The Classix

*chapter thirteen*

    "Dude! We're under a contract!" he exclaims. "Last I checked, it is my legally-bound obligation to make people believe that Emeray and I are in love! Why am I being punished for doing my job so well?"

    "We usually talk about these things," I point out. "What ever happened to necessary and unnecessary?"

    "If Buchan tells me to go somewhere, I go somewhere," he says. "If I knew you had a phone, I would've called you."

    He takes a bite of his croissant and chews. "It's not like people haven't been assuming we'll get engaged," he adds. "I mean, there were probably engagement rumors for us before there were even rumors that we were a couple. I didn't think it mattered to tell you about it." When I continue to stare at him, unyielding, he adds, "Look, I didn't actually buy a ring or anything. I mean, for heaven's sake, it's a bluff."

    "You've been telling every interviewer today point-blank that you were at that store buying Emeray something," Chapter says.

    "Again, a bluff!"

    "Why have you been acting so weird in the interviews?" I ask.

    "Weird? How was I weird?"

    "I don't know," I say. "You were reminding me of the way you used to act when you were with Kaytee. It scared me."

    At the mention of her name, his face falls. Just as I start to regret bringing her up, he straightens his posture, returning to his default disposition.

    "Oh, that's just my fake boyfriend persona," he says.

    "You don't act that way everyday with me."

    "Of course. It's my fake boyfriend interview persona." He nods to Chapter. "I'm just joining your lover over here in the fine art that is acting. I did well, no?"

    But Chapter doesn't answer. Like a detective ready to interrogate, he instead launches off into his first question.

    "So, as you mentioned before, it was Buchan who told you to go to the ring shop, correct?" he asks.

    "Dude." Cartney looks out the window like he just can't take it. "They obviously told me to go to the ring shop. I do whatever they tell me to do."

    "So DEFED didn't threaten you to do it or anything?"

    At once, alarm washed all over Cartney's eyes. A chill runs through my body at the potential that Buchan cars might have microphones in them like ours. Either way, it's too late to take it back––Chapter's mentioned them.

    "What? No," Cartney affirms. He shudders. "Why the hell would you even ask that? Wouldn't they rather, like, kill us than throw us a wedding?"

    "So they also didn't threaten you later and force you to pretend like it was really was you at the jewelry store?"

    "Why do you guys keep saying stuff like that?" Cartney asks. "How in the world would it not be me at the jewelry store?"

    "DEFED's done things like this in the past," Chapter says.

    "What? Thrown weddings?"

    "Forced our hand."

    "In marriage?"   

    "No, it's––"

    Sensing Chapter's frustration, I interject, asking, "Do you remember when Marlon ran up to me in front of Wes Tegg's and kissed me in front of everybody?"