My third attempt of throwing a pebble from across my room towards Charli's room proved futile as I watched it fail to knock the window pane.

" This is why I get picked last at gym class ," I grumbled,  my energy depleting by the second from my lack of throwing skills. I do throw like a girl!

The reason why I was chucking pebbles at Charli's room was so that I could get her attention for us to talk about the whole fake dating thing. I made a vow not to go to school tomorrow not unless I convince Charli to be my fake girlfriend. I can't stand the idea of running into Leslie again and giving her the satisfaction of annoying the living daylights out of me. I was desperate and my solution lied inside Charli. I prayed for the best while prophesied the worst.

Another pebble is tossed and as expected, falls a few inches away from her balcony. Maybe I should call her .....but I deleted her number a long time ago. So throwing pebbles it is.

"Okay, " I try on some light pep talk to try and psych me up . " this is it. Don't disappoint me please. " Aiming for the left window , I hurled the stone towards the glass . A sharp tap is heard as it crashes on to the pane  and my paranoid self worried that I might have broken the glass, a crack or something big.

With crossed fingers, I watch as Charli's bedroom lights turned on bathing her room with bright golden light, her silhouette hovering behind the curtains, her frame approaching the window before yanking the curtains open. She's wearing a black t shirt with black shorts. The same t shirt she decorated that one time . I remember her using her scissors to rip its torso to make it look rugged before painting a pathetic skeleton on the front with her watercolors.. I'm surprised it hasn't washed off, unless she doesn't wash!

Her hair is disheveled, its unruly locks falling all over her face and shoulder in a messy way. Her face is twisted in a murderous glare as she darted glances around her balcony, trying to look for the source of her interrupted slumber. It doesn't take long for her eyes to meet mine and her glare darkens further.

" What the fuck is wrong with you, asshole!" She growled, her voice riddled with sleep and anger.

" Hello to you too , Charli," I smiled back , leaning over the railing that fenced my balcony.

" Why did you throw a stone at my house?" She demanded with rage, furiously hooking some of her hair strands behind her ear.

" Because I wanted to talk to you about something important," I could tell that she wasn't going to take me seriously or listen to what I had to say regardless of its urgency, her arms crossed over her chest impatiently.

" Is this one of your pranks, because I am going to get you for shoving that dead rat inside my locker," I had forgotten about that. But in my defense , she started it with the dead bird in my locker.

" Oh , like you didn't shove a dead bird in my locker," I said , watching her swallow her words before rolling her eyes at me. " How did you even know my locker combination?"

" Lucky guess," she replied. " What do you want? I need to get in bed at a decent hour and talking to you was not on the top of my list. "

" Oh please, I know you have a crush on me ," Charli gagged violently at that, much to my amusement. She was such a drama queen and I should know that since I'm also a drama queen too.

" Are you going to tell me what you want or should I get back into my room and sleep?" She was always impatient with me , just like I was with her but right now, as much as it pains me , I really needed her help. A shocking revelation seeing as Charli Dawson was the most annoying human being to ever brace this planet. Well, second most annoying, number one being Leslie Jenkins. I can't stand that girl!

" Okay, but promise me you won't freak out," I negotiated but all I got from her was her famous eye roll. That's when I bit the bullet and blurted it out. " I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend."

Those eyes that were initially riddled with sleep and fatigue transformed into ones of disbelief and shock. Her mouth hanging open , exposing her pierced tongue. Her reaction didn't shock me at all. In fact, I was expecting worse.

" This must be a joke , right?" She finally managed to form a coherent speech , her perturbed face shifting to a ludicrous one.

" I know it sounds insane-"

" Just a little bit," She scoffed a derisive laugh, gesturing with her thumb and index finger.

" But I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend so that Leslie Jenkins can leave me alone,"

" So in short you want to use me?"

" Hey, you're catching on fast," I said in a mockery tone, my hands clapping in slow motion. " So will you do it?"

That's when she let out a laugh. Not your typical laugh but more of a hysterical one , a mocking one that cut through the deadened night like a knife through butter. I rolled my eyes, shifting my weight to my right foot as I patiently waited for her to finish cackling. Her laughter only grew louder and I was concerned for our neighbors who chose to retire to bed early tonight. Her laugher triggered barking from nearby dogs. It was that annoying.

Her laughter is finalized by a coughing fit, her left hand clutching against her chest whereas her right was clenched into a tight fist as she coughed  exaggeratingly into it , the aftermath to her cackling.

" You must be crazy to think that I would ever date you, whether it's fake or not," she said breathlessly.

" It's for one day , weirdo," I explained but she just laughed once again.

" How desperate are you?" She asked. " I never realize how hard it was for you to score a girlfriend. No one wants to date the famous Maxwell Cooper? "

" First of all," I said. " I don't date , just a waste of time. Second of all, I'm not desperate. I'm only doing this to get Leslie off my hair."

" And what makes you think I would willingly help you,after all the shit you've put me through? " Another laugh of incredulity.

