Fake Girlfriend

When we pulled up to my apartment complex, I thought that my day would over. I got out of Lex's truck, and Cole got out to let me through. However, to my horror, Cole never got back in. I glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. He looked over to Lex, smirking in the front seat.

"I'll meet you over at the shop later, man," he said.

"Alright. I'll take good care of your truck," Lex said. He winked at me. "Catch ya later, cupcake. Maybe w---"

Cole slammed the truck door. "Sianara, loverboy."

I could see Lex chuckle as he drove away, and I gave Cole my best evil eyes. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Well," Cole said, gesturing to his limp arm trying not to flinch, "this is sorta your fault."

"My fault?" I started. "How is--"

Cole raised his good arm, and I glared. "Lex is going to the shop. I need to do something about my arm. An auto shop won't have anything for me."

I rolled my eyes. "And what am I suppose to do?"

Cole made a one-shouldered shrug. "I don't know. Drive me to a hospital or something."

I groaned. I was NOT going to drive Cole all the way to the hospital. The sun was setting, and no doubt Mike was wondering where i was. However, I had an idea. Groaning again, I said, "Come on," and led him in the complex.

"So are going to your apartment?" Cole asked as we climbed the stairs to the second floor. He sounded strangely like Lex.

"God no," I said. I hoped to avoid a confrontation with Mike and have to explain how THIS became my boyfriend. "There's a lady, Ms. Hadden, who works as a nurse; I'm hoping she'll have something for your arm."

"Huh. Good idea."

I knocked on Ms. Hadden's door, and she answered immediately. She was one of those women you could tell was under alot of stress.  She was no older than 30 but she looked like a withered, gauntly 50 year old. Her hair was already graying and wispy, and her face marked with stress wrinkles. I knew she had had two little kids before her husband left her with nothing. She worked two jobs as a nurse, so she was constantly out of the house. In fact, I was surprised she was home now. She gave me a bright smile, and I noticed Cole flinch at my side.

"Thisbe. How nice," she said.

I smiled back. "Hi. I was wondering if you could do my boyfriend," --Ew, THAT word-- "a favor."

The apartment was a mess of paper, boxes, and children's toys. I tried nit to step on anything as Ms. Hadden took us to the only decent part of the house, her bedroom and told Cole to sit down on the bed. He did so quietly.

"So, Cole," Ms. Hadden said politely, as she dug through her closet. "What happened exactly?"

I rubbed my arm, a bit uncomfortably. "Well, we sorta got in a small car accident on the way home."

She looked back at us. "Oh dear."

"Yea. It wasn't too bad." I looked down at Cole's arm. "For the most part," I added.

Ms. Hadden pulled out a hand brace, medical tape, and arm sling. And I had to say, I was impressed at the fact that she had these in her house. She placed them down on the bed by Cole and smiled. "Can I see your arm?" 

Cole nodded. He grimaced as she slowly lift his arm. She gently tried to bend it until Cole silently complained. She gave another smile and grabbed the a brace. "Well good news: your arm is just sprained," she said as she carefully put the brace on. "But I would go see an actual doctor to confirm it."

"Alright," Cole murmured. She gave him the sling which he placed around his head and slowly slipped his arm in. "Thanks."

"Of course. I owe Thisbe for babysitting my kids all the time. The least I can do is help out her boyfriend." I fought the grimace that tried to appear on my face as she used THAT word again, and instead when she looked at me, I smiled.

"Your kids are angels. I really don't mind," I said kindly.

She chuckled to herself.

We left Ms. Hadden apartment, and Cole was being very quiet. I cocked an eyebrow as we headed toward the staircase. "Something wrong?"

Cole stuck his good hand in his pocket. "Not really... Just... It's just that that woman reminded me of a neighbor of mine."

I frowned. It seemed that there was something suddenly bothering him. He was deep in thought. "Oh," I said, and we walked in silence.

Now, it seemed that every time I began to think that my day would finally be over, something happened to screw it up. Just my luck this time, that as we approached the door to the stairs, Mike saw us. Just what I needed today: my over-protective uncle meeting my poor excuse for a "boyfriend"-- in a sling no less which meant I would have to explain the car accident as well.

"Bumblebee!" He called.

All I thought was Oh crap. 

Cole and I sat on Mike's couch, with his narrowed eyes looking us over. "Please tell me this is that future Harvard boy you were talking about."

"Uh no," I said meekly. "This is Cole. Cole, this is my uncle Mike."

Cole extended his good hand to shake, which was surprisingly polite of him, but Mike did not shake it. "What happened to your arm, boy?" he asked.

"Fell off a chair," Cole lied quickly.

Finally, I thought, Cole did something right.

Mike gave him a suspicious look, but he bought it. "How long have you been dating my Bumblebee?"

Cole looked over at me and couldn't help but give me an amused smirk. "Bumblebee?" he asked.

I smacked his shoulder and Mike coughed.

"Just three days," he answered Mike.

Three days? It seemed longer than that, but then again, this day alone seemed to drag on forever.

"Three days..."Mike repeated to himself. He looked at me. "And when were you going to tell me?"

"When it was brought up," I answered.

Mike sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "So where were you two all this time?"

"We went to the zoo with Delilah and John." I also fainted, got in a car wreck, and drove home with a spiky haired womanizer, but I felt it better to leave all that out.

Mike's brows knitted together. He was obviously trying to come up with a reason to chew me out, but he didn't know Cole enough to say he was bad (which he was), and he didn't know that I was bending the truth more than a little. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, afterall. 

And so, he let us go.

When we got out of there, I sighed with relief. "So glad that's over."

"Bumblebee?" Cole asked, regaining his amused smirk. Was that all he was concern about? "Seriously?"

I sighed. "It's my family's nickname for me."

"It's a good nickname. I should call you that."

"God. Please don't," I begged.

He put an arm around my shoulder. I reminded myself to burn the shirt i was wearing when I got back to my apartment. "Ah, don't worry about it, Bumblebee."

Damn I hate that guy.