He looked me in the eyes just then, my brain tirade ending as I gazed into his sapphire-like eyes. His stare was so intense, I thought my knees were going to give out. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again, as if he was contemplating how to phrase his sentence. As if his mind had been made up, he exhaled slowly before saying the unexpected.
“I need you to be my girlfriend.”
3- Yes Or No?
I was 13.
I was just 13 when I had gotten the news - the news that changed my life. That was one of the biggest surprises I had ever gotten and I thought nothing would even remotely compare to the emotional turmoil I had gone through then.
Now, what I was hearing a mere 4 and a half years later, however, came a close second.
I was going mental. My emotions were all over the place - shock, anxiety, confusion, fear and many more that my brain couldn’t even comprehend what was going on anymore.
Was this some sort of joke? He could not be serious, not with something like this. He was the golden boy, the player, the badboy and any other cliche name you could think up for the ‘IT guy’ at school. So for him to ask me this question, out of the blue, I did what any normal person would have done in this situation.
I started to choke on my own spit.
“What?” I spluttered out.
Aaron raised an elegant eyebrow, probably taken back by my strange behaviour. I guess choking on your own spit isn’t as normal as I thought. He smiled slightly, shaking his head, before stepping closer and rubbing my back slowly, trying to ease the coughs that splurged awkwardly out my mouth, his only reaction being the simple laugh coming out his mouth when he felt me tense at his touch. I caved away slightly from his touch, coughing into the palm of my hand.
Why was this happening? Just what was he asking of me and why me? This was all starting to seem like a dream sequence.
I pushed back away from him, giving him the biggest glare I could muster.
“You think you’re so funny, don’t you? Let’s play pranks on the nerd. It’d be a fun way to start the weekend, huh?” I spat, eying him disgustedly. I turned to walk away, but was stopped by a warm grip on my forearm. I ignored the tingles arising from the foreign contact and turned back to look at him.
“I’m not messing with you, Alexis. I need a fake girlfriend,” he clarified, and I snatched my arm out of his grasp, eying him warily.
“Why?” I asked, intrusively, my eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
Aaron’s jaw notably twitched at this and I felt I had hit a nerve. Nevertheless, if he was asking of such a unorthodox favour from me, I at least had the right to know what it was about.
“I- look, it’s complicated, okay?” He said firmly, tapping his shoe repeatedly against the floor, a clear sign the matter agitated him.
I let my gaze fall back to his eyes and nodded robotically.
“Yes, I get if you don’t want to share, but then you can’t expect me to make such a drastic and personal decision without knowing why I’m doing it.”
He sighed heavily, his face visibly falling.
“I know, I know. I get it. It’s just really hard for me to talk about- I..”
His smile faltered slightly. I almost found myself saying yes then, because I always happened to be such a people pleaser.
“Just think about it, okay?” He spoke after a while, not even trying to hide the dejected tone in his voice.
Not even giving me time to reply, he began to walk off, waving at a few girls who called his name. He smiled a nonchalant smile, talking casually, just like he was before he talked to me.
I sighed heavily. Before this whole unplanned conversation, I had hoped I could get home in time to tune into Two and a Half Men; a hot cup of cocoa in my hands, yet- now- it was wedged into the darkest compartment of my brain. Aaron’s favour was the only thing on my mind, right now.
All I could think of was why he asked me this favour. What could he want from me as a girlfriend, be it fake or not, that he can’t get from any other easy, willing girl?
Try as I might, however, I didn’t want to flat out say no. Maybe, it was because I was sick of the same Friday routine I had for the last 4 years. Maybe the prospect of something slightly unpredictable in my life, regardless of how reckless, had me contemplating.
I turned my gaze to see if Aaron had left yet. Nope. He was standing at the end of the hallway, his back to me, talking- I mean flirting with a blonde-haired girl.
I exhaled, willing my body to move from where it was rooted to the spot. He turned away from the blonde-haired girl and made his way to the exit and that’s when my body could finally muster the courage to move. I dashed across the hallway in his direction.
“Aaron!” I shouted, no longer shy. There was no one else in the hallway anymore.
He turned towards me, his eyebrows furrowed, showing he was confused to see me coming up to him.
I couldn’t help but think he looked adorable, confused. Like a little puppy. I smiled inside myself.
I stopped in front of him, panting slightly.
“I-I’ve decided. I’ll do it. I’ll be your fake girlfriend,” I said in a conflicted whisper.
Wait what?
I felt the confusion at my own words. I had told myself I would refuse him, but here I was, giving in to his plea. Now that I had made the decision, I knew I would have regretted it if I had refused.
He smiled gratefully first, but then smirked.
“Quick decision. What made you decide that fast, my good looks or my good looks?” He questioned teasingly.
I smiled. This guy was full of humour, wasn’t he? I put my hand to my chin and rubbed, in a pretence to think.
“Hmm, not either of the two options. It may have something to do with feeling pity for the way you practically begged me to be your girlfriend. I’m a very giving person; I can’t say no.” I smirked back at him.
He raised an eyebrow, obviously impressed.
“Aha, you’re not as quiet as I thought you were,” amusement laced his tone, as well as interest as he regarded me.
