A Deal with the Bad boy

Deal

I’ve been noticing Jake a lot lately. Like, a lot a lot. It’s been over two weeks since our last conversation about that……proposal. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I mean fake dating him to make Valerie jealous in exchange to make me popular. Becoming popular overnight sounds like a dream come true, but at what cost? And with the whole situation with Valerie, I’m not sure taking that risk.

It’s tempting to say at least, if anyone one can do it. Its Jake woods. I’d finally have friends, and I wouldn’t be so shy and scared all the time……at least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

Zoey and I on the other hand have been hanging out a lot lately and I’m really starting to love her company. She listens to me and we have so much in common.

“Hey, Zoey” I whispered, feeling my cheeks flush

“Hey!” She replied, her voice is as bubbly and energetic as Sophia’s. “Hi” I said again, looking down at my feet. Zoey teases me about how cute I look when I do that, but I can’t help it.

“I love when you do that” she said giggling. “You look like a child!” Her giggling turned to loud laughs.

My face turned bright red, and I whispered, “T-thank you.....”

She shrugged taking my hands into hers and smiled. “I got something for you” She leaped forward and headed towards her vanity drawer.

“What’s it” I raised an eyebrow, she revealed the book from behind her back.

“Tadaaa!” she yelled, my jaw dropped. “Erase me” By Jane Lou- the one book I’ve been dying for ages to read, I’ve almost saved enough to get the book. How’d she know?

“Oh my gosh……” I stared in awe, Only Mrs Johnson and my mum had ever gifted me books. Sophia who was my best friend never thought to do so.

“I saw it on your vision board when we hung out last week, I could feel how much you wanted it so I said why not get it for you” Her voice was like a warm hug, I felt my eyes welling up.

Why did I want to cry?

“And I heard Jane Lou’s coming to town next week at least that’s what the nice lady at the book store told me” she chuckled, my eyes widened in disbelief. The “Jane Lou” is coming to town, I’ve always admired Jane’s journey from a small author from Eastwood to becoming one of the best-selling author in the world. As someone who struggles to express myself, her success inspires me. She shows that even the quietest people can make a meaningful impact, meeting her would be a dream come true.

“I’m taking you next week” Her grin grew wider, I laughed and threw my arms around her.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I squealed, she returned the hug patting my back.

“Come on, this DIY mask won’t do itself” I snickered at her awful joke, we put on the masks and binge watched gossip girls all night.

Finally I felt seen and heard

***********

“I can’t believe Chuck and Blair finally got back together” Zoey exclaimed besides me, I giggled taking out my books from my locker and shoving them in my bag.

“I know right? I shipped them so hard! But what’s up with Nate and Serena? They’re so on-again, off-again, it’s like make up your minds already” I responded.

“Right…..” Zoey agreed

“Alara, can we talk?” I heard a familiar voice behind me, I turned to face Sophia. I’ve been ignoring Sophia for weeks still hurt that she didn’t visit me in the hospital after everything we’ve been through together. It hurt real badly, it was similar to when my dad left us, I felt like she was tired of me and she’s left me. Zoey had suggested I forgive her, and suggested we would be a really cute trio, I miss her but my pride and hurt feelings had been holding me back.

“I’ll let you guys talk” Zoey gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, I nodded as I watched her walk away. We stood there for while in awkward silence, before I spoke up.

“What do you want?” I asked curtly

“You’re just going to abandon our friendship for Zoey?” her voice was laced with burning jealousy. “You’re just going to forget everything about me and our promises, our secrets, our everything?”

“Abandon our friendship? You’re the one who abandoned me! I took the fall for that stupid video you posted and ended up in the freaking hospital. And you didn’t even visit me!” My anger erupted.

“I was…..um….really busy” she shifted uncomfortably.

“Busy? You were too busy to check on your supposedly best friend? That’s a pathetic excuse!” I spat

Sophia’s face scrunched up in a nasty scowl, “You’re just choosing Zoey over me, it’s clear. You’re just like everyone else, using me and discarding me like trash!”

“Always playing the victim!” she screamed at me.

