Ordinary Human Beings

8: Let The Games Begin

We filed into Isabella's car after the party as she was the only one that had a license in our group. She didn't say a word to us after she saw us in the pantry, and when Yasmina and I finally got in the back seat and she got in the driver's seat after switching on the light, she looked back at us.

"Yasmina and Kendall, sitting in a tree," Isabella sang as Yasmina glared at me. "K-"

"Kendall, explain again please," Yasmina stated, finally putting her bag in Isabella's car. "Why?"

"It just happened, I swear I wasn't planning on dragging you into all of this," I started, laying my head back. "Sofia and her friends have been getting on my nerves since the year began, and with you coming here and us kissing at New Year's made things worse because she saw it, and now we're here in a pickle because-"

"Because you thought it was a good idea to lie to them," Yasmina finished. "By lying, you're not getting anyone off our backs, you know that right?"

"Oh you messed up," Isabella added, drinking a bit of her water. "Kennie messed it all up again."

"I know, alright? Just help me, please," I begged Yasmina. "I'm absolutely sorry for dragging you into all of this but I can't do this alone, Yas."

She didn't look convinced. "When I said that I'd help you whenever you needed it, this was not what I meant, Kendall. I'm new here, I can't be involved in a messy fight or story between you and Sofia."

I frowned. "Sofia and I aren't fighting."

"Yeah but you aren't friends either," Isabella murmured. "The term has just started and you two have already been butting heads at debate, tried to outrace each other in P.E, and kissed Mr. Stello's ass in history already. This is just something you two are about to fight over again."

I ignored Isa. "Let's just pretend we're a couple, we've already made a mess at Sofia's house, there's no way our thing will slip under the radar now that she knows."

"Kendall, you lied to our entire grade, put us in the pantry and started faking a make out session, and now you want me to fake it at school? What if people find out?" Yasmina asked.

"The goal is to do this seamlessly," Isabella answered for me. "Make it as natural as possible. Be with each other physically, spend time together, and stand up for the other when needed. You don't have to like each other, all you have to do is just be with each other when the popular clique at school walks around."

"How do you know all this?" I poked Isabella's arm.

"Because I was able to keep Christian and I under wraps for a few years." She winked at me.

"Years?"

"Not important right now, what's important is your little lie, Kennie," Isa continued. "If you two can keep up with the lie then you'll get Sofia and Audrey off your backs."

"Sabrina is in their group too, Isa," I pointed out.

"Yeah but when have we ever heard of Sabrina saying something? If anything, it's Sofia and Audrey on everyone's radar, not Sab."

"I'm sure she was just caught up in the mix," I said, then looked at Yas. "Listen, I'm really sorry about tonight, and I'd understand if you don't want to be involved in any of this."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "It's too late for that anyways. We already started with the lie, might as well continue it."

"Really?" I pouted.

"It's not like we have a choice. We trashed someone's pantry, decided to moan in the girl's house, and we lied and said that we're dating. What's next?"