Making plans

You’re getting in an hour of solid study time when your phone buzzes. It’s a text from {if Mars > 0} Mars! {else} Valentine! {endif}

“Excited for Philly this weekend?”

“Dude I am so HYPED,” you text back. “You sticking around for the night after the game?”

“Depends, are we winning?”

“You bet your ass. No way I’m letting those Franklin fuckers get a goal in.”

“Wow, someone’s getting cocky. Guess you’re planning to hit the town after? :)”

“Just wish it was tomorrow,” you text. “Weekend can’t come fast enough.”

“You know there’s a drive-in movie thing going on tomorrow? BYOB, and lots of people do.” {if Mars > 0} Mars writes back, a minute later. {else} Valentine writes back, a minute later. {endif}

“Is that an invitation?” you ask.

{if Mars > 0} “Maybe…” Mars writes. {else} “Hah, you wish, but I’ve got plans already,” Valentine writes. {endif}

{if Mars > 0} “Intriguing…” you reply, setting down your phone. {else} “Wow, such a tease,” you reply, setting aside your phone when Valentine laugh reacts to it. {endif}

You turn back to your work for a few minutes, but you can’t get the drive-in theater out of your head. This is too good of an opportunity to pass up. You take a moment to consider who you’d like to take to the movies tomorrow, and then you fire off a message, hoping for the best.

Then, it’s back to work. Or at least, that was the plan. But then you get an email, announcing “A Free Introduction to the Flying Circus!”, complete with the image of a muscular man holding up a scantily clad woman, and you realize that you could be there in half an hour’s time. Well, now you’ve got a choice to make.

Should you go to the flying circus? Find a study buddy to close out the night? Or head into the lab for a few hours of research?