Avery's POV
I now regret not making more friends throughout my high school years.
I had no single girl friends.
There was Mona but she had something going on with Axel and I was not about to jeopardize that.
Sawyer was with Elliot, and I didn't think Callum was ready to admit anything. Well, not think, know for a fact.
I still hadn't talked to Eva and didn't plan to. And plus I wouldn't want my first conversation in years with her to be me using her.
I thought of Nora from when we used to live together all those months ago, but last I remembered she was in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend back home. I'd say maybe she could pretend date Callum for a few weeks without word to anyone outside of school, but I didn't want to cause any problems for such a sweet girl who only ever helped me.
I think of all the girls in Mona's dorm and come up with a blank.
Maybe I could talk to that Grace girl? I'd never met her though and she seemed to not be the best of friends with Mona.
I still think she was pissed about that hole in the wall too.
So the only single girl left was...me.
I wouldn't mind having a fake fling with a friend for a few weeks to get him and his sexuality off the radar but I was worried about how it would affect my relationships with everyone else in the dorm. Or just in general really.
I couldn't even tell my best friend and I told her everything! How could I possibly keep this from her? And I mean...Dawson.
To be honest I had a small crush on the guy. He was sweet and had calmed me down and always checked on me, not pushing me for anything in the process of it. He could always make me laugh which is what I looked for in a guy, but he was my roommate. And kind of an ass. Sometimes. Not really but at some point, I'm sure he had been.
I was really just looking for reasons why a relationship with him was a bad idea and I didn't have much.
But I didn't need a reason. I just didn't want to. And that was enough.
Now I was debating whether or not I should tell Callum about the rumor. He deserves to know what was going on but I mean if I was gonna end it then why should he know?
It was a mess really. A horrible mess.
Deciding it'd be best to tell him of the plan and the rumor I crawl up from the floor and walk out of my bedroom.
Callum was sitting with Victor in the kitchen sharing cake. We had cake? And they didn't tell me? Well, that's not fair.
"Callum. It's already 2:30!" I shout. His face was confused but mine was slightly angry. In mock anger, that is.
"Our project dumbass!" I place my hands on my hips and squint my eyes at him.
"For photography." It was the only class I shared alone with him so the boys couldn't prove I was lying unless they talked to our teachers which they would totally do, but I'd put up a good enough act.
"Come on. We can go to the garden and take some shots," I point to the camera around my neck and make my way to the front door.
Callum follows behind me without another word. Once we reach the end of the hall he stares at me.
"What's up and why'd you drag me away from my cake?" He stops in front of the stairs, blocking them.
"We have a problem. And I have a solution. And screw the cake! But save some for me later..." I mutter on the end.
"Are we seriously going to the garden?" He questions on our way down the stairs.
"Yup," I respond. "We need a cover and evidence." I point to the camera when saying evidence.
"Good point."
We don't make conversation again until we enter the empty garden.
"So," he starts slowly "What's our problem exactly?" He asks me looking around the garden for something we can photograph.
"There's this...rumor. About you, ya know. Being gay and all so I thought we could possibly fake date so it ends and people think you're into girls fully." I don't give him much info on the rumor since I really don't want him to focus on that and I didn't have much on it either.
"I might be!" He shouts at me in exasperation.
"I know. But they won't care that you're figuring it out. They just need drama to gossip about because they're lives suck ass." I laugh, although it's more of an annoyed snicker, and walk over to a rose bush and snap a few shots of the flowers.
"Is this really a good idea?" He questions after I take a few more nature shots.
"Nope. But we'll see how it goes." I confess.
***
I'd gone to Harvey's alone that night knowing Jake had a shift.
"This is gonna be a disaster, you know that right?" He asks me wiping something up in the counter with a rag.
"Oh totally. But the students around the school are idiots so maybe they'll believe it." I shrug and hope that's how it goes.
"And don't you go getting jealous Alexander," I call him using his middle name. "It's not like we'll kiss or anything. Just hold hands and smile at each other or whatever. Maybe hide in a janitors closet and play go fish while everyone thinks we're having sex."
"You better not screw my boyfriend Mickey," Jake tells me while pointing a bottle of tequila at me.
I look up to him when he mentions the term boyfriend.
