The backlit mirrors in Mier'Chelie's don’t flatter me at all. I look like a rat!
Weeks of planning, and my cardigan sleeves seem a bit long. The headband I put on is doing nothing to tame my wavy hair. Are Chuck Taylor knockoffs okay for here?
Still…maybe Oliver will notice the effort.
Speaking of which, has he seen my text messages? It’s already 9:43. If we eat and leave on time, we can get to the New Year’s firework show…
“Lookin 4ward to u gettin here”—30 minutes ago, unread.
I scrunch my eyes tightly. I worked hard to learn how eyeliner works, so I don’t want to mess it up, but…
“Keep it cool, Cynthia… Just…two more minutes.”
I already have a text reminder alarm set. There’s no need to bombard him.
It’s okay. Just two more minutes.
When I start opening the bathroom door—
“Don’t go!!”
—I almost smack myself in the face with it.
Who’d scream like that here of all places? I got my answer when I peeked out the door.
Jessica Parthow. She looks absolutely stunning in her deep blue dress. The dance team really does wonders for her legs.
The guy she’s holding onto doesn’t seem to notice or care.
Alex Hewlett: hockey team captain, satisfactory student, and notoriously unserious playboy. My Oliver waxes poetic about him constantly. Their current season is a huge success so far because of him.
I…don’t really care about Alex. Sure, he looks like a fashion catalog photo made real: light slacks, tucked-in black dress shirt, clean sneakers.
But from what I know, he isn’t one for commitment. A fling-only person, never dated anyone that I know of.
Though Jessica’s, uh, not gotten the picture. I heard she texted someone, demanding they “stop trying to fuck my boyfriend.” From his phone no less.
Those two are still fussing so…I’ll just wait in here for now—
My heart jumps into my throat when my phone starts blaring.
Ah. 9:45.
Panic rushes through me as I try to turn it off, but I can’t get a handle on it before the bathroom door gets shoved open. I stumble back and look up.
It’s Jessica, Immaculate, and furious. Her five-foot-seven seems mountainous to my five-foot-fourteen.
Meeting her gaze is…too much. I try to slip past her, but her hand ensnares my shoulder.
“Who the hell are you?” Jessica hisses, her nails digging in as I wince. “You were listening to us just now, weren’t you? Took a video to laugh with your bitch friends?”
“Uh—”
Before I answer, a large hand grabs my other shoulder and pulls me away. I freeze up, getting smushed against someone’s pecs.
“Hey babe,” a saccharine voice says. “What took you so long?”
…Oliver doesn’t call me ‘babe’. This body is too big, too.
When I look up, Alex’s warm brown eyes meet mine. He winks before looking back toward Jessica.
“…What’s that look for? You know I’m not one to date. I just wanted to have fun, but… It’s not anymore. See you.”
Then, I’m being ushered away. My ears are too full of cotton to fully understand what Alex is saying to me.
Were his hands always this big? This strong? He’s like a vice.
I only realize how far we’ve gone when a gust of wind blows against my face… When did we get down the street?
“...Okay, she’s leaving. Thank fuck—”
I squirm out of his arms immediately, nearly braining myself on the snow-dusted ground. When I shoot him a look I hope is intimidating, he just raises his hands like he’s confronting a scared deer.
“Hey, yeah, sorry about that. Jess was jumping down my throat.” I feel his eyes trail up and down my body. “You were a great help, though. Can I have your number? I’ll make this up to you.”
It takes me a moment to process what he said, then irritation bubbles in my chest. Didn’t he just diss Jessica using me?
“...No need.”
I stumble past him, heading back to the restaurant. Whatever, I’m going back anyway. I just want to wait for Oliver.
However, his sneakers catch up beside me.
“I mean it, I’m really sorry about that! For real… Are you even waiting for someone?” He lets out a snort. “It’s almost 10. No qualified boyfriend would be late on a day like this.”
I stop in my tracks and turn on him. With some effort, I forcefully unclench my jaw.
“Someone who uses random girls on a whim should keep their mouth shut. He’s a thousand times better than you.”
Alex’s eyebrows rise up as he gives me another once-over.
“...You’re spicier than you look.” He starts smirking, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Redmond High, right? Do I know your perfect Prince Charming?”
“Oliver is—”
Ah.
My six-month anniversary is today, but almost no one knows. Oliver doesn’t like school gossip, and I’m happy as long as he is. But…
I cut myself off, glancing up at Alex, hoping he doesn’t know the name. But of course he does, thick black eyebrows raised in surprise.
His grin turns playful, so I try making my expression as steely as possible
“Oliver Oakley? Yeah…great asset to the team. A real fun guy.” He gasps, and I jolt slightly. “Speaking of fun, Gunther’s throwin' a party while his folks are out. Go drop by. You might see something fun.”
…The winter air firmly reminds me I’m just in a cardigan. I wrap my arms around myself and decide to flee instead of wrapping my mind around his suggestion.