“Always playing the victim?” I repeated and scoffed

“I didn’t abandon you, you left me! Zoey has been here for me more than you’ve ever been, she visited me in the hospital when you were supposed to be there. She actually listens to me, she doesn’t force me to film or do stupid makeup YouTube videos. We go to the café together, she knows I’m not fond of crowds. Did you know that? Or did you even bother to notice? She buys me books, she’s actually interested in what I like. You never did any of that for me, you only cared about yourself, your own interests, and your own thoughts. I’ve been ignoring this for 10 years now, hoping one day you’d actually care about what I like. But I was wrong, you used me! You used me Sophia!”

Tears streamed down my face as I shouted at her, “I deserve better and I found better in Zoey”

“Zoey’s going to realise you’re a lost cause,nothing but a burden! How did you think I was holding up in our friendship with a girl who couldn’t even say more than five words to me? You didn’t let me in, Alara. I know we’ve been together for 10 f*****g years, but you didn’t let me in. I stayed outside, hoping one day you’d let me in, but you never did”

Her voice cracked as she continued, “You also don’t pass up any opportunity to bring me down or judge me, ‘Sophia, that’s wrong’, ‘Sophia, that’s not you’ Do you even know me, Alara? I’m more than just makeup and a stupid YouTube channel. But you failed to see it, always caught up in your head or a book, not caring about me!”

“But immediately Zoey steps in, and you open up everything to her like you never for the past 10 years. I’m f*****g hurt, Alara, but you only care about yourself. I know I f****d up not coming to visit you, but I had s**t of my own to deal with. But you still think that I’m this perfect girl who has everything she needs in life, I have no problems. Only Alara has problems!”

I stood there, dumbfounded unable to speak. I had no idea she felt this way, and she never expressed these feelings before. But neither did I. We had both been hurting each other, unaware of the pain we were causing. I realized that I had hurt her the most, and I couldn’t even imagine how exhausting it must have for her to deal with me all the time.

I wanted to apologize, to hug her and tell her how deeply sorry I was, but my mouth and legs seemed frozen in place. Sophia searched my face for anything or reaction, she saw nothing absolutely nothing. She wiped her tears and walked away, I remained stuck in the same spot as I watched her walk away.

It was then I realised I was just as much to blame for our friendship problems as Sophia was, I was a bad friend and I didn’t even notice it.

I can’t leave things like this, I have to make things right. I ran after her, luckily I spotted her backpack and quickened my pace. Just as I was about to catch up, I saw her getting into Valerie Thompsons Porsche surrounded by her minions and Valerie herself who shot me menacing glares, I haven’t seen Valerie since the incident.

“Sophia?” I breathed, I needed to know I wasn’t hallucinating. She looked at me like I was a stranger, she turned her back on me, and they drove off.

I stood dumbfounded once more not sure how to feel, I felt angry, disappointed and guilty all at once. I was “anguildissapointed”

My thoughts turned to Valerie, that rotten deranged stupid girl. She had caused me pain, and now she was turning Sophia against me, my anger heightened and I was practically red now. I can no longer fear her, I needed to do something.

Jake.

I quickly texted Zoey to head home apologizing for taking long, saying I would grab an uber and I would fill her in about my conversation with Sophia.

I had to find Jake, I remember that the football team have been training a little more now since they have a big match coming up. He’ll be there, I made my way to the football field and instantly regretted it.

Sweaty shirtless boys everywhere, Oh my god!

I stared like a p*****t, I wasn’t checking them out. I was freaking out!

‘Stupid girl’ I mentally berated myself, ‘what were you thinking’

“Aye what are you doing here?!” Coach Sanders demanded, as the whole players eyes fell on me and I panicked. “I’m really sorry-“

“She’s looking for me” I looked up to see Jake coming forward, I took notice of his messy hair and toned abs. I took a deep breath and reminded myself the reason I’m here.

As we walked to the parking lot in silence, I was at war in my mind. ‘This was a stupid idea’ a voice said, ‘It’s your chance to show Valerie whose boss’ another said. Saying I’m confused would be an understatement, I stared forward as we approached Jakes car.

“I’ll do it” I blurted out

“Do what?”

Playing hard to get now are we?

“I’ll be your fake girlfriend” I winced at my own words.

“Why’d you change your mind?” Is he serious

“Don’t act like you didn’t stalk me for two weeks, I’m pretty sure you know my schedule better than I do” I retorted

He laughed, “Guilty as charged”

I shook my head, “Creepy”

“So it’s a deal?”

“Deal”