Lucas was still hugging me.
Correction: Lucas was suffocating me like I was the last pillow at a sleepover.
"I made us matching keychains," he said dreamily. "Look—yours has a frog and mine has your face."
My brain stopped working for three whole seconds.
"You… have a keychain with my face?"
He giggled. "From your Instagram! I zoomed in."
SEND. HELP.
Let me tell you the worst part of all this.
It wasn't Lucas clinging to me like we were in a slow-motion Titanic scene.
It wasn't the fact that he had made us matching frog keychains with my face printed on his.
It wasn't even the way he whispered, "Jack, I already told my mom about you."
No.
The worst part… was Rome.
Standing there.
Ten feet away.
Leaning against the wall like a vampire who hated sunlight.
Watching.
Watching.
And not doing. A single. Thing.
Not one step to help.
Not even a pretend cough to interrupt.
He saw me being smothered by Lucas—FULL koala mode.
And what did he do?
He smirked.
SMIRKED.
And then just walked away.
Like, "Haha look at that dumb frog boy getting crushed by glittery obsession. Not my problem."
I was offended.
And also... slightly attracted.
BUT OFFENDED MOSTLY.
"Jack!" Lucas giggled, still clinging to me like we were starring in a Wattpad romance titled 'I'll Never Let Go, Jack'.
I gave him the most awkward smile in human history. "Hey, um, I think I left my soul in the art room—BRB FOREVER."
Then I ran.
Not jogged. Not strolled. I fully sprinted like a scared cartoon character, backpack flapping behind me, shoelaces untied, dignity gone.
I only stopped when I reached the back staircase, panting like a tired pug.
I slid down the wall and stared at my paint-splattered shoes.
This was a disaster.
Rome rejected me.
Lucas was in love with me.
I just wanted to draw frogs and be ignored.
But no. The universe had other plans.
I covered my face.
What if Lucas confessed in public?
What if people thought we were ACTUALLY dating??
What if he started calling me "honey bun"???
No. I couldn't let that happen.
I needed a plan.
A new plan.
A bold, slightly stupid, probably humiliating plan.
"I need to make Rome my fake boyfriend," I whispered to no one.
He was the only one scary enough to keep Lucas away.
I just had to convince him.
With logic.
With charm.
With frog drawings, if necessary.
I took a deep breath.
Operation: Win Over the Ice Prince
It was time to make the emotionally constipated basketball god fall fake-in-love with me.
For survival.
Totally not because he's hot.
Nope.
Not at all.
To be continued..