My Fake Valentine

by Kellie McAllen

  And Mia makes me feel like I can be myself, too. There’s no pressure to keep up some image of who she thinks I ought to be. She doesn’t mind that I’m great at basketball but sucky at math. I know she’ll never give me any grief about being who I am.

  I laugh to myself when I realize what I love about my relationship with Mia is how real it makes me feel, when it started out as fake.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Austin

  I’m giving Mia her usual good morning kiss, my tongue lapping the strawberry jelly out from between her molars when a girl I’ve never even seen before walks by and mutters, “Slut,” loud enough to distract me, which is pretty hard to do when Mia’s got her hands on my ass.

  “What the hell?” I pull away from Mia and stare daggers into the girl’s back as she walks away.

  “Ignore her, she’s just jealous.” Mia’s fingers tug my chin back to her lips then slide their way down my chest and wrap around my waist. Her body is plastered to mine below the hips, and one of my legs is between hers. Maybe it does look a little slutty, but can I help it if I’m such a good kisser that Mia just can’t control herself?

  Kerri flops up against the locker next to Mia and wiggles her furry, orange, caterpillar eyebrows. Her freckles scrunch up into a blob when she wrinkles her nose at us. “You know, your kisses are getting a little intense for the middle of the hallway. It looks like you’re about to strip each other down and get it on.”

  Okay, so maybe kissing Mia has become my favorite pastime. My second being hanging out with Mia, and my third thinking about Mia. I might be slightly infatuated with Mia.

  I run a finger down her cheek and tap her on her cute, little nose, trying to ignore the people around us. When I’m with Mia, nothing else matters but her. “Are we going to your house tonight, or mine?”

  “Doesn’t matter to me. What would you like?”

  Mia’s house is awesome, way cooler than mine, but mine has certain advantages, especially tonight. “How about mine? My parents are going to a parent-teacher conference at my sister’s school. We’ll have the house to ourselves for a while.”

  “That would be nice.” Mia dips her head, but I can see her smile. We haven’t done anything more than kiss yet, even though we’ve been going out for a while, but I think we’re both ready to take it to the next level. A guy can only fantasize off one accidental boob flash for so long, you know? And the way Mia is pressing herself against my leg, I think she feels the same way.

  I pull myself away from her when the final bell rings and race to first period, wishing not for the first time that we had at least one class together. If there wasn’t such a big gap between our academic levels we might be, but we’ve been kind of preoccupied with other things lately, and I was more interested in making out than in math. Although I did spend a fair amount of time studying biology — Mia’s, anyway. I’ve learned just where to touch her to make her moan or gasp.

  Is it just my imagination, or are people paying a little more attention to me than normal today? I hear my name being whispered, and I see a lot of heads turning when I walk by. I’m used to being in the spotlight, but I haven’t done anything lately to warrant it. Even my b-ball game has sacrificed a little ever since I realized spending time with Mia is more fun than shooting hoops with the guys.

  When I pass by Chloe, she smiles at me, and there’s a wicked gleam in her eyes. I figured she’d get over me by now, but the closer Mia and I get, the more jealous Chloe seems to be.

  I’m late to first period, but Mr. Lawson is too busy writing on the board to notice, so I sneak in behind his back and slide into a seat next to Dylan a couple minutes after the bell rings.

  “Let me guess, couldn’t pull yourself away from Mia again?” Dylan smirks at me then holds his fist up to his mouth and pretends to make out with it.

  I slug him in the bicep. “You’re just jealous I’ve got a hot babe, and you’re still jerking off to your dad’s old magazines.”

  Dylan sits up and leans towards me, grinning. “So it’s true then? Mia’s a super freak? I heard she was pretty easy.”

  My blood instantly boils in my veins. “What? Where the hell did you hear that? Who’s saying that shit about Mia?”

  Dylan shrugs like it’s no big deal, and I want to punch his face in. “I don’t know, some of the guys. Aiden G., maybe.”