That's when I recall the harbored photo I had procured from Amanda's laptop. A picture of her wearing pink. Lord knows how furiously she'd get if she knew I had it. Blackmail seemed like a good move at the time. So I resorted to it as my saving grace. Maybe then, she'd barge.

" If you don't say yes, I'll release something of yours to the general public," I smirked at her and for a moment,her bemused smile faltered off her lips , triggering a look of shock and curiosity.

" And what would that be?" As much as she tried to act tough, deep down I knew she was crumbling,her toughened exterior fraying off , desperately wanting to know what it was that I was alluding to. The way she was nervously fidgeting with the collar of her shirt was a sure giveaway sign of her unsettled aura.

" Just a picture of you,"

" That's it? A picture? " She scoffed at the absurdity of the blackmail. " Go ahead, post it."

" Oh so you don't have a problem with me posting a picture of you wearing a pink bikini?" That was all I needed to say to wipe out the mocking grin on her face, replacing it with a terrified one.

" You don't have such a picture, I never wear pink bikinis ,"

" That's what I thought until your mother showed me a certain picture of you in the beach, " Her expression was a telltale sign that she knew what I was talking about. Her groggy voice abruptly adopted a nervous tune, the mood around her shifting immediately. Me releasing that picture of her dressed in pink would be her social suicide. Not that she has that many friends anyway..in fact, Charli was a friendless loner, a lone wolf. Her friends were her poetry journals and her horror posters plastered on her walls. Such a loser! Something tells me she has a huge crush on Freddy Krueger or pennywise. Well pennywise is my favorite horror movie character of all time so it's understandable if she likes him that way.

" So , should I post that pic or are you going to heed to my demands?" I wagered, watching her mentally scold herself. It's times like this that make me proud of myself. I knew this picture would come in handy. It's like I was the puppeteer and Charli the puppet. The strings were on my control and whatever I say goes.

" What do you want?" She growled, finally settling for the deal at hand.

"Simple," I cleared my throat, hands akimbo. " You are going to pretend to be my girlfriend so that Leslie Jenkins can leave me alone. "

" I don't know, I kinda like the idea of Leslie Jenkins disturbing your inner peace," That smirk returned on her face. And for some reason, Charli looked....I don't know, cute ? With her out of bed hair, a mess yet attractive-

Get a grip, Max!

" I won't hesitate to hit send on that sensitive photo of yours, and you know I can and will do it," I threatened with a hiss.

A moment of silence passed, Charli ruminating on the pros and cons of the situation, chewing her bottom lip as she did. The worst she can do is say no and if she does say no, then I'll be forced to release that photo , therefore ruining her goth reputation. She'd probably be kicked out of the goth club if she does exist in one.

" I'll think about it," Was her final response, getting back in her room and closing the curtains, depriving me of her visual image. Soon her bedroom lights would turn off , leaving a dark void staring at me from across her room.

" Think smart then," I called out after her even though I knew she couldn't hear me anymore. I just hope this would work so that Leslie Jenkins can get out of my life once and for all.

****************

Nothing annoys me more than the shrill cry of the morning alarm. It's even worse when you've already hit the snooze button thrice and all I'm left is the dreaded task of having to divorce my blankets and step into the crisp morning air that stung my skin like razor blades. Heavy eyelids refusing to open , momentarily subjecting me to blindness as I staggered through my room in an attempt to locate the light switch, occasionally knocking something with my legs.

Even through my closed bedroom door , I could hear Roxie's out of tune singing. Another source of my morning grumpiness and headache.

Where's Simon Cowell when you need him?

I trail downstairs, my nose leading me to the kitchen where mom is cooking.... something. It smells good , much to my pleasant surprise. I don't remember the last time mom cooked something this smelled amazing.

" Good morning, Boo bear," Her chirpy voice greeted me as she untied her pink apron before hanging it on one of the hooks nailed on the kitchen wall next to the pantry.

" Ugh mom! I told you I'm too old for that name," I whined, sliding onto the kitchen stool settled by the breakfast counter. I sniff loudly, the enticing smell dancing lavishly on my sinuses, for the second time . " What are you cooking?"

" Eggs and bakey, with a slight twist," She spoke with excitement , jumping on her tippie toes like an excited five year old girl.

Anything mom makes with a 'slight twist' usually ends up being something unusually unbelievable. Like that one time she squeezed a blob of toothpaste inside our ice cream sundae thinking it would have the same effect as mint chocolate chip.

" What twist?" I asked in a fearful voice , preparing for the worst.

" It's a secret," A wink. That's code for i added an inedible ingredient to it and hoped for the best. Guess I'm skipping breakfast today. My gaze follows the fruit basket situated right in the middle of the dinning table, assorted fruits nuzzled inside. A green apple beckons for me in a silent call. An apple doesn't seem like a bad enough idea for breakfast.

Roxie is done and I trudge back into my room, assemble my bathroom items before my groggy gaze falls on my hoodie settled at the foot of my bed. The same hoodie Amanda had worn yesterday.

A loud  yawn escapes my lips .

