Skylar quickly learned that Kaden was a man true to his word. He found her outside her second period classroom, and his hand wavered inches from hers, waiting for that sign of consent. When she alas nodded, he winked and gripped her hand, tugging her through the muddled crowd. Skylar trained her gaze on the speckled high school floors, fascinated by the trekk of sneakers weaving in and out. Lincoln High was what you would call 'overpopulated.' Everyday, Skylar saw a new face down the halls, somebody she'd never seen before. Still, with a school this large, the face of Kaden Brooks was a name to be known. He was popular. Good looking. Athletic. Literally the only three characteristics that brought you to the top. Because of that, he couldn't walk down a single corridor without getting a "hey, man, what's up?" It was like yesterday with the traffic cars all over again.
Skylar kept her head hung, choosing to watch her own feet instead of everybody's eyes which were surely glued to the hand she linked with Kaden's. Because of this, she nearly tripped. Twice. And twice, Kaden had to grip her waist. "Geez, careful. Am I gonna have to carry you down the stairs next?" She heard the tease in his voice and tried to feign a smile, but the idea of sitting at the cafeteria in the center table with all his friends made her queasy. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Fine" she squeaked out.
She was the opposite of 'fine.' As he held open the cafeteria doors for her, it felt like entering a sauna. The room was hot. Too hot. Like the sun had orbited significantly closer to their high school in a span of five minutes. Skylar's skin was melting off like candle wax. Kaden moved to grab her hand again, but she slipped her fingers away. She'd die before he felt her sweaty palm. "Come on, just this way." The eyes of the room were still on them, and as they approached the table,
ten more steps,
five more steps,
everybody, all of Kaden's friends, whipped their necks to the approaching couple. Skylar knew who they all were, of course. Brody, Harris, Thomas, all part of the lacrosse team. Part of Kaden's posse. Staring at Skylar like an uncooked piece of meat. Her stomach churned as she felt the weight of Kaden's arm slung over her shoulder. "You're doing great" he murmured in her ear. Like a switch, he turned off his act and faced his friends with ease. "What's going on, guys? This is my girlfriend, Skylar. She's joining us today." Kaden slung off his backpack which he always had hooked over the right shoulder, setting it by his feet. Skylar hadn't moved a muscle.
There were several others at the table that she didn't know. Some girls, others guys, but all of them had their eyes narrowed with suspicion. The question in their gazes were transparent- Who is this? You've never mentioned her before. Why is she sitting here with us?
Kaden tugged her hand, more forcibly this time, causing her ass to plump down on the bench. "Harris, quit drooling. You never seen a pretty girl before or what?"
Harris, with dark skin and hair separated into cornrows, clamped his jaw shut. He glanced away sheepishly, which only made Skylar's cheeks flush greater in return. "She is pretty," someone from the far end of the table said. It belonged to a feminine voice. Hafsa Ahmed, throwing her a genuine smile. Skylar blinked about five times before offering back what she hoped was a sincere grin in return. "Thank you. So are you."
A deep whistle let out from Brody, sitting directly across from Skylar. "So she speaks." Kaden reached over and grabbed one of his fries sitting in the tray, only to flick it back into his face. "Hey, what the hell?!"
"Don't talk about my girlfriend like that."
"Like what?!"
"Like she's some pet." Kaden grabbed another fry, biting into it aggressively.
Brody whistled again but kept his mouth quiet. Somebody started a conversation about some TV show, and then, thankfully, all attention was diverted from her. Skylar didn't attempt to jump in. Kaden didn't seem to push her, either. He was engrossed in his own discussion with Thomas about the next lacrosse game.
One of the reasons why Skylar preferred the solitude at lunchtime was so she could eat in peace without worrying what she looked like. Factor in multiple testosterone filled boys who were chugging water bottles and having flipping contests, and she suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. Well, okay fine, she was, but there was no way she'd bring out her thermos of fried rice and chopsticks now. She was the only East Asian at the table, and while the chances of them being racist were slim, she already felt like the odd one out. Bringing Asian food as an Asian person would only make her a neon yellow highlighter.
The more she thought about it, the more unfair it was. Why did she have to second guess herself for eating food? Food was food. If she was hungry, she had the right to eat. Skylar hated to bring race into the scenario, but unfortunately, that was just the way the world worked. If a white person wanted to eat rice or a plain sandwich, nobody would bat an eye. But if Skylar ate rice, she was too Asian. And if she ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she was too white. There was no winning. There wasn't even an in between. Her whole life, she wore two plastic masks. Not even at home did she take them off, and because of that, she had no idea what her true identity looked like.
A loud yelling broke her thoughts, and a second later, everyone at the table was whooping over the grand entrance as Adrian Ford approached the table. If she had to describe him, it's that his existence was one rung above Kaden on the social hierarchy ladder, though she'd never tell him that.
Adrian was blond, tan, and a douche. The alternative three characteristic combinations to make your name known at Lincoln High. He whipped forward a strong arm and sent a football lunging into somebody's tray at the far end. Some white substance went flying everywhere, followed by several high pitched squeals. When Adrian approached their table, there were a lot of handshakes and "bros" and "did you get a C in that class, too?!"
