CHAPTER 11

Once I'm out of my uncomfortable clothes, I change into a pair of shorts and an oversized sweatshirt. I go downstairs to grab a bag of chips and feed Snow according to the text mom sent me during my 'lovely' evening walk home.

The last time I played Skylar was the day before resumption. If you haven't figured it out yet, Skylar is my guitar. And no, I didn't name it after Skylar. 

Okay fine, I did. 

But I was 15 then and he was my celebrity crush. KEYWORD: WAS. He was my idol. I wanted to be like him. But now, no. He's literal trash. I hate his sudden mood swing so much, but I keep listening to his songs. At first, a part of me thought we actually could be friends. Clearly he's not interested in that. 

After feeding Snow, I pick her up and take her up to my room. I set her on a pile of comfy pillows right beside my stuffed animal army. 

I sit on my bed with my back against the headboard and my giant stuffed pikachu right beside me. Once I pick up my guitar, I start playing  and singing one of FOREVER ALIVE's hit songs, 'If only you knew'.

I sing for a while until I get cut off by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. The footsteps stop. Okay, maybe it's just my imagination. Everyone's out and not coming home till morning. 

I resume strumming my guitar, but I get cut off again. This time I hear the sound of a door handle being turned. I look up at my door, but it's not moving. While straining my ears to check if what I'm hearing is real, I hear them again.

The footsteps. 

Okay, now I'm positive this is real.

Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Sweet Jesus. A robber!

How did he get pass Rick? He must have given him a nerve twitch, just like in the movies.

So this is how it ends. I've not even graduated or gotten married to Shawn Mendes.

Wait, Shawn Mendes... I'm gonna live for you.

I scan my room for a potential weapon and my eyes land on the hairspray on my vanity. I walk towards it and pick it up. This should work. I know the hell I went through when some of it got into my eyes. It felt like hot sauce with a hint of chopped onions.

I walk towards my stuffed animal army and pick up as much as I can carry on one arm. The footsteps get louder as it comes nearer.

The door suddenly flings open. I start screaming on top of my lungs and spraying the hairspray while throwing my stuffed animals towards the door. My eyes are shut tightly as if opening them would get me killed.

It probably would.

Once I run out of stuffed animals, I focus entirely on spraying the hairspray towards the door, still screaming and hoping that Rick would somehow hear me through these god-damned soundproof walls.

He can't... Even if he could, he's probably unconscious.

"What the hell?!" the person yells, immediately making me to stop. I recognize that voice anywhere.

"Skylar?" I finally open my eyes to see a fuming and wet Skylar. "Are you crazy? What're you doing in my room?"

"You're clearly the crazy one here," he hisses, running his hand across his face.

"Well it's not my fault, I thought you were a robber," I defend, arms folded.

"A robber?" he looks at the ground where some of my stuffed animals are sprawled and his countenance turns into that of amusement, "and throwing your stuffed animals at me was what you thought of?"

"I panicked okay?"

He suddenly bursts into laughter. I ignore him and squat to pick up my stuffed animals. 

He squats too and begins helping me with the stuffed animals, "The hairspray was impressive though".

After helping me to arrange the stuffed animals according to their families, I turn to face him. I have a lot of questions on how and why he's here.

"How did you know my house?" I ask.

"You're Ashley Reynolds," is his simple and very reasonable reply.

"How did you get pass security?"

"I'm Skylar Anderson".

And once again friends, his reply is unarguable. He is Skylar Anderson. Everyone—especially every girl—falls for his charming smile and for some reason, get hypnotized into doing what he wants. I breathe out a tired sigh.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, putting on my most intimidating scowl.

"Can't I pay my girlfriend a surprise visit?"

"Drop that dating shit, you and I both know it's fake. Besides, no one's here. Why are you really here?"

"Why didn't you wait for me after school. I was looking for you. How did you get home?"

"It's none of your fucking business! Stop acting like you care!"

His face immediately becomes serious as he takes a step closer to me, "Did you really mean what you said to Molly at the cafeteria during lunch today?"

