The Love Deal with Mr. Player

5. Lights. Camera. Action

When life gives you lemons, throw them right back at it.

5. Lights. Camera. Action.

(Liana)

There were so many results in Google. How to win a boy's heart. I smiled when I realized there were desperate girls like me out there.

Thank God I am not the only one that desperate.

That would have been a serious blow to my self-esteem, which was already pretty damn low all the time.

I pulled my phone and switched it on and called Riya. She took the call on the second ring as if she was waiting for me. Was she?

“What are you doing up so late?” Riya said and I shook my head. When I realized she couldn’t see me, I muttered, I couldn’t sleep.

There was only silence at the other end, before she chuckled like she knew the reason. Of course, she knew.

“Are you thinking about the deal?” She asked.

“Yes Riya and I’m regretting it already.” I whispered.

“Don’t Liana. Don’t you dare back away. This is the best chance to get your revenge. Think about humiliating him for all that he had done to you. Just imagine how you’d feel after winning this and breaking his heart.” She sounded so freaking enthusiastic.

I was not.

“I’d feel terrible. We aren’t friends anymore, but I can never put him through that much pain even if I wanted to.” I admitted in a defeated tone.

She took her time, but when she talked again, her voice was comforting. “Lia, I know you. You’re really compassionate, but he doesn’t deserve it, Lia. He doesn’t deserve anything from you.”

“Okay, let us stop being so serious. Hey, my parents are going on a vacation, after ten days, and it seems Asher and I have to stay together and take care of each other," I scoffed and Riya laughed. "I hate my luck.” I said without taking a breath. It was better to break it to her just like that.

"Really? Your parents aren't worried? " She asked. "Why in the world would they leave you two alone?"

"I don't know what you are talking about, we can be cordial, you know." I sounded not so sure of it myself. But what the heck! We both knew I could not be cordial with Asher.

"Yeah? Like how cordial???” Riya giggled. I glared at the phone when she added, “And Lia, please try not to murder him in his sleep, okay?”

I really despised this. I knew it was going to be hell with Asher, and I didn’t know what my parents were thinking, leaving the two of us alone.

“Ok, I’ll try, but I am not promising anything. It is all about how he is behaving.” I grunted with a smile and she chuckled at the other end.

“So what are you doing, Lia?” She asked.

I rubbed my forehead and wondered whether I should tell her or not. She would probably make fun of me. “Ok, promise you won't laugh -Hey, why are you laughing before I told you anything. Idi*t. Shut up, Riya." I shouted and she giggled some more, before she finally stopped laughing like a moron.

"Ok, ok, sorry. Just... go on." She said, still sounding like she was laughing.

"Uff. Ok, I was searching google for winning hearts and it showed a thousand results. Like really? Are we that desperate? Oh, and nothing is promising. They are funny, god, so damn funny and full of crap.” I wrinkled my nose as I remembered everything I had just read. What a waste of my precious time. I could have read a novel in that time...

“I can’t believe this. Are you really doing it? Someone’s getting serious!” She said in a singsong voice and I yawned again. It was way past my bedtime.

"You are the one who wanted me to be. So I decided to give it a try. I have nothing to lose, anyways." I said flippantly. If I lost, I lost. It wasn't like we were best of friends now. If I won, though, oh, how I could make his life a living hell for everything he had ever done to me. I yawned loudly, again.

“Ok, you are yawning too much, go to sleep now, we can search it tomorrow. Bye.” She said.

"Yeah, you too. Bye."

I switched off the phone and looked at the last page in the search result and clicked it open.

It said, ‘Be yourself.’

I chuckled. These funny people were thinking they were giving life-changing advices! But it wasn't.

Like boys would give a damn if you’re being yourself. They didn’t want what was inside you, your goodness was invisible, anyways. Your heart, your attitude and essence, your personality, no one was going to take time to find you, the real you.

What most of the guys wanted was only skin deep. A pretty face with rotten personality and they would be content with life.

Soul was too much of a heavy subject for guys, because they mostly think with waist-below.

With a bitter smile, I closed the page.

It is all useless, anyways.

***

Nine days had passed since my parents dropped the bomb about their vacation on my head. It felt like just yesterday that Mike was telling about the vacation, but here we were. Already. They were leaving tomorrow.

