Falling For You

Chapter 9: Mixed Signals

Mateo approached Jenna and me at the cafeteria with his usual calm demeanor. Without saying a word, he casually kissed my forehead as he sat down next to me. It was so smooth, like he'd done it a thousand times before. My breath hitched, and I could feel my cheeks turning a deep shade of pink. I wasn’t sure if it was the kiss itself or the fact that it felt far too real for this so-called fake relationship. I glanced over at Jenna, whose eyes were practically bulging out of her head. She looked at me with this mix of shock and amusement, as if she was silently saying, "This doesn’t look fake to me!"

I tried to play it off, acting like it didn’t affect me as much as it did. But the truth was, Mateo had this way of making everything feel real. I wiped my hands on my jeans, my palms sweating slightly. Was it from the kiss? Or maybe it was the weight of everyone else’s stares. The cafeteria was buzzing, and people glanced our way with all kinds of expressions: surprise, judgment, even jealousy. Some whispered, no doubt making comments about the criminal rumors that clung to Mateo. But as always, he didn’t seem to care. He leaned back casually, completely at ease as if the entire school wasn’t glued to us.

We played the part well, just like we had planned. Acting all lovey-dovey, Mateo even slid his hand across the table to take mine. I went along with it, giving his hand a soft squeeze. It wasn’t like I had to force myself to do it either. The truth was, I didn’t mind the closeness. In fact, part of me enjoyed it. The air between us was electric, a tension I couldn't ignore. As we continued our little act, I could practically feel Roxanne’s annoyance radiating from the table in front of us. Her face was twisted into a sneer, eyes darting between Mateo and me like we were some kind of joke. I almost wanted to smirk at her, to let her know she wasn’t getting to me, but I held back. After all, that’s what she wanted—a reaction.

Suddenly, I remembered that I had cheerleading practice starting tomorrow. “By the way,” I turned to Mateo, “I’ve got cheer practice tomorrow after school.” I wasn’t sure why I was telling him, maybe to keep him in the loop since he was now a part of my everyday life, or maybe because I liked the idea of him knowing. Before Mateo could respond, Jenna jumped in, her eyes still wide with disbelief.

“You two are getting way too comfortable with this. Are you sure this is still fake?” Her tone was teasing, but there was a hint of something else—curiosity, maybe?

Mateo and I exchanged a quick glance before we both laughed it off, denying it like we always did. “It’s all part of the plan, Jen,” I said, my voice a bit too chipper to be entirely convincing. But Jenna didn’t press further. The bell rang, signaling the end of break. As we gathered our stuff and left the cafeteria, I noticed my heart still fluttering from that kiss. Mateo walked us to class, but he split off to head to his. I caught myself watching him as he walked away, my thoughts spinning faster than I’d like to admit.

Jenna’s voice broke through my thoughts. “You’re zoning out again.” She grinned, nudging me with her elbow. “Let me guess... Mateo?”

I rolled my eyes, trying to act nonchalant. “Oh, please.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Jenna teased. “You’ve been daydreaming since that kiss. You know it wasn’t part of the deal for you to fall for him, right?”

I scoffed, but inside, her words gnawed at me. Was I falling for him? I pushed the thought aside, focusing on the lesson, but it was hard. My mind kept drifting back to Mateo and that kiss.

After school, I made my way to the parking lot, scanning for Mateo’s car. He said he’d give me a ride home, but there was no sign of him yet. As I waited, I heard the familiar sound of laughter. Roxanne and her minions, Lydia and Kara, stood a few feet away, their eyes locked on me like predators eyeing their prey.