by Emma Dalton
“You don’t have to do that,” I quickly say. “I was just kidding too. We have more readers than we think.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” he says as he stops before my chem classroom. “But I’ll still grab a copy, hot off the press.”
“Thanks. And thanks for walking me to chem.”
“I’ll be waiting outside for you after class is over.”
My jaw nearly hits the floor. “You’ll what?”
“I’ll wait for you after class to walk you to your next one. Even though my classroom is at the other end of the hallway.”
“You really don’t have to do that! I can find the classroom myself. I have been going here for over two years,” I say with a laugh.
“It would be my pleasure. It’s what a good boyfriend would do for his girlfriend.” He winks with a charismatic grin.
Once again, I’m melting into a puddle at his feet. But...is he putting more effort into trying to be the perfect boyfriend just to score some points with my dad? Or is this the way he’d be if he really did have a girlfriend?
“So I’ll see you soon, girlfriend.” He steps closer to me with his arms raised.
I stumble back and hit the wall. His eyebrows dip.
“Oh, sorry! I forgot for a sec.” I move up to him and close my arms around his middle pressing my cheek into his hard chest that smells so darn good. Feels like I’m fused to him. Yeah, I can totally live like this.
For a second, it feels like Brayden rubs his hand down my back. But the sensation is gone so fast I’m sure I imagined it. I step out of the hug and say, “See ya, boyfriend.” I wave and enter the classroom.
All heads turn in my direction. Like when Brayden and I walked through the hallway, some people stare, some point, some whisper, and some turn up their noses. Looks like some even want to say something to me, but don’t know what. For the first time since I entered Edenbury High, I no longer feel invisible.
Chapter Ten
Today has been wonderful so far.
Brayden is my boyfriend (I know, fake boyfriend), the kids at Edenbury High know who I am (even if they might not know my actual name yet), I aced my English paper, and there’s lasagna for lunch.
Okay, maybe I’m packed with adrenaline. But I can’t help it. Even though we’re pretending, I feel like my life is changing. I feel…confident. No longer ashamed of being myself. Hopefully this feeling will carry on once Brayden and I part ways. That thought makes my chest ache. That’s why I push it away whenever it surfaces in my mind. I don’t want to face it yet.
The lunch lady smiles as she hands me lunch, once again asking how my day is going so far. With a huge grin, I tell her it’s going great, so thankful that someone at this school actually sees me. Then I pay for my food and make my way to our table in the back. The others are already seated there, Dani and Ally chatting over plates piled with lasagna while Charlie pours over what looks like calculus. She cuts a slice of lasagna every few minutes, keeping her gaze fastened on her papers.
“Calculus, huh?” I say as I slide in next to her. “You’re playing in the big leagues now.”
“Calculus two,” she corrects. “For two students. Need to have them ready before sixth period.”
I gape at the others, but they just laugh.
“So what’s the news around school?” I ask as I bite into my lasagna. Yum.
“Word around school is that Brayden Barrington has a girlfriend,” Dani says.
I widen my eyes as far as they can go. “Really? Who is she? Must be super cool.”
Dani grins. “The coolest. Too cool to be sitting at this table, that’s for sure.”
Giggling like I’ve never giggled before, I gush in a whisper, “It’s so much fun, you have no idea! Brayden’s so sweet and charming. He’s acting like the perfect boyfriend. He actually waited for me between periods to walk me to my classes. And all the other kids have noticed me!”
“But he’s pretending,” Charlie reminds me.
“I know,” I assure her. “Believe me, I know. But I’m totally cool with it.” I sigh happily. “His chest is so strong. And warm. And it smells so good. If I die right now, I’ll die a happy woman.”
Dani laughs as she guzzles down her drink, which results in her squirting some water out of her nose. “Ugh,” she says as she wipes her face. “Awkward girl is at it again.”
“Are you really sure you’re okay with this?” Ally asks me. “Because it looks like you’re in deep.”
“Of course she’s in deep,” Charlie says as she continues working on the math. “She’s in love with him.”
“That’s my point,” Ally says. “Like I said on Saturday, she’ll get hurt.”
“I won’t get hurt,” I promise. “I have the situation under control.”
“I’ve read this stuff many times in books,” she says. “When one of the partners secretly has a crush on the other and he or she doesn’t share the same feelings—”
“Thanks for being concerned, Ally, but this isn’t a book. It’s real life. And yeah, he doesn’t know I have a massive crush on him, but I’m gaining so much from this fake relationship. It’s the only way I can be close to him.”
“You can tell him how you really feel.”
“Yeah,” I say sarcastically. “Like that would end well. He’d run for the hills. Guys like him don’t end up with girls like us, Ally. My life isn’t a romance novel.”
“I know, but…never mind.” She looks down and plays with her lasagna.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I don’t mean to shoot you down. I like hearing what you have to say. You don’t have to be shy around me. I mean… I know I’m new to the group, but…should I shut up? I’m talking way too much.”
“Nah, no way,” Dani says.
“We’re okay,” Ally says with a smile. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Thanks. I know to keep my feelings in check. This is like the coolest thing to have ever happened to me.”
She smiles. “I’m happy for you. If you’re happy.”
