59

KATHERINE THRONES

As our lips gently parted, we gazed at each other lovingly. Alexander's smile lit up his face, and he playfully teased, "Well, I have to head to class. I have morning classes this morning, unlike some people who lied about theirs earlier." He chuckled, taking a lighthearted jab at my earlier excuse.

I rolled my eyes, trying to act annoyed, but a laugh escaped my lips. "Okay, okay, you got me there," I admitted, unable to hide the smile on my face. "But just so you know, I'm still going to Mrs. Freeman's A.P. English class later."

He grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, I'll be looking forward to that," he replied, leaning in to peck me on the cheek. My cheeks flushed, and I playfully nudged him.

"Do you want to hang out later? We can watch a movie at my house," he asked with a grin.

My heart skipped a beat, and a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "Okay," I replied, trying to hide my excitement.

He leaned in and pecked me on the cheek, causing me to blush. "Great," he said, giving me a playful wink.

"Well, you better get going," I said. "Don't want to be late for class, Mr. Responsible."

He feigned a hurt expression, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. "Ouch, you wound me," he said, pretending to be wounded by my playful words.

I giggled, feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness in his presence. As he prepared to leave, I took a step closer, our fingers intertwining for a brief moment. "I'll see you later," I said softly, unable to hide the affection in my voice.

Alexander's eyes softened as he replied, "Count on it." With a final smile, he turned and headed off to his class, leaving me standing there with a heart full of love and anticipation.

I took a moment to recollect myself and have the redness that stained my cheek settle down and then, I turned to head to my own class, my heart brimming with excitement and gratitude.

-:-

As the day went by, classes passed like a breeze, and I couldn't help but be head over heels, swooning over Alexander at every chance I got. Thoughts of our upcoming movie hangout filled my mind, making it hard to focus on anything else.

Finally, the sweet sound of the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day. I hurried to my locker to drop off some books before heading to Alexander's house. My heart raced with excitement as I thought about spending more time with him.

Just as I was about to leave, Katie came over, a hopeful look on her face. "Hey, Katherine, do you want to hang out at the pizza place?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Katie," I said, feeling a pang of guilt, "but I have to go to Alexander's house now."

Katie's disappointment was evident, and I knew she wasn't happy about my sudden change of plans.

I tried to explain to Katie, "I promise we'll hang out another time. It's just that... I really want to spend time with him right now."

Her expression softened, but I could tell she was still concerned. "Are you sure about this, Katherine?" she asked cautiously. "You know why we started this whole ‘Katherine–dating–Alexander thing’ in the first place, right?"

I nodded, feeling torn between my loyalty to my best friend and my growing feelings for Alexander. "I know, Katie—”

"Since when did you and Alex start hanging out at his house?" Katie asked, her curiosity evident in her expression.

I panicked at the question, my heart racing as I tried to find the right words. I hadn't told Katie about sleeping with Alexander or the growing feelings between us, and I didn't want to risk our friendship by revealing the truth.

"We...uh...we started hanging out at his house...recently," I stammered, trying to sound nonchalant, but my voice gave away my nervousness.

Katie narrowed her eyes, sensing that something was off. "Recently? It seems like you two have been spending a LOT of time together," she remarked, her tone tinged with suspicion.

I fidgeted, feeling trapped in a web of lies. "Yeah, well... you know... just trying to stick to the plan," I replied, hoping my words would be enough to satisfy her.

But deep down, I knew I was failing to convince her. The guilt gnawed at me, and I felt torn between my loyalty to Katie and the love I was developing for Alexander.

Katie's concern was evident as she reached out to touch my arm gently. "Katherine, we promised to stick to the plan, but it feels like something has changed.”

I swallowed hard, my emotions churning inside me. I wanted to tell Katie the truth, to share the turmoil in my heart, but I was afraid of how she would react.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," I said, trying to avoid her gaze.

But Katie wasn't easily fooled. She persisted, her eyes searching mine for any hint of the truth. "Katherine, I'm your best friend. I'm perceiving something foul in all of this.,"

I scoffed, trying to hide the nervousness bubbling inside me. "Oh, you know, I just have to keep hanging out at his house to make him fall for me," I replied, feigning confidence in our revenge plan. "And then, soon enough, I'll break his heart."

Katie shot me a suspicious glance, and I could feel her eyes searching for any signs of deception. "The whole fake dating thing is taking time, Katherine," she said, her tone skeptical. "You were supposed to have dumped him by now."

I laughed nervously, trying to come up with an excuse. "Yeah, well, I'm working on it," I replied, hoping she would buy my half-hearted explanation.

"Hmm," Katie murmured, still eyeing me with suspicion. She seemed unconvinced but eventually shrugged. "Okay, I'll see you later then," she said, turning to walk away.

I let out a sigh of relief as she left, grateful that she just let it die. It was getting harder to keep up the act, pretending that I wasn't developing real feelings for Alexander.

Once she was out of sight, I leaned against the nearest wall, my heart pounding in my chest.

But I knew I couldn't keep pretending forever. I had to face the truth sooner or later, but for now, I had to hope that everything would work out in the end.

But deep down, I knew that my heart was leading me somewhere else, and I couldn't ignore the fact that I was falling for him, despite Katie’s and I’s initial intentions. With each passing moment, the lines between that plan and reality blurred, and I knew that eventually, I would have to confront the truth and face the consequences of my actions.