christmas boyfriend || z.h

chapter 2 ~ a guy name

september 13

since i sent my last letter to my parents about a week ago, i haven't heard anything back. i didn't mind lying to them, i've done it before, but i started having a gut feeling that it was a bad idea with this lie.

gabbie came into our dorm with lavender in her arms, and what looks like our mail in one of her hands. "y/n, looks like your parents wrote you back."

i basically leaped off my bed and snatched the letter out of her hand, then pressed a delicate kiss to lavender's head.

"you're eager to read that." she points out, then takes a seat on her bed across from mine. "eager to see their response to you having a boyfriend?"

maybe i was. maybe deep down i kind of hoped they would be proud of me for finding someone, even if it was fake. or at the very least, i hoped that maybe they would stop comparing me to my sister.

instead i say: "i just want to see if they even care."

i ripped— literally ripped open the envelope and sure enough, my mom actually cared to ask me about my "boyfriend."

i'm surprised you have a boyfriend. what's his name? how long have you two been together?

"she literally said she's surprised i have a boyfriend." i chuckled. i reached for my bag on the floor then pulled out my spiral notebook. i folded my legs under my body and started writing. "what's a good name for a fake boyfriend?" i absentmindedly asked.

"like a common guy name?"

"yeah, any guys name."

"uh... zach?"

her suggestion made me look up from my notebook and give her a confused look. "what? it's the first name i thought of." she explained.

zach. i roll my eyes but write the name down anyway. it's not like they care anyway.

his name is zach. we've been together for about a month now.

my phone buzzes with a certain ringtone. heart attack by one direction.

zachary😸
OMG Y/N

you
WHAT'S UP

zachary😸
THERE'S THIS REALLY CUTE NEW GIRL IN MY PSYCHOLOGY CLASS

my heart pangs a little.

you
oh really?

zachary😸
yeah her name is sophie

SHE ASKED TO STUDY WITH ME

IM FREAKING OUT

IM ON MY WAY TO THE LIBRARY WHERE SHE WANTED TO STUDY

i want to be supportive, i really do, but the idea of zach being with someone else makes my heart sink. i know that's selfish of me, but i can't help it.

you
WELL GO GET HER TIGER

YOU GOT THIS

JUST BE YOUR USUAL AWESOME SELF

he starts typing again.

zachary😸
YOURE RIGHT I GOT THIS

i placed my phone down and sighed. of course, zach is my best friend, but i've had feelings for ages.

i feel like if i told him then it would just ruin our friendship. he's one of the only friends that i made at college. we met last year when we were both freshmen and he physically ran into me on accident. i couldn't stop laughing because he was running from his other friend who he had just spilled chocolate milk on. he introduced me to his friend, jack, who is now one of my other friends. zach and i had stayed close ever since, and occasionally purposely spilled chocolate milk on jack.

"you okay y/n?" gabbie asked. "you look... defeated."

"yeah." i lied. "just... my parents are shitheads."