Fall In Fake Love With Me

Part 1Part 2 Part 3

As soon as they entered the courtyard with interlocked fingers, their classmates started whispering furiously.

“I knew I would regret this” Charlotte says as she and Henry walk into the school hand in hand.

Well this will be all over campus in seconds. Charlotte thought exasperatedly.

“Lighten up Char, you gotta live a little.”

“I’m as light as I can get right now Henry.” Char grumbles.

Henry picks up Charlotte unexpectedly causing her to let out a small squeal.

“I don’t know, you feel kind of heavy to me” he jokes.

Charlotte scoffs in annoyance and rolls her eyes, “Put me down.”

“What was that? Hm? Take you to your locker? Okay BABE.”

As Henry walked towards their lockers carrying Charlotte, several of their classmates congratulated them on their relationship and told them that they made a cute couple. Charlotte thinks that she even saw Dylan from yearbook snap a photo of them. 

Upon arrival, Henry places Charlotte back on her feet.

“Gosh, you are so annoying” she gripes.

Before Henry could reply Oliver and Sidney walked up to them while bickering.

“Well you owe me twenty bucks” said Oliver.

“Not until we know for sure” Sidney replies.

“You said during summer break. We are clearly back at school, which means that I won.”

“Yeah but we don’t know if they originally got together in the summer but are just now showcasing it.”

“Whatever, let’s find out.”

“Hey Charlotte, Henry. How are you guys doing today?” Sidney asks politely.

“Ugh cut to the chase dude.” Oliver turned to the couple. “So when did this happen?” he asks as he makes vague a hand gesture in front of them.

Charlotte and Henry glanced at each other and proceeded to have a conversation through eye contact and eyebrow raises.

“See! They definitely got together during summer. They’re doing the whole couple silent communication thing!” Sidney exclaims.

“They could do that before! They were weirdly close.” Oliver counters.

“Oh yeah, that’s true. What if they’ve been dating for years?”

“What if they are actually engaged and are just now deciding to let the world know?”

“Charlotte does have a band on her left ring finger.”

Charlotte twists the invisibility ring off and transfers it to her right hand.

“Why did she just move the ring? Oh. My. God. What if they are already MARRIED?”

“Why weren’t we invited to the wedding?” Sidney and Oliver ask simultaneously.

“Wow that spiraled SO fast.” Henry says.

“Guys! Guys! Calm down. Number One, you weren’t invited to the wedding because there WAS no wedding and Number Two, we started dating this summer.”

“I told ya! Pay up buddy” Sidney triumphantly exclaims to Oliver.

Oliver groaned while pulling out his wallet as they walk away.

“Wow, those guys are something else.” Henry states with a chuckle.

“Ugh I know, and class hasn’t even started yet.” Charlotte said while leaning her forehead on her locker.

“Hey, look at me.” Henry prodded while grabbing her hand to turn her in his direction and gently lifted her chin with his index finger. “We got this ok? It’s the same old me and you, just slightly more touchy feely. Easy.”

“Yeah easy for you to say, I’ve never had a real boyfriend remember? And physical touch is NOT my love language.” Char responded.

He placed both his hands on her shoulders while bending down slightly to at look from under his lashes. “That’s why you have me. Just follow my lead and you’ll be fine.”

Charlotte snorted, “Well that’s new.”

“What?”

“Me following your lead. You usually follow mine.”

“True, but this time I’m the expert.            

“Okay EXPERT, what are our next steps?”

“Uhhhhhhhhh…….” Henry stammers while opening his locker.

“And this is why you usually follow my lead” she mumbles under her breath.

“Walk me to class” Charlotte says while strutting away.

“Yeah, sure” he stated as he got his last book from his locker and turned around to see his friend halfway down the hall.

“Char, wait up! Babe! Babe!” Henry yells while chasing after her.

Everyone had believed their act with no problem. Jasper even told them that it was only a “matter of time” before they got back together. Several classmates had also told them that they had been “shipping it” for years.