Skylar kept her head bent low, letting her hair shadow her eyes to avert any eye contact. Unfortunately, Adrian Ford didn't get the message. The pencil in between her fingers was snatched away and her notebook sprawled was slammed shut. She felt Kaden tense beside her. He moved closer to her, until his thigh pressed against hers. And because Skylar had Tony squished on the other side of her, Skylar couldn't move away.
"Whose this?" Adrian's lips curled into a devilish smirk. Skylar still refused to look up. "I've never seen you before."
Somebody answered for her. A voice she didn't recognize. "She's Kaden's girlfriend."
Kaden spoke up. "Skylar. Her name's Skylar."
"Are you smart? You look smart. Can you do my math homework for me?" There were some chuckles going around the table, which Skylar didn't find humorous at all. To them, it was a harmless joke. But it was the little things like this that made her feel even more of an outsider. I don't even like math, you stupid, racist, narcissistic imbecile.
"Damn. Is she giving me the cold shoulder? Was it something I said, sweetheart?" She felt Adrian's toe kick her shin. Don't react. Do not react. Her hand shook slightly as she flipped open the notebook, pretending to scan the notes in front of her.
"Adrian" Kaden warned. "That's enough."
"Oh come on, I'm just having fun. Is she really your girlfriend? How come you've never brought her around? Bring her to one of my parties next Saturday. I'll bet she's real fun."
Someone else said, "You better shut your trap, Ford, or Brooks will kick your ass." If there was one thing Skylar could sense about Adrian's persona, it's that he liked this sort of attention. Comments like these only riled him up even more. Which is perhaps why when Adrian stuck his hand out to yank Skylar's hair, Kaden caught his wrist. "Don't."
This only made Adrian laugh. Loud and obnoxious. "I've never seen you like this before. Not even with Summer." Adrian leaned back in his seat, arms bulging as they folded across his chest. He stole a fry from someone's tray, threw it in the air, and effortlessly caught it in his mouth. While chewing, his speech came out slightly blended as he asked, "You two fucked yet?" Dead, awkward silence. Adrian sat forward again, elbows propped on the tip of his elbows. "It's because girls like her are different in bed, huh, Brooks?"
Thomas could be heard muttering, "Dear god, just shut the hell up, Adrian."
"Tell me, Kaden. Is it true that chinks are crazier in the sack?"
There was a deadly pause. Skylar sucked in a breath, not expecting him to stoop that low. Then, Kaden stood up so fast she heard his knees bang into the table. "Come on, let's get out of here" he muttered. He gathered all her belongings in a lumbering haze, swinging both of their backpacks over his shoulders. Just before they left, Skylar saw Thomas and Hafsa jump up, both of them yelling at Adrian's outright use of derogatory language. Hafsa's voice was in particular the loudest, jabbing her finger in Adrian's face, and she caught a brief moment of her threat: "If you ever say something racist like that again, white boy, I swear to god I will strangle you to death with my own bare hands-"
Skylar inhaled a shuddering breath. Kaden was silent as he led her through the halls. It wasn't until they were outside that she could swallow the bulging lump in her throat. She realized that they were in her spot. Her designated outdoor picnic bench. She took a seat, already feeling ten times better in the fresh air, where the winding noise of the cafeteria was out of sight. Wordlessly, she watched as he gently set down each individual item of hers: the notebook, the pencil, her water bottle, and then her backpack. A weary hand wiped his exhausted face. "God, Lin, I feel awful. I'm sorry about him."
"It's okay," she said automatically. Even though it wasn't. Not really. But that was Adrian's fault, not Kaden's, and it wouldn't be fair to blame him for his friend's actions. Skylar just hated conflict and confrontation. So she forgave easily, even if it meant sacrificing a slice of her dignity.
"No, it's not Skylar." His eyes washed over her face, searching for something. Trying to read her, like she was some puzzle to be solved. "You look like you're going to cry."
"I'm not," she said, a bit too defensive. Even as she said this, her emotions betrayed her. Of course if you point out that someone is going to cry, they're going to be upset! That's like the equivalent to, 'are you okay?' when it's bluntly obvious that they are indeed NOT okay.
"They're jackasses. Don't listen to them. I never should've brought you there. Summer wasn't even in school today, it was pointless." He unscrewed her water bottle and slid it over. "Come on, Lin, drink some water." She took the tiniest sip.
"You can go back to them. I prefer being alone anyway."
Kaden was shaking his head before she finished speaking. "No way. I'm staying here."
Skylar flipped open her notebook again, just to have something for her fingers to do. "Does that mean that tomorrow, we don't have to go there anymore?"
"From now on, we eat out here everyday. Just you and me. Sound good?" It warmed her heart to know that Kaden was willing to sacrifice his social time with friends just to be with her. She nodded, silently grateful for his generosity. And then, to top it all off, Kaden unzipped her bag and brought out her thermos. "I didn't see you eat anything back there. You must be starving." He even unscrewed the thermos for her, and brought out the chopsticks, wiping them inside a napkin, too. Wow. Generous and hygienic. It was possible she judged him too soon.
