Chapter 2

"Hey, pequeña Estrella," He grinned in amusement, saying my stupid nickname while standing there on a Saturday afternoon at my doorway.

"No." I slam my door in his face.

He knocks again and I open it. "You didn't even let me speak."

"Don't need to. I'm not interested in what you need to say. Wait, how did you get my address?"

Smiling at me, he replies playfully "Your mother. She was more than happy to give it to me. She figured you needed another male friend."

Feeling slight embarrassment, I close the door again and plant myself on the couch. Hearing the loud slam, Beth comes out of her room wearing her panda onesie. Her eyes were puffy from a rom-com she had finished.

"Who's at the door?"

"Leo," I respond nonchalantly, getting back to the book I had been reading.

"Leo? What does he want?" She questions, hearing another knock on the door. This time Beth answers it.

"Hey, Bethany! Long time no see! Can I talk to Stephanie for a minute?" He smiles revealing his perfectly aligned teeth.

"I don't think she's in the mood right now," Beth responds, looking over her shoulder at me. I gesture to her from the couch to close the door on him.

"I'll give you $100 if you let me in. I just need a few minutes with her, that is all." He responds by waving the one hundred dollar bill to Beth.

"Deal," She takes the money and opens the door wide for him to enter.

Traitor.

Giving a side smile, Leo enters the living room and sits right beside me on the couch. I glare at Beth as she returns to her chambers smelling the hundred-dollar bill in her hand. She passes me a wink and I roll my eyes.

Holding the book in my hands, I turn the page ignoring Leo. "Stubborn as always, Estrella." he chuckles in a smooth deep voice. Despite sitting right beside me, Leo was very tall. His height and physique were every right thing a modeling agent could want, especially with the nice touch of his dark eyes that could trap any girl in.

Any girl besides me of course.

"I have a name you know or did you forget and that's why you're only calling me that?"

"Nope, you're just a very bitter person and I think the name really brings out the best in you, Stephanie. Besides you're the one who calls me a turtle." He asserts. My given nickname was a way to belittle me as he was always the moon, while I was a speck of dust in the sky. He is an idol and I am a teacher. While he performs in front of thousands of people, I stand in a classroom filled with students.

"Personally I think that is a compliment." I smile thinking back on the early days of Halloween. He and his friends were the turtles, each one wearing a different colored ninja mask. Meanwhile, I chose to dress as a character from a series I like that solved mysteries.

Grabbing a mug of tea I made, I took a sip avoiding his dark brown eyes.

"I want you to go out with me." He said, no longer giving a fake smile.

Hearing these words, I spit out the tea in my mouth and began to cough. "No." I wheezed through my coughs, attempting to regain my composure. "Chance."

"Not for real. I just need you to date me for a while so that my parents would get off my case and promote my next film. Otherwise, I will be sent off with another date by my agent or someone that my parents approve of."

I put the book down and looked at Leo with full attention.

In the corner of the room, I could see Beth's shadow hearing everything. The panda ears of her onesie poke out of the corner of the hall entering the living room area.

"Why me? You're a model and an actor! I'm sure you'll find somebody." I respond, eyeing him closely.

Leo was much too serious to be joking about this. If anything, this fake relationship was a big deal to him. No man with a right mind would choose me as a fake partner.

"Exactly! I need to be someone who I know does not like me. Plus there is no someone else, it's hard to date when you don't know who is being genuine or not. Please, Stephanie." He begs.

"Why don't you ask Beth?" I retorted looking at my shoulder, towards Beth's direction past the couch.

"Bethany," Leo calls from the couch gesturing for her to come over.

As if on command, Beth comes running in her onesie smiling excitedly. The dark locks of her hair shift across her shoulders contrasting the white and black of her onesie. The girl loves her daily dose of chisme.

"Yes?"

"If we fake-dated, would you fall in love with me?" He raises his eyebrow.

"If I'm being honest, yeah. Even if I didn't fall in love with you, I still wouldn't let you go. Though, I couldn't take the offer since I'm already taken." Beth replies, nodding her head. She slowly slips into the background when I begin to scrunch my eyes.

Knowing Beth, she is not to hold back. Ever since we met she always has spoken her truth and was bold enough to get what she likes. She's additionally persuasive which contributes well to her job as a real estate agent. The only reason why she is living with me is that it was the only reason to convince her parents to let her move out. In the next year, Beth would move into her home with her high school sweetheart and hopefully fiance, Thomas.

Being her best friend, I of course know when she will get proposed, and have helped in giving tips to Thomas so that everything matches Beth's vision board.

As much as I liked the idea of Leo begging for my help, it was also bizarre seeing him this desperate and sincere. Usually, when we talked, there would be some sort of back-and-forth insults. It is as if all these years we've spent away from one another changed our dynamic. Granted, I always assumed he and I would never speak again. We were neighbors, not friends.

"See, I need someone who I know won't fall for me and that I know you won't fall for me right?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Psssh, in your dreams Leonardo." I scoff. "But, let's say I do agree, and I were to play along with your little fiasco, what's in it for me?" The corner of his lip curls into his cheekbone.

"I'll cover any of your travel expenses, housing, anything, just name your price."

In the background, Beth stomps her legs excitedly as if she had hit the ultimate lotto.

"I'll think about it." I quickly respond, shutting down any optimism he or Beth may have developed.

Right on cue, Beth grunts "Awww man!" behind us. Leo and I both chuckle, resuming back our conversation.

"Well, if you do decide to agree with my proposal, you can contact me directly here. We'll set up contracts, conditions, and all that jazz." He hands me a card with his personal contact information.

"Very fancy," I remark holding the card as my finger brushes the felt on the front.

He smiles proudly at my compliment and leaves an extra one on the table. He knew me far too well to know I would rip the first one in my hand.

"It was nice seeing you, Steph." He winks playfully. Part of me wanted to hiss at him for that, but I held back. It would be far too immature and cringy if I did.

"By the way, I love that fantasy book, Realms. Wait till you get to the part where-"

"Get out before I throw this book at you!" I shoot him a frown and stand up from the couch, ushering him out the door and locking it behind me.