CHAPTER 5- TRUTH OR TROUBLE.
969 Words
Lila’s POV
Lunch was chaos. Not the fun kind either—the barely-surviving-mid-semester kind. Students buzzed through the cafeteria like caffeinated bees, gossiping about everything from failed chemistry quizzes to last night’s football drama.
And there, at the center of the storm, sat Jake Carter.
Of course.
He wasn’t trying to be the center. He never tried. That was the problem. It just... happened. Like gravity.
Jake laughed at something Kieran said, his head thrown back, tattoos peeking out from under his sleeves, his black hoodie slightly unzipped. My stomach flipped. Again.
Nia caught me looking. Again.
“You need an intervention,” she muttered, sipping her smoothie like this was all a documentary she was narrating.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
“He’s the problem,” she said. “A walking problem in high-top sneakers.”
I focused on stabbing my fruit cup. “I am not into Jake Carter.”
“Sure,” Nia said. “And I don’t fake my cramps to skip gym.”
I glared at her. She smirked.
“TRUTH OR DARE, TABLE FIVE!” Lucas shouted suddenly.
The noise level dipped as heads turned.
“Lucas, sit down,” Maya groaned.
But he was already grinning wildly. “Too late. We’ve been chosen.”
We were Table Five: me, Nia, Jake, Kieran, Lucas, Zuri, and Maya. Somehow, this group always ended up together during lunch. Not by plan. Just... magnetic chaos.
Lucas spun a plastic bottle and pointed at me. “Lila. Truth or dare?”
I rolled my eyes. “Truth.”
He smirked. “Would you ever date someone like Jake?”
The entire table froze.
My heart fell into my stomach. Jake, mid-sip of soda, coughed violently.
Lucas grinned like a villain.
I played dumb. “Define ‘like Jake.’”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, Lucas. Define that.”
Lucas wiggled his eyebrows. “You know. Brooding. Mysterious. Too many abs. Probably has commitment issues.”
Jake flipped him off. Everyone laughed.
I looked down. “Maybe,” I said softly.
I didn’t mean to say it. But it was already out.
Jake went quiet.
“Your turn,” Lucas said with glee.
I turned to Jake. “Truth or dare?”
“Dare,” he said immediately.
“Sit next to me.”
Jake was staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
His smirk faded for half a second. Then he stood, carried his tray, and sat beside me. Our knees brushed.
“This close enough?” he murmured.
I didn’t trust my voice, so I just nodded.
For the rest of lunch, we said nothing. But I was painfully aware of his presence—the warmth of his arm, the way he occasionally leaned toward me when Lucas said something stupid.
The cafeteria had never felt smaller.
He shrugged. “You’re intense when you’re focused.”
“You’re distracting when you’re not.”
He smirked. “I’m always distracting.”
I ignored him. “Okay, intro paragraph—”
“Wait,” he said suddenly. “Can I ask you something?”
I paused. “Sure.”
“What do people think you are... that you’re not?”
The question caught me off guard.
“That’s... random.”
“Humor me.”
I thought. “They think I’m perfect. The straight-A daughter. The always-responsible one. But I mess up. I just hide it well.”
Jake nodded. “Same. People think I don’t care. But I do. Just... not the way they want me to.”
That moment stretched between us—silent, real.
Then he smiled faintly. “See? I can be deep.”
I smirked. “Shockingly.”
---
Later that day — English class.
Mr. Dalton loved torture. He also loved group projects. Naturally, he assigned partners randomly. And naturally, the universe laughed at me.
“Lila and Jake. You’re up.”
Perfect.
“I swear this school is cursed,” I muttered.
Jake leaned back in his chair, looking too pleased. “Or maybe fate ships us.”
“I hate everything.”
He laughed.
We were assigned a debate project—topic: "Are rules meant to be broken?"
I groaned.
“Isn’t that your life motto?” I asked him.
He grinned. “Pretty much. What about you? You still sleep with a planner under your pillow?”
I gasped. “I do not—”
He looked unconvinced.
“Fine. I did. One time.”
He chuckled. “This’ll be fun.”
We met after school in the library. I brought notes. Jake brought... gum.
“So,” I began, spreading out my papers, “we need a structure, a thesis, opposing points—”
Before I could complete it, I got a notification.
---
Group Chat — “Table Five 🔥
Lucas: Who else is writing the paper on why rules suck?
Zuri: Jake doesn’t need to write. He IS the paper.
Maya: Can someone explain how Lila and Jake got paired??
Jake: Ask Mr. Dalton. I didn’t bribe him. Probably.
Lila: We’re being professional. Chill.
Nia: Professional, but sitting extra close at lunch?? 👀
Jake: Just trying to pass English, folks.
Lucas: Lies and hormones.
Kieran: I’m just here for the chaos.
---
That night — At home
Dinner was awkward. My parents noticed. Of course.
“You’ve been quiet,” my dad said.
“School stuff,” I muttered.
My mom raised an eyebrow. “Boy stuff?”
“Mom!”
She laughed. “Just checking.”
In my room, I pulled out my journal.
Today, I saw something real behind Jake’s mask. And maybe he saw something behind mine.
I didn’t know what that meant.
But I knew I wanted to find out.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD