The news that my mom was in between jobs sat with me all night. No job meant no money. No money meant no lights. No gas. No house.
I couldn't let her deal with all of that on her own. She shouldn't have to when I'm fully capable of helping out. And my art wasn't enough.
The Grice's market was still an option. I just needed someone to keep an eye on Taylor. One idea came to me. An idea I wished didn't make so much sense. It was the only the way, though.
That next morning after Bee dropped us off at school I lied about needing to talk to a teacher about extra credit. Instead I went across the street, to a park that some students hung out at in the mornings.
There was a small group of skater looking guys in hoodies a beanies and then there was Nolan, looking out of place among them in his all black everything. He didn't notice me until I was right in front of him.
He looked away from his phone, eyes squinting up at me. "You need something?"
"Can we talk?"
He glanced around at his friends before grabbing his backpack from the ground, slinging it over his shoulder as he stood.
Once we were a distance away from prying ears I asked, "That offer still on the table?"
He froze in his steps, his eyes snapping in my direction. "You serious?"
"Maybe. If you can help me with something."
"I'm helping you get a scholarship."
I crossed my arms over my chest, staring up at him. "Well, if you want to get to London you're gonna have to do a little more than that."
He studied me for a moment. I fought the urge to turn away from his gaze as a blush crept up my neck. "What exactly would I need to do?"
"I need a job, but I have to watch my sister after school."
"Why can't your mom watch her? It's not like she has a job—" His mouth clamped shut as my eyes bore into him. "Look, I don't babysit."
"And I wouldn't leave my sister with some random guy I hardly know," I retorted, putting my hands on my hips. "I just need you to pay for a month at Tiny Sprouts. Once I get the job I can start paying myself."
"That's it? I pay for daycare and you'll help me win this thing?" I nodded. He rubbed his chin as he thought about it. "Fine."
My face stretched into a smile. "Okay. Cool. Can you do it today? After school?"
"I guess."
A weight lifted off my shoulders. The urge to hug him swelled in me, but I fought it back. I would be able to help mom with bills and everything. That's if Mrs. Grice would give me the job after what happened the other day.
* * *
"I'm sorry, you're doing what?" Bee caused a traffic jam in the middle of the hallway, holding up people's escape to freedom.
School let out a few minutes ago and I left woodshop to find Bee and tell her that I was getting a ride with Nolan. A text would've just prompted a bunch of questioned that would be easier to answer in person.
I pulled her along and out the double doors that lead into the courtyard. "It's just for the scholarship."
"And this was Nolan's idea?"
"Yes."
"Nolan Chambers? The tall white kid that could pass as some cliched badboy? That Nolan Chambers?"
I laughed at how shocked she was. "Yes, that Nolan Chambers."
Her mouth still hung open as she slowly shook her head. "I still think we're talking about two different dudes."
"I admit, it's a little...unconventional," I said as we headed for the parking lot. "But it's worth a shot, right? For ten thousand dollars."
Bee's brow wrinkled, lips pressed together in a line. "Alright, maybe I can picture it. You and Nolan being crowned queen and king. I mean, it'll definitely shake up some stuff."
"How do you mean?"
She tucked some hair behind her ear. "Only the most popular couples get nominated for that stuff. All of this school shit is pretty predictable. Two underdogs entering the race...it could go either way." She gave me a wary glance. "Either people will love that you're questioning the status quo or they'll laugh you out of the race."
My stomach tightened. There were already people laughing at me behind my back, I didn't need them doing it to my face, too. "Clearly, you know more about this stuff then we do. You'll help us right? Like, walk us through everything?"
Her freckled cheeks rounded as she smile. "That sounds fun, you know how I love bossing people around," she giggled, clapping her hands together.
"Please don't make me regret this."
Bee started skipping to her car. "Oh, you won't!" she called out over her shoulder. "See you at dinner!"
I continued to walk down the lot, towards the tall tree Nolan said to meet him under. When I got there he was leaning against a shiny black motorcycle, picking at his nails.
"Wow." His eyes shot up to me. "You really are a cliched badboy."
A crease formed between his brows as he straightened up. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing." I waved it off, not wanting to get into Bee's fanfiction addiction. "Do you have something against cars?"
He smirked, looking down at the motorcycle. "You ever been on one?"
"No." Mostly because I'm positive my mom would snatch me by my hair if she caught me on one.
"Trust me," he said, lifting a hatch on the back and pulling out a helmet, holding it out to me. "It's much better than a car."
I took the helmet, examining it cautiously. "Right...Cars have those annoying seatbelts and other safety precautions."
"You're not scared are you?"
I looked up at him, an amused smile on his lips. Seeing him without a frown or scowl always took me by surprise. That weird fluttering was back in my chest, masking any and all other emotions. "Only of the helmet not fitting over my puff."
I handed him the helmet and undid my high puff, pulling it into a low bun. It looked a mess, but at least I'd be able to get the helmet on. That's when I noticed there wasn't an extra.
Nolan swung his leg over the bike, starting it up. Unbothered by his lack of protection.
