Fake Dating My School's Basketball Captain

The Bet

For a while, everything felt exactly the way I had imagined it, maybe even better.

The music was loud, people were laughing, the string of lights hung around the gym made it look like something out of a movie. The planning committee did amazing with the decorations.

And for the first time in my life, I didn’t feel like I was standing on the outside looking in. I was part of it, and I was there with him.

Evan stayed close, not too close, but enough that I didn’t feel lost in the crowd.

We talked. Well, he did most of the talking, but I was more than happy to listen.

Because every time he smiled at me, it felt like my heart was doing a somersault.

A slower song started playing, and people started pairing up around us, while I just stood there awkwardly.

Then Evan looked at me.

“Do you want to dance?”

My heart almost stopped.

“Sure.”

I placed my hand in his carefully. We moved awkwardly at first, then we got in sync.

I remember trying not to smile too much because I didn’t want him to think I was weird.

But inside, I felt like I was floating.

For those few minutes, nothing else mattered, just him.

When the song ended, Evan let go of my hand.

“I’m gonna go talk to my friends for a second,” he said.

“Alright.”

“I’ll be back.”

I nodded immediately. “Okay.”

He disappeared into the crowd before I could say anything else.

I stayed where I was for a few more minutes, trying to calm my heartbeat.

Then I glanced toward the refreshment table and decided to get something to drink.

The gym was louder now, students laughing and shouting over the music. I squeezed past groups of people carefully, trying not to step on anyone.

That was when I heard Evan’s voice,

I probably should’ve kept walking. But I stopped when I heard someone laugh and say,

“Bro, I still can’t believe you actually went through with it.”

One of them laughed.

“Same,” another voice added. “I thought you’d back out.”

I stopped moving completely, something didn't feel right.

I stayed still behind the wall near the hallway entrance, hidden from view.

Then another voice laughed.

“No way, you actually did it.”

“Told you I would,” Evan replied casually. “It wasn't that hard.”

“What was the bet again?” someone asked.

“That he wouldn’t actually ask the Milton girl to the dance,” the first boy replied, grinning. “He’d chicken out before asking her. And if he did it, he'd get twenty bucks.”

“Nah,” Evan said. “Easiest twenty bucks I ever made.”

“She said yes that fast?” someone asked.

“Didn’t even hesitate,” he replied. And the entire group burst into laughter.

“That’s actually crazy,” one of them said. “You’re terrible.”

Evan laughed. “Relax, it’s just a bet.”

Just a bet. The words landed slowly, giving them time to properly sink in.

“Still,” another voice said, “what are you going to do now?”

“I’m not staying the whole night with her,” Evan continued. “I just needed to show up with her. I mean, look at her. Like I’d actually go for someone like that. I’m just waiting for the slow songs so I can finally go find Maya.”

I knew Maya, she wasn't in our homeroom but she was in the same grade with us.

Tears blurred my vision. I turned around immediately, and started heading for the exit.

I needed to leave this place, before anybody saw me standing there, before anybody realized I heard.

I stepped backward too quickly, trying to run away. I slammed into the refreshment table.

The entire thing shook violently. A few plastic cups tipped over instantly before red punch spilled straight down the front of my dress.

Cold liquid soaked through my dress immediately.

The music was still playing. But suddenly the entire gym felt quieter.

The entire room paused and started staring at me.

Then the entire room burst into laughter, including Evan and his friends. Someone even pulled their phone out and started recording.

My throat tightened painfully. I looked down at my dress, at the bright red stain spreading across the fabric I had spent days obsessing over.

The same dress my mum told me I looked beautiful in. And somehow that made everything worse.

I could feel people staring at me. Heat rushed to my face so fast it hurt. I couldn't stay there, so I turned immediately and ran.

I heard someone call my name behind me, but I didn’t stop. I ran through the hallway as fast as I could until I reached the girls’ bathroom.

The second the door slammed shut behind me, I grabbed the edge of the sink hard.

I stared at myself in the mirror. The stain covered the front of my dress, my hair was messy, the mascara I applied earlier left black streaks around my eyes and cheeks. While trying to clean my face, I smudged my lipstick. My eyes looked watery, and I looked ridiculous.

I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the cold tile, my stained dress heavy and damp against my skin.

I burst into tears. It would've been better if he hadn’t even asked me to the dance. I would've preferred to stay at home, than be embarrassed like this.

I pressed a hand against my mouth, trying to keep the sound in, but it didn’t work.

Every word I heard played over and over in my head.

It was just a bet, a joke. A way for Evan to buy Maya a drink with Tyler’s twenty dollars.

My chest hurt and I could barely breathe, but I kept crying.

All I felt was embarrassment, shame, the realization that none of it had been real.

A soft knock sounded on the stall door.

I froze.

“Kiana?”

The voice was gentle. “It’s me,” she said. “Brooke.”

I didn’t respond, hoping she would go away. Back then we weren't friends, just two girls in the same grade, even though our seats were next to each other, and we'd done a project together in the past.

“Hey,” she said softly. “I know you’re in there.”

I still didn't respond.

“I’m not going to ask you anything,” she continued. “Can you please come out?”

I wiped my face quickly, even though it didn’t make a difference.

Slowly, I unlocked the door. And when I stepped out, she was there. Just standing outside, like she had been waiting.

Her expression didn’t change, she didn’t look surprised or anything. She just looked at me, took off her own jacket and gave it to me.

“Here,” she said gently.

I hesitated.

“It’s okay,” she added. “Take it.”

When I still didn't take it, she stepped forward and wrapped it around me herself.

It smelled like clean laundry and perfume. I pulled it around myself without thinking.

“Come on,” she said simply. “Let's go.”

She didn’t ask what happened, didn’t mention my dress, didn’t even stare at it like the others.

I wiped my face with some water to clean the mascara stains and followed her.

She walked me all the way outside, to where my mum’s car was parked.

When we got to my mum’s car, Brooke hugged me tightly before stepping back.

“Bye, Kiana,” she said softly. “See you on Monday, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

And somehow, even after everything that happened that night. That horrible, embarrassing, heartbreaking night. It became one of the most important nights of my life.

Because after that night we became friends.