Alex calls after me. “Remember! 8293 Harvey Way!”
I don’t answer him. There’s no need to.
— — —
I text Oliver at 9:52.
Then 10:10.
10:35.
10:55.
By 11 PM, I’m standing in the snow outside the now closed restaurant, my half-eaten breadsticks in a to-go box under my arm. My stomach grumbles with hunger.
Did…Oliver just stand me up?
No, he couldn’t have. Maybe he was just occupied.
Like, anything could’ve happened. His phone battery could’ve died or he could’ve gotten into a car accident and couldn’t reply. Or maybe…
No.
If Oliver was going to a party, he would tell me. I don’t need to act out-of-control like Jessica. Given, Oliver and I actually are dating, but still.
…Well. It’s not like I can’t drop by. I don’t know Gunther super well, but maybe he knows where Oliver is.
Checking is fine…right?
I’ll just see if he’s there, that’s all.
Upon arrival, I immediately pick out his car among the others.
The lights inside and the music are…a lot. There’s so many people, I’m getting squished just by stepping inside. It kinda burns, somehow.
As I stumble onto the tile, I find Gunther there, a lanky brunette slumped in a chair with an off-brand booze bottle limp in his hand.
“Hey…”
Gunther blinks at me slowly like I’m a mirage. Maybe I look like one. My hair’s all over the place now.
I try to drag words from the drying concrete in my brain.
“Uhm…ah… Oliver. Do you, uhm… Know… Where he is?”
He squints at me. “Whut?”
The music’s too loud. So I try speaking up, but he doesn’t hear me. I try again, and no dice.
“I said! Do you know where Oliver is?!”
My throat feels raw as I scream. There’s sweat rolling down my back.
“Ohh. Damn, you didn’t have to yell,” Gunther huffs. “He’s snoozing upstairs.”
Relief floods me immediately.
Where’s the stairs? Just find the stairs. The bedroom’s upstairs.
When I catch a glimpse of the first step, I crawl my way through the crowd. I just want them off of me.
Getting up to the second floor…
It’s quieter, I think. I can’t hear past the buzzing downstairs, the ringing in my ears, and my own panting.
But I know he’s here. I can feel him, my guiding light. Oliver’s here.
I know he’s behind the first door I find. Surely he’s resting.
I’ll ask him why he didn’t answer my texts later. I just…want to see him.
Know that he’s safe. Just to calm down before I head home.
The voices downstairs are counting.
I open the door quietly, not wanting to wake him.
But he’s already up.
The voices are cheering.
Oliver’s indeed in bed.
He’s laying under the covers, kissing a girl with naked shoulders.
I’m watching them in slow motion, absorbing every bit of information crawling into my brain. Old, rusty cogs finally crackled and started turning, a flickering light blinking on.Ah. This is why he didn’t answer my texts.Before either of them notice me, I stumble away from the door like the handle burned me. Nausea and heartburn crawl up my throat and scald it with acid.Being at this party is suddenly the worst idea I’ve ever had. So, I start wobbling toward the stairs, reeling.Oliver… He and I had been best friends for years. He knew more about me than most people, sometimes even more than my mom.And I told him…I told him I didn’t want to date him, even when he asked me. I wanted to keep my best friend and not lose him.But Oliver changed my mind. Said friendship would make our love stronger… What a joke.My eyes burn as I make my way down the stairs. With the new year here, the party’s now in full swing. If they were being rowdy before, they were chaos now—chaos that quickly swe
#chapter 3“Yooo Alex! What’s up, man?”I vaguely hear someone call out to him as I cling to his wrist.Of course, someone here must recognize Alex. For better or for worse, he’s one of the most popular people at Redmond.Someone makes a noise of confusion. Then, the pain in my other arm disappears, and I’m losing my balance. But the hand on my wrist changes positions, catching me softly. My vision starts to clear in his hold, still shaking.A quick glance back toward the inside of the house shows Oliver hovering nervously. Curious onlookers peer at us.“Heyo.” Alex’s voice rumbles against my cheek. Aren’t I ruining his shirt? “Sorry, just dropping by, but I’ve gotta jet.”Then, he’s turning me away, easily supporting my weight. He waves back as he leads us away.“I’ll catch you guys later!”“Oh, uh, sure…”Suddenly, I feel a hand grab my left arm tightly. A whimper escapes me as I get pulled backwards, but Alex turns. He dislodges the hand and stands firm, glaring back with furrowed
New Year’s Day was on a Wednesday, so school started back the following Monday. At least I had a few days to deal with my emotions and plan for the worst.Oliver may not have been the captain of the hockey team, but he was fairly popular in his own right. Moreover, I was seen with Alex. The rumor mill at Redmond High was certain to be rolling with new gossip.My schoolmates do not disappoint.In the school halls, people whisper as I pass by, watching me with hawk-like eyes. Some laugh at me, whispering about icing and cupcakes.I keep my gaze on the ground, trying my best not to mind them.The best thing I can do is just mind my own business. Give it a few days, and something else will probably happen to attract everyone’s attention. I’ll be able to return to my normal life, sans a fake boyfriend.At least, that’s what I’m hoping for. But the road to get there seems more bumpy than I could have anticipated.During lunch, I go through the line, picking up my usual tray of Redmond’s poo
