The bell finally rang and Megan all but ran out of the room, brushing past Jake as she left. Maybe it was immature, but she couldn't help it. He was sitting there, talking to Greg like nothing had even happened. And sure, she told him not to talk to her today, but couldn't he at least pretend to be a little sad about it? He'd been sitting over there like he didn't have a care in the world.
She went out to the field, looking forward to track. She figured it'd be a good way to work out all of that anger she'd been building up all day. Not to mention the fact that it would be the first time he wasn't in the same room with her in almost eight hours!
As she finished practice, Megan was glad to realize she actually did feel better after all that running. That is, until she got in the car with her brother. Ben looked over at Megan, giving her that kind of grin she was starting to associate with guys making trouble for her.
"What?" she asked, even though she wasn't really sure she wanted to know – especially not today.
"Nothing." Ben looked back over his shoulder as he put the car in reverse. But he couldn't help but add, "So where's that kid you're always with?"
"What do you mean?" Megan asked as casually as she could.
"Don't give me that look." he told her. "You know exactly who I'm taking about – that guy who's always hanging around with you after track – the one who came over before you guys went to the movie yesterday. Is that your boyfriend?"
"What?" was all Megan could think to say. Did he really have to do this now?
"What do you mean?" she asked finally, pretending like she had no idea what he could be talking about. With any luck, he couldn't tell how fast her heart was suddenly beating.
"Are you really going to play that way?" Ben sighed in exasperation. "Jake right?"
"Oh, him?" Megan asked, trying to stall for time. Somehow, with everything that had been going on, it had never really occurred to her that she might need to make up an excuse as to who Jake actually was. "He's nobody – just a kid in my class."
"Just a kid in your class?" Ben wasn't buying it. "And he came over and made dinner for us because...?"
"Oh...Yeah..." Megan had completely forgotten about that. "He was helping me study, and we got hungry..." Megan squirmed. It was a pretty lame excuse, but what else could she say?
"He on the track team with you?" Ben asked.
Megan hesitated. She thought about lying, but what was the point? Besides, with Jake hanging around so much, any lie she did tell was bound to come back to her anyway.
"Well, no." she said finally.
"So is he your boyfriend then?" Ben asked. He had a kind of knowing smirk that Megan didn't like.
"No." Megan told him emphatically.
"Uh-huh." Ben said. "So how long have you guys been going out?"
"I don't know." Megan mumbled dejectedly. She wanted to say since never, but what was the point? Everyone at school was already convinced that Jake was her boyfriend. And now it looked like her family would be reaching the same conclusion.
"How did you know about him anyway?" she sighed resignedly.
"Drew told me." Ben said.
"He did?" Megan could hardly believe it.
"Yeah – he said your whole school knew." Ben replied. "Was it supposed to be a secret or something?"
Of course! Megan could have kicked herself! She and Jake were two of the most liked people at school; it was only natural that everyone would know that they were dating – leaving aside the fact that Jake might have arranged for everyone to know on purpose. And Drew wouldn't have realized it wasn't true. Of course he'd blab it to Ben; he probably didn't even think it was a big deal.
"I won't tell mom and dad if you don't want," Ben said, interpreting her silence as concern. "But I don't see what the problem is – they'd probably like him."
"Oh, great." Megan mumbled.
"Why are you so upset about this?" Ben asked. "I mean, I started bringing girls home in eighth grade, remember? And they didn't really care."
"I know... It's just that I kind of wanted to keep it quiet." Megan told him. Ben actually laughed.
"Your whole school knows you're dating, you hang out with him after school like every day, and you've brought him to the house at least twice – and that's just from what I've seen! Who are you trying to keep it a secret from?"
Megan sat there in shock. She couldn't believe it – Ben was right. How had this managed to sneak up on her?
"It's obvious you like him." Ben told her. But she wasn't in any mood for whatever insight he thought he had on this.
"I do not." she grumbled.
"It's ok." Ben told her. Then grinning he added, "Megan's first boyfriend. I'm just glad I got to meet him."
"You don't understand!"
