#Amandawho?

"And guess what?" Brandy said over the phone.


"What?" I asked eagerly.


"Ianhasa-" she whispered.


"What? Speak up, I can't hear you," I said as I shoved a finger in the ear that wasn't glued to my piece of shit smartphone.


"Hold on-" she said and I knew she was hurrying to a place in the restaurant where she wouldn't be overheard. Even though Brandy and I had developed a way of discussing the most secretive things in the most discreet way when we were working together, some things just had to be said, "Ok. Ian has a hickey."


I let out a bark of mirthless laughter, "Seriously?"


"I never thought I would see that day," Brandy said, and I could tell she had rejoined the cast of characters that we worked with at our little pizzeria.


"I thought he was classier than that," I said cooly, my lips curling dangerously, "I guess Amanda isn't."


"She's probably not," Brandy laughed, "Well I've got to roll some silverware and get out of here."


"Just tell Ian to talk to me tomorrow about switching shifts, I'll see you Friday!"


"I'll text you later," Brandy said, and I hung up my phone with a shake of my head. I rolled my eyes as returned to my calculus homework, unfazed.



A few hours later, a text buzzed in from Ian (and his now questionable level-of-classiness). It began as it always did, the two of us talking about work. He needed me to take a shift. Our conversation changed to his birthday party this weekend, which I had been invited to attend by both him and his sister. When he mentioned that there would be loads of single guys and girls at the party, I countered by saying they only counted if they were hot.

To which he responded that he wouldn't be one of them.

My moment was here at last. He was trying to throw me off my game, catch me off guard. But he obviously forgot whom he was dealing with here. One of my favorite parts of being me is that I simply happen to know everything. The things I knew about Ian in particular would come as a shock to him. I didn't even let on how much I knew about him: from the failure of his last heartbreaking relationship to which one of his dogs likes to eat his boxers.

I had been keeping what I called the 'Amanda Card' in my back pocket for weeks now, and I had been dying to play it ever since I had found out. Now was my perfect moment to throw it on the table.

-Xaylia-


Ahh I was wondering when that would become official, amanda isn't it?



Nice try in attempting to put one over my head. I was one step ahead thanks to being mysteriously all-knowing.

-Ian-


Haha...we'll see how it goes. It's very rare I date a girl, like officially. But that's her. You'll meet her on Saturday.



-Xaylia-

Hahah I know, good luck! Can't wait to meet her



Good luck my ass.


-Ian-

She's got a dry sarcastic sense of humor, so you two will get along. I'll be sure to bring some single guys for you ;)



-Xaylia-

Oh I'm sure we will hahaha Make them hot and we'll be even since I'm taking your shift ;)



-Ian-

They won't be as hot as me, but they'll do for you ;)




And then it was guns out. Ian and I spent the entire rest of the night going at each other. Arguing over who was hotter, who was smarter, trying to out-wit the other. We were locked in battle until Ian spelled wit "whit." I won.


-Xaylia-


Me and my sassy sense of humor are going to bed, I'll see you and your "whit" tomorrow;)



-Xaylia-


*My sassy sense of humor and I



-Ian-


Wow I hate you. See you at work grandma. I remember my first bedtime.



-Xaylia-


Awhh and you're a bitch =) 8am calc 3 tomorrow #smartgirlproblems



-Ian-


#excuseproblems



-Xaylia-


#perfectlyvalidexcuse



-Xaylia-


#thankyouverymuch



-Ian-


#85yearsold



-Ian-


#lame



-Xaylia-


#admit it #youwannakeeptalkingtome



-Xaylia-


#gotcha ;)



-Ian-


#;)



-Ian-


#youwantmetoo



-Xaylia-


#whyruinallthefun #inyourdreams



-Xaylia-


Nighty night mr "whit" ;)



-Ian-


Night woman ;)



What were we? Friends with winky faces? Forever locked in nothing more than a flirtationship? But by the amount and the context of the winky faces in my text message inbox, I wondered how much faith he really had in this new relationship. And I couldn't help but wonder if he still had a slight thing for his little sister's best friend. 
Or was he playing me? Flirting with me because he knows I'm one of the few girls who's as good at it as he is? But he wasn't playing me, because I've known about Amanda since the return of the winky faces. Just goes to show how much he values her. If he's playing me, I was playing him right back. 
That was the thing about us: we both knew how to play the game, and we could play it well. The chemistry between us was why we were each other's biggest competition. But could either of us win? Or would victory be ending up together in the end?