Lila Bennett had a system. Mornings at Silver Ridge High were chaotic, but she had perfected the art of slipping through the halls unnoticed. Step one: keep her headphones in and eyes down. Step two: avoid any unnecessary conversations. Step three: never, under any circumstances, enter the cafeteria before first period.
But on this particular Monday morning, her system crumbled.
It started with the coffee. She was juggling her sketchbook, a tote bag, and a large to-go cup when someone stepped directly into her path. She didn't even have time to react before the steaming liquid sloshed out of the cup, landing squarely on the person's chest.
"Ah, hot!" a deep voice exclaimed.
Lila's eyes shot up, and her stomach sank. Standing before her, drenched in coffee, was none other than Ethan Carter—captain of the basketball team, heartthrob of the junior class, and the last person she wanted to cross paths with.
"I—oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Lila stammered, frantically grabbing a handful of napkins from her bag.
Ethan looked down at his soaked hoodie, then back at her, eyebrows raised. "You've got good aim."
Lila winced, pressing the napkins against his chest. "I swear, I wasn't aiming. You just… appeared!"
"Well, it's not every day I get ambushed by caffeine," he said, his lips twitching into a smile.
Her cheeks burned. "I'll pay for the dry cleaning. Or a new hoodie. Or… I don't know, a lifetime supply of coffee?"
He chuckled, taking the napkins from her hands. "Relax, it's fine. Just an accident."
She exhaled in relief. Maybe this wouldn't be as mortifying as it seemed.
But then the bell rang, and Ethan's smile widened. "Looks like you owe me, Coffee Girl. I'll see you around."
Lila blinked as he turned and strolled down the hall, leaving her standing there, speechless.
Great. Just great.
---
By lunch, the incident had spread like wildfire. Jasmine Rivera, Lila's best friend, slid into the seat across from her, grinning like she'd won the lottery. "So, you spilled coffee on Ethan Carter."
Lila groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Why does everyone know?"
"Because he's Ethan Carter," Jasmine said, leaning in conspiratorially. "The guy's practically royalty. If you sneeze near him, it makes the morning announcements."
"I'd rather transfer schools," Lila muttered.
Jasmine laughed. "Don't worry, you'll survive. But you know, this could be your chance."
"Chance for what? Public humiliation?"
"No, for romance!" Jasmine's eyes sparkled. "You've already got a meet-cute. All you need is a dramatic confession of love, and you're golden."
Lila rolled her eyes. "You've been watching too many rom-coms."
"Just think about it," Jasmine said, winking.
Lila didn't have time to think about it, though. By the time last period rolled around, Ethan was waiting for her outside the art room, leaning casually against the lockers.
She stopped in her tracks. "Uh… hi?"
"Hey, Coffee Girl," he said, grinning.
"It's Lila," she corrected.
"Right. Lila. Listen, I've got a proposition for you."
Her brow furrowed. "A… proposition?"
"Yeah." He straightened, his expression turning surprisingly serious. "I need a favor. And I think you might be the perfect person to help me."
Lila crossed her arms. "What kind of favor?"
Ethan hesitated, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. Then he leaned in closer and lowered his voice.
"Pretend to be my girlfriend."
Her jaw dropped. "What?!"
"It's just for a little while," he said quickly. "I'll explain everything. Please, just hear me out."
Lila stared at him, completely dumbfounded. This had to be a joke. Right?
But the look on Ethan's face told her he was dead serious.
And in that moment, Lila knew her carefully organized life was about to be turned upside down.