Megan knew it sounded whiny, but she didn't care; she just couldn't have a crush on Jake. The only thing worse would be if Jake actually thought she liked him like that – he'd definitely take advantage of the situation to torment her for sure. Megan stormed up to her room, not wanting to deal with Ben anymore. Fortunately, Jake was nowhere to be found.
She knew it hadn't even been twenty-four hours since she told him not to talk to her, but she was seriously considering going back on that. He was in all her classes anyway, so it wasn't like she was going to have a lot of space away from him. And if everyone including Ben thought she liked him, it might be something she needed to address.
"Jake?" Megan asked cautiously. Seconds later, he appeared.
He was still wearing the same clothes he'd had on at school, and his backpack was slung over his shoulder.
"Were you home?" she asked.
He hesitated for a minute, as if trying to decide what to do. Finally, he gave a short, jerking shake of his head.
"Where were you?" she asked, feeling kind of bad. It hadn't actually occurred to her that she might have torn him away from his friends. "With Greg?"
He nodded.
"I'm sorry – I was just thinking..." she stopped. He looked nervous standing there. "You can sit down if you want."
He hesitated for a second before setting himself gingerly on the edge of the chair.
"Can I ask you something?" she blurted out, deciding that it would be best to just get it over with.
Jake looked at her a second, as if trying to decide. Finally he just shrugged.
"I know I said not to talk to me, but I want you to say whatever you want, ok?"
He shrugged again. He didn't look particularly interested in having this conversation, and Megan couldn't say she blamed him.
"Ok." Jake said finally. Then he cautiously added, "Is everything alright?"
"Ben thinks we're dating." she said numbly, glad he was finally talking to her again. She didn't even bother to take her gaze up off the floor.
"...So?" he asked slowly. "So do all your friends."
"And Drew." Megan sighed.
"I don't understand."
Something in Jake's tone made her glance up. He looked worried.
"I was just kinda hoping I wouldn't have to tell my family about my fake boyfriend." Megan told him.
"But Drew already knew."
"Yeah, but that was just because of school – but now my whole family's going to know." She tried not to pout; Jake would probably like seeing her miserable anyway. "It's just all getting worse."
"How is it worse?" he asked. "I mean, it's just three more people."
"Because this time it's not even your fault." Megan whined.
Jake actually laughed at her. Megan couldn't believe it – how could he think any part of this was funny? So, Jen really was right after all.
"You know, some people would say that none of this is really my fault." he told her.
Suddenly, Megan went from wallowing in self-pity to positively fuming with rage. Didn't he know that this was serious?
"Oh, don't even start that." she snapped. "You know I never wished for any of this."
Why couldn't he stop meddling in her life and just let her be for once? And the fact that he didn't even care only made it worse. Megan couldn't believe she thought they might actually be friends!
It was bad enough that he got the entire school to think they just loved anything she did, but then he had to go and join her there. Probably just to watch how miserable he'd managed to make her. And then he wasted her wish on some fake boyfriend scheme! Now she had only one wish left to undo all of this – if she didn't end up making it even worse. Her only consolation throughout all of this had been the fact that all this weirdness had been confined to school. But now it was bleeding into the rest of her life too.
She glared at him, and saw he looked strangely nervous. Megan found herself almost feeling sorry for him. The only thing that kept her from folding was the fact that she knew this whole thing was his fault in the first place. That and the fact that she was almost positive he was using her.
"I think it'd be best to leave you alone for a while." he told her, looking wretched.
"Fine. Why don't you wait there?" she fumed, pointing at the bottle on her desk.
She'd thought about telling him to get out of her room, but she knew what that would mean. He'd go hang out with Greg – or worse Drew. Why should he get to go out and have fun while she was sitting here, trying to sort this whole mess out? No, if she was going to be miserable, so was he.
He looked shocked for a minute, as if somehow he'd forgotten she could do that. But in an instant, the look was gone. He pressed his lips into a thin line and gave a curt nod. There was a puff of smoke, and then he was gone.
As soon as she was alone, Megan marched over to the bottle. She picked up that cork off of her desk and jammed it down in the neck as hard as she could. By the time she was done, it was flush with the lip.
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