Chapter 2

I received a call from Gianna a moment later, but I ignored it.

Gianna called me three times in a row before sending me several voice messages. "Can you please stop acting out? That's just how the game works, Zachary.

"I lost, which means that you need to pair up as a couple with Natalia for now, and it ends once you finish the three tasks tomorrow night. We're all going to be in the same university going forward, so please don't embarrass me like this, Zachary."

I laughed out of sheer exasperation. I couldn't believe that Gianna actually handed me off to someone else like an object, yet she had the nerve to blame me for embarrassing her in front of others.

I opened the group chat and checked the documents sent. I found out that the so-called couple tasks came down to three things. First, Natalia and I had to feed each other cake. Second, we had to take a photo holding hands and post it in the freshman chat group. Third, the man had to bridal-carry the woman for ten seconds.

Those in the group chat had already started feeling bad for Natalia.

"Who came up with the third task? Is he even capable of bending over with that big belly of his?"

"He weighs more than 220 pounds, for goodness' sake! He should pray that his pants don't rip before he even gets Natalia off the ground!"

"If all else fails, Natalia can just jump into his arms herself to spare him the effort."

Natalia remained completely silent in the group chat the whole time. She used a blurry photo of her back facing the sea as her profile picture. She also didn't post much on her social media, with only one of her posts visible to the public.

Yet, everyone in the group chat seemed really hung up on her.

Cameron was the most obvious about it. He acted like a mediator whenever people threw shade at me, but every time someone tagged Natalia, he was the first to speak up on her behalf. "Nat doesn't like messaging in group chats. We'll figure out the tasks later, so stop pushing her."

That overly familiar tone of his made it seem like Natalia was already his girlfriend.

Gianna chimed in. "You seem pretty familiar with Natalia, Cameron."

Cameron replied, "Is someone getting jealous?"

Gianna instantly retorted. "As if!"

She topped it off with a blushing emoji.

I felt sick to my stomach as I looked at those messages. I couldn't believe that she was flirting with Cameron while keeping me tied to her as her online boyfriend in-game. What was I supposed to be? Could it be that I was just a side option or just some virtual pet she could pull out to entertain the crowd?

I was about to leave the group chat when my childhood friend, Keith Tanner, suddenly video-called me.

Keith went off the moment I answered the call. "Has Gianna lost her mind, Zachary? How could she hand over her own boyfriend to her best friend? Is Gianna really treating this like some kind of game?"

I was stunned. "How did you find out about this?"

Keith angrily smacked the desk on his end of the call. "Those screenshots are already all over our high school group chat! Gianna posted your photo, right? You used to go on about how gentle and sweet she was, but she's clearly not like how you described!

"Cameron, on the other hand, is acting like a saint while throwing passive-aggressive shade at you with every sentence!"

I laughed in response.

Keith looked even more worried when he saw me laughing. "What are you planning to do, Zachary? You should just post a photo of what you look like now and completely shut them down!"

"I won't send it."

"Why not?"

I opened my closet and glanced over the clothes hanging inside. "What's the fun in just sending a photo?"

They could say the photo was photoshopped, stolen, or face-swapped. They would find a hundred ways to explain it away if they didn't want to believe me.

I wanted them to see me in person. I wanted them to regret it firsthand.

Keith immediately understood my intention and slapped his thigh in pure excitement. "You're actually going to the gathering, Zachary?"

"Of course I am. I'm already in for 450 dollars."

"You definitely have to go then! Didn't Gianna drop 4,500 dollars on you not showing up? You should take her money, then show that she was never good enough for you, Zachary!"

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Mom walked in with a cup of hot chamomile tea. She briefly paused when she spotted the new shirt laid out on my bed. "You're going to the gathering tomorrow?"

I hummed in assent.

Mom hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Are you going to meet that young woman you met online, Zachary?"

I fell silent. I had put myself through a year-long weight loss journey all for Gianna. I was living on a few salad leaves a day when things got really bad, tossing and turning with stomach cramps and relying on hot compresses just to fall asleep.

It wasn't until my checkup results came back alarming that the doctor forced me to quit dieting.

That was when I started controlling my sugar intake and doing weight training. I went from around 275 pounds to 220, then 175, and finally 130.

Mom had watched me go through eight different clothing sizes. She had also watched me step on the scale countless times, completely exhausted with bloodshot eyes, but still refusing to quit.

She knew how much I had been looking forward to meeting Giana. She didn't know that all of that excitement had already disappeared, though. She set down the cup and patted my shoulder before leaving.

"You're still my son, whether you're fat or thin, handsome or not, Zachary. You shouldn't make yourself miserable trying to please anyone."

I felt a sudden lump in my throat the moment the door closed.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a notification. Natalia, who'd been quiet the whole time, finally stepped in. She ignored all the peanut gallery banter and just sent one simple message. "Zachary isn't something to bet on."

In that instant, everyone in the group chat fell completely silent.

Natalia tagged me again just a few seconds later. "You don't have to show up if you don't feel like coming tomorrow."

Gianna chimed in instantly. "It's just a game, so don't take it so seriously, Nat."

Cameron jumped in too. "It's all just for fun, Nat. If you don't want to do the tasks with him, I'll do them with you instead."

Natalia ignored them completely.

I stared at her message saying that I wasn't something to bet on, then tapped into her profile for the very first time. I couldn't explain it, but something about her felt familiar.