  “Aiden Ginther? Chloe’s new boyfriend — that Aiden?” Aiden is a total ass, so he and Chloe are perfect for each other, but I have heard rumblings that Chloe might lose her chance at being Queen of Hearts at the Valentine’s dance now that I’m dating Mia. Has she started some kind of rumor to drag her name through the mud?

  “He said you were bragging about hooking up with Mia every night, and that’s why you were going out with her, because she was an easy lay.”

  I scrub my face with my hands. Crap. I haven’t even gotten past first base with Mia! No one will believe that though, especially since we have a bad habit of excessive PDA. But Mia would die if she knew people were calling her a skank, and she’d probably never let me touch her again. How am I gonna fix this? I might have to sacrifice my own cred a bit to keep her from going down.

  “Look, Dyl, Mia’s not like that, okay? Yeah, we make out, but that’s as far as it goes.”

  Dylan rolls his eyes at me. “You guys dry hump in the hallway three times a day, what do you think people are gonna assume — that you’re up in her room doing homework all night?”

  “Yes! That’s exactly what we’re doing! Mia’s super smart, and I’m barely passing. She helps me study and stuff. Come on, man. You gotta help me kill this rumor. It would humiliate Mia.”

  As much as it kills me, there’s no way I’m gonna ask Mia to go any further with me tonight, even though we’ll be all alone for probably the first time.

  I decide to take Mia and Kerri out for lunch today instead of eating in the cafeteria — less chance of Mia hearing any of the nasty talk. I’m glad I did, too, when I hear what Jake has to say in English class.

  “Dude, you shoulda been there at lunch today to defend yourself and your girl. They were tearing you two apart!” Jake says the minute I sit down. The tacos I ate threaten to come back up on me.

  I groan and slump down in my seat, sticking my legs under the chair in front of me which earns me a scowl from the girl sitting in it. “Do I even want to know?”

  Jake obviously wants to tell me because his eyes light up and he rotates his desk a little so he can see my face better. “Jessica told everybody she heard you and Mia talking about hooking up at your house tonight, then Chloe says you’re obsessed with sex, and that’s why you broke up with her because she wouldn’t put out. She said you must’ve finally found somebody slutty enough to keep you satisfied, and that’s why you’re going out with a dog like Mia.”

  My eyes bug out and my mouth falls open. Crap, this is gonna kill Mia when she hears about it. “She said that out loud? How many people heard her?”

  Jake snorts. “About half the cafeteria. Chloe’s a cheerleader; you’ve heard how loud she can be. No megaphone needed.” He cups his hands in front of his mouth like a bullhorn.

  I cringe and rub a hand over my face and through my hair. “Did anybody stick up for Mia?” I don’t care what they say about me, but I can’t stand the thought of them tearing down my girlfriend.

  “Well, Dylan said you told him you hadn’t done anything but make out. He said you spent your time working on schoolwork. I vouched for you, too — said she was tutoring you.”

  “Thanks, man.” I sigh — at least somebody was on our side. Still, people were going to be talking.

  Jake’s face scrunches up, and he clenches his jaw. “Well, I don’t know if that helped you at all, because then Chloe said Mia was probably just doing your work for you cuz you’re too stupid to pass your classes on your own.”

  My face goes stiff, and I suck in a breath but can’t release it. That’s a little too close to the truth for comfort, especially in this c
lass. Guilt comes rushing back to swallow me when I think about the paper I stole from Mia. I got an A on it, and it saved my ass. I’d probably still be failing English if it weren’t for that.

  My mind is still buzzing like a wasp’s nest when I get home, and I can’t even enjoy my time alone with Mia, I’m so worried about what people are saying. We’re lying on my bed, the sheets tangled underneath us, not because we’ve been rolling in them but just because I’m a slob who didn’t think about the fact my girlfriend might be coming over tonight. That probably would’ve made my parent’s suspicious anyway, since the only time I make my bed is when I need to change my sheets. Of course, that happens a lot more frequently lately, since Mia gets me worked up every day but I go to bed alone.

