Some days start weird ...Others spiral into absolute chaos by lunchtime.
Today was one of those.
It started with me waking up late, my last hairpin broke as I was trying to fix my hair, not to mention I burnt my breakfast and then immediately I got to school Kayla dashed into the hallway waving her phone in my face like it was a national emergency.
"Girl, you're trending." She said breathless
"When am I never " I replied
"Not in that way babes" she replied
She shoved the screen closer. On it was a photoshopped image of me and Noah in our lab coats from Chemistry class — except someone had added soft sparkles, blush filters, and a heart above our heads.
'Chemistry Lab Lovers?' read the caption.
My jaw dropped. "That's not even—who made this?!"
Kayla snorted. "Welcome to teenage fame. You and your science partner are the new ship."
I covered my face with both hands. "Nope. Not today."
"You should be flattered. People don't just edit anyone into their imaginary rom-coms."
"I didn't ask to be edited besides I didn't even know he existed two weeks ago."
Kayla raised an eyebrow. "Sure. But he carried your books. You smiled. Boom—you're dating in everyone's head."
I groaned and tried to block out the notification chimes from nearby phones. Apparently, the rumors had already taken root, and I was the last to know.
When we walked into the cafeteria, I instantly felt the eyes. The whispers. The smirks. I wanted to disappear immediately but I had to hold up my head high and act like I wasn't bothered by the looks , the stares and the talks
But what I *really* wasn't prepared for… was Malik.
He sat at his usual spot two tables away, arms crossed, glare fixed on me like I'd just stabbed his ego with a plastic spork.
I ignored him. Or at least tried to.
Noah was already seated at our usual table, leaning back casually like he was above it all.
Then it happened.
He stood up.
"She's with me now," he said, loud enough for half the cafeteria to hear. "So you can stop lurking and gossiping."
The silence that followed was louder than a scream.
I stood frozen in place, tray of fries in hand. I could *feel* Malik's gaze pierce through me. Kayla dropped her jaw. Phones rose again.
What. The. Hell. I screamed internally
Noah walked toward me like it was nothing and took my tray smiled at me took my hands and said "Come on."
I followed, too stunned to speak or react to
As soon as we hit the hallway, I spun on him.
"What was that?!"
He shrugged, unfazed. "Solving a problem."
"By *announcing* we're dating?! In public?! Without telling me?!"
He leaned against the wall, completely unbothered. "It was a strategic move."
"You're not playing chess, Noah!"
"I saw your ex staring at you like he had a claim. I thought I'd make things clear."
My voice dropped. "You *thought*?! You don't get to just… decide that!"
"I panicked."
"You panicked and gave me a boyfriend?!"
He gave a half-smile. "Technically a fake one."
I stared at him, heart hammering. Part of me wanted to scream. Another part… couldn't stop the blush creeping into my cheeks.
"Do you realize what this means? People are going to treat it like it's real."
"Only if we play along."
I crossed my arms. "And if we don't?"
"They'll make up worse rumors."
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Ugh. He had a point.
A pause settled between us, thick and awkward.
Finally, I muttered, "Fine. But we need rules."
He perked up. "I like rules."
"Rule 1: No surprises. You don't go announcing anything without telling me first."
"Fair."
"Rule 2: No touching unless absolutely necessary."
He raised an eyebrow. "Define 'necessary.'"
I glared. "Not funny."
"Kind of funny."
"And Rule 3," I said, ignoring his smirk, "don't catch real feelings."
He hesitated. "Yeah. That… won't be a problem."
Liar.
Kayla peeked around the corner just then. "You two done staging your soap opera?"
I rolled my eyes and walked past both of them.
---
Later that night, I lay on my bed, scrolling mindlessly through memes while wearing my comfiest hoodie and bonnet. My phone buzzed.
Noah Liang:
You mad?
I stared at the screen for a second before typing:
Me:
You faked a relationship in front of the entire school. What do you think?
Him:
I think I saved you from your creepy ex and gave the people what they wanted.
Me:
The people can mind their business.
Him:
Too late.
I sighed, the corners of my mouth twitching despite myself.
Him:
Want to set some ground rules?
Me:
Already did. No surprises. No touching. No real feelings.
Him:
I'm already breaking rule one and three.
I blinked. Was that a joke?
Before I could overthink, another text followed:
Him:
Kidding. Probably.
I stared at the screen.
Probably. What did he mean by that
I tossed the phone on my pillow and pulled the blanket over my head.
This fake relationship was already starting to feel dangerously real.
Great just when I taught I could avoid the drama and actually lay low this semester
---
The next morning felt heavier than usual
I walked through the school gates, expecting whispers and stares, but somehow it was worse when everyone pretended not to notice.
Noah wasn't at his locker when I passed, and part of me felt stupid for caring.
I had agreed to this fake relationship mess, sure, but now it was spiraling out of control, and I didn't know how to slow it down without crashing.
As I walked into class, Kayla leaned over and whispered, "You do realize he called you his girlfriend, right? In front of half the school."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I noticed but don't worry it's just a distraction."
She smiled knowingly. "Be careful, Imani. Fake feelings have a habit of turning real."
I didn't answer, because deep down… I knew she might be right.
And that scared me more than anything else.
---