First choice? Definitely not.

One Friday evening, you're sitting in the living room with your roommate Tabitha. Your roommate Kate had just gone to bed. There's a tap on the door, only to have the neighborhood creeper, Matt, walk in. Not that he's intentionally creepy...he's socially impaired. Dreading the worst, you finally pull the reason why he's mumbling on your couch. Date. He wants one. With Kate, thank goodness. However, Kate has been fighting a cough for the last month and a half, she had a very rough week, and she has work at 5 am the next morning. You shoo him off, letting him know she's asleep and to try back later. For the date he wants to go on tomorrow.

Fast forward.

Saturday, 5 pm. You and Kate are sitting in a friend's apartment, watching your favorite sports team win with style. Kate's phone goes off. Who do you think it is? Matt, of course. She politely declines the invitation. She's sick. You know.

Horror of horrors.... your phone goes off. You open it..... Matt. Shoot. Shoot, shoot, shoot.

Hello? He stumbles through a question about Kate and if she really is sick. Yes, yes she is. Then, he blunders his way through telling you he still needs someone for seven. Do you have plans? Yes. You do. Feeble ones created on the spot. He almost pleads... so FINE. You'll go. Even though you're obviously second choice, even to the most socially awkward fellow you can think of on the spot, even though he was seeking your ROOMMATE moments earlier, fine. You'll go.

Cue feeling lame.

He picks you up two hours and ten minutes later. Over the course of the date, he talks on the phone, he doesn't open the door for you, he almost doesn't pay for you, and when he does, it's in the most awkward fashion possible... conversation doesn't happen, and he keeps talking about how much he wants the date to be over, but due to the group nature of the date, he can't get you home. When you tell him an hour and a half into the date that you need to be home soon, he drops you off two hours later. This isn't for lack of trying. Sure, you didn't want to go on the date. Yes, you were asked in a fairly terrible manner, but you try to make it a positive experience. Finally, you just stop trying. You're too tired, too stressed, too hormonal to even give it an attempt anymore.

Rachel's tip for dating:

Treat the girl well. If you don't make an effort to make a girl feel special, the chances of her liking you drop significantly. At the very least, make an effort. Ask her out a few days in advance. This way, she'll have time to get excited and plan. Also, she'll feel more like you want to spend time with her and less like a last minute replacement.

Then, you go home and have pizza therapy and watch bad men die in terrible ways. And swear off dating.

Best wishes, Rachel