The Bad Boy Chronicles

Foolproof

"Please," he whispered again. The dim light did nothing to mask Blake's disgust at being woken up at 3 a.m. to have this conversation.

"No," Blake replied groggily. He has been to his best friend JJ's house more times than he could count since they met at 9. Unfortunately, when he was invited over that first time they failed to mention that his twin Jamie was, for lack of a better word, feral. This he'd had to find out on his own time and time again.

"Please," Jamie pleaded again, contemplating dropping to his knees beside Blake. He'd come up with the perfect plan. All that was missing was Blake's cooperation which he was determined to get no matter what.

"No," he said again peering over to the spot on JJ's floor that he'd vacated. Why did JJ have to forget to lock the door?

"Please. I'm begging you," he tried again deploying his signature move: puppy dog eyes.

"I see that. I'm saying no," Blake said more sternly.

Though it was entirely consistent with his personality, when Jamie made the plan he imagined Blake would be more cooperative than this. "You wouldn't even have to do anything," he said, switching tactics.

"You're saying I wouldn't have to pretend to date your ass," Blake asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Just nod when people ask."

"This plan doesn't even make any sense. I don't see how this helps your chances." Had Blake just spent the past 15 straight hours watching Love High like Jamie had he would know that this would work perfectly.

"He'll see me with you, get jealous, and take me back. It's foolproof."

"Except no because he wouldn't believe it. Even if he did he wouldn't care. He dumped you for someone and he and Greg have been making it very clear that they are together."

He wasn't wrong. It was so excessive in fact that Jamie wondered how much of that was just so he'd notice. "He hates you. He'll care." It wasn't a rivalry per se but definitely something close. It was the reason Trevor had never been to his house.

"This is a bad plan," Blake said simply though Jamie was starting to see the cracks in his resolve.

"I need this," Jamie said, grabbing Blake's shoulders and staring into his eyes.

Blake looked over at Jamie's twin who was sleeping through the encounter. "I need better friends."

"Please," he begged, shaking Blake's shoulders.

"Fine."

***

4 hours after he'd woken Blake up the first time and he was dragging him off to his room at the other end of the hall. "We need to go over some ground rules," Jamie said as he closed his door. He turned to find Blake looking around. Though he'd been JJ's friend since they were nine, the same didn't apply to Jamie. The closest he'd ever come to Jamie's room was calling Jamie down for dinner and that he could do from the doorway.

"Like what," he finally asked, sitting on the edge of Jamie's bed. Refusing to be uncomfortable in his own room, Jamie went to sit next to him.

"The most important rule is no telling JJ."

"I'm out," Blake said, moving to stand. Jamie grabbed his arm before he could get too far away.

"No, please. You know what he's like. He'll lecture me about this being a bad plan."

"It is a bad plan," Blake agreed.

"I don't want him to talk me out of it," Jamie said. If anyone could make him give this up it was his twin but he'd go crazy if he didn't at least try.