Chapter Six — Lila’s POV

If I could erase one week of my life, it would be this one.

By Tuesday morning, my “relationship” with Jason Cole had spread across school faster than a cafeteria fire drill. People I didn’t even know were whispering my name in the hallways, girls gave me looks sharp enough to cut glass, and—worst of all—Alex Rivera actually talked to me.

That should’ve been my dream come true. The highlight of my year. Alex, my quiet, steady crush, looking at me like I wasn’t invisible. But instead of feeling butterflies, my stomach felt like it was auditioning for a roller coaster commercial.

And, okay, maybe it had something to do with the fact that Jason had his arm slung around my shoulder again.

“Smile, babe,” he whispered as we passed the lockers, like he was my personal paparazzi director. “You’re supposed to look happy.”

I turned my head just enough to glare at him. “I’m supposed to look normal. And normal is not walking around like a human backpack.”

He smirked, leaning closer. “You love it.”

“I’d love to see you get hit with a stray dodgeball in gym class.”

Jason just laughed, because of course he did. He’s immune to insults.

At lunch, Ava nearly dragged me across the cafeteria to sit with her. She was buzzing like she’d just consumed three energy drinks and a family-sized pack of gummy worms.

“Okay,” she hissed, slamming her tray down. “You have to spill. What’s it like dating Jason freaking Cole?”

I choked on my soda. “It’s not—it’s—we’re not—Ava!”

She raised an eyebrow. “The way you’re blushing says otherwise.”

“I’m not blushing.”

“You’re basically a tomato with hair.”

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. Of course, Jason chose that exact moment to saunter over, plop down beside me, and steal one of my fries like it was his birthright.

“Hey, babe.” He leaned back, all casual charm. “Miss me?”

Ava’s grin could’ve powered the school’s electricity for a week. “Oh my God, you guys are disgusting. I love it.”

I kicked her under the table.

Jason nudged me. “Don’t look so miserable. I’m doing you a favor, remember?”

“Ruining my life is not a favor.”

He popped the fry in his mouth, completely unfazed. “The views on that TikTok say otherwise.”

I wanted to throttle him.

After lunch, I was shoving my books into my locker when I heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, Lila.”

I froze. Slowly turned.

Alex Rivera was standing there, smiling at me like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“Oh. Uh. Hi,” I stammered, mentally cursing myself for forgetting how words worked.

He shifted his backpack higher on his shoulder. “So… you and Jason, huh?”

My heart did a weird flip. Not the good kind. More like the “oh no, my secret crush is onto me” kind.

“Y-Yeah,” I managed. “Crazy, right?”

He studied me for a second, like he was trying to figure something out. Then he nodded. “Well… if you ever need anything, you know where to find me.”

And just like that, he walked away.

My brain short-circuited.

Alex Rivera had basically offered to be my knight in shining armor. Past-Lila would’ve built an entire wedding P*******t board off that one sentence. But present-Lila? She couldn’t stop hearing Jason’s laugh echoing down the hall.

And worse, she couldn’t stop wondering if Alex had said that because he liked me… or because he thought Jason was bad news.

That night, I FaceTimed Ava, hoping she’d talk me down. Instead, she practically screamed in my ear.

“Alex talked to you? Alex Alex? The one you’ve been obsessed with since ninth grade?!”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts. This is perfect! He’s obviously jealous. The fake boyfriend plan is working!”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “There is no plan. This is all a nightmare.”

“Nightmare? Girl, this is a rom-com. You’re living the plot!”

I groaned. “Rom-coms don’t have me wanting to throw my phone at Jason’s face every five minutes.”

Ava grinned. “That’s just chapter one. By chapter ten, you’ll be swooning.”

I hung up on her before she could say “happily ever after.”

As I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my phone buzzed. A notification.

Jason Cole tagged you in a video.

I opened it with dread.

It was a TikTok of him holding up a carton of chocolate milk in the cafeteria, grinning. Captioned:

“Bought her favorite. Boyfriend of the year, right? #spoiled #bestgf”

I nearly screamed into my pillow.

Because the worst part wasn’t that he posted it without asking.

The worst part was that chocolate milk actually was my favorite.