I smiled, taking it as a compliment.
I then breathed in dramatically and put on my best ‘distraught’ look.
“Well, if I said yes, I guess I’m really doing this whole girlfriend thing, but I want to know everything. No secrets” I wavered, air quoting the word ‘girlfriend’. In response, Aaron folded his arms, smirking ever so slightly.
“And what secrets would I keep from my other half?”
4- Just Give Me A Reason
So, that was how we ended where we were at this current moment in time. Me, on the floor, pulling my hair out and Aaron lying down on my bed, his phone hovering over his face.
I had previously hoped I could regret saying yes in the confines and comfort of my own home, but of course, Aaron had other plans. After promising to tell me everything, ensued a half an hour discussion in which Aaron used all his charm to persuade me to let him over to talk through the plan.
And, Lord knows, he had a lot of charm.
Fortunely, Mom was out visiting one of her friends and I thanked the gods that at least something was going right today.
For the last half hour we've been here, we've attempted to get to know each other a little so we could make the 'fake girlfriend' role seem more believable. At first, he agreed with the concept, saying it would help us seem like we're not faking when we talk. But the only thing I seem to have learnt about Aaron so far is that he is easily distracted. Especially when it comes to his phone.
He spent the last 30 minutes texting his friends, not even bothering to offer me a coherent response and merely laughed at his phone whenever a girl sent him a picture of god knows what. I, on the other hand, wanted to make this ploy of ours seem more realistic, asking him general questions to get to know him better. But we haven't progressed much from the time he came to my house.
"Aaron!" I repeated, frustrated beyond belief from his lack of response. I made sure I sa
id it louder this time.
"Yeah," he muttered, not even taking his eyes off the phone.
"I asked you a question," I dully stated, "what's your favourite food?" I breathed through my nose, trying to keep my cool.
"Oh sorry, it's- fuck that's weird" he mumbled to himself, not even giving me a satisfying answer.
Okay! That is it! My anger had reached its limit way before this, but now, it was at an all-time high. I leaped off the floor and stomped my way to the bed. Yet, he still wasn't looking up at me. I grabbed the phone off of him and scowled at his lack of concentration.
"Okay, I seriously am trying to help you, but I can't if you're going to get distracted so easily! What are you doing that's so entertaining anyways?" I broke off mid-rant, turning the phone over to see what had the badboy's attention for the past half hour, but immediately regretted it. I let out a squeal, tossing the phone away from my face and to the floor. This made Aaron break out into laughter, which was probably the first real response I had gotten from him this entire time.
I should've seen that coming. I mean, he is the player of Redwood High. I can't imagine girls sending him pictures of rainbows and unicorns. Even so, I still couldn't help the bile that rose to my throat. To think he enjoyed that kind of thing. I glared at him and he stopped laughing.
"Sorry," he breathed, the laughter apparent in his tone, not even sounding the slightest bit sincere. I rolled my eyes, knowing he was just saying sorry to appease me. Typical. He seemed to realise my shift in mood and stood off the bed, our bodies close as he did so. He looked into my eyes with the same intense look he gave me earlier, but this time it was filled with something more- sincerity.
"Sorry," he repeated slowly. I shouldn't accept his apology. He was using my weakness, of getting flustered at male proximity, as an advantage and he knew it. He didn't even look interested in the favour that he asked of me. I should have kicked him out of my bedroom and house just then. But, some nagging feeling inside me pushed that thought away, arguing that he probably needed it just as much as I did. Try as I might, I couldn't seem to refuse. Something about his intense look was so compelling; I had to forgive him.
So I did.
He smiled in return before returning to his position on the bed and putting his hands behind his head.
"This way I can't text, right?" He said with a smirk.
I smiled in response, but it was more a reflex than anything else. He was just so... himself. He didn't have to think of what to say or do next, it was instinctive. There was none of the social anxiety or the paranoia that plagued my mind when I interacted with others. He was fully comfortable being himself and I envied that about him. His life was clean-cut. He was clearly wealthy, given the various assortment of shoes and clothes he flaunted at school and he was most definitely inherently attractive. Given that, why would he, of all people, need to get someone to be his fake girlfriend?
"Aaron?" I started nervously. As he looked at me, my own questions reeled in my head. A part of me felt so invasive to try prod in his personal matters, but I needed to know, seeing as how I was now basically a part of this.
"Yeah," he replied and I turned to look at him, my questioning gaze burning into his skull. His hands were still behind his head, but now his eyes were closed so he couldn't see my thoughtful expression. A small smile graced his face. I couldn't help but smile back. I wouldn't dare admit it to him, but he was very beautiful, in a masculine sort of way. My nervousness returned at that. But, I managed to push it all away.
"Why do you need a fake girlfriend? And why did you choose me?"
His body tensed and the smile went. He opened his eyes and blue sapphires looked up at me. My fear returned at his gaze. He looked angry. His eyes were narrowed and his eyebrows were knitted. I was tempted to take a step back but held my position, instead taking a step forwards. But instead of lashing out at me, like I expected him to, he sighed, sitting up properly to face me. His face looked distant and almost...pained.
