Page 96 of Grumpy Darling

“Or grumpy panda?” Matt suggested. Apparently, he’d rejoined the conversation.

Paige clapped her hands. “Oh, I like that.”

“Thanks,” Matt replied. “I thought it matched the twitching muscle in his forehead.”

“It’s perfect,” she agreed. “And we can call him GP for short.”

I lowered my head into my heads and did my best to ignore the two of them. I’d thought Paige talking about dating someone else was bad, but this was nearly as painful.

The teacher entered the room, drawing everyone’s attention, but I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. There was a new message in the group chat I had with the guys. Parker had changed the name of the group again, this time to: “The Friend Zoners.” I knew I was going to regret opening the chat, but curiosity got the better of me.

Reed: I’m in class with Damien. He says he has a date with Paige on Sunday??

Parker: Are we surprised? She looked pretty hot when we did those interviews on Tuesday night.

Matt: GP already knows. He nearly choked on a granola bar when he found out.

Parker: GP?

With a sigh I started to type.

Me: If you answer that, Cleaver, you’re dead to me.

Matt looked up at me from his phone and winked. I scowled and turned back to the group chat.

Owen: Don’t stress, Grayson. She’s going to realize you’re the guy for her.

Parker: Did GP really choke on a granola bar? More importantly, did anyone get that on video?

Me: Don’t call me GP.

Parker: Tell me what it stands for and I’ll stop.

Me: No.

Reed: Who changed the group picture to an angry-looking panda?

I glared at Matt again, but his eyes were fixed on his phone as his fingers flew across the screen. Still, I could easily make out the smirk on his face.

Matt: I thought it would lift Grayson’s spirits.

Parker: Is it because male pandas have no game?

Reed: What are you talking about, Parker?

Parker: Trust me, it’s true. Zoos have to give them panda porn. Pandas are literally on the way to extinction because they don’t know what they’re doing. They’re almost as bad as Grayson.

Reed: I seriously worry about you, little brother.

Owen: I’m sure Grayson knows what he’s doing!

Me: I thought this group was set up to help me. So far, it’s not doing a very good job.

Parker: Oh, you want our help? We thought you’d never ask. We’ve just been making fun of you while we wait.

I took a deep breath. Did I really want their help? I’d already set up a practice date with Paige. It was all up to me now. Getting a little coaching of my own couldn’t really hurt though, could it? No one went into a big game without support. Despite my apprehension, I started typing.

Me: Tomorrow night, I’m helping her practice for her date with Damien. It’s my last shot. So, any final words of advice?

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