Beneath the bet

Chapter 3- Noah

We all sat in the cafeteria, eyes glued to Zach's phone as he texted Charlotte. I was right beside him, watching as he tapped out a reply. The whole thing was almost too easy. The moment his phone buzzed again with a message from her, he grinned, tilting the screen just enough so I could see it. She was falling for it.

I smirked, leaning back in my chair, feeling satisfied. "Where is it?" Zach said casually, sticking out his hand.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a crisp $100 bill, slapping it into his palm. "Remember the deal," I reminded him. "You get her to trust you, get her comfortable, make her think she's safe with you. Get her talking—secrets, all that crap. Once she's in deep..." I trailed off, grinning at the thought of it. The final blow. Watching her crash and burn. Just like she deserved.

Zach pocketed the cash, giving me a lazy salute. "Yeah, yeah. I know the plan."

Before I could continue, Grace, who'd been sitting across from me, leaned forward and cut me off. "You seem obsessed with that bitch, Noah." Her voice was playful, but there was a hint of curiosity behind her teasing. She raised an eyebrow at me, her lips curling into a knowing smile.

We all laughed, the sound blending into the noisy cafeteria. It wasn't like I had a thing for Charlotte. It was just... fun. Messing with her, seeing her squirm. The way she'd avoid eye contact, how she tried to disappear whenever I was around. It gave me a sense of control, like I was in charge of her entire world, even if she didn't realise it.

Just as I was about to say something back to Grace, Jacob appeared behind her, grinning as he kissed her cheek and handed her a bottle of apple juice. Grace smiled at him, and for a second, I wondered if they were going to make out in front of us. But instead, she turned back to me, her eyes gleaming with mischief, and dropped another $100 bill on the table.

I stared at it, confused. "What's this?"

Grace smirked, taking Zach's $100 and tossing him $20 in exchange, like it was some kind of trade-off. Zach looked at the $20 in his hand and laughed, clearly not bothered. He knew Grace always had something up her sleeve.

"You'll get that money back, Noah," Grace said, leaning in closer, "but only if you go out with her."

I blinked, taken aback. "What?" I could feel everyone's eyes on me now. "Go out with her? What are you talking about?"

Grace leaned back, crossing her arms like she'd just presented a winning idea. "Think about it. If you start dating her, it'll confuse the hell out of everyone. People will lose their minds trying to figure it out. And Charlotte? She'll be completely thrown off. It'll be even funnier than whatever you're planning with Zach."

Jacob chuckled from behind her, clearly on board with the idea. "She's got a point, man. Imagine the looks on people's faces."

I looked at the pile of cash on the table, then back at Zach, who shrugged, still grinning like this was all a big joke. And maybe it was. But the idea stuck with me. If I went along with Grace's plan, it would make everything a thousand times messier for Charlotte. Just the thought of how confused she'd be if I suddenly acted interested in her made me grin.

"Fine," I said, finally. "You want me to go out with her? I'll do it. But when she cracks, it's going to be on my terms."

Grace laughed, clearly pleased with herself, and pushed the money toward me. "Deal."

I pocketed the cash, feeling a surge of excitement. This was going to be more fun than I originally thought.

Charlotte had no idea what was coming.

The cafeteria buzzed with the usual noise of students chatting, trays clattering, and the occasional burst of laughter, but I wasn't paying attention to any of that. My mind was racing, already thinking ahead to what Grace had just suggested. Me, dating Charlotte? The thought made me pause. It wasn't like I had feelings for her or anything—far from it. But the idea of how it would mess with her head, how confused and thrown off she'd be, was... tempting.