Fake or Real?

Warming Up

After school that day, Melinda calls Natalia up, since she had been avoiding her the rest of the day since lunch.  

She was pissed. "And thanks for the help during lunch! I'm sure glad that we're best friends!" Melinda yells over the phone.

Natalia sighs, sitting down on her bed near the open window as a slight breeze comes in. She holds the phone to her ear. "I said I was sorry."

"I know! You said it ten times! But it still doesn't mean anything! I have a meatball stain on my kitty-cat shirt!" She exclaims. "God, I hate those assholes!"

"Well, they aren't complete assholes. They're just guys." Only, James is an asshole. My 'boyfriend'. 

"I still don't understand why you're dating James! You guys HATED each other." Melinda says.

Natalia bites her lip. Still do. "We got closer when we started to hang out more."

Melinda cracks up laughing on the other end of the phone. "What the hell, Natalia? Who spends more time with the person they've hated for years? I so don't understand."

"Oh, shut up!" Natalia exclaims. It didn't make any sense. It couldn't possibly make sense. 

"Like, there is nothing to like about his personality. The only thing I can understand is that you fell for his hotness. Because as much as I hate him, I have to admit that, that boy is damn fine."

Natalia widens her eyes." Melinda!" She exclaims, amused. Oh my god.

"What? Are you saying he's not hot?"

Oh, shit. "Nooooo! James is hot. Like, really, reallyyyyy hot." Natalia bursts out.

Suddenly, someone jumps on Natalia. She screams, startled as the person causes her to lie down on her bed. The person stays on top of her waistline. 

Once Natalia realizes the person is James, she turns red with anger and embarrassment, since he heard that she said he was hot, heard her scream, and just was here. 

He smiles, amused at her, holding in his laugh.

"Oh my god, Natalia? Are you okay?" Melinda asks over the phone.

Natalia tries to regain herself from that scary moment. "Yea, it's nothing. Just something stupid. I have to go." She tells her and then hangs up.

"Oh my go--." James starts laughing, but Natalia clamps her hand over his mouth.

"Natalia?" Her mom calls. "Did you yell? Are you okay?" She asks from down the hall in her room.

"I'm fine." She says back. "Just some ugly, disgusting bug." She says, looking at James. He licks her hand.

Disgusted, she takes her hand away and slaps him in the face, making a really loud sound. "Got it!"

James's head turns to the side from the impact and his hands fly up to the newly red mark on his cheeks. "Ow!" He says. "Fuck, Nat."

She struggles to push him off of her. "James, what the fuck is your problem!?" She exclaims. "You could have told me you were coming, or at least waited for an invitation!"

James reworks his jaw, ignoring her comment. "You know, you didn't have to slap me that hard. Shit."

"You shouldn't have scared me like that! How the hell did you climb up here and how did you know where my house was?" She exclaims. 

He shrugs. "I followed your car here and snuck in through your window... You know, I skipped practice for you. Why didn't you go to cheer practice today?"