The Golden Fake Couple

Chapter Nine: I'm a mouse? Duh?

So Connor waited and listened while I told him my life story, and to be honest, it was nice to tell someone without worrying about crying or sounding pathetic because I knew that Connor wouldn't tell anyone anything. I had his secret - that he needed the fake relationship - and he had mine.

I let myself break down for the first time in 5 years and to think that I did it with him and not my mom or Cassie was a bit shameful but I tried so hard to stop it. I just couldn't. After I finished and had three drenched tissues of tears he looked me in the eye and tilted my chin up to look back at him.

"I will never - you hear me? - ever let him touch you again." He searched my eyes with such a serious expression on his face that I actually felt like I could fully trust him. Why does he have this huge facade up as the asshole that doesn't care about anything, when he has so much... I don't know? Depth? It doesn't make sense.

I only then realize I had been searching his eyes throughout my chain of thought and looked down again, breaking the stare. Awkward.

"Okay well now we definitely need to go shopping. I think that might be the only thing to cheer you up right now" he smirks at me.

"And fries" I wink at him as I slide into his car. Not before catching a look of confusion and almost shock flicker across his face.

"Wait. Fries? As in the trans-fat filled Carbo-load McDonald's specialty?" he stares at me from the driver's seat, refusing to start the car in his current state of disbelief.

"If you're going to spout some cliche 'girls only like salad' crap I'm going to have to beat you. I want fries and there's a drive-through on the way to the mall. And it's Tuesday which means Manny's working. He's a darl, you'll love him" I roll my eyes and slip out my phone checking any texts from the group chat. Nothing involving me so they can wait until post food time.

"Manny? You know the drive through guy by name?" His mouth was practically on the floor by now.

"Connor. Just drive please" I lean forward with a bored expression on my face until I'm right near his face

"Well, you must workout heaps if you eat that much because damn girl..." He tails off as he shamelessly looks me over

"Aaaaaaaaand there's the dick we all know and hate. You're wasting time! Fries, nuggets, shopping, sleep, in that order and you're disturbing it!" I throw my arms up and slouch back folding my arms over my chest.

"Alright alright" he mutters, pulling out of the car park and cruising down the main road towards the mall. I grab the aux cord and much to his protests - met with me telling him to keep his eyes on the road - I slip the cord into my phone and scroll through the playlist. Deciding on Arctic Monkeys and turn up the volume so it's loud but we can still hear each other talking. All the while Connor is still complaining;

"Oh come on Jade please just- be nice okay I can't deal with the pop-y crap I'm going to McDonalds okay-" he stops when he hears the opening to "R U Mine" and sneaks a glance at me.

"Is this-"

"Arctic Monkeys, yep. Best light rock band ever" I close my eyes on the last word and when I open them we've pulled up into The drive through. I automatically smile wider and lean over Connor.

"Hey, Manny!" I chirp into the speaker

"Jade! You're late I thought you were skipping today" came the reply

"Wouldn't for the world manny! I'll have the usual plus-" I break off and look at Connor, his signal to add in his order"

"Oh um, just a large frozen coke and a medium fries?" He questions at me