Hearts ✓

Sixteen 💕

A shift in the game, how interesting.

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School, which I now consider the best part of my day. No bet, No drama, No nothing. Anti-social interaction, and teachers who don't want to be apart of your high school drama. It's my new meditation platform.

As I had expected, Ally and Elliot closed off all chances of me sitting with them by lying their bags on all the available seats, which were the two seats opposite theirs.

I had been debating where to sit next to when Aubrey and the other friends I had made on Saturday waved me over to sit with them, Lauren who had just finished coming out of the queue offered me the seat next to her, which I happily took.

Throughout the day, Elliot, who was the only one out of both Ally and Elliot that had any classes with me, took the gracious liberty of making my day a perfect, glorified definition of hell. Sometimes, I extremely underestimate the bullshit this introverted girl can cause, to hell with it, this is no exaggeration.

Finally, after my last -fantastic-lesson of Elliot talking about the consequences traitors receive in several Shakespearean novels, and novellas in English, I rushed out of the classrooms, only to be dragged back in by some muscular athlete I don't instantly recognize.

At first, I guess it's probably Jake interrogating me on why I left his house early, but when I come face to face with Darren's hazel eyes, I realize that Darren is, in fact, not Jake. I distinctly remember not crossing Darren in any way at any point in my life, so I was certain that he meant to grill someone else.

"Sorry Darren, I think you've just dragged the wrong girl." I turn about to head outside the building once more, but his hand catches me and pulls me back in.

"Nope. Callie. You're the one I needed to talk too."

I mentally curse myself in my head, you absolutely DO NOT do anything for Darren to have is 'one on one' talk which is basically a severe warning to stop doing whatever you just did, or else.

"Judging by your expression, I'm going to tell you firsthand that you didn't do anything on purpose." He taunted. "Yet."

"So, you're predicting that I'm about to do something that you wouldn't like."

"Ah, I knew you were smart."

"And how did you just readily assume that I'm about to do something to piss you off."

"It's about the bet." The tips of his smile quirk upwards. "I feel that Jake's close to falling for you."

"Isn't that the point of the bet, though?" I stare through him. "There's a fifty to fifty chance of winning, as there is, losing?"

"That's not how it works, love. The boys are to win, it's the legend we prefer maintaining."

Of course, Darren, under all circumstances would like the boys to win.

"So how exactly are you going to convince me to lose?"

"How about this, you lose, you get quirks."

My smile mirrors his. "Oh? Like what."

"The boys will never mess with you until you graduate, along with your sibling, Taylor, who by the way will soon be played with. You'll also get a new, free car, and a stellar recommendation letter to the college you apply to, courtesy of my father, the principal."

"Isn't that the prize of winning, except about the Taylor thing."

"Remember, you haven't won, and the prizes are being offered to you if you lose."

"Any other things I should know about."

"Oh yes, one, you have to stop hanging out with Jake and getting both of you twisted around each of your fingers, two, your heart still has to be broken in public, and three, Jake can never know about this. Nothing more."

"I-I don't know."

All of a sudden, the door bursts open to reveal a breathless Jake. He stares at the both of us, Darren's smile, and my post-smile, before telling Darren to 'back off' and putting his arm around my shoulder. "What did he tell you." He asks me, Darren still present in the room.

"Think about it," Darren says to me before turning back to Jake's intense gaze at him.

"Callie, what happened?" Jake asks, refusing to tear away his glare at Darren.

My head is a complete whirlwind, I can't seem to comprehend my surroundings, it feels like a migraine, although I very much know it isn't one. I do know one thing, however, and that is to definitely not straight up mess with Darren.

So to Darren, I am giving his idea 'a chance', and giving my mind some time to debate it later, a stellar recommendation is something I definitely need and want, and this is being given to me if I agree to lose.

I make a subtle nod towards Darren, "It was nothing."

Soon, Jake is very protectively ushering me out of the building, before repeating his question. I know that Jake isn't dumb, so I know that he very much understands that Darren didn't waste his time talking to me as to say nothing, but like I had promised myself to debate this later, maybe it was time to shift the game.

"Nothing important," I repeated to Jake. "It's nothing."

"Don't you goddamn tell me that it was nothing. I know Darren more than anyone else, He's been my damn best friend for nine years. I don't know what he told you, but it's certainly isn't nothing!" He groans. "Save yourself a headache and just tell me what it is, and we can figure out the next part together."

The next thing I say cracks me into half, but it has to be done. I need to do this on my own. "I don't owe it to anything to tell you. Leave me alone."

This time, the hurt not only flashes through his face for a millisecond, but it stays there, it almost makes me take it back and hug him, but I have to be strong. "I know Darren did something, and whether or not you decide to tell me, I will find out."

A shift in the game, how interesting.