"Aren't you afraid of cracking your head open?"
He shrugged, as he tied his own hair up in a man bun. "I trust my driving abilities. Now, get on."
I did as he said, gripping the sides of his shirt. As soon as he pulled out onto the main street, zooming in between cars, I tightened my grip on him by circling my arms around his waist.
It wasn't until we made it Tiny Sprouts that I realized just how tight my grip on him was. I was stuck to him like a sticker and had to peel myself off.
"Way better than a car, right?"
I struggled to keep my balance. My legs felt like jelly, the way they did after getting off an elevator. "Yeah, if you have a death wish." I yanked the helmet off, tossing it to him. "I think I'll take the bus home."
He snickered behind me as I walked up to Tiny Sprouts. The air conditioning in the building felt amazing as I walked up to the front desk. Yalissa, the receptionist, was on a call and held up a finger, signaling that she'll be with us soon.
Nolan had wondered over to the fish tank that was up against the wall, watching the colorful fish swim back and forth.
"That one, with the stripes, is Lucky," I said, remembering it only because of the flashy stripes.
Nolan glanced around the waiting area. The walls were white with framed cartoon like pictures of animals in an array of pastel colors. There were tall floor to ceiling windows that let in a lot of natural light. A small play area that had books and toys for the kids whose parents were waiting for appointments.
When his eyes circled back to me he asked, "How much does this place cost?"
I focused in on Lucky as he hid behind some coral, not wanting to answer Nolan's question. When he didn't ask earlier, I kind of hoped he'd never bring it up and just hand over the credit card.
"Seven hundred," I choked out.
"Seven hundred?" His voice ricocheted around the pristine white room.
I grabbed his sleeve, glancing over my shoulder at Yalissa who was giving us a concerned look. "Keep it down," I hissed at Nolan.
"Why didn't you tell me it was seven hundred dollars?" He asked in a considerably lower voice. The sharp edges of his face seemed sharper than ever.
"You have it, right?"
"That's not the point."
"I'll pay you back."
He ran a hand over his face. "How? With your after school job?"
"Don't worry, Nolan. I'll pay you—shit."
Through the reflection of the mirror behind the fish tank I could see Deshaun, Ava in his arms.
"Who's that?" Nolan asked, following my gaze in the mirror.
"My ex."
Before Deshaun got to the door he spotted us, a slick grin on his face as he walked over. My entire body tensed. I tried to pretend I hadn't seen him and instead focused on the fish. Lucky was still hidden behind the coral. I've never been more envious of a fish.
My internal panic was interrupted when Nolan's hand wrapped around mine. His calloused skin was rough and warm. The slight dampness was the only indicator that this, us holding hands, wasn't a normal occurrence.
Time seemed to slow down, my brain needing to process every little second of this. The roughness of his skin, how his finger fit comfortably between mine. The electrical charge the physical contact sent through my body.
He lifted his hand, our hands, to point at a gold fish in the corner of the tank. The hardness of his face was gone, replaced with a soft smile that made my knees quake. "That one got a name?" He asked.
It took me a second to understand what was happening. Why he'd change up his whole demeanor. Then I remembered the plan. It didn't dawn on me until then that for this to work we'd have to pretend to be a couple. I was amazed by how easily he fell into the role of my boyfriend, like it was all rehearsed.
"Uh..." My mind was blank. Any functioning brain cells were all focused on trying to keep me up right.
"Jade?" I snapped out of whatever trance I was in at the sound of Deshaun's voice.
I turned to face him, my neck burning. "Oh, Deshaun. I didn't see you there."
"Yeah." The word came out slowly as sized Nolan up, his gaze lingering on our entangled hands. "You're bringing Taylor back?"
"Tay?" Ava repeated with a huge, wet grin. They were like best friends. Whenever Deshaun and I were both stuck babysitting we'd get together and let our baby sisters play. It didn't occur to me until now that they could probably miss each other. That me and Deshaun splitting up meant we were splitting them up as well.
"Yeah, we just had to sort some stuff out."
"Cool. Ava's been asking about her."
I looked at Ava, flashing her a goofy smile. "Well, Ava, Taylor will be back in daycare tomorrow." I poked her side which made her squeal with laughter.
"That's good," Deshaun said, adjusting Ava in his arms. "Guess we'll see you tomorrow then."
He turned and left. I didn't dare breath until the door closed behind him.
"Was it weird that he didn't even acknowledge me?" Nolan asked, releasing my hand.
It was weird and oddly satisfying. He's telling everyone I'm a slut, yet he's worried about who I'm with?
After Nolan forked over the money to get Taylor her spot back in daycare we stepped back out into the late summer sun. August was almost over and the final days of summer weather were coming.
When I kept walking past Nolan's black death trap he paused, raising a brow. "You were serious about taking the bus?"
"Yep!" I called out over my shoulder.
I didn't trust that motorcycle. Even more than that, I didn't trust these feelings bubbling inside me.
//
Hi! Hello!
I know I keep trying the fake dating thing in my stories...
but this time i intend to do it it right!
Thank you for reading <3