Malachi Barton|05|

I never thought I'd end up asking someone like her for help.

I'm Malachi Barton, captain of the hockey team, and the kind of person who usually solves his problems with pressure, charm, or simply ignoring them until they disappear.

But the chemistry exam didn't disappear.

And without approval, I don't play.

So I went after the only person who had gotten top marks. The most unbearable girl because of how efficient she is. The one who looks at me like I'm just background noise.

He told me he wasn't interested in helping me.

Obvious.

So I offered him a deal.

I needed to pass. She needed to make a guy jealous who clearly doesn't deserve her, even if she won't admit it.

I would pretend to be her boyfriend.

She would help me study.

Simple, clean, uncomplicated.

Or so I thought.

Because from the moment he accepted, everything started to get strange.

Not in the agreement plan.

The plan to pretend something like this with her started to feel less like a role… and more like a real problem I hadn't anticipated.