( chapter four )

" It's no good pretending that any relationship has a future if your record collections disagree violently or if your favorite films wouldn't even speak to each other if they met at a party. "

- Nick Hornby, High Fidelity

❁

THE NEXT DAY, Y/N COULD STILL NOT BELIEVE that they were doing this.

Everything felt like slow motion the moment she and Tom went inside the cafeteria of the school. His hand was in her back pocket and both of them walked together.

Just like in the Sixteen Candles. Y/N thought.

People were looking at them with trays on their hands and all you had to do was smile. It was definitely working. As they got into the middle of the cafeteria, he spun her around while his hand was still in her pocket until her body faced his.

Y/N giggled at his action and Tom looked down at her, their foreheads almost touching and their body close to each other.

"What are you doing?" Y/N asked while giggling.

Tom reached out to his pocket and got the small note he wrote for Y/N and gave it to her.

"This one is for you," Tom said and Y/N could just smile and received the handwritten note. Even though they were just pretending, she could feel her stomach flutter as she received the note.

"Thank you."

Tom smiled at Y/N but he could see a glimpse of his ex-girlfriend, Camille across where they are and he saw her face stern the moment he gave the note to Y/N.

It's working.

Tom tucked a strand of hair to Y/N 's ear and whispered to it. "Good job."

Y/N looked up to him with a smile on her face.

"I'll see you in a bit, okay?" Tom said.

"Okay," Y/N answer and pecked on his cheek before walking away from the center of the cafeteria. She could see the look on people's faces but she couldn't care less about their reaction.

After all, this is all just pretend.

"Hey, Y/N!" An arm suddenly wrapped around her shoulders and Y/N jumped a little.

"Erika!"

"Why didn't you tell me that you and Holland are a thing now? How long have you been keeping this from me?" Erika asked as they went out of the cafeteria.

"You should've seen the look on my cousin's face. I could just imagine it all day and make fun of it." Erika said and Y/N slapped her arm playfully. "Hey! What's that for?"

"Still can't believe you say such things to your cousin like that," Y/N said and chuckled.

"Couldn't care more," Erika said. "So tell me. How did things between you and Holland go? How? When? Why? Where-"

"Okay, you gotta stop asking a lot of questions. I am going to answer them." Y/N said.

❁

"So you guys are not official yet?" Erika asked as she munched onto her burger.

"Nope. Hopefully, we will be." Y/N answered.

"Weird enough that he could move on from Camille because they have been together for a long time now," Erika said.

"I know. He even promised me that he will give me small notes every day and he never did that to her." Y/N said.

Keep acting. You can do this.

"Is this like a competition now?" Erika chuckled.

"I mean, she's the one who broke up with him," Y/N said.

"What about Aiden?" Erika suddenly asked and that made Y/N almost stop moving.

"W-what about him?" Y/N tried her best to not crack her voice. She could still feel her heart beating fast.

"Weren't you all over him days ago?" Erika asked.

Y/N sighed and placed down her soda on the table before speaking. "I just realized that he was just that typical crush that we all have."

Lies.

Erika just raised one of her brows before she replied. That judgmental look she gives you.

"Well, you seemed happy with Holland. Just hoping that he won't break your heart or else." She stopped to drink her soda. "Or else he'll have a taste of my fist." Erika formed a fist with her free hand and Y/N just laughed.

"He won't. He promised." Y/N said, trying not to cringe at what she said.

❁

Y/N was, as usual, walking towards her locker and placed her things inside. It was a Friday and thank God she could have rest.

As soon as she closed her locker and turned away from it, Aiden suddenly walked towards her. She could feel her heart beating fast as he was approaching her.

No. No. No.

"Hey Y/N," Aiden said.

"Hey, Aiden," Y/N replied with a small smile on her lips.

"So, you and Tom? You finally had the courage to confess to him ever since you had a crush on him during middle school." Aiden said.

"I-it stopped for a while but then it came back after a while. We aren't officially together-" Y/N was interrupted by a familiar British voice. An arm was wrapped around her shoulders that made her startle.

"Yet," Tom said. He turned to her and gave kissed her head. She giggled and playfully slapped Tom on his chest. She wrapped a hand to his and looked at him. "I'll walk you home?" He asked.

Y/N nodded and looked at Aiden again. "I'm going to walk with Tom now. I'm sorry, Aiden."

"Oh, I-I don't mind, Y/N. I have song practice anyway." Aiden said and scratched the back of his neck. "Take care." He said.

Y/N gave a smile. "You too." Tom and she walked away towards the crowd. A lot of people were still staring at them and she could hear people murmuring but she didn't mind that.

Several minutes later, both she and Tom walked together on the sidewalk. His hands were on the pocket of his jacket and his eyes just looking everywhere. They were already in Y/N's neighborhood and he wanted to be familiar with the place. If he would always walk her home then might as well be familiar with the place.

"Your place is peaceful." Tom suddenly spoke up and broke the silence.

"One of the reasons why I love to live here," Y/N answered.

"At least it's close to school. I don't have to drive you anymore." Tom said.

"You're lucky it's just near. I know you're not that walking-your-girlfriend-home type of a guy." Y/N said and she could just hear him chuckle.

They finally reached her house and they stopped at the doorstep.

"Thank you for walking with me," Y/N said.

"Great job today," Tom said and Y/N could just roll her eyes.

"I tried not to cringe for the whole time. It worked though." Y/N said.

"How about a kiss?" Tom joked and she punched his arm. "Ow!"

"No kissing, you dork," Y/N said. "We're alone now, we don't have to pretend."

The door suddenly opened revealing Y/N's dad with an apron around his waist.

"Thought I heard talking." He said. "Your home, sweetheart." Her dad gave Y/N a peck on her head and turned his head to Tom. "Who is this young man?"

"He's Tom. Tom Holland, dad. My-"

"Her boyfriend, Sir." Tom blurted out and shook hands with her dad. Y/N glared at Tom for what he said.

"How come you never told me about him, Y/N? I could've made more pasta." Her dad said.

"No. It's okay, Sir. I'm just here to drop Y/N. Didn't want her to be alone." Tom said with a smile.

"He's a good kid" Her dad whispered to Y/N and she just looked at him. "Dad." She heard Tom chuckle at her dad's actions.

"I'll get going now, Sir," Tom said.

"I'll leave you two love birds alone for a while." Her dad said. "It's nice to see you, Tom. Don't go breaking my girl's heart, okay?" Her dad said.

"I won't, Sir," Tom assured with a smile and that made her dad finally go back to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry about my dad. He's just like that." Y/N said.

"He seemed chill," Tom said.

"He is. Very." Y/N answered. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course. I don't wanna miss my girlfriend at school." Tom said before walking away to go home.

"Take care, Holland," Y/N said and Tom looked back at her with a smile and his hands on his pockets again and walked away.

Y/N leaned against the wall and watch him walk away until he couldn't be seen anymore. She remembered the note that Tom gave her in the morning and got it out of her pocket. She opened it and read it:

thank you for accepting this, y/n.
can't wait to be your boyfriend.
- T.H

A smile formed on her lips as she read the note and at the thought of Tom and the pretend they just did.

That wasn't so bad after all.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

A/N: i hope ya'll are enjoying and loving this book so far <3

WORD COUNT 1,498 words
PUBLISHED august 18, 2019