TEETH [chris sturniolo]

6.

"It would get the principal off our backs."

He was already walking away from her when she yelled that, causing him to stop in his tracks and walk back to her. His body then shielded her from anyone coming in from the parking lot.

"Why would I even do this?"

"For one, the money I'm guessing your dumb little jock friends betted. Second, Principal Ramirez will leave us alone if he thinks we're dating, no more fighting and ruining school equipment." She listed off with her fingers.

"What do you get out of this?" He frowned, confused and very much (not) opposed to her idea.

"I told you, I want Principal-"

"That's not the only reason. There has to be something more." He took a step closer.

Piper crossed her arms in front of her chest, like she always did when she was getting defensive.

"My reasons aren't your business."

"If you want me to agree, then fuck yeah, they are." He ran a hand through his hair.

She glared at him for a few seconds, no doubt cursing him out in her mind.

"Fine. The lacrosse team has been weird as fuck the past two days, I'm guessing they've been trying to get me to go out with them or something." She rolled her eyes, but her cheeks were pink with embarrassment. "I thought that— fuck. I think that if you and I were dating or something, they will respect bro code or whatever you guys call it, and leave me alone."

Actually, as cliché and mortifying her idea was. There was some logic behind it.

"And you're their captain, so... They wouldn't want to, you know, chapulinearte."

"The fuck is that?"

"It's when a friend dates someone you dated." She explained easily.  "It's basically homie-hopping."

"Oh" Chris didn't know what to say.

"So?"

"I mean... Do I have to—like, kiss you and be loyal and shit?"

"I don't care. I just want the boys at school to back off. More like the boys at the lacrosse team, but you know what I mean. Now answer: will you do it or not?"

"You haven't even kissed anyone other than me, are you sure you want to do this? People won't buy it unless they see us together, as in, being all touchy-feely." He tried to reason with her.

"It's a yes or no question. Whatever we have to do to make them believe it I'll do it. We just need to go out for a few weeks to make everyone back off."

"Do you honestly think people will buy it?"

She shrugged.

"Are you seeing anyone right now?"