Chapter Two — Jason’s POV

There are three things you need to know about me, Jason Cole:

one, I don’t do relationships.

two, I don’t turn down free attention.

And three, I never pass up a good bet.

So when the entire cafeteria erupted into whispers about Lila Bennett—quiet, brainy Lila—being my girlfriend because of some TikTok, what was I supposed to do? Ignore it? Correct them? Not my style.

Nah. I did what any self-respecting, popular guy with a reputation to maintain would do.

I stood up, grinned like I owned the place, and yelled across the cafeteria, “Lila, babe! Save me a seat after school!”

The look on her face was priceless. Absolute horror. Like I’d just proposed to her in front of the entire senior class. Half the room gasped. The other half whipped out their phones. And me? I just sat back down, basking in the chaos.

Because here’s the thing: I like Lila. Not like-like her, but… she’s interesting. She’s smart. Sarcastic. And she’s probably the only person in this school who isn’t impressed by me. That alone makes her stand out.

So if she wanted to turn me into her “fake boyfriend” on TikTok? Fine. Two can play that game.

She cornered me at my locker after lunch. And when I say “cornered,” I mean she stormed up like a five-foot-something hurricane, finger pointed at my chest, eyes blazing behind her glasses. Honestly, it was kind of cute.

“What the heck was that?” she snapped.

I shut my locker, nice and slow, just to mess with her. “What was what?”

“The cafeteria! The shouting! The—” She hesitated, like the word physically pained her. “The babe.”

I leaned against my locker, grinning. “Oh, that? Just playing along.”

Her jaw dropped. “Playing along?!”

“Correction,” I said, pointing at her. “You’re the one who started this with your TikTok. I’m just capitalizing on it.”

Her face went red, and for a second I thought she might actually throw her history textbook at me. Instead, she just sputtered. “You turned a private joke into a full-on performance!”

I chuckled. Couldn’t help it. She was so easy to rile up. “Relax, Bennett. I’m doing you a favor.”

She blinked at me like I’d just announced I was Batman. “A favor?!”

“Yep. My friends bet me I couldn’t keep a girlfriend for more than a month. If I win, I get front-row tickets to the Battle of the Bands concert.”

She stared at me like I had three heads. “And this has what, exactly, to do with me?”

“You’re my girlfriend now.” I said it casually, like it was obvious. “At least according to the internet. So why not make it official?”

The way her face twisted—priceless. She practically choked on air. “You want me to pretend date you?!”

“Exactly.” I shrugged, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. “Mutually beneficial. You get… social clout, I get my tickets. Win-win.”

She glared, her whole body vibrating like a shaken soda can. “I don’t want social clout. I want to survive junior year without being turned into a meme!”

“Too late for that, babe.” I grinned, and she groaned, burying her face in her hand.

I was about to tease her more when a voice called down the hall.

“Lila?”

Oh. Interesting.

I turned my head and spotted Alex Rivera leaning against his locker, watching us. Rivera: golden boy, soccer star, everyone’s favorite nice guy. I knew for a fact Lila had a crush on him—hard not to notice the way she turned into a human statue whenever he was around.

Which gave me an idea.

Before Lila could say anything, I slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She went stiff as a board, eyes wide, like she’d just been hit by lightning.

“Hey, Rivera,” I said smoothly, flashing him my trademark grin. “Don’t mind us. Just hanging with my girlfriend.”

The air shifted. Rivera’s jaw ticked ever so slightly, like he didn’t quite know how to respond. Then he muttered something about practice and walked off.

Lila whirled on me the second he was gone, shoving at my chest. “What is wrong with you?!”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “Relax, Bennett. I’m just making this more believable.”

“Believable?!” she repeated, like she couldn’t believe I was real. “You’re ruining my life!”

I leaned down until we were eye-level, dropping the cocky smile for just a second. “Or,” I said quietly, “I’m making it a whole lot more interesting.”

Her breath caught. Just for a moment. Then she shoved me again, muttering under her breath as she stalked off.

I watched her go, a grin tugging at my lips.

Because the truth? I hadn’t been this entertained in months.

And if pretending to date Lila Bennett meant getting my concert tickets and watching her try not to strangle me in public? Well, let’s just say this was going to be the most fun bet I’d ever made.