Faking Love (Complete)

Chapter 5 - The Coaching Begins

I sat down in the passenger seat of Caitlyn's car and closed the door, letting out a sigh as I watched Takashi and his house disappear off into the distance.

"So how was dinner?" Caitlyn asked.

I turned to look at her with a smile on my face. "Good. I tried sushi for the first time and it was delicious. Who knew?" I laughed.

She scoffed. "Uh, me. I've been telling you that for years," she said, rolling her eyes. "So what was Takashi's family like?"

"Hmmm. I'm not really sure what to make of them yet. His Mom and grandma seem nice, but I don't think his Dad and sister like me very much."

"Why not?" she asked with scrunched eyebrows.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not really sure. It's just a vibe I get from the way they look at me. I get the feeling they don't like anybody Takashi brings home."

"Well if he's gonna be your boyfriend, we need to change that. One way or another you're gonna have to win them over," Caitlyn told me firmly.

"Why?" I asked, feeling confused. "It only matters if he likes me, doesn't it?"

She let out a frustrated exhale, shaking her head. "Damn. You have SO much to learn. Look, I know you've never dated anybody before, so I'm gonna give you some advice," she said, reaching out and turning down the radio before looking over at me. "It's REALLY important to get along with a guy's family, even if you can't stand them. If you want him, you just have to pretend to like his family to keep the peace. I mean, look at me. I detest Colton's Mom, but she thinks I love her. Why do you think him and I have stayed together so long? If I told him how I really felt about her, he probably would've dumped me a long time ago."

I had heard her complain about Colton's Mom a lot over the years, but I couldn't even imagine not liking her. She was one of the sweetest people I had ever met and was like a second Mom to me back when Colton and I used to be best friends.

"Trust me. I've seen it a million times," Caitlyn continued. "Nothing will kill a relationship faster than if the guy's family hates you."

I shrugged, letting out a sigh and shaking my head. "I don't know if it even matters. The chance of me becoming Takashi's girlfriend is slim to none. I think you were right earlier. He really is way out of my league."

Caitlyn looked over at me and scrunched up her face.

"Forget what I said earlier. If Takashi's the one you really want, then he's the one you're gonna get. You just need to have some confidence in yourself."

I scoffed before laughing. "You told me I could pass for a fifteen year old and now you expect me to have confidence?"

She rolled her eyes. "Look, confidence works. If you really, truly believe you're the hottest girl at Lake Forest Academy and act like it, other people will start to believe it too."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Or they'll have me thrown in a mental institution for being completely delusional."

Caitlyn laughed too and punched my arm, shaking her head.

"I'm serious Sydney! Men find confidence very attractive."

"Yeah well, what do I have to be confident about?" I asked, turning my head and looking out the window, letting out a sigh.

"Well then, just fake it til you make it. If you pretend to be confident long enough, maybe you'll become confident for real."

Caitlyn's house wasn't too far from Takashi's, so it wasn't long before we were pulling up in front of the golden gates of Broadmoor, an exclusive gated community for the wealthiest people of Seattle. All three of my best friends lived there. It was a lot different than the part of town where I lived. I always had to keep my doors locked and my lights on so people would think someone was home and not break in, not that they would get much if they did.