Chapter 2; The fake dating plan
536 Words
Chapter 2: The Fake Dating Plan
By lunchtime, Lily was already regretting her decision. She sat at her usual table with Emma, who was practically buzzing with excitement.
“This is so cool!” Emma gushed, barely touching her food. “You, Ryan Carter, and a master plan to win Chloe Rivera’s heart. It’s like a teen rom-com come to life!”
“It’s more like a nightmare,” Lily muttered, stabbing her salad with unnecessary force. “Why did I even say yes? I don’t know anything about relationships!”
“Apparently, Ryan thinks you do,” Emma said, shrugging. “Plus, how hard can it be? Chloe’s just a person.”
“Yeah, a person who’s way out of his league,” Lily said, glancing across the cafeteria. Chloe Rivera sat at the center of a table full of popular kids, laughing like she didn’t have a care in the world. She looked like a walking i********: filter—perfect hair, perfect smile, perfect everything.
“So, what’s the plan?” Emma asked, leaning forward eagerly.
Before Lily could answer, Ryan appeared out of nowhere and slid into the seat next to her, his signature grin in place.
“Speak of the devil,” Lily said dryly. “Here to finalize your ridiculous plan?”
“Absolutely,” Ryan said, pulling a piece of paper from his backpack and spreading it across the table.
Emma leaned in, her eyes sparkling. “Ooh, is this the list?”
“It’s a rough draft,” Ryan said, ignoring Lily’s groan.
Lily glanced at the paper and rolled her eyes. “Step one: Smile more. Step two: Compliment her. Step three: Make her laugh. Wow, Ryan, I think you just reinvented the wheel.”
Ryan grinned. “I told you, it’s a work in progress. That’s where you come in.”
Lily pinched the bridge of her nose. “Alright, listen up, Romeo. If you really want Chloe to notice you, you have to do something unexpected. Something that makes you stand out from all the other guys throwing themselves at her.”
Ryan tilted his head. “Like what?”
Lily thought for a moment. “I don’t know yet. But for starters, maybe stop acting like a lovesick puppy every time she’s around. Play it cool.”
“Play it cool,” Ryan repeated, nodding like she’d just handed him the secret to life.
“And don’t stare at her like she’s a unicorn,” Lily added.
Emma snickered. “This is gold.”
“Okay, cool,” Ryan said. “But how do I get her to notice me?”
Lily hesitated. “Well... sometimes people only notice you when they think they can’t have you.”
Ryan’s eyes lit up. “Are you saying I should make her jealous?”
“Not exactly,” Lily said quickly. “But... I guess it wouldn’t hurt if she saw you with someone else. You know, just casually hanging out.”
Ryan’s grin turned mischievous. “You mean like... you?”
Lily froze. “What?”
“It’s perfect!” Ryan said. “We can fake date. You pretend to be into me, Chloe notices, and
- Writer
