Fake Girlfriend

By the time I got home from dropping off Cole at the car shop where Lex and his car was, it was late enough. Not to mention I got chewed out by Mike for a second time. I sat in my living room, on the couch with my feet kicked onto the coffee table, half listening to what Mike was saying.

“Where did you meet this guy?” he asked.

“School,” I answered. I just wanted to go to bed at this point.

“Does he work?”

How should I know? “Yes,” I said to avoid conflict.

“Where?”

“No sure.”

“Is he nice?”

“Yup.”

“Bumblee, are you even giving me your attention?”

“Nope. Not really.” I looked up at him. “I’m tired. Can I go to bed?”

Uncle Mike gave me a look.

“Really, it’s not that big of a deal. I really don’t think we’re gonna last anyways. Really.” I wasn’t going to spend any more time than I had to with that guy. Nothing went right when he was around. Today was the best example of that. He acted so nonchalant when I took him home. Like it had been a good day. I had to fight the urge to slap him as he got out of the car with that cocky smirk. Thank God I was getting a weekend break from that guy.

Mike finally let me go, and I went straight into my room and crashed in my clothes with a lot on my mind. I dreamed about everything that happened today, but it all seemed so great this time around. All the laughs we shared at the zoo seemed happy; when I fainted, falling into his arms and waking up in his lap felt warm and welcoming; the way he tried to keep me from panicking when the breaks in his truck failed was actually calming; the way he injured himself keeping me from hurting myself was heroic; and overall, it wasn’t a bad dream—but that was just it, it wasn’t a dream at all. All that had happened.

And I hated it. Hated it. Hated it. Hated it....Right? Yes, of course!

The real-life replay suddenly changed. It was when I drove him to the shop, sleepy and agitated. The sun was setting as I pulled up to the rather small building. Neither of us said anything, so I figured Cole was just as tired as me—that, or he ran out of irritating comments to make. I parked close to the front of the shop, and Cole opened the door. I remembered that he thanked me, adding “Bumblebee” to the end of his sentence in an attempt to get on my nerves one last time, but that wasn’t what happen this time in my dream.

This time, it was quiet. Cole made no attempt to open the door or to bother me one last time. He just looked at me, staring into my eyes, and I did the same. An awkward moment turned peaceful as we sat there, and I barely noticed what was happening when he leaned over. And he kissed me.

My eyes shot open, and my expression quickly turned to a scowl. I literally felt like gagging. What was that? Why would I ever dream about something like that. That was no dream. It was a nightmare. It just made me want to slap Cole the next time I saw him—like this was somehow his fault. I turned to my clock. 5 o’ clock in the morning. I groaned and rolled to turn the other direction. I took note that when I got up (if I could ever even go back to sleep) I would do whatever it took to get Cole off my mind. I immediately thought of Brad, but then I figured he already had forgotten about me. Brad, the guy I liked for the longest time, probably forgot about me. That, or he hated me. After all, I suddenly start going out with some random bad-assy guy right after he confesses his feelings for me. I turned face down so that my head was buried in my pillow, and I screamed in frustration.

Damn you, Cole, I thought. My life was so screwed up.

Then, out of nowhere, I started to cry. I was going to be Brad’s girlfriend. I was going to be the girl who held hands with the popular Brad Halley, the handsome Vice President of the school. People were going to murmur about how cute we looked. Brad was going to lean into my ear and whisper into my ear that I was beautiful and that he loved me; he would do so every day, but it would feel like the first time every time. That’s what was supposed to happen. That’s what wouldn’t happen due to a certain Cole Ramsey.

As I began to doze off, I wondered what would happen from here out. I wondered how much longer I would have to keep up this charade before I was free. I wondered how much more I would hate Cole by the time this was all over. I wondered how much more I could stand. I wondered if my life would go back to the way it was. Probably not. I somehow fell asleep again, in my bipolar mood, and there was miraculously no disturbing dreams.

By morning, I was feeling much better. Well, I shouldn’t say morning because it was already early in the afternoon. Either way, I had gotten over my irritable mood, and pushed my dreams from the night into the farthest point in my mind. The first thing I think of to do is call Delilah. No doubt I would completely forget about everything if I spent a girls’ day with her. Then again, she might have plans with John, as they had been hanging out more and more recently. I tried texting her anyways, just to see what she was up to, and sure enough she was going ice skating with John and his little sister Lily. I didn’t want to intrude on them, so I told her that I would see her later.

Ironically enough, just as I think to text one of my other not as close friends, I get a text by none other than Cole Ramsey. I think to ignore it, but for whatever reason, I don’t. I frown as I read it.

I’ve met your friends, now you should meet mine. Me and Lex will be over at 7 tonight. We’re going to a Haunted House.

I growled at my phone, as if Cole could hear me. 1.) I hated haunted houses, especially ones with clowns, and 2.) I hated Cole. Two perfectly good reasons to refuse. However, somehow, I felt like I didn’t have a choice. I felt that if I refused, Cole would come anyway and drag me out of my apartment. I growled again, texting back.

Fine, but if something goes wrong, I’m blaming you.

Nothing is going to go wrong, he texted back.

But I already know something will.