"I know, if we're doing this, you deserve an explanation, right?" He mused tiredly, but it was a different kind of tiredness- the kind of tiredness that no amount of sleep could heal.
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Wow, I guess I'm really gonna be pouring my heart out to a girl I met an hour ago." He joked dryly, his voice devoid of any humour and I let out a small laugh.
I felt the feeling again. The people-pleaser one where I wanted to make him happy and I scolded myself for thinking like that. Nevertheless, I still ignored all logical thoughts and went with my heart. I sat on the bed beside him, smiling, encouraging him to continue. He smiled slightly at me before speaking.
"It's my mom. I- she- something happened." He was now staring at the walls, deep in thought. His face was emotionless. I was tempted to rub his back in comfort, but I realised, I couldn't. I wasn't his girlfriend. I wasn't even his friend. I nodded my head, urging him to continue.
"Last week, we got into a really heated argument. Me and my friends, we'd gotten into a fight with some older men over something really stupid and my mom was really angry about it. She was right to be, but I don't know, I wasn't in the right state of mind."
Third Person POV
Last week
"Okay, I get it! You don't have to nag me about it!" Aaron yelled, making his way into the kitchen before yanking the fridge open aggressively. He cursed when his actions caused an orange carton to fall on the floor, an ocean of orange pooling around his trainers. He sidestepped to grab a few wipes, deliberately ignoring the sniffles he heard from behind.
He couldn't find himself to look at her in times like this. He couldn't tolerate the disappointed look she'd give him. Kneeling down, he began to wipe the floor and it was then his mother chose to speak.
"If I did something wrong, Aaron, you need to tell me because I don't think I can stand this behaviour anymore." She pleaded, wiping at her nose with the floral-scented tissue in her hand.
Aaron tutted at his loudly, snapping his gaze to the only women that actually mattered in his life.
"For god sake, mom, it's not you! I'm just being a teenager." He lied to her face. Only he and his friends knew why the sudden spiral in Aaron's behaviour had come to be and no one was willing to bring up the dreaded name.
Speaking of friends, he turned slightly to look over his mother's shoulder to see them sat in the sitting room, equally as bruised and bloodied from the fight. He didn't mean for them to be a part of this private conversation, but now nor did he care. They were not merely his friends; they were his brothers and were there when other certain relatives had failed to support him.
They were meant to go home, but their parents would undoubtedly punish them for what they did. What Aaron had done, actually. It was him that had started the fight. He didn't know why he did, but he knew he couldn't control his feelings anymore. He was a broken mess and couldn't care to conceal it. Of course, his friends had jumped in when the opponents numbers had increased. That was the way they were. So, he had taken the blame upon himself when the authorities had arrived and asked his guardian to be called. He had remembered her stern face as she was parked outside, her window down. The car ride had been silent but tense and he knew that the feelings were bubbling over. They both needed this release. The past few weeks... no, the past few years had been too rough on them.
His mom let out a rather loud sob which made him instinctively get to his feet and go to her, but she put a hand up to halt him.
"Why do you do this to me, Aaron? Why?!" She cried and he felt his blood boil in both sadness and anger.
"Me? You're not the only one who's hurt! I can't try to forget everything like you did and be happy." He said, closing his eyes to stop his temper from rising.
"Happy? You think I'm happy?! I wish I had happiness!" She wailed, flailing her arms exaggeratedly.
"Oh, so I'm not enough, is that it?" He asked almost sarcastically, but he felt hurt at her words.
"You are! I just might
not be around to have you anymore!" She retorted and then her composure was broken and she clumsily dropped to the floor, a mess of tears.
It was then he was told she had stage four liver cancer. She told him everything. How she had worsened over the 1 year in which she was told and apologised profusely for not telling him. She spoke in hurried whispers, as though she was to go then, speaking about the will she had written for him and asked him to promise her a number of things, but Aaron was too numb to move. His friends watched in horrified sadness, but chose not to intervene. They were not meant to be there at this time, but now that they were, they couldn't stand to leave them alone. Aaron let his eyes settle on his mom as she cried. How had he not realised, the cryptic way she spoke over the days, the loving hugs and the regular phone calls. Forget that, how did he not realise that his mom had become a mere shell of her former self. Now, sitting as bony and dishevelled as she was before him, he felt anger. But, only towards himself. Once again, he disappointed himself in how much he failed her. Not just her. He had failed everyone in his life and he hated himself for that.
"I want you to promise me, Aaron, that you'll-"
"Why should I promise you anything? When you didn't think it was necessary to tell me a year ago." He let out, his voice defeated but still menacingly low.
His breathing was ragged and he channelled the anger at himself to the women before him. She should have told him. He could have done something. He could have changed. He could have made it better. Or, did she not think him capable of it?
She tutted at his words, sounding strangely normal as if she had just hidden a small matter from him.
"You had so much going on, Aaron. With all the tension with the girl as well as school, I didn't want to worry you too much." She explained but stopped when looking into the blue fire alight in his eyes.
"Forget girls, I only care about you. You should have told me." He said again, his tone rough and harsh.
Faker Boy (Alexis Secret Book 1) Page 2