“You? Watchingrom-coms?”
“Yes, and?” he pokes my arm, “Are you saying boys can’t watch rom-coms, Garcia?”
A snort rises from my throat, “Um,youwere the one who attacked me for liking Death Note.”
He huffs in exasperation, “I wasnotattacking you over Death Note!”
I wave his excuse away, dismissively.
“Whatever. Of course boys can watch rom coms. Butyou, Marlon Salvador, can’t. That would mean you have a heart.”
At this, Marlon swallows down the remainder of his cinnamon roll before getting up. He points at my phone lying on my lap.
“Make sure you record all this down Garcia.”
I quirk a brow, amused at his sudden dramatics, but comply.
“We’re really going to make a fake-dating contract?” I ask. This is all so surreal. Marlon crosses his arms, tilting his head as if to sayduh.
“Can’t haveyoublurring the lines between reality and fiction,” he professes, and I could vomit all over his Super Mario shirt right there.
I open up a new note on my phone -Marlon and Jaslene’s Fake Relo rules and whatever.
“Rule number one, and make sure you bold this because it’s the most important one,” he announces, loud enough for the whole city to hear.
“What is it?”
Marlon bends down at the waist, so his eyes are levelled with mine, his expression all serious, all business.
“Under no circumstances, are you to catch feelings for me. It’ll be hard, Garcia, I know.”
I wait for the punchline, but there isn’t one. That’s when a laugh climbs my throat, and threatens to burst. I poke my finger into his cheek, and push his face away. His infuriating grin returns.
‘You’ve made that very, very,veryeasy for me Marlon, so don’t worry, there’ll be no falling in love here between any of us.”
I shiver at the thought.
“Whatever. If you catch feels you lose,” Marlon adds.
“You’re being a loser right now, you know that right?”
Marlon smirks, with a shrug.
“Just write it,” he insists, “Unless you’re scared….”
The temptation to throw my roll at his face is so strong. I call on my inner zen, and remind myself of the outcome.
“Okay, fine. Rule number 1, no one falls in love.”
I type it down.
“Next rule. We tell absolutely no one in the family or those close to our family about this,” I chime in.
I don’t mention that I’ve already told Ria about the plan, but that doesn’t count. She’s the one who thought of the idea. Regardless, hetsksat me.
“You’ve already told Ria,” he states.
“What do you mea-” I begin, but there's no point. I groan, “Fine, yes I did. But she’s my sister and also the one who gave me the idea in the first place.”