  Mia doesn’t seem to mind my typical bachelor pad of a bedroom, though. I’m not sure she even looked at it. As soon as we walked in, she threw herself at me, and we’ve been lip-locked ever since. Mia is sitting sideways on my lap, her butt pressed up against my center, and her hands are wrapped around my neck, her breasts in my face, begging me to touch them. My hands are under her shirt, teasing the bottom of her ribcage, I’m trying to resist the temptation to go any farther, but she’s not making it very easy.

  She tastes fresh and fruity like Skittles and smells like raspberry hand lotion, and she must have just put some on, because her hands are soft and silky as she caresses my face. When she adjusts her legs so she’s straddling me instead, I finally pull away.

  “Mia, I think we better take a break. I don’t have much willpower left,” I say, gasping for breath.

  She quirks her lips and gives me another kiss, grinding against me. “I thought that’s why we came here tonight, so we could be alone.”

  I straighten my elbows, scooting her away from my groin and holding her at arm’s length. “Mia, I don’t want to pressure you into anything you’re not ready for.”

  She shakes her head and runs her hands through my hair. “You’re not, Austin. I’m ready. That’s why I’m here, trying to seduce you, but it doesn’t seem to be working.” She frowns and gets a little wrinkle between her eyes that I want to kiss away. “Am I doing something wrong?”

  “God, no, Mia. You’re doing everything right. Can’t you tell how much I want you?”

  “Then why are we talking instead of kissing?”

  I sigh and drop my head. “Because people are talking about us, and I’m worried if we do this, you won’t be able to deny what they’re saying.”

  She wrinkles her brow. “I heard the rumors, Austin. I know what they’re saying. I guess it’s a logical assumption. I mean, we’re like a scheduled attraction — every day at 8, noon, and 3:30.” She giggles at that. “They already believe we’re doing it, so why shouldn’t we? It’s not like we’re going to convince them otherwise.”

  “They’re saying some other stuff, too.” Might as well rip off the whole Band-Aid at once. She’s going to find out, so I’d rather it be from me.

  “Like what?”

  “That you’re doing my homework for me because I’m too dumb to do it on my own.”

  Her brow pinches again, and she pushes my hair back away from my face then takes my cheeks in her hands. “I hate that worse than the first rumor. You’re not stupid, Austin. Far from it. All you needed was a little nudge in the right direction. I’m sorry they’re saying that about you, but it doesn’t matter to me if they accuse me. You and I both know it’s not true, and there’s nothing they can do to prove otherwise.”

  Her words are meant to relieve my worries, but all they do is heap on more. What would Mia think if she knew the whole truth? She never will, though. That research paper is in the past, and I’m never going to cheat off her again.

  “I don’t need their approval, anymore. You helped me see that I’m good enough, just the way I am.”

  “You’re wrong, Mia.” I shake my head, and she pulls back, a confused look on her face, but I don’t let her think about it long enough to get worried. “You’re not just good enough, you’re perfect, and you’re perfect for me.”

  She smiles at that, wide enough to show her back teeth, and pushes me down on the bed, smothering me with kisses. I let the feel of her body on mine distract me from my worries.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mia

  “Why do you look like that, Mia Black? What’s going on?” Kerri narrows her eyes and purses her lips and stares at me, and I try to shut down the smile that’s taking over my face, but it’s an involuntary reflex at this point. I can no more control it than I can stop Kerri from squealing like a lunatic when she figures it out.

  “What are you smiling about? What happened? And why are you wearing Austin’s shirt?” Suddenly, she gasps, and her eyes open so wide they just about pop out of her head. “What did you do, Mia? What did you do?!!”

  I turn to her and let the full force of my grin hit her, and she reacts exactly the way I should have expected.

  “Oh my God, Mia, you punched your V-card! You slept with Austin, didn’t you?” Her high-pitched voice bounces off the metal lockers and echoes down the hallway, and I slap a hand over her mouth.

