end of our date. His mock persistence was hilarious – and kind of cute I have to admit – because every time I would turn him down he would pout and it melted my heart. I'm usually unaltered by puppy dog faces, but Tyler's really hit the top of the cuteness meter.

"No lap dance for you anymore," I sing-song, deciding to play along with him for once.

"So there was an option for one in the first place?" Tyler's all-too-famous smirk appeared on his face. He looked pretty hot – doesn't he always? – With his dark wash slim fitting jeans and tight black shirt that showed off his defined chest muscles. I bet he would look even better shirtless.

Snap out of it Nova, I chastised myself, this is Tyler remember? Asshole Tyler.

I rolled my eyes at him, "Of course not. I just wanted to see your expression."

He fake gasped and put a hand over his chest. "You wound me," sarcasm oozed from his words, "You'll be begging to give me a dance one day though. I know it."

"I would rather lick the bottom of my shoe," I scrunched my nose up, the thought of it made me want to puke.

"Of course you would, you like it dirty," he winked and ruffled the top of my hair. Here we go again. With all these sexual innuendos he's pulling out of his butt, I'm having trouble keeping up.

"Whatever," I ignored him and got up off the ground. "Where are we anyway?"

"Football grounds," he replied sheepishly. He started to walk off and I followed after him. "I'm surprised you didn't figure that out already. I mean, look, there's even a goalpost."

He points to a faint line in the distance and I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. How embarrassing. "I wasn't paying attention," I defended myself, but by the smirk on Tyler's face I know he was taking it in some sexual way.

"Yeah, that's cause you were too busy drooling over me."

We walked in silence for a few minutesm until I couldn't handle the tension and decided to cut it with a big mofo knife.

"Ugh," I screamed in frustration. "Can you not get it through your thick skull that I do not like you? You're a complete asshole one minute, then the next you're being all nice and it's so freaking frustrating," I crossed my arms over my chest. I didn't even notice that we had already made it outside Nate's house in record timing.

"I'm sure you love me," he winks and I have to hold myself back from grabbing Nate's mothers' garden gnome and bashing him over the head with it. I opted for staring ahead impassively and ignoring him.

When we got to the door of the house, I watched as Allie stumbled out in a drunken haze. Her tight and busty red dress was riding up – not that it could because it was short enough as it is – and I nearly winced at the height of her heels. Her head snapped up to see both Tyler and I walked side by side, and something flashed in her eyes. I'm not sure if it was anger or curiosity, but I was worried either way.

That's the thing. Allie and Tyler used to have this 'thing', where Tyler wasn't very attached to Allie, she was borderline obsessed. This was back in sophomore year that they dated for three or so months. I was dating Clark at the time – long, long story – and I remember Allie visiting our table for lunch each day. Those were the days that Tyler and I were on better terms. We weren't close friends, but we could hold a conversation without insulting each other like we do now. Then, Tyler broke up with Allie and all hell broke loose.

For some stupid, weird reason, I was to blame. Allie grew this vendetta against me because she thought that I was sneaking behind her back with Tyler – while I was dating Clark – which I definitely wasn't. I don't know why she thought that, it was just so odd and out of the blue, that's around the time that Clark and I broke up. We weren't going to last, I knew that from day one, there was no sparks – yes I believe in them – and he was too much of a friend to be considered as a boyfriend.

I guess that's where the guys got the impression that I was so deep into the 'tomboy' zone that I couldn't even date a guy. Before then, I was treated like a girl, but now, they consider me as a boy. I hate it. I would rather be woken up by Austin every morning than be reminded everyday about how boy-ish I am.

Allie Anders, while drunk off her face, stumbled over in six in heels and practically jumped onto Tyler like a leach. I grimaced as she tried to kiss him in the 'spur of the moment' and went into a fit of laughter as I watched Tyler struggle against her vice grip. It was a hilarious sight, especially when Tyler pushed her face away with the palm of his hand and she stumbled backwards, straight into a bush.

That set me off again.

Tyler glared at me while I wheezed and Allie tried to come back for round two.

"Allie," Tyler warned while stepping backwards slowly. "Don't you dare." In retaliation to his threat, Allie just decided that it would be the perfect time to turn into a cat, and started purring. Is she mental or something? "No. You're not a cat Allie."

