The Fake Boyfriend Experiment(26)

I’d been so pumped to spend the afternoon with my friends, but in actuality, it had been kind of miserable. Nothing like discovering you’re the only one still wearing a stretchy, white junior bra to make you feel like a dork. My friends had all gone to Victoria Secret over the summer and bought real bras.

Nice of them to tell me before I’d yanked off my shirt in the dressing room and they all started cracking up. Even my belly button ring hadn’t been enough to save me.

But that was over now, because Erin’s mom had bought me a new bra that had padding and lace, plus I was about to head into band practice with my fake boyfriend. Band practice! A tattooed drummer! Keyboard! I mean, really, how cool was that? And I was even wearing clothes I liked: a pair of ripped jeans that were way too tight for any proper pianist, and a strappy tank that was cut so low that Crusty would probably call it obscene. I loved it! For the first time in ages, I was actually looking forward to getting out of the car and into the music school.

Of course, that might have something to do with the fact I was about to go play with Rafe. You think? Maybe we would have our own private jam session like we had last time, when we’d totally connected with our music.

“Can we come in with you?” Val asked. “I want to meet Rafe.”

Oh… yeah, that would be a good idea. Not. “No.” I hugged my shopping bag to my chest as I recalled that Rafe was still not completely in the Lily fan club at the moment. My excitement faded, drained away by the memory of how angry he’d been at me for forcing him into using me as their keyboard player. After my humiliation of this afternoon, I was so not up for dealing with Rafe’s hostility. Wasn’t the first day of my Crusty-free existence supposed to be perfect?



“Why can’t we meet him?” Val nudged me, her dark brown curls tumbling wildly over her shoulder. “Does Rafe even exist? Who wants to bet that Lily’s going to her piano lesson, same as usual today?”

Erin’s mom looked back at us, her sunglasses perched on top of her head. “Val. Knock it off.”

I grinned, and she winked at me. I love Erin’s mom. She’s way cooler than mine. She was always wearing jeans and a tee shirt, her hair half-up in a ponytail. She was totally casual, but always looked gorgeous and fun. She was relaxed, and I always felt better hanging out with her.

Delilah opened the door and got out of the car. “I agree with Val. I don’t think Rafe exists. If Lily was really dating some hottie, she wouldn’t still be wearing junior bras. Let’s go see if this fictitious drummer really exists. I bet his name is Albert, he’s twelve and he plays the oboe, right, Lil?”

“No, you’re wrong!” I scrambled out and grabbed her wrist as she started walking into the music school. “Hey! Don’t go in.”

Val hurried out of the car and joined us on the sidewalk. “’Fess up, Lily. You’ve been lying to us since school started.”

My heart started to hammer and I swallowed. Oh, man, I was going to get busted right now, wasn’t I? Just when things were finally starting to come together!

“Get back in the car, girls,” Erin’s mom said, impatiently, shooting me a sympathetic look which made me realize that she also thought I was lying, and she was trying to save me from being exposed. “I have a hair appointment in twenty-minutes and I need to hustle.”

Erin immediately climbed out of the car and stood next to me. “I believe Lily.”

Relief washed over me and I smiled at Erin. Apparently I still had one real friend who was willing to believe it was at least a possibility that I really had a life.

“And she’ll take us in there and prove it, and then you two will look like fools,” she finished.

Or not.

Erin tucked her arm through mine and beamed at me. “Let’s go, Lily.”

Before I could come up with an excuse, Rafe peeled into the parking lot in his black jeep. The engine was roaring, and music blasted from his speakers with a pulsing beat that made my whole body thud. Rafe was wearing sunglasses, a denim jacket and his hair was all messed up from the wind. My heart started to race. This was the guy who had my phone number and gave me rides home? Wow. I was way cooler than I’d realized.



Val sucked in her breath as he swung down from the Jeep. “Who is he?”

Please don’t let him notice me. If he came over and yelled at me for wrecking his relationship with his actual girlfriend while I was standing with my friends, my life would be over. Forever.

“Complete hottie,” Erin agreed, fluffing her hair so it looked even blonder with the sun’s rays glinting off it. “I’m in love.”