Play the Game

Prologue

He promised that he'd wait. That he'd always be with her. He said he would keep his promise. But like most promises, this one would be broken. ****

   When Ellie's boyfriend Mark moves back to his hometown, despite the promises of loyalty he makes to her, he gets back with his ex, leaving Ellie crushed. In attempt to make her seem unaffected by his actions, big-mouth Frank makes up a harmless lie that Ellie is now dating the school's classified bad boy, Nate Cross.

  At last it was harmless, until Mark comes back. Getting caught in the lie would be the worst thing imaginable, so Frank makes Ellie and Nate a deal- if they pretend to date, he  will pay them for every time they are seen together in public. The trouble is, Ellie and Nate are polar opposites- She is sweet and innocent while he is tough and dark. To Ellie and Frank's surprise, though, Nate does not reject them. Instead, he agrees to play the game.

                    

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  “ Ellie, over here!" Frank called out to me as soon as I stepped out of the car. He ran over to me, frantically waving his phone around. The sight brought a smile to my lips. “Good morning to you too, Frank." I couldn't blame him, though. When he got excited about something, there was no bothering him with manners.

  He stood next to me, showing me a picture on his cell. “Look what this girl posted." It was a picture of a brunette girl kissing a boy on the cheek. But not just any boy, it was Mark. My boyfriend, the one who promised he wouldn't be with any other girl while he was away. I sighed and looked away from the screen. “I'm sorry, El. I just thought you should know."

  A party of me was very hurt. Who wouldn't be hurt to find out that as soon as their boyfriend mixed back to his hometown he was all over his ex? It hurt to know that good promise meant nothing.

  But another, almost larger part of me was slightly relieved. It was like I had almost expected this, just not so soon. And I couldn't say I was totally upset. I wouldn't want to wait for a boy like that, anyway. Mark was now officially Someone I couldn't be bothered to cry over.

  I took a deep breath and put on my usual smile. “Well, that's that, I suppose." I slung my bag over my shoulder and continued walking to class.

   I didn't let it bother me the whole entire day. In fact, I let it slip my mind. Until Frank, who just couldn't resist some good gossip, asked me about it at the end of the day.

  “I just gotta know, Ellie. Has he told you anything yet?" I smiled at him and pulled out my phone, checking for any messages. “Actually, he has. Look." My phone showed that I had received a message from Mark.

  He had sent me the same picture from this morning and wrote, 'Sorry, babe. Back with Alyssa now.' A laugh best out of my lips. “What a dreadful way to dump someone," I said. “At least he's happy."

  Frank had a look of utter shook on his face, his jaw nearly touching the ground. “Oh my gosh, El. He promised you need wait until he moved back, and the first thing he does is dump you! If that were me, I would be beyond pissed. He would feel my wrath!" All I did was giggle and playfully tap his shoulder. “It's a Good thing you're not, then, isn't it?"

  Frank wasn't satisfied. “Seriously, Ellie. You can't let him stomp on you this way. We have to get him back." “Okay, you just let me know when you've finished. I'll see you tomorrow!" And I skipped off to my mom's car.

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