Page 40 of My Fake Date With My Childhood Friend
“You're lying,” she said in a shaky voice. “You're just trying to get us to break up!”
“You can believe what you want, but I am not invested enough in your relationship to lie about something like this.” I slipped my phone back into my pocket. “I have my own relationship going on, you know. And I'm very happy.”
I stormed past her and went to walk out.
“He doesn’t even like you, you know!” She called after me. I paused with my hand on the door. I wanted to leave, but I also didn’t want her to yell after me down the hallway. I was finally starting to feel like I could show my face in school again, and I didn’t need her to ruin that for me a second time.
“Oh, really?” Obviously, I knew that Alexander didn’t like me — this whole thing was fake. But Nikki didn’t know that. I crossed my arms. “And how exactly do you know that?”
“He told me himself,” she said simply.
“He wouldn’t do that.” It was against our deal, and he very well knew it.
“He said he’s not interested in you,” Nikki repeated. “That you’re just a friend. Probably better for you to break it off sooner rather than later. You know, spare yourself the embarrassment and all that.”
The pressure inside my chest was unbearable. I couldn’t breathe. Who was she to say all of this to me? Where did she get off on this? I knew Alexander hadn’t said anything — had no reason to say anything — so she had to be saying this just out of the viciousness of her own heart. No matter how low I thought Nikki could sink, she kept finding a way to go lower. I didn’t know what to think or say or do. All I wanted to do was run away, but I didn’t even have the energy or willpower to walk away from her.
“You’re lying,” I finally managed to say. It was a stupid comeback. Of course, she was lying. We both knew it. The real question was what drove her to do it.
“Why would I lie?” She asked innocently. She tilted her head and looked at me with big eyes.
“Because you refuse to let me be happy!” I snapped. My hand curled into a fist, and it took everything in me to keep it clenched at my side. “Because you can’t stand that I found a new boyfriend and new friends and… and a new life without you!”
I didn’t wait for her to respond. I didn’t even stick around long enough to see her reaction. I slammed the door open so hard that it actually hurt my hands a little and stormed down the hallway, smirking to myself a little when she didn’t follow.
sixteen
“You’re being quiet today,”Alexander said.
“Hm?” I looked away from the car window I’d been staring out of for the entire drive to school. Since we lived close to each other anyway, and it would help sell the ruse, Alexander agreed to drive me to school whenever he got his family car. “Oh, I’m just tired, I guess.”
“Are you sure that’s all it is?” He asked with concern.
“Yeah,” I sighed. I pulled my sleeves down over my hands and bit my lip. Nikki's words were still turning over in my mind over and over again. I couldn’t believe everything she’d said to me or that she could so easily look me in the eye and lie to me the way she had. I didn’t want to believe she was capable of doing that. I pushed my hair out of my face. “It’s just….”
“Just?” Alexander prompted me when I didn’t say anything.
“Just Nikki.”
Probably better for you to break it off sooner rather than later. You know, spare yourself the embarrassment and all that. Part of me was actually hoping that was she said was true, that she wasn’t lying. But the bigger and more rational part of me knew that it was better if she wasn’t. For one thing, I needed tobe able to trust Alexander for this whole thing to work. And for another… I was really, desperately hoping that he was into me.
“Ah. Of course.” He paused to glance at me. “What did she say now?”
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “Just... did you tell Nikki that you're not into me?”
“What?” He looked hopelessly confused.
“Nikki told me that you told her that you only see me as a friend. That I should break this off sooner rather than later.”
“Penny...”
“I don't care that you don't like me,” I clarified quickly. “That's not what I'm upset about. This isn't real, and it's better than real people aren't involved, but if you told Nikki that, then this whole thing is?—”
“Penny,” Alexander interrupted. I snapped my mouth shut. “I didn't say anything to Nikki.”
“Anything?”
“Nothing,” he confirmed. “Actually, I haven't talked to her in months. And the last time I did talk to her, it was just because we were lab partners.”