“S…Stop… Following me.”I hurry to the back halls to avoid as many eyes as possible. All of the regular kids took the main ways, but I had my preferred paths. And I would prefer if Alex wouldn’t follow me there.As thankful as I am that he kept his promise and returned my car, he and I aren’t friends.“C’mon, seriously. I was wrong to say that. What happened to you?”This…really can’t keep going on.I stop suddenly, and he stops just as quickly. When I turn around, it’s with an aching chest that just keeps squeezing no matter what I do.“Y-You told Oliver—to…to accept my ‘no.’ I’m telling you…n-o. So. Stop. I’m f-ine.”Alex stares down at me, his hands at his sides.This time, when I turn around and flee, I don’t hear him following me.— — —My goal to fade into the background continues to fail. I don’t realize how badly I’m failing until after school, though.As I make my way to my locker, I feel more eyes on me than usual. This is supposed to be my calmer pathway to my locker, so wh
Again. Alex has somehow come to my rescue. Once is a happenstance. Twice, a coincidence.I’m cold and dripping wet, my face against his neck, but he holds me so easily. When I feel my body start to move, I open my mouth.“...Books.”“Huh?”“My books… In the…on the chair.”“...Are you seriously worried about your books right now?”I back my head away from the lovely pine smell and stare up at him with lidded eyes. He stares back at me, then he sighs, shaking his head.“Nerd.”He finds where I’d tucked my backpack and picks it up, going back into the dark pool room. Somehow, he cradles me with a single arm and fills my book bag with the other. Is all of his strength really from hockey?Suddenly, he pauses. Before I can ask why, I hear a bunch of footsteps rushing up to the broken door.“She’s in here! In here!” Danielle’s voice rings out. “I saw her steal the keys to the pool room and—!!”When she enters, she’s followed by three of her friends and two security guards. At first, she imme
“Hey, Cynthia?”I snap out of my thoughts as I quickly shut my mostly empty locker, surprised to hear someone call out to me. But I recognize who it is a moment later, turning around to see Hailey. She looks at me, her worry clear through her glasses lenses.“I heard vaguely about what happened at the pool. Are you okay?”I nod in response to my somewhat friend. We met in Drama Club. She’s a performer, but I prefer working in the background, getting everything to work smoothly.We started talking a bit more after I drew a poster for one of the upcoming performances. She’d complimented it eagerly. Since then, we occasionally chat, though we’re not super close.She has an easygoing presence, so I don’t mind speaking with her sometimes.“Fine…uhm…Alex helped.”“Yeaaah, I heard about that, too,” she laughs a little, though there is still worry in her tone. “Uhm…I figured, since it seems like you and Alex might end up, eh, kind of knocking into each other, there’s something you should know
Redmond High is well known for its ability to produce very skilled hockey players, especially for a public school. Because school funding focuses more on sports than arts, we were able to get our own ice rink.Since it’s winter, I bundle up in my jacket before I try to go see him. Once I step into the room, as expected, it’s frigid, the warmth seeping from my skin.The Redmond Chillers are all there, skating along the rink, sitting in the bleachers, talking, the works. I walk up to the first group of people I see, not wanting to catch Oliver’s attention, wherever he is.“Uhm…excuse m-me.”The three guys all look over at me, curious.“I’m looking…for, uhm…A—”Before I finish, one sighs, startling me slightly. He points his thumb toward a short nook to his right, my left, with a bored expression.“Alex is in the coach’s office, back that way. He’ll probably be out soon, so you can wait for him.”Unable to verbalize my thanks, I just bow slightly at him before scurrying away.The short n
Mission #1 of our fake dating plan: Look convincing.On the first day, if I wasn’t threatened with getting pushed out of the drama club, I would call it quits. Because Alex is entirely too popular and too social for me to handle.He doesn’t even get left alone at Mozzy’s Pizza on our first mock date. From entrance to ordering to looking for seats, folks keep coming to greet him.“Hey man, what’s happenin’?”“Haha, nothing much, how ‘bout you?”Alex greets the fifth person in what feels like ten minutes as I try to melt into the sidelines. It’s not hard—next to him, I look like a hobo. He’s all sleek sweater and dark jeans and I’ve stuffed myself into a fuzzy turtleneck and a long black skirt.He laughs and grasps hands with the visitor, someone not on the hockey team it seems like. However, they’re friendly enough with each other that he stands there and starts talking.Someone drops something in the nearby kitchen, and I flinch, almost knocking into Alex. Smoothly, he snakes his arm