Chapter 3
1684 Words
WREN
I didn't sleep so much as lie there, staring at the ceiling of my dorm room while my phone buzzed itself into silence beside me. Every time it lit up I told myself I wouldn't look, and every time I looked anyway more likes, more comments, more strangers deciding who I was before I'd even had coffee. Talia knocked twice before I let her in, took one look at my face, and didn't ask if I was okay. She just said, "You have to walk out there eventually," like that was supposed to help.
She was right, obviously, which made it worse. I pulled on yesterday's hoodie, laced my shoes with hands that weren't quite steady, and told myself the internet has a short memory, that by lunchtime this would be someone else's scandal. I almost believed it, right up until I stepped outside and the whole campus went quiet in a way that had nothing to do with the hour. The first thing I saw before I even made it onto campus wasn't the huge fountain and it wasn't the students.
It was me.
Oh s**t I wish I hadn't looked up.
I stopped so abruptly that Talia and Rocco immediately got confused.
"What are you-" Talia stopped.
"Oh," Rocco reacted.
Rocco burst into laughter before either of us could say a word. "Holy crap!"
I stared. I stood there with my mouth open, looking up at the huge banner stretched across Meridian University's main gate.
On the left was Cassius Blackwood in his Meridian Wolves dark red hockey uniform, hockey stick resting over one shoulder with that confident grin. It was his promotional shot.
On the right ... was me. One of my competition photos. Yellow skating dress. Arms extended during a spiral. Smiling like I didn't have a single problem in the world.
Across the top, in enormous gold letters was written: "MERIDIAN UNIVERSITY'S NEWEST IT COUPLE." And below it said, "One school. Two Champions and Hearts. One Dream. Enroll now at Meridian University."
"I'm so sorry!" Rocco laughed so hard he was almost crying while covering his mouth.
I glared at him. "No you're not."
I turned to Talia. "Stop it!" I didn't know whether to be angry or grossed out by what I was seeing. I noticed students turning to look at me while whispering.
I had no idea how all of this happened, but I was sure someone from the journalism building made this banner.
"I need to take that down!" I said angrily, panicking.
"You can't! They spent money on this, and they're using it to promote the school, Wren."
Talia explained the moment she calmed down from laughing.
I walked quickly into the building and my friends followed me. I didn't know what reaction I was supposed to have right now but I didn't care anymore. I checked my phone and squeezed my eyes shut when I saw that the photo of us had spread even more.
It had so many likes, shares, and comments too, but I didn't try to open or read any of them.
"You're really popular now, Wren." Rocco said as soon as we sat down inside the library. "And guess what? I don't want popularity in this way, Rocco." I closed my eyes tightly.
"But honestly, your landing was so smooth yesterday-"
"Please don't remind me." I said.
I didn't know what to do anymore. I knew they spent so much money on that huge promotional banner. How was I supposed to explain and tell them to kindly remove it? This is all Cassius's fault!
If only he had been a good captain and stopped his teammates from bullying, this wouldn't have happened.
"I'm going to the restroom." I said.
"Wait, Wren!"
I didn't look back at them. My steps were fast and heavy as I marched toward the restroom. I went inside. Three students were there. I leaned over the sink and splashed water on my face before it could turn red. When I looked up in the mirror, the girls were already staring at me.
"You're Wren Ellison?" One of them asked.
"Yes," I nodded.
"I saw your banner outside. I didn't know you and Cassius had something."
My fingers tightened at what she said. "No that's -"
"You look good together. It'll help Meridian recruit more students." The other girl smiled at me.
"Good luck with your nationals, Wren."
"He's not my boy-" Before I could finish what I wanted to say, they quickly walked out of the restroom. I sighed, frustrated. Apparently everyone thinks Cassius Blackwood is my boyfriend now. Like that's happening. I turned to leave, and that's when Coach Naomi walked in.
"Can I talk to you for a second, Wren?" She asked in a soft tone.
"Yes, coach?" I asked.
"The competition is only two months away. Have you found a sponsor yet?"
I froze at her question and looked down.
"Not yet." I whispered.
