Playing For Keeps

3

 "What's the answer?" My hands trembled lightly. I folded them in my lap regally as I looked into his eyes, again.

"This sounds insane. Forget it." He stood up and tried to make his way to the door. Without a second thought, I wrapped my hand around his wrist; just like he had done to me minutes before.

"No. Tell me. I can see it's bothering you." My lips downturned into a frown, my brows going down with it.

"This is going to sound so weird, but just hear me out-"

I nodded.

"The boys. You know how they are. I just really need to make Captain this year, and it's between me and Jonah. They don't think I can because I don't have a girlfriend." He muttered out, sounding as if he didn't want to speak.

"Oh, I see. Do you want me to ask Mel for you?" I asked, disappointment panging from my stomach.

"No. Uh- I was going to ask you if you would be willing to act like my girlfriend." His words ran out of his mouth.

"What?" I yelled a little too loud.

"I knew it was dumb. Just think about it, ok?" As soon as he said that, he was out the door. Leaving me sitting alone on the guest bed, eyes wide staring at the wall.

Did that really just happen? Did a 'Boy of The Month' actually ask me out? Should I be offended that he asked me to 'fake date' me? Nothing changed on the beige wall, leaving me alone with all the questions inside of my head. Well, alone until I heard Addie's voice yelling my name from the door frame.

"So why are you here?" She chuckled. "Does it have anything to do with the guy that just thought he got out without anybody seeing him?" She moved her way over to me, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"Ew." I laughed as I pushed her away from me.

"You'll tell me eventually. But Mel won't be so nice, so you better hurry up and change." She got up and left me there. I smiled and nodded as I changed into my pajamas. Heading her warning and just running back into Maddie's room.

The girls were all huddled on the floor on their mattresses, looking up at me. Maddie looked better; her tear stained cheeks looking less agitated than before. Mel patted the mattress next to her, I went and sat down on it.

"So.." Addie said, looking around the room sarcastically.

"Ok just say it already! I'm a loser! You were all right!" So much for the less agitated cheeks. I stared at her, because what do you say? Yeah, we were? Something tells me that that wouldn't go over well.

"Awww, it's gonna be ok." Mel attempted to comfort her.

"No it's not! Homecoming is ruined, I can't win if I don't have a king. Guys, this has gravity!" She screamed as if she were a toddler who got the red cup instead of the pink one.

I was right, boys are just an agenda mover. At least Cayden admitted that girls are too. That's all high school is; identity politics.

"You can be a single homecoming queen. It's going to be fine ok? We've all worked so hard on your campaign." I assured her as I grabbed her hand.

"But it's not going to be perfect." She sobbed.

"Not everything is. Sometimes things are just made to be the way they are. Why do you want him if he's going to mess around with every other girl in this school?" I said, trying to get her to lay off the spiral.

"Can you go in drag, Addie?" She sobbed out. The rest of us stared at each other, unsure if she was joking or not.

After three seconds of silence, we all bursted out in laughter, even Maddie. "Ok, that calls for a goodnight." Addie laughed, turning off the light switch as we all laid down on our respective mattresses.

I stared at the ceiling. What would I do? There was a part of me who wanted to decline his offer and wait for a serious guy to come and sweep me off my feet like in all the Disney channel movies I used to watch as a kid. And then there was the rational part of me; prove to my friends that I can be serious with a guy for more than a month, and prove to Olivia Swanson that she can't just sink her claws into any guy she sees anybody have interest in. Not to mention, he's just adorable.

What to do, what to do. I looked over at Maddie, who was trying to sleep. Why risk getting hurt by someone when you could have the show without the ticket? I knew what I had to do, and I was going to do it tomorrow. 

Chapter Playlist:

1.  That's What You Get - Paramore

2. I'll Be There For You -  Maisie Peters Version

3.  Speed Drive - Charli XCX

4. Just Dance - Lady Gaga

5. Live While Were Young - One Direction