"You two are officially dating then?!" I smirk at him and wiggle my eyebrows. I didn't think Callum would get into a relationship right now in all honesty.
His cheeks flush red and he looks away.
"Well, I mea-it's complicated okay?" I nod at him.
"Complicated. Alright. I'm gonna head back home. Your boyfriends making steak tonight and I am not missing that."
Jake laughs but blushes at the thought of officially going out with Callum. He waves to me as I walk out the door causing the bell above me to ring at my exit.
Callum and I decided to tell the rest of the guys tonight at dinner that we were 'dating'. It was nothing serious and so they wouldn't have to worry about it.
We'd be 'going out' for a few weeks anyways and then we'd go back to being friends, saying the breakup was for to just not having a connection. The rumors would die out and school would be back to normal.
As normal as it could be for now anyways.
I jog up the stairs and walk down the hall until I reach the end. I grab the silver handle and push the door open.
Everyone except Callum and I were sat at the table. Instead, he was finishing dinner up.
I hang up my thick PINK hoodie and walk over to the dining table.
The chair squeaks as I pull it out and take my seat on the white cushioned chair. I scoot in causing the squeaking to appear once again.
Keegan glances over after the sound ceases. "Can your fat ass not do that?" He scowls with an eye roll.
I smirk and then smile innocently once Callum appears and glances at me.
I scoot the chair out awfully slow causing Keegan to stare at me.
"What?" I ask twisting one of my sandy brown waves. "I was just gonna grab a beer," I say as I walk off to the fridge. We had an entire shelf of alcohol.
It was probably unhealthy, but it leads to a good time usually so why the hell not?
I grab one and pop the lid off. I toss it in the trash and walk back to the table, finding a plate in my spot already.
I notice I was the first to get served even though I wasn't even there. I look to Callum who was serving dinner and see him wink discreetly at me.
Right. Our plan.
I take my seat and push the chair in slowly. Again.
I tip my beer back to hide the smirk on my face and scoop up a bite of rice shoving it in my mouth soon after.
Callum sets Keegan's plate down and he immediately scoops a spoonful of rice and tosses it at me.
I lift my hands to cover my face and feel little pelts of rice his my hands.
Stupid boy.
I smile sarcastically and stomp my heel down on his sock covered feet. Tonight was one of the rare nights he wasn't wearing shoes. All of us usually wore them around the flat, but not tonight apparently.
He winces and closes his eyes in pain and leans over to hide his pain.
Most boys laugh but I do hear Dawson address me. "Will you two stop flirting already? I'm trying to keep my appetite, thanks." He scowls.
I stop laughing and the smug smile falls from my face. Keegan lifts his head up and stares in astonishment at my roommate.
"Ew!" I yell. I honestly didn't mean to sound offensive but dating Keegan just sounded...well disgusting. He was like an annoying older brother that was always bothered by my presence. I felt the same towards him though as well.
"Actually..." Callum starts off as he tosses his left arm over my shoulders from his spot at the table next to me.
Oh shit. We were doing this. We were doing this now.
"It'd technically be cheating if she was flirting with him." He says looking at me with a smile.
It didn't showcase the dimple on his left cheek though. His teeth weren't showing nor were his blue eyes sparkling like they did around Jake. Or when he was genuinely happy.
"About damn time," Bentley says looking at me. He was the only one other than Callum who was though. Most eyes were staring at the other end of the table.
Where Dawson was. I knew why but I was not going to think about why. He didn't like me. Impossible. Nope.
Okay, those were all lies.
He so had some feelings towards me.
Maybe.
Not sure why though.
"We're dating now!" Callum shouts attempting to fix the awkward tension between us eight.
I'm not sure but I think I hear an "oh shit" coming from Bentley a second later.
Oh shit is definitely right Bentley.
***
I have to rewrite and edit the next 10 or so chapters because I changed the plot from how I originally wrote it and I'm not looking forward to that so someone please pray for me and my oh so genius plan to pre-write a bunch of stuff.
Also Bentley just automatically assuming that it was Dawson and Avery dating is my favorite part of this entire chapter and it makes me wish he were a real person.
(Also hi again it's future me, editing this in)
But a LOT of y'all had questions/concerns about Callum and Avery dating soooo when they say they're "dating" I mean CASUAL dating. So yeah just keep that in mindð