Page 20 of The Prospect

“Are you ready to stop acting weird and actually sit down and have a conversation about this?” I scrummage through my bag in search of the assortment of snacks I’d made in preparation of this conversation. I know there’s no eating in the library, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

“That depends, did you pick someone else?” Green fires back, making me roll my eyes as I hand him a sandwich, one he hesitates to grasp. “What’s this for?”

“Just take it.” I gesture it forward once again. “You’re happier when you’re fed, not to mention, more rational…”

With a huff, he takes it from my grasp, removes the cellophane and with his pout, sinks his teeth in for a big bite.

“I just don’t understand, Hazel,” he says whilst chewing. “Of all of the men in Crawley…in England…in theworld, and you want me to set you up with, Hart? Really?”

“I just don’t see what the problem is?” I protest with a shrug. “Hart’s smart, funny, athletic, extremely fit?—”

Green chokes on his sandwich, coughing to resolve it before he glares up at me. “Never say that about him again.”

I fold my arms in an agitated huff—sick of this hypocrisy. “So, let me get this right,Daniel.” My use of his first name is something I rarely opt for. I typically reserve it for when I’m mad or trying to make a point. In this case, both. “You’re allowed to look at my roommate's arse whilst practically drooling, but I’m not allowed to call your teammate ‘fit’?” I push out my chair and reach for my bag ready to stand. “Grow up, and you know what? This wasyouridea, after all. Not mine. I was perfectly content to be painfully single in silence. It wasyouwho came up with all of this, and now what? Now that it’s not going your way, you wanna back out?Ugh,” I groan out in frustration. “I seriously don’t get you sometimes!”

I’m a few steps away from making my dramatic exit from the library when Green reaches for my right hand and stops me.

“Hazel, wait. Just…” I meet his weary eyes. “Can you sit back down,please?”

I’m sat firmly back in the chair again before I know it. Christ, I hate how hard he is to stay mad at. Truth be told, I don’t remember a single time we’ve ever had a fight that’s lasted longer than a few minutes. He’s always quick to apologize, and I’m always quick to accept it.

“Whatever.” I continue onward with the act that I’m mad as I slump down into my chair when, in reality, I just want to hear more of what he has to say.

“I’m sorry, okay?” he apologizes. “I shouldn’t be getting so worked up. If you want me to set you up with Hart, then fine. Against my better judgment, I will. I set out the terms, so now, I suppose I need to follow through on them.”

I feel the faintest flutter within as Green rubs along my hand, I hadn’t realized he hadn’t let go until eventually, he does and I’m filled with a sense of absence.

I swallow to resolve it. “Good.” I keep up with this hard-headed attitude I’m trying to front. “Because weseriouslyneed to move past this and discuss the logistics of this plan. There needs to be some structure here. It can’t just be a free for all, Green.”

“Why am I not surprised you’ve already got this all figured out?” Green counters, visibly impressed, as he settles back within his chair and reaches to munch on the other half of the sandwich.

I roll my eyes. Even despite my underlying reluctance, if I’m going to partake in a plan, I’m going to do it right. I’ve seen every romance movie that has ever existed. I know how couples fall in love. It’s a simple science.

“I’ve spent this entire week while you’ve been moping around, visually outlining how things are going to go down.” I reach back into my bag, pulling out my sketchbook and dropping it on top of the table. “I call it…” I flip open to the first page, “how to fall in love: a guide for two single,hopelessdummies. What do you think?”

Green instantly starts to laugh—shaking his head as a faint glimmer reflects in his eyes. “I think,” he begins. “Of course you’ve made a whole assortment of drawings to map this out for me. Let me guess, you’ve already practiced your presentation too?”

My cheeks go hot. “Maybe a couple of times…” I murmur beneath my breath, “but that’s beside the point.” My voice returns to moderate volume level. “You’re a visual learner. I’m an artist. Drawing out the plan only seemed fitting. Now, are you ready to listen or not?”

Green confidently rests his hands back behind his head, flexing his arms as he does. It makes me lose my train of thought until he speaks up and draws me out of it. “I’m all ears.”

I take in a deep breath, attempting to search for my confidence along with the speech I’d memorized in my mind. “Okay, where do we begin? To preface, what is something I do every year that you think is silly?”

Green squints before it hits him. “Sign up for hot yoga classes?”

“No!” I shake my head, though I can’t help but feel moderately offended. “Try again.”

“Oh, I know!” He lights up, raising a finger into the air. “When you go on that juice cleanse thing. I don’t know how you do that for a week, Hazel. Doesn’t it upset your?—”

“Okay, no more guessing!” I cut him off. “You're wrong. What I’m referring to is my annual movie and book marathon. Remember?”

“Oh…” Green purses his lips into a smirk. “That’s what I said, did I not?”

I throw a packet of crisps his way, one he doesn’t mind being hit with given that he catches them and immediately pops them open. “What about it?” he says, the crisps crunching beneath his teeth. “Explain.”

“Well, after watching all of them, I’ve narrowed down how exactly each couple fell in love. Because no matter the story, plot, setting…whatever you wanna call it, they all followed the same five steps. You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

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