Page 49 of The List of Things

“So, are you two…” Jade starts, pointing to Bell and me.

“No.”

She narrows her eyes at my quick response, turning her head to look at Griff.

“It’s fake,” Sienna says and the boys nod.

“So you two aren’t actually dating? You’re... Fake dating?” Jade asks, and I nod. “Explain,” She smiles, and Griff does too, extending his arm over her shoulder.

“I’d love to hear your version of this story, Kamryn,” Griff speaks out.

“Wait, me too,” Lawson chimes in, keeping the same smooth, cool attitude.

“I’ve been tutoring Bellamy, and he came to my apartment, and snooped through my things until he found-”

“I was not snooping. The list was sitting on your coffee table begging to be found. I think she placed it there. She wanted me to find it, and beg me to do it with her,” He argues, and my jaw drops.

“This is why you aren’t allowed to tell the story because that is not what happened. I made a stupid list, for research purposes of course, and then Bellamy came over so I never put it away. It was just there, and he found it,” I look up at him, and notice his smile.

“What list?” Jade asks.

“Her list of things she’s seen but never done,” Sienna finishes for me, and I nod.

“It was never meant to be seen by anyone but me or Sienna. We were watching a movie, and I told her romantic shit like what happens in those movies doesn’t happen in real life… Because it doesn’t, it’s all fake. She proceeded to argue with me and said it could be possible. I made the list to see if she or I had actually done any of that stuff, and before I could give it to Sienna, Bellamy-” I try to explain, but Bellamy cuts in.

“I’m just a good person, and she begged me to do the list with her so I said-”

“That didn’t happen. He annoyed me and I said no, and the only person we have to thank for me saying yes is Sienna. She’s reasonable and level headed, so when I told her about what happened, I thought she’d say not to do it, but then she told me to do it. When the sane one tells you it’s a good idea, there’s really no arguing,” I look over to Sienna after I finish, and she grins from ear to ear.

“At your service,” She winks at Bellamy, and I roll my eyes.

“You’re never allowed to tell that story, you lie far too much,” I point at Bellamy, and his amused smile brightens.

He hangs his arm over my shoulder, pulling me into him as we move up into the line.

“Well, for people who aren’t actually dating, you two are very… good at faking I guess,” Jade tells up, and my smile turns awkward as I laugh.

I can’t help but think of Bellamy’s friends, and question what they think of me. I’ve never been too keen on worrying about others' thoughts about me because they could potentially hurt my feelings, and I don’t have time for that. But I do question what they think of this arrangement. Of me, and their best friend. Did they encourage him like Sienna did me? Did they tell him he was crazy? Did they high five him when he told them that I agreed, or did they warn him to be wary of me? Questions swirl in my brain, but I fake a smile.

“All comes with the job,” Bellamy brushes her words off, and we continue talking, but I’m focused on the sinking feeling in my stomach.

I manage to move from Bellamy’s arm around my shoulder, leading the group to the front until we get to the ticket booth. Bellamy pays for the two of us, and then we’re off. Bellamy and I escape into a pod, and we’re sitting, away from everyone else.

“Ignore them,” He comes close to me, sitting down just like I did.

“I am. I don't know what you’re talking about,” I brush his words off despite the odd feeling in my stomach.

“I could see it the second Jade said what she did... You curled up, you went somewhere else. It’s not a big deal. I told you I was going to do a good job, everything is the same as it was, there’s no change.”

I nod, agreeing with him, and believing him too.

“Do your friends… I mean do they care that we’re fake dating? Do they even like me?” I ask, not sure why I even care in the first place.

Of course, I want to work with the football team. I want all of them to like me, but it’s more than that. I can’t place it, but I know it’s more than just wanting some players to like me.

“They think you’re cool. They also think it’s good that I’m stepping out of my normal… tendencies,” He steps over the word, and I raise my eyebrows. “The fact that I don’t do casual. As you called it, being a nester. They think it’s good for me, that you, and the list is good for me. Why are you worried? Do you think they’re out saying shit about you? Because they wouldn’t do that. Not to me, or you.”

He defends his friends and tries to ease my mind, but I continue my stream of concerns that lie far past just his friends. Concerns I didn’t think much about before agreeing to do the list.

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