Chapter 1 – We Don't Do Love
The campus cafe smelled like caffeine and heartbreak.
It was Valentine's Week, which meant every table was occupied by couples feeding each other red velvet cake or pretending to like poetry. The fairy lights were soft and golden, the music romantic enough to make single people nauseous — and right in the center sat Lara Brooks and Jayden Cole, two people who believed love was a social scam.
Jayden was the loud one — the kind of guy who laughed too hard at his own jokes and thought sarcasm was a love language. Lara, on the other hand, was quieter but sharper — every word from her mouth could slice through an ego like a hot knife through butter. Together, they were chaos with caffeine.
"Look at that," Lara whispered, nodding toward a couple sharing one milkshake through two straws. "That's not romance, that's bacteria bonding."
Jayden nearly snorted his coffee. "You're disgusting. But also — you're right. If anyone ever tries that with me, I'm calling the CDC."
The couple glanced over; Lara smiled sweetly, unbothered.
They weren't bullies — at least, not intentionally. They just had a talent for noticing every awkward romantic moment and turning it into a joke just for fun sake. Their TikTok account, #LoveFails101, had half the campus addicted. From disastrous proposal videos to failed pickup lines in the library, they turned cringe into comedy gold.
It wasn't that Lara and Jayden hated love — they just didn't do love. Lara had dated once in high school and called it "a group project that went wrong." Jayden had been ghosted three times, once by someone who lived in his dorm building. So now they made fun of the concept, proudly calling themselves Team No Feelings.
"Okay," Jayden said, scrolling through his phone. "Someone just commented, 'When are you two gonna realize you're literally soulmates?'"
Lara rolled her eyes. "Ugh. People are delusional. You're like my annoying brother who eats my fries and steals my pens."
"Please," Jayden said, smirking. "If I were your brother, you'd still find a way to flirt with me i know u too well."
She threw a napkin at him. "You wish."
Their laughter echoed across the cafe, drawing a few stares — but they didn't care. They were comfortable in their bubble of inside jokes and unseriousness.
Then Lara's eyes lit up with that mischievous sparkle Jayden knew too well.
"Oh no," he said, groaning. "I know that look. You're about to ruin my life."
"Relax," she said, grinning. "I was just thinking… since everyone already ships us, why don't we prove how stupid love looks? You know — fake date for a week. For content."
Jayden blinked. "Fake date. As in — pretend to be in love?"
"Exactly. Post a few photos, act disgustingly cute, make it look real. Then we reveal it was all a joke. Boom — viral."
He leaned back, studying her face. "You're serious?"
"As serious as I'll ever be."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Lara Brooks, queen of chaos, wants to fake-date me. This is how horror movies start."
"Oh come on, Jayden. What's the worst that could happen?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You fall in love with me?"
She laughed. "Not even in a parallel universe."
"Then it's a deal," he said, extending his hand. "But when you do fall for me, I expect an apology and chocolate."
"In your dreams," she said, shaking it.
And just like that — one handshake sealed their doom.
---
The First Experiment
By Monday morning, the entire campus was buzzing.
It started with a single post — a selfie of Lara and Jayden in the library, her head on his shoulder, both smirking. The caption read:
> "Plot twist: Team No Feelings caught feelings 💅🏽💔 #CoupleGoals #TotallyNotFake"
People lost it. Comments flooded in.
"FINALLY!"
"They're so cute omg."
"Called it since last semester."
Within hours, their phones were blowing up. Friends texted. Professors side-eyed them in class. Even the campus gossip page reposted it with heart emojis.
Lara and Jayden found the whole thing hilarious. During lunch, they sat under the big oak tree near the fountain, scrolling through reactions.
"Someone said they 'knew love could change even the coldest hearts.' I'm cold now?" Lara said.
Jayden grinned. "Ice queen vibes. But hey, they think I'm your sunshine. I'll take it."
She snorted. "You're more like a flickering lamp — unreliable and slightly annoying."
"Wow. My fake girlfriend is abusive already."
