Noah Centineo Imagines

Rumors-Peter Kavinsky

In high school, rumors spread like wildfire. A simple sentence can go around the school in less than one class period. When I walked into school Monday morning, I didn't know that I was going to be the talk of campus.

I ignored the whispers and the laughing as I went from class to class. I didn't know what the rumor was and I didn't want to know. I didn't care. I was just trying to survive until graduation.

I was walking outside for lunch when someone bumped into me. A sigh left my lips as I saw Peter Kavinsky holding me as if I was about to fall.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Hi," I sighed. I cleared my throat when I realized he still hadn't let go of me. "Peter? I'm not, nor was I, falling. You can let me go now."

He smirked as he finally let me go. "So, how's your day going?" He asked sweetly.

I looked up at him strangely, not understanding why he was even talking to me. "Just your usual," I said slowly. "Kids paying too much attention to others and whispering random gossip."

"Speaking of whispers," he said, not finishing his thought.

I waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "Mind finishing that thought?" I sighed.

He laughed as he sent me a playful smirk. "Have you heard any of the rumors going around school today?"

"Nope," I said popping the "p". I sent him an annoyed look when he just smirked at me. "I'm guessing you have though."

He sent me another shrug, his smirk turning into a smile. "People are saying that you and I are going out."

"Really?" I scoffed. I cleared my throat when I saw his smile drop a little. "Sorry," I said quickly. "It's just. . . Why would people believe you would go out with me?"

"Why wouldn't they?" He shrugged.

"Maybe because you're the star of the lacrosse team and I am the weird theater kid."

"The weird theater kid?" He laughed. "Y/N, you've stared in every production our school has put on since freshman year. Didn't you even go to some regional theater scene competition thing and win?"

"How. . . How did you know all of that?"

 "So?" He asked, ignoring my question. I shrugged as I walked past him and headed towards a table not too far from us. I looked over my shoulder when I heard Peter following me.

"Did you start it?"

I froze, half sitting half standing. "What?" I asked, clearing my throat and sitting down.

"Did you start the rumor?" He asked again. "I won't be mad, I promise. I just want to know who started it."

"No," I said slowly. "I didn't start the rumor that I didn't even know was going around school."

He nodded, smiling slowly at me. "Then, what should we do about it?"

"Ignore it, I guess."

"I had a different idea in mind," he said as he sat across from me. I raised my eyebrows, no idea where he was going with this.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked, slightly hesitant.

"What if, and bear with me, what if we made the rumor, not a rumor?"

"Are you suggesting we play along with the rumor and actually go out?"

"Sure," he shrugged. "I just figured since people are already talking about it, might as well play along."

And that is how Peter Kavinsky and I started dating.

A FEW MONTHS LATER

It started out to change the rumor, but somewhere along the way, it became real. It was a little awkward at first, but eventually, we got more and more comfortable with each other. The first few times we went on dates or hung out, we were nervous and awkward.

Things changed after we kissed for the first time. As soon as he kissed me on my doorstep after our fourth awkward dinner date, things changed. We both agreed to forget about the rumor that started all of it and just be ourselves.

Peter and I were sitting at our favorite table under our tree eating lunch. All day I had caught him constantly staring at me with a weird look on his face. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay," I sighed. "What is going on with you today?"

"What do you mean?" He laughed.

"You've been staring at me a lot lately. Almost like you're debating something." My heart jumped as he sighed. "You're debating something?" I asked slowly.

"Sort of." His eyes widened when he saw the nervous expression on my face. "Wait, no no no. It's nothing bad, I promise. I'm not breaking up with you or anything. I just. . ."

"Then what is it, Peter?"

"Do you remember the rumor going around school that we were dating?" He started. I raised my eyebrows and nodded, not really sure where he was going with this. "Well, there is something about that rumor that I didn't tell you."

"And what would that be?"

"I umm. . . I was the one who started it."

"Wait, what?" I asked, laughing softly. "You started the rumor that we were dating. Why?"

He scratched the back of his neck, something he did when he was nervous. "The thing is. . . I just. . . I didn't know how else to. . ."

I cut him off by leaning over and pressing my lips to his. I pulled away, a smile on my face. "Just say it, babe."

"I've had a crush on you since freshman year biology. We were lab partners and I was always nervous around you. Then we continued to be in classes together and my crush kept getting stronger. So, I started the rumor we were dating. I didn't know if you liked me back and I thought that if I spread the rumor we were going out, I could see how you reacted to the idea of us going out."

I wasn't able to stop smiling as he confessed to starting the rumor. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "I shouldn't have started that rumor or lied to you about it. I just. . ."

I cut him off by grabbing his cheeks and pressing my lips to his. He instantly wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss.

I pulled away, leaning my forehead against his. "I'm glad you did," I whispered.

"Me too."