“Ria, it’s just pretend.”
“But what if you start liking Marl-”
“No. Impossible. We’re interested in other people and -” I don’t realise my voice is rising until Ria widens her eyes inwarning. I take a deep breath. “That won’t happen. I promise you.”
Ria holds my gaze, as if challenging me to challenge my own words.
“Okay,” is all she says.
Defensiveness flares up in me, this desire to prove her wrong. To wipe whatever idea she has about Marlon and I out of her head. But to fight against it, to show I care so much would also suggest something might be happening. So I keep my mouth shut and ignore as she walks away.
I know she’s wrong. That she’s just messing with me.
I know for certain that other than this ruse, other than being slightly less-annoyed with Marlon and perhaps a potential budding friendship, nothing more would ever happen with him.
It’s all just pretend.
Fifteen
When we get home from Church on Sunday,I get a text from Cheyenne.
She finally connected to some reception, and could call briefly for a few minutes.
I’ve been dying to update Cheynne on everything that’s happened, to chat to her face to face rather than just via text messages.
I settle myself upstairs on my bed and answer Cheyenne’s video call once it comes through. The picture is grainy from her end, and the movements lag heavily, but I’m just happy to finally be chatting with her face-to-face, regardless.
“Cheyenne!” I exclaim, waving profusely.
“Jas, ah! It’s been too long,” she greets back, and the sound doesn’t quite sync with the lips.
Cheyenne and I first met in Year 7, when we were seated next to each other in English. We bonded over John Green books, particularly Augustus and Hazel-Grace and have been practically inseparable ever since. I guess you could call that our little meet-cute.
Even in friendships, meet-cutes spell forever.
This year is the longest I’d been away from her, when she decided to take a gap year in Vietnam before starting her tertiary studies, but I’m happy for her. It’s been so long since she’s returned to her motherland.
“How is it over there,” I ask. The video glitches, and I’m left staring at a cluster of pixels for about 10 seconds, until it clears.
“Hot, super hot, and my family is driving me crazy! But don’t worry about that right now, give me an update on you! How’s film school? How’s that new guy you were telling me about?”
My face warms immediately at the mention of Rafayel.
I tell her everything I haven’t had the chance to text her about yet - about how Rafayel bought me a book, Tita Bea’s engagement and the fake-dating. By the end of it, Cheyenne’s jaw is on the floor.
“Excuse me, what? You’re fake-dating Marlon?”
Even though she’s in another country, I feel her screech through my bones. I nod, smiling sheepishly.
“I know, it’s surreal, I can’t believe it myself -”
“You’re fake dating Marlon for astranger?”
My first instinct is to say that Rafayel is not a stranger… but I know he still kind of is. An uncomfortable itch begins within me, as I shift slightly on the bed.
“I mean, it’s not just for Rafayel or anything. You know how my family has been throughout my life…” I drift off when Cheyenne chuckles affectionately.
“I love this about you Jaslene. You’ve always been one to pursue something with everything you have, even if everyone else around tells you not to be silly.”
