What kind of dream is this?

I’m confused.

Her arms are around my neck, and she has this big smile plastered on her face. Where the heck are the cameras? I wrap my arms around her waist, holding her off the ground with one arm, rubbing her back slightly with the other.

She whispers softly into my ear, and I almost don’t hear, “thank you.”

I pull back, still trying to comprehend what is happening. She meets any eyes, then looks to the side, raising her eyebrows, and not moving her head. I look up, looking behind her, and I lock eyes with a group of boys watching us suspiciously.

The realization hits me like a train, straight through the gut. Jordan was a fuck boy, putting it kindly.

I hold her just a little tighter, playing the part to the bests of my ability.

Look, she can hate me all she wants. She can curse my name and pray with every breath for my downfall, but I wasn’t going to leave any person defenseless.

“Hi Emmy.” I look down into her blue eyes, each one reflecting her inner fear, “you almost ready to go?”

A pause, “Yeah. I don’t really like football to much. Thanks for understanding.” I turn, keeping my hand defensively on her waist, leading her to the gate at the end of the field, open so the students can come and go. I hear the mumbling of Jorden and a few others;

“What the hell…”

“Deja vu…”

“What? I thought they _hated_ eachother…”

“What do you think they are off to do…”

“Why her..”

“He never leaves games early…”

I can’t stop the smile growing on my face. Me, and Emmy. The Emmy that’s hated me for the last two years. The Emmy that isn’t interested in changing her opinion.

Oh god, I wish.

We walk away from the lights of the field into the darkness where you cannot fully see us. The field is elevated on a hill, and we now sat at the base of it.

“Thank you.” She mumbles, now pulling away from me. I pretend I don’t miss the ghost of her touch. Which I should not be missing because not only did it just happen a minute ago, but she hated it. I saw her flitch at my every touch.

“What happened back there?” I try not to think too hard about the slight crack in my voice.

“Oh nothing,” she’s waving around her hands, obviously flustered, “just sat down and he started saying some stuff. Didn’t want to talk so I got up and walked away. Want expecting him to follow. Sorry for… well… mauling you basically. You were just the first person I saw and I was hoping you would play along you know? Jordan may be stupid but he’s not _that_ stupid.” She rushed out all of her words in a matter of seconds, and I’m glad I caught every one.

“It’s not your fault. And you did the right thing. You can always come to me.” I smile slightly.

There is short pause. 20 heartbeats. But that might not count, because my heart is beating at least five times faster than it should be.

“Okay as fun as this was, I’m going home.”

I panic. I reach out and grab her arm as she is walking away. “Oh no you don’t. What if someone else tries to pounce on you?”

“Might let them. I’m bored anyway.” My stomach drops to my knees, and I almost fall over.

“But you just-“

“Joking” she rolls her eyes at me and starts up the hill again, “I’ll call lainey I guess.”

I follow right after her.

“Dude I already said thank you. What more do you want from me. A sacrifice in your name? I still hate you if you forgot.” The knife twists for the hundredth time.

“I know.” I breath shakily, “Will you at least let me stick with you for a little while until I know you are safe?” I’m desperate at this point. Just a little more time with her? Just a little more time to make her hate me just a little less?

“Fine.” She says flatly. I take off my jacket, placing it on her shoulders and she looks up at me confused and… discusted? Then she realizes, “oh right. The whole act.” A sharp intake of breath, ”Wait! Does this mean we have to keep up this little scene for…”

“Don’t worry,” I cut in, “just for tonight. Then I’ll let you come up with one hell of a ‘breakup scene’ so you can embarrass the hell out of me.” I say coolly as we walk back over to the gate, and try to find her friend. It takes maybe two minutes max, before we are pushing through the crowd of people and are face to face with Lainey.

Her eyes fly wide when she sees me and Emmy hand in hand, my jacket over her shoulder.

“Lainey are you ready to go?”

Lainey raised one eyebrow, a mischievous expression painted onto her face.

“Why don’t you ride home with pretty little Conner over here?” She gestures to me with her eyes, and I am suddenly tense and uncomfortable.

“Not funny.”

“Well I’m sorry but I lost my keys.”

“Your unbelievable.”

“Sorry Em, im just a girl you know.” She shrugs and Emmy storms off. Of course I don’t let go of her hand once. She slides down against the fence, sitting in the grass. I sit down beside her. She plays with the grass in the ground.

“She is lying you know.”

“Huh?” I say, woken from my silly little daydreams. Shes gorgeous you know.

“She has her keys. She just won’t drive me home. She is trying to play matchmaker. They were clipped to her pants, like they always are.”

“Why didn’t you just take them? Drive yourself home?” I have to talk louder as the schools marching band starts playing the school song.

She mumbles something to quite for time to hear.

“What? You need to speak up, love, the band is too loud.”

She looks at me, like she is looking into my soul, “I don’t have my license.”

This takes me my surprise, “Are you still scared of driving?”

She nodded shyly.

“That’s okay, you can be a Passenger Princess for now then.”

I stand up, reaching down for her hand. She takes it and my heart starts to spasm again.

“Where are we going?”

“I’ll drive you home. It will be nice to get away from all of the people you know? Your not much of a people person.”

I see her studying my face before actually deciding to follow me.

“Oh wait, I promised you your dramatic break up scene.” I look around, “Okay, what will it be then?”

“Well… you know this whole fake dating thing… it could be kind of beneficial. For both of us that is. Maybe Mr. Blake will split us up if he thinks we can’t do as because we are love sick teenagers… and you know some other things I don’t exactly have figured out yet.”

I smile wide. “Your wish is my demand.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, I still hate you.”

“Of course.”

We walk to my car after a few more minutes of watching the halftime performance. The marching band sounded better than ever, and there were little challenges they would have people in the student section do.

I help her into my car, and quickly walk around to the drivers seat, making sure to drive extra slow, making sure she felt safe.

I tried to turn of my heart that was begging me to not let her leave. And I tried to make my head grow a brain, so it could tell me to hate her just as much as she hates me.

But for some reason, I couldnt make myself hate her.