Faking It

New Faking It Chapter: 23

"Who do you think it is?" Miranda whispers.

"I don't know...they have a really low voice though! Kinda cute, Katie!" Railyn nudges me.

"You have a boyfriend!"

"I was talking for you!"

I roll my eyes as the voice asks for me again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I say as I get up and head towards the door. When I open it I see that it's actually one of my only friends.

"Hi Katie!" Reyes, a child of Apollo says.

"Oh hey Reyes. So what's up?" I ask.

"Well, you know my best friend Winnie?" He asks

"Yes."

"Well I sorta like her...a lot..."

"And this involves me how?"

"Well I was thinking...maybe you and I could go out."

"What?"

"I mean in a fake way, to try and get her jealous and to get her to like me!" He says laughing a bit "Wow Katie, chill."

I feel the same nauseous feel like I did when Travis chose Myra. I start to sway and I have to reach my hand out to the wall to steady myself.

"Woah, Katie, you ok?" He asks.

"I-I'm fine." I say.

Has it all come down to this? People just using me? Just using me to get with the people they care about just to then leave me in the dust? Is this all that I am good for? Just something to use then to abandon and to hand off for the next customer? I feel sick. I feel terrible but when I speak, my voice comes out surprisingly steady.

"Actually, no."

"What?" He asks.

"I'm not okay. No. I won't do it." I say "I can't. Just ask her out yourself. I won't do it. Not even if you have a photoshopped image of me and Chris Rodriguez kissing and are threatening to show it to Clairese, even tho Chris and I never kissed!"

"That's...oddly specific."

"I i'll not be your fake girlfriend," I conclude slowly.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have asked." Reyes says softly, then pauses. "He must have meant a lot to you. Travis I mean."

I say silent.

"Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.' Shakespeare once said. So I guess it's not all that bad."

"What are you talking about?" I whisper

"Love." He states.

"Woah, no—I am not in love with Travis!"

"It's not a bad thing—" Reyes tries.

"I am not—we liked each other, we dated, we broke up, that's all."

"Alright, alright." He puts his hands up. "But I meant what I said about love, love can be a good thing and can bring people together...or it can be a hurtful thing that breaks people appart."