I don't hesitate as I reach over for it and shameless bury my nose on its navy blue  woven fibers, getting a faint whiff of her perfume as it mingled with my signature cologne. I let out a low groan, pleasure coursing through my veins , triggering a million naughty ideas flooding my prefrontal cortex on my brain. I knew there and then that I wasn't going to wash this hoodie , afraid that I'll wash away the sweet feminine scent of her and the forbidden memory that came with it; the memory of her body wearing this specific hoodie not a few hours back. My morning wood turned into a pleasurable erection. Maybe I should jerk off while I got the time. A nice, slow , stroking along my hardened tube of meat-

Tap tap tap!

I jumped at the sudden rapping at my bedroom window, my heart stopping by the second. Gathering my thoughts and regaining my composure, I braved the walk over to my window, yanked the blinds off and my mood plummets down a few feet, aerated.

Charli Dawson.

I groan , reluctantly opening the window for her and I'm immediately slapped by the harsh icy howling of the chilly morning air. That and the slightly intoxicating scent of Charli's perfume. Lemons. She smelled like lemons..or is it tangerine? Pardon my lack of knowledge that entails citrus scents.

" I wasn't expecting to see an ugly face outside my bedroom window this morning," I intoned in an unenthusiastic voice. She rolled her eyes, a habit of hers that I'd picked up on whenever she was annoyed or irritated. Or disturbed.

" You know, I'm doing you a huge favor," she lectured, arms crossed over her chest. " Would it kill you to show me a little bit of respect?"

" Respect is earned and last I checked, you haven't earned it yet from me ," Another eye roll from her. " What did I tell you about rolling your eyes like that? They'll get stuck behind your head , sweetheart."

" Don't sweetheart me," She spat. " So what's the plan again?"  For a moment, my brain seemed to be dancing in a mist of confusion on what she was asking before I get the jist.

" We act all lovey dovey around Leslie Jenkins enough for her to get the idea that I'm taken by you," I tried not to throw up inside my mouth once I'd uttered those words.

" So we hold hands and kiss-"

" Ew no!" I gagged at the image of me kissing her. I hadn't eaten anything yet but the urge to vomit at that thought was strong. I'd probably heave my intestines out. " We are not kissing."

" Then how are we supposed to be convincing towards Leslie?"

" We can hold hands, " Even the thought of holding her hand made me queasy, my stomach protesting against the idea immediately.

" Oh," her face fell , eyes staring down at my beach-sand brown carpet .

" What, you sound disappointed at the thought of not kissing me," I teased her . Sometimes I loved to humor her. It brought me a special kind of joy ,one that can't be replicated at all cost.

" Why would I want to kiss a mouth that smells like a gas station toilet?" Of course she'd say something as cruel as that. It's expected but I liked it. It's how our relationship worked. I say something mildly insulting and she retorts back with a more harsh insult and we just keep going.

" You're the one that suggested that we should lock lips ,"

" Because that's what lovers do," She argued back , her voice rising by an octave.

" We're fake dating....no need to get all extra with kissing and stuff,"

" Fine ," She replied, seemingly fed up with this conversation, arms crossed.

We stood there in silence and I allowed myself to take in her outfit with my judgemental eyes. Black punk rock shirt decorated with dark art ( blood and gore ), black fishnet stockings, black jean shorts fraying at the hems and black ankle boots. Around her neck was a black tassel layered choker necklace that accentuated her prominent collar bones . I guess my gaze lingered for seconds longer on her neckline so much that it evoked a reaction from her , her hand instinctively falling over it shielding it from my eyes.

" For someone who hates my tiny boobs , you sure seem to like to stare at my chest," she spoke with laughter in her voice.

" Bold of you to assume that I'm staring at your chest," I dismissively went. " Nice necklace though. It compliments your inner ugliness."

" Whatever," That's when my bedroom doors burst open , and in bustled Roxie , humming a tune only she knew. She stops abruptly to assess the scene in front of her eyes, shifting glances between Charli and I before a devious smirk crawled on to her glossy lips.

" What's going on over here?" The way she said that made it seem as though we were shooting amateur porn in here as opposed to us talking.

" Nothing that concerns you," I said .

" Right," She sent me a wink. " Hi , Charlotte." Roxie waved at the subdued Charli who in turn waved a hi back , her voice small , almost inaudible.

" Has Max told you the reason why he has a telescope in his room?" My eyes widen  without warning, alarmed by that question. I know I act all nonchalant when Roxie threatened to disclose to Charli about me spying on her through my high res telescope, a false accusation by the way , but hearing her say it out loud to her made the hairs on my neck rise in horror. She wouldn't dare!

" No, why?" Asked Charli , eyebrow arched in confusion.

" Roxie," I called out, awarding her a fake smile. " Would you mind shutting up?"

" Sure thing, little bro," She replied but the spark of mischief in her eyes refused to settle down and if I was a gambler I'd bet that she was going to inform Charli about my voyeurism. Only she didn't have a clue that it had nothing to do with her . It was her mother that'd caught my eyes.

She was the perfect subject to any photo.