ball."
Owen nodded. "It's not the greatest rumor. Daniel has some hardcore fans. You could have some girls seeking vengeance."
"I'm more worried about my dignity than heartbroken girls." She dusted the powder sugar from her blazer. "Let's just head to class, okay? All of this talk about me kissing Daniel is making me sick."
"Gotcha." Owen nodded. "I'll walk you, just in case something happens."
"Thanks." She grinned, glad she had such a good friend in the face of such a horrible situation.
****
Annamarie headed out of the school and walked down the steps. She'd decided to be healthy for once and carried a turkey sandwich on wheat bread. As she took a bite of her food, she searched the grounds for Jaiden and found the guy standing by the oak tree. When they made eye contact, he waved and grinned. She walked over to him, grateful that there were at least a couple people in school who didn't treat her like a) she was an oozing monster or b) that she was deserving of awe-inspired gawking. She sunk to her butt and Jaiden plopped down beside her.
"How are things with Daniel going?" Jaiden asked, his expression mock serious. "I heard the two of you made progress in your relationship last night. Congrats."
She punched him and he winced.
"Ouch. You do hit hard." He smirked even as he said the words.
"You have to know what Daniel and I were really doing." She leaned back against the trunk. "I've been asked about that stupid story all day. I don't know why nobody believes me when I tell them that there is nothing between me and Daniel be sides sheer hatred."
"Ah, just let the story burn out," Jaiden said. "Another rumor will pop up soon enough and everybody will forget about you."
" It just sucks," she muttered. "If it was any other guy that people thought was my boyfriend, I would be fine. I just hate anybody thinking that Daniel is dating me."
"Then there's your answer," Jaiden said. "Why don't you really date somebody else? That will make the rumor go away faster."
Date somebody? She'd never t hought of that. The problem was she had zero experience dating guys. She wasn't sure she was girlfriend material anyway.
"What's wrong?" Jaiden asked. " Don't like the idea?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I've never dated somebody. I'm not sure I'm even likeable. I mean, look at me. I have a bad temper, I'm messy, and I'm not girly at all. Plus, I don't have curves anywhere. I'm like a walking stick."
"Are you kidding?" Jaiden elbowed her. "I think you're spunky and intelligent. Plus, unlike every other girl at this school, you have a strong personality and won't change it for anyone. I think that deserves a lot of respect."
"Really?" Her cheeks went hot. "Thanks, Jaiden. Why are you being so nice to me, anyway?"
He stared at her. "I just find you endearing."
"Ah, thanks." She really did have some super friends.
His face fell. She had no idea why.
"Maybe you're right about dating somebody." She frowned. "Or maybe I could just fake date somebody."
"I suppose…" He nodded, the smile returning.
"I think I know the perfect somebody." She reached out and seized Jaiden's hands.
"Yeah?" His grin widen ed. "Do you think he'd go for it?"
"I don't know." She paused. "I'll have to ask him."
"I think he'll say yes." Jaiden smirked. "In fact, I know for a fact he'll definitely say yes."
"I don't know." She frowned. "Owen might like somebody, though. I don't want to screw it up by making him fake a relationship with me."
"Owen?" Jaiden's eyes narrowed. "What?"
She released Jaiden's hands. "You know, the kid who Daniel was picking on that I saved. His name's Owen. We're good friends now. He might fake date me."
Groaning, Jaiden leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
" I thought you were talking about me." Jaiden sighed, then shook his head. "Don't do anything with Owen."
"O-okay." She frowned, concerned.
Guys at this school sure were funky. She took a bite of her sandwich and tried to
Owen nodded. "It's not the greatest rumor. Daniel has some hardcore fans. You could have some girls seeking vengeance."
"I'm more worried about my dignity than heartbroken girls." She dusted the powder sugar from her blazer. "Let's just head to class, okay? All of this talk about me kissing Daniel is making me sick."
"Gotcha." Owen nodded. "I'll walk you, just in case something happens."
"Thanks." She grinned, glad she had such a good friend in the face of such a horrible situation.
****
Annamarie headed out of the school and walked down the steps. She'd decided to be healthy for once and carried a turkey sandwich on wheat bread. As she took a bite of her food, she searched the grounds for Jaiden and found the guy standing by the oak tree. When they made eye contact, he waved and grinned. She walked over to him, grateful that there were at least a couple people in school who didn't treat her like a) she was an oozing monster or b) that she was deserving of awe-inspired gawking. She sunk to her butt and Jaiden plopped down beside her.
"How are things with Daniel going?" Jaiden asked, his expression mock serious. "I heard the two of you made progress in your relationship last night. Congrats."
She punched him and he winced.
"Ouch. You do hit hard." He smirked even as he said the words.
"You have to know what Daniel and I were really doing." She leaned back against the trunk. "I've been asked about that stupid story all day. I don't know why nobody believes me when I tell them that there is nothing between me and Daniel be sides sheer hatred."
"Ah, just let the story burn out," Jaiden said. "Another rumor will pop up soon enough and everybody will forget about you."
" It just sucks," she muttered. "If it was any other guy that people thought was my boyfriend, I would be fine. I just hate anybody thinking that Daniel is dating me."
"Then there's your answer," Jaiden said. "Why don't you really date somebody else? That will make the rumor go away faster."
Date somebody? She'd never t hought of that. The problem was she had zero experience dating guys. She wasn't sure she was girlfriend material anyway.
"What's wrong?" Jaiden asked. " Don't like the idea?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I've never dated somebody. I'm not sure I'm even likeable. I mean, look at me. I have a bad temper, I'm messy, and I'm not girly at all. Plus, I don't have curves anywhere. I'm like a walking stick."
"Are you kidding?" Jaiden elbowed her. "I think you're spunky and intelligent. Plus, unlike every other girl at this school, you have a strong personality and won't change it for anyone. I think that deserves a lot of respect."
"Really?" Her cheeks went hot. "Thanks, Jaiden. Why are you being so nice to me, anyway?"
He stared at her. "I just find you endearing."
"Ah, thanks." She really did have some super friends.
His face fell. She had no idea why.
"Maybe you're right about dating somebody." She frowned. "Or maybe I could just fake date somebody."
"I suppose…" He nodded, the smile returning.
"I think I know the perfect somebody." She reached out and seized Jaiden's hands.
"Yeah?" His grin widen ed. "Do you think he'd go for it?"
"I don't know." She paused. "I'll have to ask him."
"I think he'll say yes." Jaiden smirked. "In fact, I know for a fact he'll definitely say yes."
"I don't know." She frowned. "Owen might like somebody, though. I don't want to screw it up by making him fake a relationship with me."
"Owen?" Jaiden's eyes narrowed. "What?"
She released Jaiden's hands. "You know, the kid who Daniel was picking on that I saved. His name's Owen. We're good friends now. He might fake date me."
Groaning, Jaiden leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
" I thought you were talking about me." Jaiden sighed, then shook his head. "Don't do anything with Owen."
"O-okay." She frowned, concerned.
Guys at this school sure were funky. She took a bite of her sandwich and tried to
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