Allie pouted, stopping midway licking her 'paw'. "But this kitty wants to be fed."

Cue round three of poor Nova dying from lacking oxygen because she laughed too hard. I didn't even get to watch the scene unfold in front of me between the guy I thoroughly dislike and the girl who has a vendetta against me, before I was pulled by my elbow into the crowd. Yeah, we had attracted a crowd. Not sure if it was because Tyler was getting pounced on by a hungry kitty or if I legitimately started to pass out from the no-oxygen situation.

I turned my head to the side to see Tyler dragging me across Nate's front yard into mine. I frowned, why was he making me go back to the house? I thought he would be going back for round two or something. Then, I heard the sirens and it clicked all up there. The police were here to break up the party, and he obviously didn't want to get caught. My mother would kill me if I got caught. She may be pretty lenient on me attending parties, but definitely not getting in trouble with the po-po.

The crowd dispersed from outside Nate's house as the cops turned up. I sighed in frustration as Nate continued dancing around with the bottle of alcohol in his hand from earlier. Man, this boy is a serious lightweight. The cops frowned at Nate and shook their heads.

I could only watch from the porch of my house as Nate was practically arrested. They would take him back to the station and probably fine him for being a public nuisance and then lock him up overnight and wait for his mother to come pick him up. Trust Nate to be so drunk he's trying to dance with the officers. I'm being one hundred percent serious.

"He's an idiot," Tyler spoke up after a minute or so of silence, mainly spent watching Nate going into the police car with the officers trying to pry the bottle out of his hands. "That's why you don't drink," Tyler said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, you would know, wouldn't you?" I said, sarcasm dripping from my words.

Last year, Tyler idiotically took a mower for a joyride to the local diner he was that drunk. The police didn't get involved, but it was a struggle to get him and the lawnmower back safely.

Tyler gives me a pointed look, as if to say 'don't even go there'. I snort out a laugh. "Oh, I'm going there."

Tyler rolls his eyes and drops the subject. His phone starts ringing and he quickly answers it and goes around the side of the house to speak to whoever it was. Of course, can't say anything in front of Nova.

I sit on the porch swing and wait for Mr. Ass to hurry up and finish the call so I can bid him goodbye and get some freaking sleep. If my bed had a cell phone, it would be calling me right now to get in it.

That could be taken in so many wrong ways. I cursed myself for thinking that. Of course, that's what happens when you spend a night with Mr Sexual Innuendo's himself – Tyler Bradford.

"About time," I huff as he starts walking up the steps. "Calling your prostitute can wait, Tyler. My bed is calling me."

"Wait," he calls out as I start to open my front door. "Slight change of plans," he grins sheepishly. As soon as he's finished talking, I see in my peripherals, the football team and a few of my other friends and their girlfriends walk out from Nate's house, straight to mine.

"You're shitting me," I nearly bang my head on my front door, but I wouldn't want to lose any brain cells. "You invited them all?"

"No," he drags it out in a sing-song voice. "They kind of invited themselves. Look, you want to prove to them that you're not just 'one of the boys', then this is your time."

Wait, how does he know about my hatred for being called that? The only person who knows about that is Emily, and she wouldn't...

I was about to scream a few profanities at him, but was cut off with the sound of Clark's boisterous voice squabbling to Eli about how flies have feelings. As macho as Clark is, he is totally anti-killing animals, which is kind of stupid because he will scoff down a piece of steak like no problem. I don't understand Clark. Truth be told, I don't think anyone does. He's hilarious but definitely has a few loose bolts, just like Sam (another guy on the team). Most of the guys on the team are half meatheads, probably from being tackled so hard, but we love them anyway.

I nearly groan in frustration when Clark pulls me into a suffocating bear hug. He loves to hug everyone and doesn't understand personal space. Good thing I'm not touchy then, or having Clark as a best friend would be a horrible idea. He slings an arm around my shoulders and grins at me. "Thanks for being host, Nova."

"Not like I had a choice," I mumbled. I quickly averted my eyes from Clark to Tyler. He looked furious for some reason, his eyes a shade darker green than usual.

