I didn't sleep that night. Who would? I kept replaying the moment over and over in my
head-Jayden's smirk, the way he said "Sure. Why not?" like agreeing to be my fake boyfriend was
just another Tuesday.
The next morning, Nana Yaa practically dragged me to school like it was Christmas.
"You're basically famous now," she whispered. "People are talking."
"They're probably laughing," I muttered.
Sure enough, as we walked through the front gate, heads turned. I could feel the stares like heat on
my neck. Whispers floated in the air like perfume.
At break, Jayden found me by the water tank. Like, *actually* walked over to me. Girls stared. Boys
stared. Even the teachers stared.
"You got a pen?" he asked casually.
I handed him mine. He used it to write something in his notebook, then passed it back-along with a
folded paper.
Meet me behind the science block. Now.Contract Love: 30 Days of Pretending
I blinked. Then blinked again.
Nana Yaa shoved me. "Go!"
I found him leaning against the wall, arms crossed, sunglasses on like he was in a movie.
"So," he said. "Ground rules."
"Okay..."
He held up one finger. "No real feelings."
I nodded, heart skipping.
"Two. We keep it for thirty days. After that, we 'break up' and move on."
"Fine," I said, pretending I wasn't already invested.
"Three," he added, stepping a little closer, "if either of us catches real feelings, we call it off. No
drama."
My throat felt dry. "Deal."
He stared at me for a moment longer, then smiled.