I sat in my last lecture of the day, my mind drifting far from the monotonous droning of the professor. Through the window, I could see the sun setting in a watercolor display of orange and pink, though the rain streaking the glass muted its beauty. The constant vibration of my phone in my pocket was driving me crazy. I fished it out, already knowing who the culprit was. Gia. That girl just wouldn't give me a fucking break.

I scrolled through the barrage of messages, each one more desperate and infuriating than the last. "When will you snap out of it and realize that you miss me?""What time do you finish lectures?""Doesn't matter - I'll check myself anyway.""Don't ignore me you asshole." I rolled my eyes, shoving the phone back into my pocket without responding. May she not wait for me, please universe spare me the torture.

As soon as the lecture ended, I bolted out of the classroom, eager to get back to my dorm and away from the possibility of running into her again. The rain had picked up, and I shook my hair out like a dog when I entered the building, droplets flying everywhere. Thank fuck I wasn't completely soaked.

I made my way to the room I shared with my roommate, my best friend. "Yo, what's up," I greeted him as I tossed my bag haphazardly in the corner. He was lounging on his bed, seemingly relaxed, which only made me more nervous about what I was about to ask.

I fell silent, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other like a kid begging for something stupid. I'd thought about this request more than once, but now that I was actually going to ask, my throat felt dry and my heart raced. Okay, this is a good idea... I guess.

"Hey, so uh, I got kind of an unusual question for ya," I began, walking closer and crouching down beside his bed so I was at eye level. "You think maybe we could like, pretend to be together for a bit? You know, like boyfriends and shit?"

I could feel my cheeks starting to burn immediately. Get a grip idiot, what the fuck were you thinking? I laughed under my breath, wiping my face with my hands and sighing dramatically. "This... Gia, she's still bothering my ass. I haven't had a single day since the breakup when she wouldn't torment me with texts and calls."

The words tumbled out in a rush as I hurried to explain. "It'd just be until she finally gets it through her head that I'm off the market, I swear." I reached for his hand without thinking, my fingers fidgeting nervously against his. "We wouldn't have to do much, just maybe hold hands a few times, a couple pecks here and there when she's around to see it. Come on man, help a bro out, would ya?"

I tried to smile charmingly, but I knew it probably looked more like a grimace. "Pretty please..?" I said in a slightly quieter voice, batting my eyelashes like an idiot. What was I doing?