All I've Never Wanted(8)

The head Scion shrugged. "She'll never manage it," he replied confidently. "Girls like that don't exist."

Parker shook his head. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you. How can you be so opposed to girls when you haven't even really had a girlfriend?"

"I barely like most of them enough to hook up with them, much less date them." Roman picked the basketball up from the floor and spun it absentmindedly on one finger. "They're too manipulative and high-maintenance."

"So would you rather date members of the same sex?" Carlo asked innocently.

Parker and Zack hid their smiles while Roman glared at his Colombian friend. "I wish you're really as silent as you appear in school."

"Sorry, no can do." Carlo crossed his arms over his chest. "But back to the subject. What happens if Adri does find the right girl? Would you actually be truthful and say something if you had feelings for her?"

"It's not gonna happen."

"But what if?" Carlo persisted.

Roman exhaled sharply. "If that happens—and I'm telling you right now it won't—I'll be truthful. When have you ever known me to lie?"

"That's good news, or else I won't hear the end of it at home," Zack noted wryly. Suddenly, a loud ping sounded, and all four boys reached for their phones.

"It's me." Parker quickly scanned the new text. His lips curved into a smile. "Ok, gentlemen, it's been real, but I have some business I need to take care of," he announced, pocketing his phone. "Talk to you later." He slapped hands goodbye with the other three and with one last wave, exited the Fioris' indoor basketball court.

"I bet his 'business' has something to do with a certain hot little waitress he met today," Zack remarked.

They had ended up going to Il Serrano for lunch after all.

Carlo shook his head. "Always ditching us for the ladies. What happened to bros over ho's?"

"It went the way of the CD player," Zack replied, earning himself an odd look from his friends. "What? I thought that was clever! You know, cuz no one uses CD players anymore..." Blank stares. "Oh, forget it," he huffed. "I see my sense of humor is under appreciated here."

"Apparently." Roman smirked.

Another ping sounded; this time, it was Zack's phone.

I need ur help. Come home now.

-Adri

"Not even a please," Zack grumbled. "Sisters." That was what he got for popping out two minutes later than Adriana.

Hmm…maybe she'll appreciate his wittiness.

Then again, maybe not.

"You're leaving too?" Roman asked.

"Yeah, Adri needs my help with something," Zack replied.

"I bet it has something to do with her search," Carlo remarked helpfully.

"I don't want you guys planning anything behind my back," Roman warned. "Or else I'd think you want Adri to win."

"Of course not," Zack said, even though he secretly did. That was one of the few things he and Adriana agreed on: Roman seriously needed a girlfriend. Stat.

* * *

"Did you seriously spend your whole day looking at this thing?" Zack asked skeptically, flipping through the yearbook draft.

"Yes," Adriana answered somewhat defensively. She'd made a copy of the draft and given the original back to the DSA earlier. The copy she made had giant X's through the freshman and sophomore sections, as well as smaller X's through all the guys and upperclassmen girls who hadn't made the first cut.

"Gee, you're really serious about this whole challenge thing."

"Of course I am! Or else ten years from now everyone will be married and Roman will be by himself, miserable."

"Either that or he would have married some trophy wife and be perfectly content."

Adriana rolled her eyes. "Stop contradicting me and help me out with this," she ordered.

"It would be nice if you said 'please' every once in a while."

"Fine. Please."

"That wasn't very sincere."

"Do you want me to smack you?"

"Oooh, yeah, cuz that's going to hurt sooo—OW!" Zack yelped, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey, that's not fair! You have long nails!"

"Sue me. Are you going to help me or not?"

"Be very glad I'm such an amazing brother." Zack snatched the book from her hands.

Adriana smiled sweetly. "You know I love you."

"Yeah, yeah. Now what exactly is it you want me to do?"

"Wellll…although I like to think of myself as doing pretty well on the Valesca information front I've only still been at school for a day so I don't know that much about the people—"


"And you want me to cross out anyone who I think Roman won't like," Zack finished.

She beamed. "You really are the best brother ever."

"Don't get so happy yet," Zack said dryly, examining the page in front of him. "I don't know much about a lot of these girls, except—oh, definitely not her. Gold-digger to the max. And not her either." He lowered his voice. "I heard she went through seven plastic surgery procedures over the summer. Rome definitely won't like that, he prefers girls who are more natural. That's what he says anyway."