Free The Dating Game by Natalie Standiford Page A

perched at a table for the few minutes left before Modern World History.
    “Hmm. It seems like our matchmaking skills work for everybody except us,” Holly said. “I haven’t heard a peep from Jake. Has Walker called you, Lina?”
    “Last night,” Lina admitted.
    “Why didn’t you tell us?” Mads said.
    Lina shrugged. “It’s no big deal. He wanted to get together this weekend.”
    “Wow, he called you the next day,” Mads said. “He must really like you. What are you guys going to do?”
    “Nothing,” Lina said. “I told him I was busy.”
    “What? But you’re not busy!” Mads said.
    Lina knew they wouldn’t understand. “I’m just not feeling it. Why should I force myself to go out with him if I know he’s not It?”
    “Because you don’t know he’s not It,” Holly said. “You haven’t given him a chance.”
    “I do know.”
    “How did he take it?” Mads asked. “Being rejected, I mean.”
    “He was pretty cool about it,” Lina said.
    Holly felt a tiny nip of jealousy. Why hadn’t Jake called her yet? What good was popularity if everybody liked her except
him
?

9
    Current Mood: About to Burst
    To:     mad4u
    From: Your daily horoscope
    HERE IS TODAY’S HOROSCOPE: VIRGO: Do you believe in miracles? I hope so, because your losing streak is coming to an end. Enjoy it while it lasts.
    F our hours later, Mads sat at the middle table in the lunch room, waiting for Lina and Holly. Sean and two of his friends, Alex Sipress and Mo Basri, came in and sat at the table next to Mads. She immediately lost her appetite.
    “Dudes, why didn’t you go to Superscope Saturday night?” Sean said. “Boardman and I ran into these college chicks. They were
so hot
. They were post-apocalyptic.”
    “What are you, trying to sound smart for the college girls?” Alex said. “Save yourself five syllables and just say they were hot.”
    Mads smiled. Post-apocalyptic. She liked it. But it sounded familiar. She’s seen it or heard it somewhere recently, exactly the way Sean used it. But where?
    Holly sat down. “You know, I love Geometry,” Holly said. “I think I aced the quiz today—”
    “That’s it!” Mads jumped to her feet. That was where she’d seen the word—on one of the questionnaires. And there was an excellent chance that whoever wrote “post-apocalyptic” on his questionnaire was Sean. She hadn’t heard anyone else use the word that way, though she was expecting it to go wide any day now.
    “I’m going to the library,” Mads said. “Back later.”
    She hurried to the library and commandeered one of the computers. She scanned the boys’ questionnaires until she found it: “I like all kinds of girls, but especially girls who really knock me over, who are like, so hot they’re post-apocalyptic.”
    Name of the boy: “p_diddy.” Of course. Like Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. Sean! It had to be Sean!
    Mads had him now. This time he wouldn’t get away.
    mad4u: u set it up, holly. I don’t want him to think I’m chasing him. I want him to think I’m chasing him. I want him to think that you compared our questionnaires and decided that the best girl in the whole school for him is me. Based on totally scientific evidence and all that.
    hollygolitely: ok. I’ll tell him to email you to set up a date.
    mad4u: thanks, h. I hope he writes right away. I’m so excited!
    Mads signed off and tried to do her homework. Downstairs a dog howled pitifully. M.C. was seeing one of her patients, a Doberman with separation anxiety.
    Mads did her Spanish homework, then checked her e-mail. Nothing. She IM’ed Holly.
    mad4u: did you e-mail him yet?
    hollygolitely: yes, an hour ago. Relax, he might not even read it till later.
    Mads tried reading her history textbook. It was impossible. She checked her e-mail every five minutes.
    Finally, right before she was about to go to bed, she got something.
    To: mad4u
    From: p_diddy
    Re: date?
    A chick from that dating game site matched me with you. r u up for