The Dates.

Break time. My leg was bouncing up and down from nerves and I was self consciously picking at my hair, trying to find any remains of the fateful comb. Jake was sat next to me, Ipod in hand as always, mumbling supposed words of comfort to me. Or at least, they were in his world.

"She's so damn hot, man. Like, freaking hot. Why is she going up for this? She can get any guy in school." he said, shooting a sideways glance at my chalk white face. "No offense, And. Just, you know, Angelica Hall!"

I focused my attention on the pen that he was chewing, feeling nauseated with each minute gone by. I felt a little like that pen; chewed up and battered looking. Exactly how Gemma had left me.

The clipboard came out and Jake scribbled stars next to the girls who we would be interviewing today. Angelica Hall (gulp) and Samantha Pritchard (if I managed to get through Angelica's interview without having a heart attack). I started freaking out, just staring at Angelica's name on the piece of paper and Jake's words came crashing into my thoughts. She could get any guy in school, so why was she coming after me?

"Andy, where the hell are you going?" Jake asked, looking up from his Ipod at me.

I was on my feet. I hadn't even realised I had moved.

"I can't do this."

Jake seized a fistful of my jacket and hauled me back down. "Yes, you can. You have to."

My face flamed up in anger and I turned to look at him. "Yeah, why's that?"

Jake jerked his head to our right and leaned in. "Because Angelica is here now."

Robotically, I looked over to where Jake had indicated and almost fell off the bench. Angelica had made more of an effort today (is that even possible?) and was walking over to us with a catwalk strut. All men in the vicinity stopped what they were doing and stared, open mouthed, as she swept past them. I was with them and pulled my eyes off her quickly to glance at Jake. He was watching her; his eyes popped out from his skull and the pen he had seemed hell bent on destroying hung loosely from his mouth. He'd bitten through the plastic and there was ink staining his lips.

Angelica stopped short, a small smile on her face. She wasn't an idiot, she knew the effect she had on the male species. Perhaps that was why she had chosen to wear that black miniskirt (highly inappropriate for school but what the hell did I care?) and the tight fitting, thin blouse, despite the fact that it looked like rain? She flipped her long hair and it freaking shimmered or something, captivating us all like the brainless zombies we were.

"Hey, Andy. Jake." she said, her eyes flickering to his inky mouth and gormless expression. He didn't reply; I don't think he could summon the words.

Her smile widened and she slid onto the bench in front of us. Everyone who was staring at her finally managed to drag their eyes away, whether it was because she had chosen to sit with me or because their girlfriends were punching at their arms furiously. Jake had lost the ability to do anything but look at her.

Angelica leaned forward against the bench top, blinking at me with her fluttery eyelashes. I gaped at her.

"Well, how about this interview then?" she giggled, sliding the clipboard at me. The small pressure of it poking into my arm somehow brought me to my senses. Jake didn't have that luxury; he was bewitched.

I picked up the clipboard and began with the usual questions. "Favourite colour?"

She looked lost in thought, tapping a finger against her lips. "Hmm, you're gonna have to do better than that to impress me, Andrew."

I stammered, nodded like a lunatic and moved onto the next question. "What would be your perfect night out, Angelica?"

She gave me a toothy smile, tilting her head to the side, observing me. It seemed like minutes streaked by in her pause and I was getting more and more flustered the longer she was around me. Angelica swung her legs up onto the bench seat, showing off her tanned legs in the process. I swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat. She leaned back on the bench, throwing her chest out like she was sun-bathing though the sky was cloaked in clouds. Was she flirting with me?

"I guess that depends on what we do." Holy hell.

Jake spluttered next to me but I hardly noticed. Angelica was twirling a strand of hair around in her fingers, peering at me from the corner of her eyes.

"Call me Angel." she said decidedly. "Everyone does."

"They do?"

"Everyone that matters."

Jesus, I'm out of my depth here. I tugged on the collar of my shirt, flapping it at my neck to dispel the rush of heat to my face. I pushed the clipboard away from me, a question already forming in my mind, along with a new found bravery. I slid forward on the bench, resting my arms on the table top. As close as I allowed myself to be, thinking just an inch closer and I'd melt into a puddle.

"Why are you here, Angelica?"

Her lips hitched up into a crooked smile and she ducked her head, disguising a throaty chuckle. She copied my pose and closed the distance between us. There was a scrap of air between our faces.

"I guess I got bored of everyone else." she breathed, lingering there for a moment. "And I said call me Angel."

She pulled away suddenly, making me feel naked and exposed. My face was frozen in a state of shock and she lightly slapped at my cheeks as she rose from the bench.

"Call me." she yelled over her shoulder, taking my confidence with her.

The breath I'd been holding in came whooshing out of me and I dropped my head into my hands, my energy sapped from me. Jake finally stirred, a little too late but I was glad Angelica's presence hadn't permanantly robbed him of speech.

"She's in our top three." Jake said immediately, using his broken pen to circle Angelica's name over and over again. "Bloody hell. Blood-y hell!

I rubbed the back of my neck absent-minded, trying to fight off the doubt that was hatching in my brain. Even though I'd asked, I still didn't get why she involved herself in the interviews. Of all people, I thought she would be the one to scoff at the idea and take the piss out of me with her friends. I kept my reservations to myself, hoping to find out more when I took her on a date.

Jake and I had hammered out how we were going to choose the girl, deciding to narrow it down to the final three and take each of them out on a date. Jake would accompany me to each one, hidden away somewhere so he could take notes of their behaviour and stuff. It was another one of his 'ingenious' ideas.

"One down, three to go." I grumbled. Jake hadn't heard me, he had his Ipod back on and was belting out 'Crazy In Love' by Beyonce.

I shook my head at him. "How can one guy have both KISS and Beyonce on his Ipod?"

Jake laughed, shrugging.

"Don't be such a music snob, And. I know a good tune when I hear one."