I sigh as I fall back in my seat. “I am.”
A shadow looms above me. I look up to find Brayden smiling down at me. “There’s my girlfriend.”
I grin. “There’s my boyfriend.”
“Sit with me?” he asks.
The way the sun seeping in through the windows shines down on him? Makes his sandy brown hair look golden. I have an itch to run my fingers through it. But even as his fake girlfriend, I can’t do that.
“Oh, um, I’m eating with my friends.”
He nods. “No prob. I’ll meet you outside to walk you to your next class.”
“Okay,” I say with a goofy smile as he returns to the popular table. “Boyfriend.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Dani hisses. “Go sit with him!”
I look between all three of them. “You sure?”
Ally nods and Charlie waves her hand.
“But I want to sit with you guys. My friends.”
“But we meet up for the club and at each other’s houses all the time,” Dani says. “It’s not every day you can sit with your fake boyfriend at the popular table.”
“Shh!” I motion with my hands.
“Yeah, you’re not exactly faking anything if you sit at the loser table,” Charlie says.
“This isn’t the loser table,” I tell them. “It’s the winner table.” I wrinkle my nose. “That sounded lame.”
They laugh. “A little,” Dani says. “But we know what you mean. Still, everyone’s staring at you.”
“They are?” I crane my neck in different directions, taking in all the heads facing me. Dani’s right—everyone’s looking. Probably wondering why Brayden’s girlfriend is sitting in a spot they didn’t even know had a table.
“I guess if we want to be taken seriously, I should sit with him,” I muse. “At the popular table.”
“You’ll be fine,” Dani assures me.
“Um, okay. I guess I’ll see you guys
later.”
“Good luck,” Ally says. “And be careful.”
“Thanks. I will be.”
Lifting my tray, I turn toward the table at the center of the room. This is a dream come true for me—how many times did I lie in bed and imagine this very moment? Being Brayden’s girlfriend and sitting at the popular table, dressed in designer clothes, looking pretty, acting confident? Except, my clothes aren’t fancy. I’m not wearing makeup. And I sure as heck don’t feel confident.
Brayden notices me and waves me over, a sweet, inviting smile on his face. My knees go weak just by his smile. Some of the kids at his table turn to look at me. I can do this. I can do this.
When I’m only a few feet away, Brayden stands and puts his arm around me. “I’ll introduce you to everyone. Don’t worry, they’re cool.”
“Okay,” I say, my voice slightly trembling.
With another sweet smile, he tucks me closer to his body. I think he miscalculated the difference in our weights because he tugged just a little too strongly and his cheek brushes against mine. A spark zaps through me, causing every hair on my body to stand on edge. But it doesn’t look like our contact had any effect on him. He just continues leading me to his table.
“Hey, guys,” he greets as he gently pushes me forward. “I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Kara.”
Every single head lifts and stares at me. I’ve always dreamed for this to happen, but I never imagined it’d make me feel so naked.
I raise my hand in a small, lame wave. “Hi,” I croak.
“Barrington’s girlfriend,” one of the wide receivers says, getting to his feet and clapping me on the back. It’s such a strong blow that I stumble forward and cough. “Whoops, sorry. You’re a tiny thing.”
“It’s okay,” I manage to say between coughs.
Brayden brings over an unoccupied chair from the nearby table and motions for me to take a seat. “Thanks,” I tell him as I lower myself. All pairs of eyes fixate on me, causing sweat to gather on my palms. I wipe my hands on my knees.
Brayden starts to introduce everyone, as if I don’t know them all by name. I might be invisible, but not a single person at this table is. The jocks all say hi and give me genuine smiles, but the cheerleaders are all fake. Teagyn doesn’t even smile.
“How long have you been together?” her friend Clarrie asks.
“We just got together yesterday.”
“Cute,” she says, though from the tone in her voice, she doesn’t find it even remotely cute. I know some cheerleaders can be snobs, but maybe they’ll like me once they get to know me? And maybe we’ll still be friends once Brayden and I “break up.”
“You know,” Teagyn says as she tilts her head to the side and studies me like I’m an animal at the zoo. “I’ve never seen you here before. Are you new?”
She can’t be serious. Of course she knows who I am. She made fun of me last week when Brayden knocked into me and I fell flat on my butt.
“She’s not new,” Brayden says. “Don’t you read her articles in the Edenbury High Times?”
“The what?”
“The school newspaper,” I tell her. “We publish every month.”
Her eyebrows shoot to her forehead. “I wasn’t aware our school had a newspaper. How adorable. I should really check it out.”
“Our next issue is next week,” I tell her with a smile.
From the look on her face, I’m positive she won’t read a single issue.
The table grows painfully quiet. Not knowing what to do, I pick up my fork and dig into my lasagna.
Every single girl at the table turns up her nose. “Ugh, how can you eat that?” Clarrie says. “There’s like a thousand calories in that.”
I shrug. “It’s delicious. So worth the calories.”
“I guess someone like you would feel that way,” Teagyn says as she stabs her fork into her lettuce and brings it to her lips.
Did she just call me fat?
“What does that mean?” Brayden asks.
