My Accidental Fake Boyfriend

Elyse If there’s one thing I mastered in high school, it’s the art of going unnoticed. You know that person who blends so well into the background you’d swear they’re part of the wallpaper? Yeah, that’s me—Elysiana Cruz. Seventeen years old, Grade 11, average grades, average looks, and a life so ordinary that my best friend Mia calls me background character energy. She doesn’t mean it as an insult (I think), but she’s not exactly wrong either. I’m not the girl who tops the class or the one who turns heads when she walks down the hallway. I’m the girl who quietly slips into her seat five minutes before the bell rings, the one who eats lunch with only one or two friends, the one you might forget was even there. And honestly? I’m fine with that. At least, I was—until the day I accidentally became the center of the entire school’s attention. It started like any other Monday. The cafeteria smelled faintly of burnt hotdogs and overly sweet orange juice. Mia was animatedly ranting about her Chemistry teacher while I poked half-heartedly at my rice. Nothing unusual. But then the noise level in the room suddenly dropped a few notches, and I didn’t even have to look up to know why. He had arrived. Caleb Del Vega. If high school were a drama series, he’d be the male lead—no, the untouchable male lead. Tall, effortlessly good-looking, with that sharp jawline and dark, unreadable eyes that made girls either swoon or avoid him entirely. He was the type who could sit in total silence and still have people orbiting around him. And me? I had never spoken to him in my entire life. We didn’t even run in the same universe, let alone the same circles. He was ice, mystery, and perfection. I was… rice, mystery quizzes, and acne medication. “Don’t stare,” Mia hissed, elbowing me when she noticed my gaze lingering too long. “You look like every other hopeless fangirl.” “I’m not staring,” I whispered defensively, even though I definitely was. “I’m just… observing.” Mia snorted. “Observing what? His perfect cheekbones? Please. As if you’re ever going to—” And that’s when it happened. The universe, in all its twisted humor, decided that was the exact moment for me to choke on my orange juice. One violent cough later, my hand knocked over my tray, and the plastic cup tipped forward in slow motion—straight toward the one and only Caleb Del Vega, who just happened to be walking past our table. Time froze. The orange liquid arced through the air like some cruel masterpiece of physics, splashing across the front of his crisp white uniform shirt. Gasps erupted around us. My soul left my body. “Oh my God—” I scrambled to my feet, napkins in hand, but the damage was already done. The once-pristine shirt was now a sticky orange mess, dripping down his chest. Caleb stopped, his expression unreadable. Those piercing dark eyes lifted to meet mine, and for one terrifying second, I thought I might actually drop dead on the spot. “I—I’m so sorry!” I blurted, frantically pressing napkins against his shirt. “I didn’t mean to—oh my gosh, this is—let me just—” Big mistake. Because from the angle where everyone else was sitting, it probably looked less like I was apologizing and more like… I was clutching at his chest. The whispers started instantly. “Did you see that?” “Why is she touching him like that?” “Wait—are they… together?” My eyes widened as the murmurs spread like wildfire. Heat rushed to my face. “N-no, it’s not what it looks like—” I stammered, stepping back. But then, as if the universe hadn’t ruined me enough, Mia—bless her chaotic soul—shouted across the cafeteria: “ELY! Why didn’t you tell me you’re dating CALEB DEL VEGA?!” Silence. Then chaos. Phones were out in seconds. Pictures snapped. Videos recorded. By the time I managed to grab my bag and flee the cafeteria, my name and Caleb’s were already trending in the school group chat. I thought maybe—maybe—people would forget about it by the next day. I was wrong.