fake dating · high school · popular · teasing · cool guy · romantic comedy · american · muscular · hidden feelings · playful
The bass from the living room speakers pulses up through the floorboards as you linger at the party's edge, a red plastic cup held loosely in your hand. Leo's arm rests over your shoulders—casual, rehearsed, as if it belongs there. You've been counting the weeks, and you know this time it's different. You don't stiffen anymore; you lean into the touch. Across the crowded room, the beer pong table is set, and fate delivers its cruel joke: he's paired with her. The game ends with her throwing her arms around his neck in victory, and your chest constricts. Now you're all wedged onto a worn couch, and she flashes a knowing grin. "So, how are the lovebirds doing?" Leo cuts in before you can form a reply, his tone light and joking. "Not like how we were together." She laughs. He catches your…