Throughout our relationship, I never got to enjoy a cake he bought, nor did I ever sip on a bottle of water he offered. The closest I got to any comfort was when he’d casually tell me to “drink some hot water” whenever I was curled up in bed with cramps, and somehow, that would make my day.
I sniffled and, through my tears, managed to say, “I feel like such a fool! A complete idiot!”
Nick’s eyes widened in surprise. “But my parents said you’re an excellent student! They told me to learn from you…”
I shot him a look. “Well, that depends on who you’re comparing me to.”
He rubbed his nose sheepishly but quickly regained his confidence. “Hey, every fool has their own way of living, right? Not everyone can hit the genetic jackpot and be a genius. Being smart seems exhausting, and someone has to be the fool at the
bottom of the pile, don’t you think?”
I had to admit, he had a point there. I finally stopped crying. “Nick, why don’t you be my boyfriend?”
He stared at me, bewildered. “What?”
I crossed my legs on the ground and started counting on my fingers. “I heard that the best way to get over a breakup is to jump into a new relationship. You can pretend to be my boyfriend and help me move on, and in return, I’ll help you pay off that debt!”
Nick eyed me suspiciously. “Do you have any money?”
Back in high school, I’d managed to squeeze a few million from my dad to help Eddie’s family pay off their debts.
But my parents, wanting to teach me a lesson, had slashed my allowance and living expenses.
I froze for a moment, then stubbornly replied, “No cash, but I can earn some!”
Nick fell silent for a few minutes, then sighed heavily, “The thing is… I’ve never been in a relationship before, so I don’t even know what dating is like.”
I opened my mouth, feeling deflated.
Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly a relationship expert either.
When I was with Eddie, I poured my heart into him without ever asking for anything in return, and he rarely did anything for
- me. But at least I had more experience than Nick.
I held
my
head high and said, “At least I’ve been in a relationship before!”
The next day, Nick showed up at the girls‘ dorm with breakfast in hand.
Unfortunately for him, he ran into my older brother, Bruce Bush.
As he rode up on his motorcycle, wind blowing through his hair, he was met with Bruce’s icy glare.
Bruce frowned, glancing at the breakfast in Nick’s hands. “What on earth is this?”
Nick stammered in response, “I… I saw other boyfriends bringing breakfast to their girlfriends and walking them to class, so…”
Bruce took a deep breath and turned to me. “Alright, spill it. Do you want him to break his left leg or his right leg?”
Nick dropped the breakfast and bolted away.
But he didn’t stay gone for long.
This time, he returned not as a rebellious motorcycle kid but as a fresh–faced boy with a neat haircut, looking a bit shy and
innocent.
I turned to Bruce and grinned. “Look at him, turning over a new leaf.”
Bruce still looked unimpressed. “Must be some genetic mutation.”
I had to admit that Nick was doing a pretty decent job as my fake boyfriend.
He stopped skipping classes, and even when he was with me, he’d sit in class instead of goofing off.
Though Nick often looked like a big dog trapped in a cage, slumped over his desk doodling aimlessly, at least he was there.
When it rained, he’d show up with an umbrella. If I was sick, he’d bring me medicine.
One time, when I was doubled over in pain from cramps, Nick insisted on dragging me back to my dorm to rest.
He bought a whole stash of painkillers and even ran around town in the summer heat to find heating pads for me.
I took a satisfied sip of my water and looked at Nick. “Thanks a lot, Nick.”
With a firm nod, he replied, “Just doing what a boyfriend should do.”
I raised an eyebrow, curious. “How do you know that?”
He scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. “Uh… I looked it up online.”
