A week prior...

      "I should've known. You're a sly fox Jae-Jae," she sung, wiggling her eyebrows before taking another sip of her drink.

      "I need you to be my girlfriend for two weeks."

      Spitting her drink all over the boy before her, she dropped her bottle on the floor and fell into a coughing fit. "I," she coughed as she hit her chest, "I'm sorry."

      He looked visibly disgusted. His lips turned, and he stared down at his clothes. "Ew," he grimaced.

      She settled her cough. "Sorry, I—" she wheezed, "I think my hearing failed me for a sec there. What?"

      "I almost wish I could take it back now." He leaned down and picked up her empty water bottle, handing it to her. "Look, you know I don't have friends here. So, I thought maybe you'd be able to help me."

      She gulped, taking the bottle from his hands. "W-well—"

      "Hear me out first," he stopped her, "I...lied to my parents."

      Catalina stared at him.

      "I told them I had a girlfriend—which... I don't."

      She gave a nervous laugh, "Why?"

      "So they'd get off my back and stop staging dates. It was all I could think of and I didn't exactly think it through. I kind of said it on the spot."

      "What's this have to do with me?"

      He sighed, shoulders slumping. "They're coming to visit me and settle some business...which means that I need a fake girlfriend for two weeks."

      "You can't possibly—no," she shook her head, "God no! Don't look at me like that Jae, no. I can't..."

      "I really need your help," he pouted.

      "Jae! Look—I...ugh," she breathed, "Jae, honestly, I'd love to help you but—"

      "So, help me."

      "Jae," she shook her head once more, "we just met a few days ago and we've only talked twice. Both times of which you've been rude to me."

      Jae nodded. "You're right," he admitted, "sorry. Well, in any case, thanks for wanting to be my friend. I'll see you around, and... I'll go clean my shirt now."

      Catalina sighed in defeat as he turned to leave. By nature, she was always the guilt-ridden girl. His request wasn't mean or indecent, she thought in all it wasn't that bad. So, she called out to him, and he soon turned to face her, asking what was wrong.

      "I'll do it," she said, arms crossed over her chest. She always gave up in the end, especially if a cute guy asked her for a small favour.

      His eyes lit up, but there was no smile on his face. "Really? You will?"

      Hesitantly, she nodded. "Yup. But," she stressed, "you gotta smile for me."

      "What? No," he frowned.

      "Okay then, good luck finding someone or telling your parents you lied," she shrugged, looking down at her nails.

      "If you think—"

      "I mean, I wasn't the one begging for help. And I'm also not the one that dug my own grave."

      Jae scoffed, "You were and fine." He rolled those coffee eyes of his.

     She looked up, triumphant smile lighting her glossy lips. "Awesome. Smile."

     His glare did not falter as he stretched his lips. "Happy?" He growled through clenched teeth.

     "You need to work on that, but I'll accept it for today."

     Presently...

     Catalina sat on Andrea's bed, thinking if she should accept Jae's second 'date'. She fell back on the bed with an oof and closed her eyes shut as she thought about his leaning frame over her.

     "Well," Madeline stretched on the king-sized bed, "how did it go? Your first date with Jae?"

     "Guys—" she stopped herself, remembering that Jae had asked her to keep it a secret from her friends. "It...wasn't exactly a date."

     Andrea sighed, "It's always the same with you, isn't it?"

     "Whadda ya mean by that?" She narrowed her gaze at the brunette.

     In return, Andrea shrugged. "You tell me."

     Madeline giggled, hugging the pillow she had previously had her head rested on. "Well, Cat, go on. Tell us!"

     Catalina sat back up, scooted back up against the wall. "We had dinner at a very expensive place."

     "Did he cover the bill?" Andrea spun around on the office chair, making herself dizzy.

     "Well..." Catalina recalled how it was his father who had suggested he pay, "not exactly."

     "He made you pay?" Andrea gasped.

     "No, he just... He, well practically he did."

     She raised her eyebrow, inquiring, "Practically? So, you paid it?"

     "No! I mean, he practically paid the bill."

     Madeline sat up straight. There was a grin on her face. "Did you kiss?"

     "Guys!" Catalina rolled her eyes, huffing, "We didn't kiss. We had dinner and that's all there is to it."

      Andrea stopped spinning, her head lilting slightly. "Good. I would say you're moving too fast. Plus, I disapprove of this relationship; you guys don't even know each other."

     "So, who is the mysterious Sung-Jae? Now that you got to spend an entire evening with him, you should know a thing or two." Madeline fluttered her eyelashes.

     Catalina pouted her lips, tapping her chin. "He is still just as mysterious."

     "Really? You didn't find out anything new?"

     "His parents are rich and not like the super duper rich 'I can literally live off the price of their shoes', but they're very wealthy. He...he doesn't smile much and he's such a tease."

     "So why did he ask you out?"

     She shrugged. "Guess he was lonely?" She lied.

     "So, you accepted his proposal without a second thought? Cat, I know you like cute boys, everyone does, but that doesn't make you—" She didn't finish for Catalina interrupted.

     "I know what you're going to say, and I would say it too, but don't worry guys. We might have the whole 'dating' label, but we're starting by building a friendship first; I can assure you that we're not trying to get together together. It's like putting something on 'Reserved', you know?"

     "Reserved? Are you a restaurant that you can be rented out and 'reserved' as if it's nothing?" Andrea grimaced. "I do not approve. At all."

