Mars calls in a favor

“Why are we meeting here?” you ask Mars.

The two of you are standing in the arts building, beneath some hanging statues that look like they could collapse at any second. Both you and Mars are tucked away safely in the corner, away from overhanging statues, and out of the way of the slow stream of students passing in and out of the building.

“There’s a junior who I met at a social a few days ago. We started chatting and I thought he was kinda cute, but I couldn’t figure out if he was into me,” Mars says. “Can you try to feel the situation out for me? Maybe put in a good word if you get the chance?”

“Why… oh, this is this part of our deal,” you say.

Mars nods, saying: “You got it. I’ll point him out when he comes by.”

“You can count on me,” you reply, though secretly, you’re not sure how you feel about this. But, a deal is a deal, so you’re going to do the best you can.

A few minutes later, Mars points out the guy to you. Amidst the long-haired hippies and the rainbow garb of the non-heterosexually inclined, he looks surprisingly normal. Just a chill, well dressed dude, with a well-defined jawline and immaculate eyebrows.

“Hey, dude,” you say, walking up to him. “How’s it going?”

“Uh… alright,” he says, looking at you with suspicion. “You want something from me?”

“I just wanted to ask you a question or two,” you say. “You know Mars?”

“Yeah, sure,” he says. “She’s the girl standing over there, right?”

He points at Mars, whose eyes widen. She looks away quickly, and he gives you a strange look.

“Yep, that’s her,” you say. “What do you think? She’s pretty cute, right?”

“Isn’t she your girlfriend or something?”

You’re stunned by that line, and it takes you a second to recover your wits.

“What… what makes you think that?” you ask.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the two of you making out somewhere,” he says.

“So you weren’t hitting on her the other day?” you ask.

“Dude, I’m not trying to get in between you two,” he says. “Just chill, okay? She’s yours. I was just having a chat with her.”

“We’re not together,” you quickly say.

“Okay…” he says, sounding skeptical. “Can I go now?”

“Hang on, you still haven’t answered my question,” you say. “Do you think she’s cute?”

“Sure, bro, ask her out or something,” he says. “You don’t need my approval for that.”

“She’s into you, man,” you say, getting mildly exasperated. “Would you want to go out with her?”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but this feels like some weird test of your relationship,” he says, glancing back at Mars, who is looking straight at the two of you with her eyebrows raised. “Can I go now? I’ve got work to do.”

You nod, not really sure what else you can say, and as he makes his departure, you make a return to Mars, only to find her laughing.

“So… long story short, I don't really know if he’s into you,” you say.

“I heard the conversation,” she says. “You… you probably could have handled that better.”

“What’s so funny about that?” you ask. “I tried hard to get an answer out of him! He wouldn’t believe me.”

“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be then,” she says with a shake of her head. “I mean, if everyone’s convinced that I’m dating you already…”

“Not the worst fate imaginable,” you say.

{if MarsDate == 1} “The ball’s in your court,” she smiles. “Remember that.” {elseif Mars > 50} “No indeed,” she smiles.

There’s a pause, a moment of silence where you wonder if she’s going to ask for more, but it passes as quickly as it comes. She seems scared to broach the question, and maybe that’s for the better. You’re not sure what your answer would be at this point. {endif}

“Thanks for making the effort, anyways,” she says. “Even if it didn’t go to plan.”

Mars +20