Best Served Fake

fifteen // disparage away

"My goldfish died," I told Cora immediately. "It's deeply tragic. The funeral is—" I looked at my bare wrist. "Oh, holy shit, it's right now. Gotta scram, bye Cors."

Cora grabbed my wrist and flipped it over, looking at the empty space where I watch did not rest. Her hands were cool and soft; gentle, even as her eyes pinned me accusatorily. "You don't have a fish."

I nodded solemnly. "Not anymore, I know. It's hard, but we manage, you know?"

Cora looked decidedly unimpressed. "Uh huh, okay. I'll send a bouquet. What's up with you and Kai?"

I envied Kai for his quick escape, as much as I thought it made him an epic wanker. We needed to have a serious conversation about fake-boyfriend etiquette, and how that meant I could not be left alone to face an answers-hungry Cora. I knew that I wouldn't be so lucky in formulating my escape.

Cora, when she wasn't being cut off at the knee by Sydney, could be quite determined. Even with Sydney, she'd endured years of passive-aggressive digs and manipulative smiles. She wasn't nosy, but this was a situation that could drive even her to a curiosity that demanded satisfaction.

I ran a hand through my hair. "C'mon, we're late for class."

Her hands came up to rest on her hips. "Yes, I know that you're late. And apparently, because you were hanging out with Kai. Jenna Ringland just told me in the hallway."

It was at that moment that it hit me. Kai and I had spent hours planning, devising the perfect way to make everyone believe in us and our fake relationship. Despite that, we'd never discussed the Cora problem. Cora was the bridge between us, one of my closest friends, and practically a sister to him. She knew us both, and she was perceptive.

And I had no idea if I was supposed to tell her the truth, or deceive her in the same way that I was deceiving everyone else.

"That..." I said slowly. "May or may not be true."

"May or may not?" Cora demanded.

I grimaced. "Hanging out is such a... vague description. What does one consider hanging out? Now, that's a philosophical question for the ages. We should ponder that as we sit in class, right, Cora?"

"You're being weird," said Cora.

"Weird? Ah, and what is weird? What defines weirdness? Some would say—"

"Okay, I know you were actually hanging out with Kai. I know that Jenna didn't lie to me. The question is why. Since when did you even like Kai?"

As Cora stared me down, I smiled tightly. Cora was honest to a fault; if Sydney asked her what was up between Kai and I, the truth would be written plainly on the lines of her face, etched there by my hand. So I needed to craft an entirely different picture.

"He was nice to me, after everything that happened," I said casually. "I don't know, he texted me yesterday to check in, and then when he heard that I didn't have a ride to school today, he offered to take me."

Sneakily, I took a peek behind her. The squeaks of shoes against the floors had mostly quietened, everyone already in class by now. My voice echoed uncomfortably down the open hallway, ricocheting off walls and lockers. The corridors were empty; nothing for me to quickly duck behind in a rapid escape.

Cora's eyes narrowed. "What happened to your car?"

I sighed, relieved that there was a question I could answer. "In the shop. Kai—uh, someone ran into me. Not when I was driving or anything; just hit me in the car park at the cafe."

I got the strange sense that Kai didn't particularly want me spreading around his poor parking skills. The expression on his face every time the accident was mentioned spoke loud and clear, as did the way he tapped nervously on his thigh. I couldn't blame him—accidents happened, but they still sucked.