Chapter 13: The Gay Best Friend Conspiracy

Max woke up the next morning with a pit in his stomach. Great. Date Part 2 tonight. He lay there staring at the ceiling, wondering how on Earth he was going to survive another "date" with Heather. And what was worse: he still hadn't figured out how to make it clear that he wasn't looking for a relationship.

Just then, his phone buzzed with a text from Jaden.

Jaden: Are you ready for Date Night 2: Electric Boogaloo?

Max groaned and texted back.

Max: Not funny.

Jaden: Oh, it's hilarious. You're a dating prodigy. Unintentional, awkward, accidental dates are your specialty.

Max threw his phone down and buried his face in his pillow. He considered just pretending to be sick, but that wouldn't work. Heather had a radar for BS, and she wasn't afraid to call him out.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for a response, Jaden burst in, looking like he'd just stepped out of a GQ magazine shoot.

"What's with the outfit?" Max asked, barely lifting his head from the pillow.

Jaden struck a dramatic pose. "Oh, you know, just preparing for my inevitable debut as your gay best friend. Gotta look the part."

Max sat up, frowning. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Jaden winked. "Dude, it's so obvious. You're playing the accidental date card way too well. She's gonna start thinking you're into dudes. You need a solid cover story, and I'm here to help. Enter: me. Your fabulous, flamboyant, totally not straight roommate-slash-best-friend."

Max stared at him, completely baffled. "You're not gay."

Jaden gave an exaggerated sigh, flipping his hair like a diva. "Details, darling, details. I don't have to be gay. I just need to act gay. And guess what? I've been practicing. Watch this."

Jaden pulled out his phone and played a Beyoncé track, dramatically lip-syncing while doing the most exaggerated runway walk Max had ever seen.

Max couldn't help but laugh. "Dude, stop. You're gonna break an ankle."

Jaden turned and struck another pose. "Don't be jealous, honey. I can't help it if my gaydar is more on point than your straight boy dating skills."

Max threw a pillow at him. "Okay, first of all, I'm not gay. And second, I don't need a cover story. I just need to survive dinner tonight without dying of embarrassment."

Jaden plopped down next to Max, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "But seriously, bro. Think about it. If she thinks you're gay, you're totally off the hook. She'll want to keep you as her fun, fabulous gay best friend instead of, you know, forcing you into these weird dates. No more romantic pressure. It's perfect!"

Max blinked. Was that actually... a decent idea? "Wait... are you serious? Would that actually work?"

Jaden shrugged. "Works in the movies. I mean, come on, what's the worst that could happen? It's either this, or you accidentally propose to her during dessert."

Max buried his face in his hands again. "Oh God, you're right. This is my life now."

Jaden stood up, dramatically brushing imaginary dust off his shoulders. "You leave it to me. I'll come by the restaurant tonight and make sure she gets the message loud and clear."

Max looked up. "Wait, you're actually coming?"

Jaden grinned. "Oh yeah. You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm invested in this storyline now. I'll be your plus one. You know, for emotional support. And comic relief."

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Later that evening, Max found himself sitting in a restaurant, sweating bullets as he waited for Heather to arrive. Jaden was seated next to him, flipping through the menu like he'd been dining in five-star restaurants his whole life.

"Relax," Jaden whispered. "It's gonna be fine. You've got me."

Max glanced nervously toward the door. "I still think this is a terrible idea."

Jaden shrugged. "You said that about my idea to sneak tequila into your high school graduation, and look how well that turned out."

Max frowned. "We got caught and had to clean up the gymnasium all night."

"Details, darling. Details."

Heather walked in right on cue, looking radiant as ever, and waved to Max. He waved back weakly, trying to maintain a calm demeanor, while Jaden—ever the performer—gave her the most over-the-top double air-kiss greeting imaginable.

"Heather! Oh my Gaaawd, it's so good to see you again! I'm just dying to see what you ordered for us."

Heather gave him a curious look, then turned to Max with a raised eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Before Max could open his mouth, Jaden interjected. "Oh, didn't Max tell you? We're having a girls' night! I just had to crash. You know how it is. He and I do everything together. Like, everything." Jaden winked in the most ridiculous, exaggerated way possible.

Heather blinked, trying to process what was happening. Max, meanwhile, was sinking lower into his chair.

"Oh, really?" Heather said slowly, eyeing Max.

Jaden, sensing the tension, leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper. "You know, I always knew Max was fabulous, but I had no idea he had such great taste in women. Like, if I weren't completely obsessed with him, I'd be so jealous of you two."

Max choked on his water. What the hell was Jaden saying?! He was supposed to dial it down, not turn it into some sort of sitcom nightmare!

Heather leaned back in her chair, eyeing the two of them like she was solving a puzzle. "Wait... are you two... together?"

Jaden gasped dramatically. "Oh, sweetie, if only! He's just playing hard to get." He winked at Max again.

Max's brain short-circuited. "I—what—no, I—" He could barely form a coherent sentence as Heather's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh my God," she whispered, covering her mouth in surprise. "I didn't realize! I'm so sorry, Max. I thought... you know, that this was, like, a date date."

Max tried to speak, but Jaden, ever the actor, cut in. "Oh honey, no need to apologize. We both adore you. It's just, Max here... well, let's just say he's still figuring things out." Jaden fluttered his eyelashes, earning a chuckle from Heather.

Max wanted to melt into the floor. This was not how he saw his evening going. At all.

Heather laughed softly, shaking her head. "Wow. This makes so much sense now." She smiled sympathetically at Max, but there was a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll stop bothering you with the whole dinner thing. I just want you to be happy, Max."

Max, utterly defeated, mumbled, "Uh... thanks?"

Jaden clapped his hands together. "See? Everything worked out perfectly. Now we can just sit here, have a great meal, and gossip about the other cute guys on campus."

Max glared at Jaden. "I'm going to kill you."

Jaden gave him a playful shove. "Oh, honey, you love me too much for that."

Heather giggled, her awkward tension melting away. "Well, this night didn't go as expected, but I think it turned out even better. I've always wanted a gay best friend anyway."

Jaden smirked. "Honey, I'm everyone's best friend. You just don't know it yet."

Max sighed, resigned to his fate. This was his life now. He had accidentally gone on a date, and somehow ended the night as a pretend-gay best friend. How did this even happen?

He raised his glass. "To... whatever this is."

Jaden and Heather clinked their glasses with his. "To new friendships!" Heather beamed.

Max took a sip of his drink and muttered under his breath, "I'm never letting Jaden out of my sight again."

Jaden leaned in with a devilish grin. "Oh, darling, you wish you could quit me."

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