  “Kerri, shush! You don’t need to tell the whole school about it!”

  Kerri smirks. “Sorry to burst your bubble, sweetie, but the whole school already thinks you’ve been sleeping with him for a while now. Now they’re gonna know it for sure, though. There is absolutely no denying the look on your face.”

  “I can’t help it, Kerri. I just feel so amazing right now.”

  “You look amazing.” Austin comes up behind me and moves my hair so he can nuzzle my neck, and his hands wrap around my hips and cross over my pelvis. It feels intimate and possessive, like I’m wrapped in a sexy guy blanket.

  “Oh my God, you two are so adorable it’s disgusting.” Kerri sticks a finger in her mouth and makes a gagging sound, and Austin and I both chuckle.

  “I have to take a picture of this and nominate you two for the king and queen of the Valentine’s dance.” She pulls out her phone and snaps a photo then turns it around so we can see it. She’s right. We are literally the cutest couple ever.

  There’s one person who doesn’t think so, though, and that’s Chloe. I can see her glaring at us from a dozen feet away, and if looks could kill we’d be dead a couple times over by now.

  True to her word, Kerri’s picture of us shows up on the school website later that day, and the nominations start rolling in. I can’t help but feel simultaneously honored and embarrassed by the blatant popularity contest that is the Valentine’s Day King and Queen nominations. It’s like a scoreboard ranking who’s who, the rolling tally of votes beside each name making it obvious who are the most popular students in the school. I never even imagined my name would be listed, let alone ranked number one, and it probably wouldn’t be if it were an individual contest, but since I’m paired up with Austin, my wagon is hitched to his star.

  Chloe and Aiden are coming in close at number two, but Austin and I never budge from the top spot. It might have something to do with the fact that the whole school seems to be gossiping about the fact that, although the rumors said Austin and I had been hooking up for a while, Kerri practically announced it to the whole school this morning that Austin had popped my cherry last night.

  By the end of the day, I can’t walk ten feet without somebody winking at me, smiling, giggling, or gawking, and complete strangers feel compelled to approach me to comment on my ranking in the nominations and tell me they voted for me. I don’t even want to think about what else they’re whispering. It’s like I’m wearing a flashing neon sign. It’s embarrassing to think they’re talking about my sex life, but the happy little cloud of bliss I’m floating in is insulating me from the stress. Some of the more popular girls seem jealous, obviously, but most of the nobodies just seem happy for me. Like they’re rooting for one of their own.

  Kerri flops herself against my locker and grins as she looks at me, clearly proud of herself. “You are gonna need
a killer dress for the Valentine’s Day dance. Wanna go shopping tonight?”

  I bite my lip and hide my scrunched face behind my locker door. Trying on dresses with Kerri at the mall does sound fun, but so does hanging out with Austin. I know we won’t have the house to ourselves like last night, but still.

  Kerri yanks the door back so she can glare at me. “Come on, Mia! You never want to hang out with me anymore, you’re always with Austin. Maybe I don’t kiss like he does, but we always had a good time.”

  I can’t help but grin at her pouty face. “This is really happening, isn’t it?”

  Not only do I have a date to the Valentine’s Day dance, it’s with the hottest guy in the school, and the odds are good that we’ll be crowned the King and Queen of Hearts. Could it get any better?

  Kerri nods, her copper curls bobbing. “You did it, Mia. You got the guy, you got the status, and pretty soon you’ll have the crown. Just don’t forget us little people on your rise to the top.”

  I smirk at her. Like anybody could forget my loud-mouthed best friend.

  “Where is Austin, anyway? He’s usually here by now.” I crane my neck down the hallway, looking for him, but all I get is the evil eye from the vice principal who looks like he’s heading right for me. That’s weird. Maybe he’s coming to give me a lecture about teenage promiscuity or something. It wouldn’t surprise me with all the talk going around. He stalks straight to my locker, and my eyes bug out at the look on his face.

  “Mia Black?”

  I nod, glancing furtively at Kerri.