Pucking contract

Chapter 3: The promise

When Maya was thirteen, she learned that people could disappear without actually leaving. Her father had stood in the kitchen that morning with his suitcase beside him. He hadn't looked at her. He'd looked everywhere except at her. The refrigerator, The window, The clock. Anything but his daughter, Maya remembered standing barefoot on the cold kitchen floor. "Are you coming back?" Her father had gone quiet. That silence had answered her.

Maya remembered the sound of the suitcase wheels rolling across the floor. She remembered the front door opening. She remembered sunlight pouring through the hallway. And she remembered deciding, at thirteen years old, that she would never again depend on someone who could choose to walk away.

Seven years later, she still kept that promise. Which was why fake dating Eli Carter was possibly the worst idea anyone had ever suggested, "You're staring." Maya blinked. She was sitting across from Eli in a campus café. "I was thinking.""About?""How much I regret this." Eli took a sip of his coffee. "We haven't even started.""Exactly" They had signed the preliminary agreement that morning.

The arrangement was simple. They would appear together. Attend campus events. Film scenes for the reality show. Give interviews. Post approved photographs. Act affectionate enough to make the relationship believable. And, most importantly, never let anyone discover it was fake, Maya had read the contract twice. Eli had apparently read none of it. "You haven't signed page fourteen," she said. He looked down. "Which page?""Fourteen.""Why?""Because you agreed to the rules""I thought I did.""You thought?" He shrugged. Maya closed her eyes. "This is going to be a disaster.""You've said that six times. "Because it's true" He leaned forward. "Then why are you doing it?" Maya hesitated. She thought about her scholarship. Her mother's bills, The student leadership program she had spent two years building The internship. The funding And then she thought about something else, Her father.

The promise she'd made. Never depend on anyone. So why was she about to build an entire fake relationship around someone else? "I need the internship," she said. Eli nodded. "I need my career.""Then we're both desperate."

"Basically" They shook hands. It should have felt like a business agreement. Instead, Maya felt something strange. Like she was stepping onto ice without knowing how deep the water underneath was.

That evening, the cameras arrived The production crew transformed the university's main courtyard. Lights,Microphones,Cameras. Students gathered behind barriers. Maya stood beside Eli. "This is humiliating," she whispered. "Smile""I'm smiling.""You look terrified.""I am terrified." Eli smiled for the cameras. Maya followed.

The director shouted instructions. "Closer!" Maya moved closer. "More natural""This is not natural," she muttered. Eli heard her. "Try pretending you don't hate me.""I'll need acting lessons." His smile widened. The cameras rolled. And suddenly the entire campus was watching.

The fake relationship had officially begun.

Maya woke up to thirty-seven missed calls. She sat upright. Her phone was still vibrating. "What happened?" Priya stood in the doorway. "Don't panic." Maya immediately panicked. "What happened?" Priya held up her phone. "You and Eli are trending." Maya grabbed it. There were hundreds of notifications.

A video had been posted overnight. It showed Eli and Maya leaving the café. Except the footage had been edited, In the original clip, they had been arguing about their contract. The edited version made it look like they had been having a romantic conversation. The caption read:

HOCKEY'S GOLDEN BOY HAS A NEW GIRLFRIEND?

Maya stared. "That's not even what happened.""I know.""Who posted it?""No idea." Maya scrolled. Thousands of comments, Some were supportive. Others weren't. Then she saw one that made her stomach tighten. She's using him for attention. Another: He'll get bored in a week. And then: This is obviously fake.

Maya froze. "What?" Priya leaned closer. "What?""Look." The comment had thousands of likes. They're fake, It's a publicity stunt. Maya's heart started pounding. The production company had one rule above all others. Nobody could discover the arrangement.

She called Vanessa. No answer. She called Eli. Straight to voicemail, "Perfect" Ten minutes later, Maya was running across campus. She found Eli outside the arena. "You saw it?" He held up his phone. "Yeah""We have a problem.""I know.""They think we're fake""Some people do.""That's not funny.""I'm not joking." Maya paced. "We need to make this believable." Eli nodded. "Agreed""Immediately""Agreed.""And we need to know who posted the original footage,""I'll ask the team,""No."

He looked at her. "What?""We don't involve your teammates.""Why?""Because the more people know, the more likely it leaks." Eli considered that. "You're right." Maya stopped pacing. "Did I just hear you say I was right?""Don't get used to it." She rolled her eyes.

Then Eli's phone rang. He answered. His expression changed. "What?" He listened. Then looked at Maya,"What happened?" Eli hung up. "The athletics department wants us at a press conference.""Today?""In an hour."

Maya's stomach dropped. "A press conference?""Apparently the rumors are causing problems." She stared at him. "What are we supposed to say?""The truth." Maya's eyes widened. "No." Eli looked surprised. "No?""You can't tell them.""I know.""Then what do we say?" He looked at her. "We tell them we're together."

Maya's heart thudded. "Right""Right""And we act like it's real.""Right.""Completely real,""Right," Maya exhaled. "Okay." She looked toward the arena. Then at Eli,"Let's do this." The press conference began forty-five minutes later. Cameras filled the room. Reporters shouted questions. "How long have you been dating?"

Eli answered smoothly. "A few weeks" Maya nearly choked. A few weeks? She turned toward him. He smiled. She understood. He was improvising. Another reporter pointed at Maya. "How did you meet?"

Maya smiled. "We've known each other for a while.""Did you dislike him?" She hesitated. Then said: "At first." The room laughed. Eli laughed too. For one second, it felt natural. Then the reporter asked the question neither of them expected. "Maya, are you dating Eli because of the reality show? Silence.

Maya looked at Eli. He looked back. The cameras waited. She smiled. "No." It was the easiest lie she'd ever told. Or at least that's what she thought.