"I'm just going to ignore that," I took my attention off Tyler and back to Clark, only to see him wink suggestively at me. "Sam brought the beer," he points to Sam who has a carton of beer in his arms. His huge arm muscles bulged out of his white shirt, pretty impressive in my opinion. He's like a huge piece of steak, he works out so much. "Brandon has the spirits," I averted my eyes to Brandon who held a bottle of vodka in one hand and tequila in the other. "Perfect for party games."

I rolled my eyes and turned around to open the front door when I felt Clark slap my butt. I turned my head so quickly I nearly got whiplash and glared at him. Clark just grinned sheepishly, like he always does when he's caught doing something wrong.

In my peripherals, I caught Tyler clenching his fist and jaws and my eyebrows rose. Since when did he care if Clark went into his touchy-feely mode? Clark has done that numerous of times while Tyler is around, yet he's only ever gotten angry now. I shrugged the weird feeling off, and stood aside to let all the guys and girls in the house, followed by a very curious Emily.

Why did I have a bad feeling about this?

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My mother and Nate's mother had planned to go to an overnight spa tonight. They've been complaining since forever about their aching bones and muscles, so Nate practically shoved them out of the house with the tickets to the new Spa opening up in town. This meant that it was only me home, since my father was out ... yet again. I didn't want to think about what he was doing, so I just shoved it right to the back of my head, because tonight was the night were I'm going to prove to the guys once and for all.

I'm still curious how Tyler knows about my situation. Not only the hating playing matchmaker scenario, but also the being one of the boys situations I happened to get myself into. I have a feeling Emily might have said something to him, but I hope she didn't. She knows I don't like Tyler, and telling him my secrets is probably the worst thing in the girl code books.

I had to get that out of my head though, because now I was perched on my lounge chair, with all the guys and girls around me in a circle, playing Never Have I Ever. I knew I wouldn't get drunk, I'm barely a daredevil and haven't doing anything exciting enough to be in this game.

Seated in the circle – either on the floor or on my couches – are twelve people in total. Tyler, Sam, Clark, Emily and I are on the couches with Brandon, Eloise (Brandon's girlfriend), Jake and Jayden (they're fraternal twins), Alex, Eli and even my brother had joined in. I found out that he wasn't at the party because his girlfriend – yes my brother is quite the ladies' man – and him were out on a date. How cute.

The game was about halfway through, and I had only had one shot. Clark and Jake are in the lead with how many shots they've taken – no surprises there – with Tyler close behind them. Eloise, Emily and I are no saints, but definitely not on the same level as the guys.

"Never have I ever," Clark drawls out. He's intoxicated, his words are slurred and he's having trouble making coherent sentences. "Kissed someone that I hate."

I wasn't surprised that this came up, because it was just so cliché and stereotypical. Nobody took a shot, causing Clark to frown and crack a mini-Clark tantrum. "Nobody?" He echoes. He thinks for a second, before a smirk appears on his face and he turns to look at me with a sardonic expression. "Well. There's got to be one person taking a shot each round. Nova, Tyler. Do the honours?"

I gaped at him. No way. "What?" Tyler and I spoke at the same time. "The fuck," I finished it off.

"I was just suggesting," Clark puts his arms up in surrender, "No need to get your panties in a knot. How about we play strip poker?"

I nearly face palm. "No, Clark. No strip poker."

"Fine," he sighs and holds up the pre-prepared shot in the air. "Cheers to being sick bitches."

Wow. To think I used to date him.

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WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOO UPDATE TIME!

Happy New Years everyone! Cheers to 2015. This is the first Playing Matchmaker update of 2015 eeeep!

I want to thank you guys so so so much for getting Playing Matchmaker to where it is now. We aree at 2k reads! Holy moly. With only three chapters! Then, we hit #715 in Teen Fiction (until I changed it to Humor, whoops!) and I am so proud! Thanks for all the supportive comments guys! I am having so much fun writing this story, so I hope you like reading it as much as I like writing it.

Don't forget to vote comment and fan!

(Oh and did you see the new model who plays Tyler? He is so hot hot hot I think I'm dying of hotness to be honest.)

happy new year guys! xoxo