Fake Girlfriend

Lex and I reentered the gym, our spirits lowered quite a bit. We tried not to ruin everyone else’s happy moods, but they seemed really worried. I smiled, assuring them that we were fine. We looked at each other, like we could read each other minds. We knew the other was definitely not fine.

The music managed to empty out most of my thoughts, and there was no sign of Cole, which was all the better. I tried to lose myself in the dancing and just forget everything, but it seemed everything reminded me of the jackass that ruined my life. The friends that were originally his. My choked up throat and watery eyes caused by him. My hatred for him. Brad, happily talking with his friends, who I couldn’t be with because of him.

Brad.

He had asked me to dance hadn’t he? In confident hopes that it would cheer me up, I walked right over to Brad and his group and tapped Brad’s shoulder. He turned and beamed at me. “Jade,” he said, pleasantly surprised.

“Is that offer of a dance still valid?” I asked.

He chuckled, wasting no time to pull me into a dance. “Of course,” he said. It was still an upbeat pop song playing, but suddenly, we were in our own little world. We weren’t even dancing. We were just standing there. “Honestly, Jade, it’s seems like you’ve danced with every guy but me.”

I smiled. “Yeah. Sorry about that. A lot of shit has happened with Cole and me,” I said.

He frowned. “Is that why you look like you’ve been crying?” He looked concerned for me.

“I suppose.”

A slow song came on, and a grin spread across Brad’s face. “Perfect timing. Maybe I can cheer you up?”

I laughed. “I wish you would.”

And he did. I had to admit, he was an even better dancer than Lex, and I felt lighter than air. Cole was no longer on my mind. In fact, there was nothing going through my mind besides the thought that Brad was so close, arms wrapped around my waist, and everyone was watching. And that was no exaggeration. Everyone was glancing our way.

I blushed, but Brad was chuckling. “We seem to be a hit.”

I nodded, knowing why everyone was so interested. Brad was one of the most popular guys in the school, and I was a nobody. A nobody who was supposed to be dating Cole Ramsey, a guy popular for his rude attitude and his scary presence as an punk outcast. People loved gossiped, and this was oozing with it. We were the center of attention. And despite Brad’s closeness and his eyes contently on me, I hated every minute of it. Attention was not my thing.

I breathed and tried to ignore it as we spun around the dance floor. That’s when the spotlight came on. I froze, stiff as a rock, to look up at it. You have got to be kidding me! Brad chuckled yet again. He liked attention; he was used to it. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, but I couldn’t handle much more of this. It was becoming suffocating, every pair of eyes on me. No one was dancing anymore.

Finally, I pushed away from Brad. He frowned. “Brad, I’m sorry. I got to go.” That was a lie, but I needed to get away from this. I walked over to my friends, who had been watching as well. I don’t know what I was feeling, but it was a mix of panic, embarrassment, and the hallow hating feeling left by Cole. I gave everyone a pleading look. “I really don’t want to be a burden, but I… want to go home.”

“I’d take you home, but Deliah and John came in my car, too,” Lex said.

“That’s okay,” Lola quickly intervened. She, as well as everyone else, seemed to really be worried about me. “Sam’s got room in his car.”

Sam nodded in agreement.

I looked at Delilah, and she smiled and gave me a tight hug. “It’s fine. Go get some sleep.”

“Thanks,” I murmured to her. I didn’t deserve these friends. I looked at Lex. “You sure that’s okay?”

Lex stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Yeah. Not a problem. I’m feeling a bit… under the weather, as well.” He was avoiding the word depressed. Or confused, maybe. Distraught? At least, that’s how I was feeling.

“Okay.”