"Are you still looking?" Coach Naomi's voice was quiet. Too quiet. "If you don't find a sponsor, Ellison ... you won't go to Nationals."
My chest went cold. "You don't have a costume. You don't have travel money. You don't even have a ticket." She paused. "The team leaves in two months. With or without you."
I bit down on my lip until it hurt. Right. No sponsor meant no Nationals. No Nationals meant no competition. No competition meant l'd lose my scholarship.
"Is there-" My voice cracked. "Is there any way I can still go?"
"I'm sorry, Wren." She shook her head. "You need a backer. The flight's in two months, and you're the only one who doesn't have a seat."
I exhaled. It came out shaky. Of course. Talia and Rocco had a sponsor within days. Everyone else did too. But I was a soloist. No pair. No partner. No one to split the cost with.
"You have two weeks," Naomi said, her hand settling on my shoulder. "Two weeks to find someone, or I can't buy your ticket. We have a training camp before your nationals. But what's the point if you're not even going to compete?"
"What about my scholarship?" The words came out too fast. Too desperate. My coach looked at me, and I already knew the answer.
"If you don't compete, you lose it. Your scholarship is tied to you being an athlete, Wren."
I nodded. I couldn't speak at all and he left a minute later.
And then it was just me with nothing but the sound of my own breathing and no idea how to fix this.
I've tried countless times to find a sponsor. Emails, messages, proposals and any other way to connect with them. But until now, no one has replied.
I only had two months. Two months, or I wouldn't compete. Two months, or all those practices would go to waste.
I let out a sigh. And if I wasn't at Nationals, I'd lose my scholarship too. Great. Just great.
My legs felt weak as I stepped out of the restroom. "Let's talk." My hands flew to my chest.
I turned to my left and saw him. Cassius leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest like he'd been waiting for me.
"About what?" I said flatly.
"About the banner. And about us."
I frowned.
"There's no 'us,' Blackwood. Leave me alone."
I started to walk away, but his voice stopped me. "Do you want sponsors, Wren?"
I froze. That was the first time he'd said my name. I turned back to him immediately.
"Were you listening to my conversation with Coach Naomi earlier?" "I was," he said honestly.
I narrowed my eyes on him.
"So you heard everything? Thanks to you, I don't have any secrets left. And thanks to you, my life's a mess now."
For the first time, he wasn't smirking. His face was serious. Dead serious. Like he wasn't in the mood to mess with me.
"The school's using us," Cassius said."To promote Meridian's athletes and sports program. The banners are already printed. The photos are online. Everyone's buying it. They're not taking any of it down."
"So?" I shot back. "That doesn't change the fact that everyone thinks we're dating. And I'm not letting the whole campus believe something that isn't true."
He let out a quiet sigh, like he'd expected that answer. "You don't have sponsors, do you? No chance of competing at Nationals in two months?"
"What are you-"
"And you'll lose your scholarship if you don't make it to Nationals."
My fists clenched.
"If you're here to insult me, please don't. I'm not in the mood, Cassius."
He smirked at me, and I was caught off when he stepped closer, until I had to tilt my head up to look at him.
"You want to compete," he said. "But talent alone isn't enough anymore. Sponsors want athletes that people recognize."
I looked away for a second, jaw tight. "And what does that have to do with you?" "Everything," he answered without hesitation. "My sponsors are questioning my reputation. I need someone beside me with a clean image. Someone that people see as hardworking, kind, and disciplined."
"It's not only my reputation on the line," he added, before she could walk off. "The Athletics Board is deciding which programs keep full funding for next year. Hockey's probably safe. Figure skating isn't. Two months, Wren. That's how long the board's giving the whole department to turn this around."
"You want me to help save your career? No. I'm not doing that." I rolled my eyes.
He tilted his head. "You help convince the board this school's athletes are worth keeping funded — clean image, picture-perfect couple, all of it — and I'll make sure figure skating gets the sponsors and support it needs to keep your scholarship and get you to Nationals."
"What?"
My mouth fell open.
He shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, his expression calm, like he'd just offered me the simplest and harmless solution in the world.
"So ... fake date me for two months, Wren."
- Writer
