Reality Check

-Chapter Ten-

"So you want me to be your fake boyfriend?" Ryder asks me. I hope he doesn't think that I am crazy.

"Basically, I just need to get my family off of my back about me not having one, but I need to make sure that Conner doesn't think he has won," I sigh, even though it is fake. I feel bad for using Ryder, he is such an amazing guy, but it needs to be done.

"Well, I'm all in. But how are we going to make sure Conner doesn't think he has won because you are dating me?"

"I'll tell him it is all part of the plan, which it is. I just, I can't explain the rest to you yet. Just promise me, whatever happens, we can still be friends," I beg him.

"Hey, I have your back. So when do we start fake dating?"

"I will talk to Conner about my plan tonight, we can start at school."

"It's a plan, nice doing business with you. We can still hang out today, right?"

"Of course," I smile.

"Well, finish up so that we can get milkshakes and go to the aquarium," he states.

"Why the aquarium?"

"I want to see the fish, duh."

"Okay then."

We arrive at the huge aquarium and I am already very excited. I haven't been here in years.

"When I was younger I was too afraid to go near the sharks, I sprinted past them every time," I chuckle as we make our may over to where the sharks are.

"They have always been my favorites, them and the turtles," Ryder admits.

"When I was younger my grandmother brought me to the beach where we went scuba diving, the Sea Turtles were amazing! Also, I was back in my Finding Nemo obsession faze so I was very excited when I saw 'Squirt'!" I grin.

"You went Scuba Diving that young?"

"Yeah, my grandma always said that there is no age limit to adventure!"

"You're grandmother is very wise," Ryder says.

"She was an amazing person. That is until her husband cheated on her after twenty years, they got divorced, she got lost into a stream of ultimate old person depression and died alone," I explain. Yet another reason why I do not believe in love, if someone can hurt you that badly after so long of being together, it obviously couldn't have been real.

"So, I am guessing that is one of the many reasons you won't date anyone?"

"Yeah, I guess. There are so many reasons to not, they definitely over power the reasons that I should," I tell him. He looks at me solemnly.

"You know, not all guys are like your grandfather, there are a few good ones out there," he says softly.

"I prefer not to take the chance of dealing with a guy like that, there may be a few, which I doubt, but who says that I will find one? The odds are too far off of being in my favor," I state.

"So you are being a pessimist over the subject?"

"No! Well, I guess. I am being realistic," I attempt to convince him.

It didn't work well because he just looks at me and says, "Have you ever thought that this sad reality you are thinking of isn't reality either. I am going to be honest, even if Con kills me, he told me everything. Everything about you and everything about what you guys are doing. I agree with him too, I am going to shut up now though because this is your war and I shouldn't be assisting Conner in any way."