I helped my parents with the packing, but no, I wasn't benevolent or classy about it. I kept telling them how much of a good daughter I was to help them even though they had decided to leave me alone with the satanic creature and mom just ignored me like I was wearing Harry Potter's invisible cloak and my dad kept patting my head in the most infuriating way.

"Stop petting me like I am a dog. I am not forgiving you guys..." I glared at my dad and he raised his hand in surrender.

"Come on, Liana. You had been complaining for nine days straight and still you have more to complain..." My mom said with a sigh and I glared at her.

"Mother, I will complain about it for the rest of my life. This is totally unfair and I will whine and whine until you regret why you have decided to take this impromptu vacation at the middle of the school year." I explained and mom looked properly scared.

Oh, she deserved it.

They were going to the Bahamas and it made me angry that I wasn't going. I had always wanted to go there, to enjoy the warmth of the sea, to bask in the summer sun, walking barefoot in the sand... not only I had to miss it all, I also had to spend three weeks with Asher. Alone in the damn house.

Why the hell did I even agreed to this freaking deal with him? It was making me feel more irritable than I normally was.

I am going to break every bone in his body if I ever get a chance...

I thought with vengeance.

***

Sunday came earlier than I expected. My parents were leaving and I didn't want them to. I wanted to sit on the door and refuse to let them go. So I did. My mom sighed at me as she stood on the door, looking at her mad daughter.

"Liana, move. The cab will be here any moment now." Mom said to me in a pleading voice and I looked up at her from the doorway with a smug smile.

"I don't want to move. I don't want you to go. He is a devil and he will kill me, your precious daughter if you leave me alone with him." I whined. I almost wanted to roll around in the ground, but that would be too much even for me.

"Stop being such a loser, you i***t. And move" Asher grumbled as he grabbed my legs.

"You stop being an asshole and I will- let go of my leg, moron. See, you haven't even left yet and he is already trying to kill me." He dragged me down the stairs and my mom actually thanked him for it. Traitors.

"Shut up. Your voice hurt my head." He said with as he let me go. I stood up and grudgingly helped my mom with the suitcase.

Asher glared at me, when I accidently – not really – dropped the suitcase on his foot. He jumped up and down, yelling profanities at me as I danced towards the cab, which was finally here.

Maybe this is not the best way to win his heart Liana Marie Stan, I reproached myself. But a girl’s gotta have a little fun in any ways she could.

You only live once. eh...

Everyone kissed both of us like we were still babies, ugh, and took turns to tell us the same guidelines for a safe stay, until I could say it backwards and in my sleep.

“I don’t have amnesia or short term memory, ok, Uncle Mike. I haven’t forgotten the same thing you’ve said just a second before, so get over it and get going, please."

Now, I couldn't wait for them to leave. I mean, this was getting boring.

“She needs some lessons on how to be a proper girl.” Mom said.

What the hell did it even mean? Proper girl? Like really? Mom's sometimes so lame.

“We spoiled her too much.” Catherine agreed.

“Ok, now, go on and tell the world about how improper I am, but don’t blame me when you miss your flight.” I said crossing my arms across my chest and looking pointedly at the clock.

“Come on, let's go. You two... Take Care.” Blythe said and Shayna yelled goodbye and finally they were gone.

Oh God, finally. I breathed a relieved sigh. I was going to miss them all, but not right now.

“Finally freedom.” I jumped up and down and then started doing a happy dance.

Asher eyed at me suspiciously. He frowned at me for a moment before stepping aside, throwing me a ‘are you crazy?’ look.

After some side twitches and stomping, I fell on the couch with a tired smile.

He stared at me like I was a complete fool before sitting on the opposite couch. He looked at me with a calculated frown and I closed my eyes.

He looked tired, as well. He rubbed his forehead as he stared at the blank screen in front of him. When I heard him mutter something, I opened my eyes and stared at him, and when he saw me staring, he stared back.

Do I blink now? Is this a game?

I was confused for a bit.

Maybe I could start my acting, since I had already wasted two days. Better now than later. If I lost this, I was going to suffer, forever. Asher would never let me live through that. I closed my eyes and mustered courage and patience.

Patience. I needed it more.

Lights. Cameras. Action. Here I go!

“Do you want to watch anything , Asher?” I asked in my most innocent voice.

Gah!

This is harder than I thought.

___