"Oh please. You signed up for this."
They took another "cute couple" selfie — Jayden pretending to feed her fries while she dramatically rolled her eyes — and posted it with the caption:
> "He's insufferable. I love that for me."
The comments section exploded again.
But something else was happening, something neither of them said out loud — their jokes were starting to feel real.
The way he brushed her hair off her face before a photo.
The way she started saving seats for him in lecture halls.
The way they looked at each other just a little longer than before.
---
Trouble in Paradise
By midweek, Lara's roommate, Tessa, had had enough.
"Okay, spill," Tessa said, arms crossed. "You and Jayden. What's going on?"
"Nothing!" Lara protested. "It's a joke. A social experiment."
Tessa raised an eyebrow. "A social experiment doesn't make your face do that when you talk about him."
Lara blinked. "Do what?"
"Smile like you're in a toothpaste commercial."
"Gross." Lara tossed a pillow at her. "He's just— Jayden. You know? Loud, annoying, allergic to commitment."
Tessa grinned. "And you like him."
"Do not."
"Sure, sure. Keep lying to yourself, ma'am."
Lara buried her face in her hands. "This is getting out of control."
Meanwhile, Jayden was facing similar teasing from his roommate, Chris.
"Fake dating, huh?" Chris said. "So that's why you spent twenty minutes fixing your hair this morning?"
"Bro, I always fix my hair," Jayden said defensively.
"Not like that. You even used her favorite cologne."
Jayden froze. "She doesn't have a favorite cologne."
Chris smirked. "Oh really? You sure about that?"
Jayden groaned. "It's just for the joke, man. Chill."
But when he checked his reflection before class and adjusted his shirt twice, he wasn't so sure anymore.
---
The Prank Backfires
Thursday came with chaos. Lara had planned a "fake breakup" prank for their next post — a dramatic scene in the courtyard, complete with fake tears and sarcastic captions.
"Ready to ruin hearts?" she asked, smirking.
"Born ready," Jayden said.
They stood by the fountain, surrounded by students pretending not to stare. Lara crossed her arms.
"So this is it?" she said loudly, her voice dripping with fake drama. "You're choosing gaming over me?"
Jayden blinked. "Wait, that's the breakup line?"
"Just go with it."
He threw his hands up. "Well maybe if you didn't comment on every meme I post—"
"Because your memes are dumb!"
"Because you don't have taste!"
People gasped. Phones came out. It was ridiculous — and kind of perfect.
Until Lara said, "Fine! We're done, Jayden. I'm deleting your number."
And his smile faltered. Just a second — a flicker of something real.
She froze. The laughter died in her throat.
For a heartbeat, neither spoke. The crowd laughed, thinking it was all part of the act — but Lara saw the flash of hurt in his eyes.
Then he forced a grin. "Well, good luck finding someone with my level of patience, Brooks."
He walked off. Still smiling for the cameras, but his shoulders were tense.
And for the first time since they started their little game, Lara didn't feel like laughing.
---
The Joke's On Them
That night, Lara couldn't sleep. The texts from friends — "Omg you guys were hilarious!" — made her stomach twist.
She opened her phone, scrolled through their fake couple posts, and sighed. Every photo looked too real now. Every joke had a memory behind it.
The next morning, she found Jayden sitting alone by the fountain, headphones in, staring at the water.
She hesitated, then sat beside him.
"Hey," she said softly.
He didn't look up. "Hey."
"Look… I didn't mean to make things weird."
He smirked. "You didn't. It was just a joke, remember?"
"Yeah." She swallowed. "A joke."
Silence hung between them — heavy, awkward, and confusing.
Then Jayden said, "You know what's funny? Everyone thinks we're a perfect couple. And the joke's supposed to be on them. But now I'm starting to think…"
"What?"
He looked at her finally, eyes soft. "The joke's on us."
She laughed, quiet but nervous. "You're such an idiot."
"Yeah," he said, smiling. "But you like that about me."
And she didn't deny it this time.