CHAPTER 9: Glow Up Plan
1547 Words
All I knew was that the fake relationship we started with was starting to feel terrifyingly real… and whatever Brianna knew could ruin everything.
I meant…
Everything.
***
By the time I pushed open the door to my dorm room, the clock on the wall read almost midnight.
Sophie was still wide awake, curled up on her bed with her laptop balanced on her knees and a mountain of Econ notes spread across the comforter.
The room smelled like the vanilla candle she always burned when she was stressing, and the fairy lights we’d strung up last semester cast a soft pink glow over everything.
I kicked off my ankle boots and let my beige midi skirt slap against my legs.
“Soph? You’re still up?” I asked, keeping my voice quiet.
She glanced up, rubbing her eyes.
“Yeah… I’ve been staring at these stupid supply-and-demand graphs for two hours and my brain is straight-up fried. Remind me why I thought senior year was gonna be chill?” She let out a dramatic groan and flopped back against her pillows.
I gave a small laugh, but it came out shaky. “Want me to look at it with you? I tutored Jax on this exact chapter the other night.”
Sophie’s eyes lit up for a second. “Wait, seriously?” She sat up straighter as I grabbed my notebook from my bag and handed it over. “You’re literally the best mentor ever. I swear I’d be failing without you.”
She flipped through the pages, then froze when she finally looked at my face. “Okay… what’s with the sad-puppy eyes? Your mouth is doing that thing where you’re trying not to cry.”
I pressed my lips together and twisted the hem of my cardigan. The words felt heavy in my throat. “It’s nothing. Just… a bad night.”
“Spill,” Sophie said, patting the spot beside her on the bed. “You know I’m not letting you off the hook. Come on, sit.”
I sank down next to her, pulling my knees up to my chest. The half-wet skirt stuck to my skin, but the warmth of Sophie’s blanket helped a little.
“It’s Brianna,” I started. “She cornered us in the training room tonight. Said something weird about Jax… like he’s hiding stuff from Tyler’s party or whatever. The way she said it… it felt like she knows something big.”
Sophie’s eyes went wide. “That b***h!”
“Soph!” I hissed, glancing at the door even though we were alone.
She rolled her eyes. “What? She is. Go on.”
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what she meant. But my gut feels off. Like something’s about to blow up.”
Sophie reached over and pulled me into a tight hug. Her hoodie smelled like the strawberry body spray she always wore, and for a second I let myself lean into it.
“I hate that you’re even dealing with her,” she mumbled into my hair. “And honestly? I still can’t believe you’re mixed up with Jax. Remember freshman year? You had the biggest crush on him the second you walked through those doors. You used to doodle his name in your planner like some lovesick cartoon character.”
I groaned and buried my face in her shoulder. “Don’t remind me.”
“I’m serious, Lila. He smiled at you once in the hallway and you were gone. Then he acted like you didn’t exist and broke your little freshman heart without even knowing it. And now you’re fake-dating him? Girl… that boy is dangerous. He’s got that whole ‘I’ll ruin you and make you thank me for it’ energy.”
I pulled back just enough to look at her. “He’s not that bad, Soph. I mean… he’s been different lately. Gentle, even. But tonight with Brianna…” My voice cracked. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
Sophie squeezed me tighter. “You don’t have to figure it all out tonight. Sleep on it. Tomorrow’s a new day, and you’ve got me in your corner no matter what.”
I nodded, even though my head was still spinning.
“Jax’s birthday is just around the corner.”
“Really? He told you?”
“Brianna did.”
“Damn…” Sophie sighed. “So… what’s the plan?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Well… actually… I’ve been thinking about another glow-up. Like the one after Tyler’s party. I felt stupidly good when I dolled myself up that day… maybe for candle-light dinner?”
Sophie laughed. “Good idea,” she managed to say between giggles.
“Don’t tease me.”
“I didn’t!” she still giggled but then looked me in the eye. “You super serious?”
“I… I just wanted to make it special. Even after everything. Even when my brain screamed that I was being an idiot.”
“You’re not an i***t, hun… but yeah… that part was.”
“What?”
Sophie sighed. “Full effort. Zero tolerance.”
“What does that even mean?”
“I meant… honey, you sure you wanna serve him like that?” Sophie’s brows pulled together. “’Cause the last time I saw you… you look like you’re about to cry or throw up. Or both.”
I let out a shaky laugh and sank down on the edge of her bed.
“It’s stupid. I know it’s stupid. But… since this is his special day… I wanted him to see me like… actually see me, you know? Not just the nerd he blackmailed into pretending to be his girlfriend.”
Sophie’s eyes widened. “Don’t start…”
“I know, I know,” I said quickly, holding up my hands. “Hear me out. He’s been different lately. The way he looks at me when no one’s watching, the way he kissed me in the training room before Brianna showed up… it didn’t feel fake. And even after tonight, I still want his birthday to be good. Like, really good. Special. For once, I want to be the one who makes him smile like he means it.”
Sophie set her laptop aside and crossed her arms.
“Babe, I love you, but this is exactly why I told you not to catch feelings. You’re already questioning everything because of Brianna, and now you want to play dress-up for the guy who’s got you almost crying? For your own good, I’m saying no. I’m not helping you plan a glow-up that’s just going to make you fall harder when he inevitably hurts you again.”
Her words hit hard. I stared at the floor, the memory of freshman year flashing through my mind. And now? I was the girl he kissed, the one he fought for in front of Brianna, but also the one he’d secretly sign the fake girlfriend contract with anyway.
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“I get it. You’re right. But Soph… this is the last time. Ever. I swear. After his birthday, if things still feel messed up, I’ll walk away for real. No more contract, no more pretending. I just… I want to give him one good day.”
Sophie stared at me for a long moment. Her lips pressed together like she was fighting a war in her head. She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her temples.
“You are so gone for him it’s actually painful to watch. Fine. Last time ever. I mean it, Lila. If this blows up in your face, I’m dragging you to the counselor myself.”
Relief flooded through me so fast my eyes stung. “Thank you,” I whispered. “I just… I need this. Really.”
Sophie squeezed my fingers. “We’ll make you look insane. Hair, makeup, like that emerald dress he bought you—full main-character energy. But you have to promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“If he hurts you again, you let me be the one who tells him off. Loudly. In public.”
I laughed. “Deal.”
We spent the next twenty minutes scrolling through Pinterest on her phone, picking out soft waves for my hair and the perfect winged liner. Every time I pictured Jax’s face when he saw me, my chest did this weird flip.
I was still uneasy, still replaying Brianna’s words like a bad song on repeat. But underneath all the fear and doubt was this quiet, stubborn hope.
Maybe one perfect night was enough to make things better.
Maybe, for his birthday, I could be the girl who made the hockey captain feel like he was worth choosing.
Even if it was the last time I let myself try.
My phone buzzed on the bed. I picked it up without thinking.
Jax: Hey… you okay? I’m outside your dorm. Can we talk? Please.
Sophie leaned over and read the screen, her eyes narrowing. “Girl… don’t you dare open that door tonight.”
But my thumb was already hovering over the reply button. My heart hammering like it was about to decide everything.
- Writer
