Page 43 of Shy Girls Can't Fake Date

I pocket my phone, eyeing our teacher wandering around the workstations.

Parker sniggers. “I didn’t take you for someone who texts during class.”

“It was Josie,” I mutter. “She heard about our kiss.”

“Oh. Was she surprised?”

“Shocked, more like it. Exclamation points everywhere.” I cup the sides of my face. “Oh, how do I explain this?”

“You didn’t tell her about us?”

I shake my head and check no one is within earshot. “I wanted to. I tried to. I just didn’t know how.”

Parker moves back to his workstation before Mr. Thompson strolls by and gives him a lecture. He taps Yvette on the shoulder, warning her to move back to her own seat.

I never thought about anyone other than Parker’s friends seeing us kiss.

But now that I think about it, when Lewis and Yvette kissed, they were on full display for everyone to see at the very same table.

Oh gosh, this is the worst outcome. I don’t want the whole school talking about me and my supposed boyfriend. The thought of my best friend hearing the gossip without me explaining the context is mortifying.

The rest of class rolls by. I was too stunned to finish my notes, and I even let Parker pack away my equipment. Yvette gushed about him being a great boyfriend, but I was too comatosed to respond. Parker even has to coax me off my stool. Seriously, I could stay glued to this seat until spring break is over.

In the hallway, we bypass Parker’s locker and then he walks me to mine. At best, you could call what I’m doing a trudge.

“It’s not so bad,” Parker insists, placing a hand between my shoulder blades. “School’s over now. By the time we’re back, this whole thing will be done.”

A pout is my only response as I drag my backpack from my locker.

Parker laughs, taking my backpack and squeezing me in a one-armed hug. “Cheer up, buttercup.”

“Oh my freaking...” Josie can’t finish the sentence, moving toward us, stunned. “It’s true?”

My chin drops. “It’s not...”

She cuts me off, holding up her phone, which displays an image. “This photo is doing the rounds.”

My eyes narrow as I take in the image. It’s in chem lab and taken from the table behind mine. Parker is standing by me with his hand on my back.

Like he is right now.

In panic, I bump him off me, freaked by people staring and pointing at us.

Josie lowers the phone, confusion contorting her facial features. “You two are together?”

I still can’t get over the photo. “Who sent that to you?”

“No one,” Josie replies. “Well, Kimberley, who sits next to me in biology, got it in a group chat. She showed me and asked me how long you two had been together. Imagine not being able to answer that question about your best friend.”

“Josie, I...”

She cuts me off again. “I thought you were into...” She stops herself, pressing her lips together as she glances at Parker. “Uh, I just didn’t understand what you were telling me this morning about Parker.”

“I said it was fake...”

Parker grabs my shoulder, cutting me off. “Not here,” he whispers harshly. “Not in the school halls.”

“How does fake explain the whole cafeteria seeing you two make out?” Josie blurts.

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