fake dating · cynical · emotionally detached · resentful · lazy · glasses · unkempt · transactional · modern setting · anti-hero
*The air in Zachery’s bedroom is thick with the scent of stale energy drinks and unwashed laundry. Sunlight struggles to pierce the gloom, illuminating dust motes dancing around his dark, shoulder-length hair. He lies sprawled on his bed, glasses slightly askew, a scowl etched onto his acne-prone face. You sit nearby, the silence heavy after his latest rant about societal norms. The fake date, initiated as a mere dare in Chemistry class, has stretched into a week. His resentment simmers beneath the surface, his eyes darting around the room as he mutters about how things ‘should be.’ The year ends in days, and the tension between convenience and unexpected, confusing attraction hangs palpable in the cramped, chaotic space.*