     Catalina felt conflicted. She wanted to tell her friends the truth but as Jae had made her promise not to utter a single word to anyone, she was in a bind. Catalina always trusted her friends, she cared for and valued their opinions; especially when it came to guys. After Catalina had gone through a horrible breakup and both Andrea and Madeline never liked the guy, they'd vowed to each other that they would listen to the advice of the others...and well, although Catalina wasn't really dating Jae, she felt guilty. 

     "Do you really not like him? At all? Like, not even a teeny-tiny bit?" Catalina asked, leaning forward.

     Andrea sighed. "He's cute, he seems stoic but still like a good kid, but I think you guys are moving too fast and that's what's not right."

     Catalina pondered. "You're right. I should tell him that we should take things slow."

     "Oh!" Madeline pipped up, "Are you going on a second date?" Madeline was a gossip, it was in her blood and she loved to hear details of dates and kisses and all that came with romance. She lived for that. It gave her excitement in her life and made her all giddy, plus, she'd never had a boyfriend before.

     "Maddie," Andrea scolded, "what did I just say? I told her they should take it slow, which means they shouldn't have a second date for a while."

     "Way to ruin all the fun, mum." Madeline rolled her eyes, pouting.

     Andrea shot her a glare.

     "Well," Catalina breathed. "he invited me on a second date."

     "A second—Cat, tell me you didn't agree!"

     Catalina nibbled on her lip. "Well, I kinda already did. It's just...he invited me to go out to a few places with him. You know, like down town and what not."

     "No. That's out of the question."

     "Why?"

     "Cat, I just said to take things slow. What the hell, girl?"

     "Look, it's just for us to get to know each other. We're going to have some crepes and he invited me for Korean barbeque, and we're just going to tour around. I also owe him a smoothie, so we're probably going to do that too."

     "What? Why do you owe him a smoothie?"

     Catalina laughed nervously, "I...lost a bet. It was a petty one..." She rubbed the back of her neck, giving a hopeless smile.

     "Are you gonna give him anything sweet," Madeline winked.

     "What's that supposed to mean?"

     Madeline shrugged, "Are you going to give him anything? Like chocolates or something."

     "Uhh...why would I do that?"

     She hummed an 'I don't know' and shuffled about on the bed, "Isn't that what people do?"

     "No, that's not what people do. They only do that on Valentine's," Andrea answered.

     "Ah, right, right. Forgot, been watching too many shows," Madeline excused herself. "Anyway," she drawled, "how about pizza for dinner?"

     Catalina didn't get away with it, though, Andrea chided her a bit more, trying to give her the right relationship advice and Catalina tried her best to make her friend understand that nothing was happening.

     Friday arrived sooner than she expected (or even wished). Jae had settled that Friday would be a great day to take some fake couple photos as it was the only day they both did not have a class. He asked her to bring at least three different outfits so that they could make it look like they'd been dating for a while. She shoved two extra outfits into her black backpack and ran down the stairs. She stopped by the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing a cream puff.

     "Mija," her mother chided, "you should eat something substantial."

     Catalina smiled, "Ma," she popped another cream puff into her mouth, "I already had breakfast an hour ago." She spoke through a full mouth.

     "It's not healthy to—"

     The honk of a car was heard, and Catalina grabbed two more cream puffs. "Bye ma, love you," she kissed her mother's cheek.

     "Wait." Her mother stopped her. "La bendicion, mija."

     Catalina stopped in front of her mother as she was blessed and gave her mother another kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back before ten, I promise."

     "Who're you going with?"

     "Jae!" She called from the foyer as she slipped on a black pair of boots.

     "Oh, okay!"

     Catalina exited the house just as she heard her mother question who Jae was, but she was already halfway to the sidewalk when she thought to answer. Rolling her eyes upon seeing Jae's car, she pulled the passenger seat's door open and threw her bag in before settling inside. "You never told me you had a BM. What the heck man?"

     "Good morning to you too," he sighed as she buckled up.

     "Cream puff?" She offered, passing the treat over to him.

     He gave her a side look. "No, thank you."

     "Too bad." She shrugged, extending her hand closer to him, cream puff in hand. "It's good, I promise."

     "Nu-uh." He pressed his lips together, turning away from her.

     Frowning, she leaned closer towards him. "Just one, for me?"

     Looking at her, he took it from her; not with his hand, though. He bit the cream puff as it was still between her fingers. He immediately regretted the decision as his cheeks grew darker and the blush spread all the way to his ears.

     At first, Catalina just stared at Jae and then she burst into laughter. "Oh Jae," she wheezed, "you're so funny."

     "Shut up," he growled and stepped on the gas pedal, sending the car forward. "What are you even wearing?" He asked, as he had noticed she wore a black and green plaid skirt with black stockings. "Is that a band shirt?"

     She looked down at her clothes. She had seen his preppy look and already thought they wouldn't match. She didn't stress though, as she had brought two other outfits that weren't so grunge. "I was going for the grunge look, why? Do I look bad or something?"

     "No, but if you don't want my parents to hate you any more than they do...well, you get the point."

     "Right, okay but do I look hot or what?"

     Glancing her over as they reached a stop sign, he nodded. "Yeah, you do." 

     Crossing her legs with a smile on her face, she ate the last remaining cream puff. "I'm excited! I haven't gone on a date for like a year; this should be fun."

     "Don't get the wrong idea, this isn't a real date; this is business."

     She crossed her arms over her chest. "Party pooper."