Henry had been walking Charlotte to class all week long. Which in itself wasn’t unusual but now they were either holding hands or touching in some way.

Everthing had been going according to plan and now it was Friday night and the pair had just arrived to the football game at their school.

“Alright, so you know the plan?” Henry asks Charlotte before they get out of his car.

“Yep, we go into this football game and act like a couple directly in front of Bianca. Simple enough.”

“Perfect, let’s go.”

As they walked towards the entrance Henry slung his arm over Charlotte’s shoulder because he saw the cheerleaders headed out of the locker room.

She looked up at him curiously and he just tilted his head in their direction. Subtly looking over her shoulder she spotted Bianca who had also saw them and was making her way over.

“Hi Henry.”

“Heeyyyy Bianca, funny seeing you here.”

“I cheer now so I’m at all the games.”

“Really? I didn’t know!” Henry states in a high tone of voice.

Charlotte elbows him in the stomach and he clears his throat. “That’s cool.”

“Yeah… it is” she responds, eyeing him curiously. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Well since it’s the Regional Championship, I convinced Charlotte to come show some school spirit with me for once.”

“It’s the biggest home game we’ll have this year so I decided to support. Plus I just can’t say no to my…love muffin here” Charlotte says while internally cringing.

“How cute.” Bianca stated sarcastically. “So Henry, after the game a bunch of us are going to Mastro’s for pizza. Then after we’re gonna go to Chase’s house for a kickback. You’re welcome to come.”

“Well Char and I already have dinner plans but we might stop through Chase’s for a bit.” Henry countered.

“Oh it looks like your friends are calling you Bianca” Charlotte points out.

Bianca looks behind her to see her fellow cheerleaders gesturing for her to come on.

“Right. See you later?” she asks Henry.

“Maybe” he replies.

“Break a leg!” Charlotte says and gives her a fluttering wave in dismissal as she connects her hand with Henry’s that is still dangling over her shoulder.

Bianca tracks the movement with her eyes before giving a closed mouth smile and jogging back over to her friends.

Henry and Charlotte decided to find seats in the bleachers directly in front of where the cheerleaders were set up. They could feel Bianca’s eyes on them almost constantly. She was staring them down, so the pressure was on to be a convincing couple.

Throughout the entire football game, Charlotte was putting forth great effort to be more comfortable with the new physical aspect of their friendship. Henry would perform small gestures to keep up the act. She tried not to flinch.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, he warmed up her cold hands between his and he even whispered in her ear occasionally. He was just telling her about what was happening in the football game but Bianca didn’t know that.

Henry had his arm over Charlotte’s shoulder and she was leaning into his side pretty much all night. Although Henry wasn’t sure if it was for pretenses or if it was because it was cold outside.

When Char felt Bianca’s gaze on them for a particularly long moment towards the end of the game, she built up the confidence to give Henry a lingering kiss on the cheek. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bianca cross her arms over her chest in response.

She makes it too easy. Charlotte thought as she snickered under her breath.

After the game they were exiting the bleachers and walking back to Henry’s car. Their football team had won the game so the two decided that going to the party later would be a good idea to get more exposure for their “relationship”.

“Wow that was great! She looked so angry after that kiss! And you said that touch wasn’t your love language” Henry bumps her shoulder with his playfully as they walk through the gate.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Granted, it was still uncomfortable but I’m a fast learner. I’ll get used to it.”

Reaching Henry’s car he goes to the passenger door to open it for Charlotte. Before she could enter, he lightly grabs her hand and says, “Maybe you just need to practice?”

“Practice? How do you propose we do that?”

Dropping her hand, he steps into the enclosed space between her body and the open car door. “I just mean, maybe you need more experience with the closeness so you don’t feel so awkward.”

“I think I’m doing okay”

“Really?” Henry says while placing both his hands on either side of her head and stepping even closer. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure” Charlotte squeaks out before ducking under his arm and getting in the car. He chuckles and closes her door before walking around to his side.

This is going to be a long night. Henry thought to himself.