Sounds Fake, but Okay | ✓

s e v e n t e e n

    "What was that?" Catalina pushed away from Jae, sliding his grip from her waist.

    He leaned forward so she'd hear him. "That guy was dancing behind you. I didn't think you'd like it."

    When he pulled away she rolled her eyes and looked back. She offered a smile to the man trying to dance with her and Jae could almost feel his blood simmer.

    The guy leaned into her ear and possibly asked for a dance; Jae clenched his jaw when she nodded and gave a giggle.

    Jae rolled his tongue against his cheek and looked away. He didn't need this type of negativity in his life. Not when Catalina was blatantly flirting with someone else right in front of him. Not when he could feel himself starting to get agitated.

    "You don't mind, right Jae?" She called over the music and he shrugged his shoulders.

    "I'm going outside."

    "I'll come looking for you if you're not back!" She had a bright smile on her face and if it weren't for the fact that she was going to dance with someone else, he would've stayed to appreciate it longer.

    Jae walked away, leaving her to her fun while he took a breath of fresh air. He was thankful when he reached the balcony that it didn't smell like liquor or weed, although a crowd of smokers huddled around the doorway, sending their clouds of tobacco-smoke into the air and into his lungs.

    He couldn't lie to himself, he was awfully tempted to ask for a cigarette but he tried to get away and deeper into the backyard, away from the party. So much for ridding his mind of Catalina. He couldn't even focus on anyone else. He didn't even question where Madeline and Daniel had run off to and he felt better just sitting in the yard, looking and observing the many people that tried to party as best they could.

    "Jae." He spotted Iris walking towards him. She swayed on her bare tiptoes, her step lazy and her legs swung forward in a drunken catwalk. "Come here often?" She winked.

    He stared at her, his face stony.

    Iris studied his face before settling down next to him. "What're you doing out here all by yourself?"

    "What does it look like?"

    "Sulking." She inclined her head. "What, did you girlfriend dump you?"

    He didn't say anything.

    "Oh, hell." Her plastic devil horns glinted in the porch light. "What happened, Jae?"

    Jae looked at her. He took a deep breath and his eyes searched her glittered ones. "I shouldn't even feel this way...I mean, she has the right to... We're not even dating." He laughed bitterly and cast his eyes up towards the stars.

    "About that," Iris hugged her knees, "what was that earlier?"

    "It's all an act. Just some stupid farce."

    "What do you mean?" She raised an eyebrow.

    He sighed. "We're fake dating, if that even makes sense. It's just to prove my parents wrong."

    "Oh..."

    "And I caught feelings. Like, how stupid could I get?" Jae groaned and rubbed his face. "And then her ex comes along and it's like, ugh."

    She rested her head against his shoulder. "You know what. I've been there, when you don't know what a friend wants. You could ponder over it and run around in circles thinking of what they want, or you could just ask them."