What He Pretended

Chapter Thirteen

       Ding!

       I groan obnoxiously and roll over in my bed. Of course a text woke me from my nap. I grab my phone from where Sam used to sleep. Sam moved back into his house to help Shawn get accustomed to it.

        7 new texts from peyton aspens

        p: I'm coming back today!
       p: let's do something fun :)
      p: omg I have two genius words
     p: pool
    p: party
   p: so excited!
  p: see u in fifteen Ariana ;)

        Immediately I dial Sam's number.

         "Ana, it's like 1:47. Why are you up so early?" Sam groans. I roll my eyes even if he can't see it.

         "Peyton's throwing a pool party at the house today. You and Shawn should come!" I wince at how excited I sound when I say Shawn's name.

          "Shawn!" Sam yells. I yelp and pull the phone away from my ear. "Pool later!"

           "Kind of tired," Shawn calls back.

            "Bummer. I'll tell Ariana you said no."

             "Ariana?" Shawn exclaims. "On second thought, I'll sleep later. I'm going."

              He changed his mind because of me! I think my heart just skipped a beat.

           "Be there in ten!" Sam cries tearfully. He then proceeds to hang up.

            "Honey, I'm home!" Peyton cheers as she dramatically enters the room.

            "Sam and Shawn are going to be here in ten minutes, hurry!" I exclaim.

             "Shawn? Like Shawn Mendes, the cutie from YouTube?" Peyton asks. I nod and she screams. "I have to get ready!"

              I tear off my pajamas and pull on a tan one piece with white details and white cutouts. I add a pair of denim shorts and slip on my red Chuck Taylor's. I finish with my hair in a ponytail and waterproof mascara.

             Meanwhile, Peyton is beating her face with a beauty blender. Waterproof eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara. The whole works. The doorbell rings and she shrieks.

          "Don't worry, I'll take them to the pool. Take your time," I assure her. She shoots me a grateful smile.

           After clomping down the stairs, I swing open the door. Shawn and Sam grin at me as I say, "That was definitely less than ten minutes."

           Sam shrugs. "What can I say? My beauty is effortless."

           Rolling my eyes, I point him in the direction of the pool. "Get over yourself, Wilkinson."

           "You love me," Sam grins. As he walks by me to the pool, he pats my head cheekily. I shoot him a glare, even if his back is facing me.

           "Thanks for inviting me, Ariana," Shawn said. "It's really nice of you to do that, since I'm a new student and all."

           I waved a hand. "No, it's my pleasure. I just want to make you feel welcome."

           Shawn smiles at me before following Sam out to the pool. I try to fight the way that Shawn makes my heart beat faster, my cheeks turn pink, and butterflies go berserk in my stomach. I've never felt like this before. I know I'm a senior, but this a new feeling for me. Are these feelings?

           Oh gosh, I think I'm gonna be sick.

           Peyton skips down the stairs. She's wearing a tiny blue tie dye bikini. "Let's get this party started!" She hoots. "Where are the boys?"

            At the word boys, to my horror, I burst into tears. Peyton's smile falls and she hurries toward me. I know by the look on her face she's going to ask what's wrong. So I tell her before she needs to ask.

            "Peyton, call Jai."

            Peyton rushes me up to my room, already dialing Jai's number. As I try to stop the tears, Peyton tells Jai to come over this second. And he does. He's here in five minutes. He bounds into my room with a frantic look on his face.

             "Ari, what's wrong?" Jai asks gently.

             "You both are going to hate me when I tell you this!" I wail. Jai locks the door immediately. Peyton gestures for me to continue. "I have a secret."

              "Okay, what is it?" Peyton whispers.

              "Sam isn't actually my boyfriend."

              "What?" Peyton and Jai ask incredulously.

               By now, my crying is controlled. "I found out that Sam didn't like me the way you two thought. And I told him about how you kept pressuring me and forcing me to date him. So we figured that if we pretended to date, I'd make you two happy. And it'd make me happy because I'm not being forced into anything." When Peyton and Jai don't say anything, my heart drops. "Please say something."

               "I hate," Jai begins. He pauses and looks down at his lap. He can't even look at me right now. I've lost my best friend. "I hate that I pressured you so much, that you felt helpless. So helpless that you had to fake a relationship with someone."

                Peyton nods her head. "I feel the same way."

                After we all embrace, I pull back and put my head in my hands. "And now, I think I might have feelings for Shawn."

                Jai grabs my hands. "Ari! If you like him, then you need to pursue him. These are real feelings that can turn into something real."

                "But what about Sam?" I cry.

                "Ariana, we made you pretend to be happy for months. Our senior year is coming to a close. The least we can do is help you be truly happy for these last months."

                They're right, aren't they? These past months with Sam haven't been fun for me. Becoming friends and being close were great. I made a new, true friend. But I've been having to go behind my best friends' backs and lying. And forcing myself into this. I haven't been truly happy for a long time.

                "I think I need to fake break up with Sam."