When I glance at him, I realize he genuinely doesn’t understand her side comment. Boys can be so clueless sometimes.
“Oh nothing.” She gives him an overly sweet smile. “Your new girlfriend is adorable.”
Brayden beams at me. “She is, isn’t she?”
My cheeks and neck heat up. Does he really mean that, or is it all part of the act?
I’m about to tell him thanks and that he’s cute, too, when Teagyn and the other girls talk about cheerleading. They’re working very hard to qualify for the regional championships. The team hasn’t been doing well the last few years.
“Maybe you guys need something to motivate you,” the wide receiver suggests.
“Or maybe some of us just don’t have the talent,” Teagyn says. “I can’t wait until I cheer for a college team.”
They all shift uncomfortably in their seats. Wow, did she just diss her teammates?
Thankfully, one of the football guys starts talking about a funny thing that happened during class, and the atmosphere shifts to a more pleasant feeling. Brayden laughs when DeAngelo reaches the end of the story, and I stare at him like I haven’t heard anything so beautiful in my life. Seriously, his laugh can cure any disease.
“So Kayley,” Teagyn says. “What do you like to do for fun?”
“It’s Kara,” I say, trying not to roll my eyes. She totally did that on purpose.
I’m about to answer, when a chime echoes in the room. Saved by the bell! I bet she’d make a face or side comment at whatever I say.
“Let me get that for you.” Brayden sweeps all my garbage on my tray and piles it on top of his.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” I try to say, but he’s already making his way to the garbage.
“Come, girls.” Teagyn tosses her glossy blonde hair over her shoulder and stalks out of the room, leaving her tray on the table. Some of the less popular cheerleaders scramble to clean up.
Brayden returns to the table and slings his arm around me. “Ready to head to your next class?”
“You don’t have to walk me,” I protest.
“I don’t mind.”
I look back at my friends’ table and see them all watching me. Dani looks excited, Ally a little worried but curious, and Charlie waves with a smile. I missed hanging out with them at lunch. I mean, I loved sitting next to Brayden, but I thought the popular table would be more fun. Maybe I need to give it some time. After all, a foreign person is sitting at their table now, someone who most people didn’t even know existed. Hopefully things will look better tomorrow.
“Thanks,” I say when Brayden and I stop before history. “Good luck on your test.”
“How do you know I have a test?” he asks.
I go still. I may know he has a test because he complained about it on social media last night.
“I’m not stalking you or anything,” I stammer. “I looked you up last night on Spill It!. I thought about sending you a friend request, but…”
“Oh yeah, that’s a good idea. And maybe we should change our statuses to ‘in a relationship’. I’ll add you after class.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?” I ask. “I mean…when we end things…”
“Yeah?”
“Won’t you look like…I don’t know…”
He steps a little closer. “What are you trying to tell me, Kara? If you’re uncomfortable about this arrangement…”
“No, no! It’s nothing like that. I just don’t want you to be embarrassed when we end things.”
It’s not like I’ll have anything to be embarrassed about. No one follows me on social media.
“That’s very thoughtful,” he says with a smile. “But I’ll be okay.” He nods toward the classroom. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay. Bye, boyfriend.”
He winks and walks away.
I stare after him, my heart galloping in my chest. Then I sigh happily and settle down at my desk.
Chapter Eleven
>
What a day. From being so close to Brayden and inhaling his awesome scent, to sitting at the popular table, it’s enough to make my head spin. I did things today I haven’t done in my sixteen years on this planet. Having a boyfriend and being popular.
Okay, both are fake, but does that really matter?
I face-plant on the couch, my mouth fused with the cushion, and yell. I don’t know at what or why, I just need to let all this out. Me and Brayden. Brayden and me. I sigh happily, feeling myself sink through the cushion like it’s a cloud.
Ally’s words ring in my head, her warning that this might hurt me. She’s sweet to care, but like I told her, I’m okay with it. Invisible girls and quarterbacks are like two different species. Never in a million years would Brayden ever consider me for a girlfriend. So I’ll take whatever I can get.
Keys jingle from outside before the door opens and Dad walks in. As soon as he finds me sprawled on the couch, he rushes over, face tortured with worry.
“Are you okay, Kara? Are you hurt?” His eyes scan me from top to bottom, searching for damage.
I roll onto my stomach. “No, I’m not hurt. Not at all.” I face him, a bright smile on my face. “Today was the happiest day of my life.” My skin still tingles as I think about Brayden touching me. How soft and warm his hands were. I’d do anything to touch him again.
Dad’s face eases up. “I’m so glad to hear that. Do you want to talk about it as I prepare dinner?”
“Sure.” I sit up. “Need help?”
“I’d love that.”
We gather the ingredients and start. Dad’s responsible for the main course and I work on the side dishes. We’ve never done anything like this before, which is a shame because I love our bonding time. I didn’t realize how distant we’ve grown since Mom died. I don’t think we did it on purpose, it’s just one of those things that happened.
Maybe because I’ve always been sulking in my room.
Well, I’m not sulking anymore.
Dad grins at me. “So tell me about your day.”
“It was amazing, Dad. Brayden Barrington asked me to be his girlfriend.”