They ate in silence for several minutes. Skylar watched the seagulls congregate on the pavement. She ripped off some pieces off her rice crackers and threw them to the ground. They flapped their wings eagerly before racing to the food. Up ahead, the sun was warming up, but the heat outdoors was nothing compared to how she felt inside the cafeteria.
"Can I ask you something?" Kaden asked. Skylar glanced up through her eyelashes to find him scrutinizing her.
"Go ahead."
"You never answered this last time. Why did you agree to fake date me in the first place? What changed your mind?"
She took a slow sip of water. His eyes never left her face. After mentally rallying with herself, she figured there was no harm in telling him the truth. "I have no experience with dating."
Kaden's jaw slowed, his eyes squinting as the confusion grew. "Okay..."
"I've never had a boyfriend or anything."
He seemed to be concealing a grin. "I never would've guessed."
She rolled her eyes. "There's this short story contest I'd like to enter. The category surrounds romance, which means I need to write a romance story, which I have no clue how to do. When you came to me, asking me to be your fake girlfriend, I realized it was the perfect opportunity to test the waters."
"So...wait, lemme get this straight." He leaned back, palms flat on the table. "You wanted to use me as your fake boyfriend so you could draw inspiration for some short story contest? To conquer your writer's block, or whatever they call it?"
"Yes."
"Wow. Must be some hell of a short story contest. What's the prize?"
"Five thousand dollars." He whistled. "I need the money. Otherwise I won't be able to afford tuition."
He raised a brow, and she could tell he wanted to ask more. Thankfully, he didn't. "What college do you want to go to?" he asked instead.
"The where isn't important to me. As long as there's a good MFA program. What about you?"
"Haven't really decided yet, either. But the where isn't important. As long as there's a good lacrosse team, I'm happy." He grinned, clearly proud of his wit, and she playfully rolled her eyes.
"Do you have a field in mind of what you'd like to study, though?"
He pondered this for a moment. Skylar took a guess: he'd probably say business, or political science. Maybe history. That's what most people choose when they don't have a particular passion for one subject. "Criminal justice."
"Are you interested in becoming a police officer one day?"
Kaden's lip twitched. "That's the first thing everyone always asks me when I tell them that."
"Oh, sorry."
"No, it's fine. And no. I don't. I just think the subject is interesting. Getting to study crimes and get justice. I don't know. Maybe I just watch too many crime documentaries. Listen to too many true crime podcasts."
Now it was Skylar's turn to smile. "I used to be obsessed with those."
"Oh, yeah? What happened?"
"They made me paranoid. I couldn't leave my house anymore."
Kaden snorted. "You sound like my mom. She watches one segment on the news about some kidnapped child, and then forbids me from going outside for a good week."
Skylar giggled. "My mother does that too. I think it's a universal parent thing." A text buzzed from Kaden's phone, and with one peak at the screen, he groaned.
"Is everything alright?"
The screen went to black and Kaden put his phone face down on the table. "Just my parents. Reminding me about the stupid wedding again." Skylar knew from his tone that the subject was to be dropped. "What are you always writing in there, anyways?" He swiped her notebook without permission, something that angered Skylar beyond words. She quickly snatched it back, but with a quick glaze, anyone with a pair of eyes could see what she was working on.
"Wait. Is that the infamous short story you were just telling me about?"
She shoved a mouthful of food between her lips. "You weren't supposed to see that. It's private."
"Come on. You can't tell me you're using me for this story and then not tell me what it's about!"
"Well, so far, you haven't been much inspiration, so you actually haven't contributed much yet anyways. So yeah, I have a right to keep my story confidential."
Kaden scoffed. "Well, no shit. The closest thing we've done to romance lately has been holding hands, and I practically had to beg you for it."
Skylar squinted, but he was right. If she was going to win this short story contest, she had to pull out the big guns. Besides, she's had her resources in front of her this whole time. Now, she just had to actually use them. "You're right. I need to amp up my life experiences. I want you to take me out on a date."
Kaden tilted his head to the side, until it was nearly touching his shoulder. "A date."
"A fake one, obviously" she rushed to fill in. "But I need to understand what all the fuss and commotion is when it comes to these things. I need to feel what they feel so I can write an authentic narrative."
He nodded in tune with her words. "So what were you thinking, Lin?"
Skylar racked her brain for all the classic festivities displayed on rom-coms. What was the most cheesy occasion she could think of? "Dinner and a movie."
"Dinner and a movie" he echoed. "Done."
"So... so it's a date."
He grinned. "It's a date. Pick you up at seven."
"When?"
"Tonight."
"Oh." She gulped. "Tonight?"
"Tonight."
"Oh."
"Nervous, Lin?"
"Of course not. It's not a real date." And she wasn't lying. She wasn't nervous. She was terrified.