It takes about 3 seconds for me to realize he's talking about Madison. Told you he'd forget her name again.

I frown at him, "I don't get".

"That you don't dig what you have in billions,"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's... It's just that, when I first bumped into you, I disliked you because I thought you were another one of those celebrities bumping into me 'accidentally' just to start a conversation that'll probably end up with a collaboration offer or something of that sort. And when I kept seeing you almost everywhere, I thought you were doing it on purpose.

"But I knew you were different the moment you pushed me away. I started to enjoy your company. I liked the fact that you made me feel normal. At first, I thought it was because you were a fellow celebrity. But then I remembered the other celebrities who hooked up with me only for my money and the fame. I got hurt when I saw you at that contest—"

"The contest?"

"Yeah," he says, taking of his soaked shirt.

"Uhhh, what're you doing?" I ask raising an eyebrow, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with his display of drool-worthy pecs.

What? They ARE drool-worthy...

"What does it look like I'm doing?.. you got me wet with that hairspray so I'm taking my shirt of to let it dry".

"Okay... carry on," I say, feigning nonchalance.

He smirks grabbing my stuffed baby elephant and plops on my bed, "I thought that like most of the other girls, you wanted to sing on the tour just to get with me and demand mo—"

"But that's not true, I've been singing my whole life. I only entered the contest because it's a huge step in my music career".

"I know that now. When you said those words at the cafeteria, I felt so relieved and also bad. I said hurtful things to you because I was hurt, Ashley".

That explains it. Poor guy here thought I was a golddigger, "So that's the cause of your sudden mood swings, you thought I was a golddigger".

"I'm sorry, I let something so silly ruin our friendship," he says with a sly smile, "forgive me?"

I stay still in shock. Did he jus—

"We're friends?" I almost yell.

"Of course we're," he says in a duh tone.

I smile at him, "I forgive you".

I can't stay mad at him. I mean I can, but that'll get us nowhere. We need to be on good terms if we want this fake relationship to work out and seem believable.

"All girls aren't the same you know," I say, picking up a sleeping Snow and putting her in a cage that once belonged to my beloved late guinea pig—señor Puffy—who remains forever in my heart.

God bless.

"All girls I've been with were the same," he deadpans, breaking me out of my mini memorial service, "but you're different. The day you pushed me, I was so shocked".

"I could tell," I smirk.

"No girl has ever pushed me away, you even smacked Lil Skylar in our first P.E class".

I throw my head back in laughter and smirk. Good times. 

He throws my stuffed elephant and me to shut me up and I catch it expertly... right after it lands on the bed.

Yeah I'm horrible at catching things....

"I love my fans ro death, but it sometimes gets irritating when all those girls hover around me in the parking lot or cafeteria. I—holy fucking mother of Doritos," Skylar yelps and jumps up and lands on his back on my bed.

For a second I wonder the cause of his sudden outburst, until realization hits me.

My whole room is covered in his face.

He sits up slowly, his horrified expression gradually morphing into a cocky smirk, "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're in love with me".

I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. The mortification.

I immediately rush towards the biggest poster. It's a life size picture of him and his band during their summer tour around South America.

"You and I both know you're gonna put it back up once I leave". My hands freeze on the spot once these words leave Skylar's lips. 

Shit. He's right.

"Speaking of leaving, you should leave. Right now. I don't want Rick getting any funny ideas," I say, attempting to push him out of my room. KEYWORD: ATTEMPT.

"Oh come on Ley, I basically just got here," he argues.

"Ley?"

"Oh... Sorry it's a nickname I got used to hearing. I guess it kinda slipped".

"It's cute, I like it". He's about to say something when Snow starts making a racket in the cage. I guess the cage is tiny compared to her cage palace downstairs. I walk towards the cage and open it, freeing Snow who seems relieved to be out of it. I set her by the pillows and walk back to Skylar.

"Maybe I should be calling you that," he continues, "to make our relationship more believable".

"I guess so," I say. Out of a corner of my eye, I spot Snow climbing on my guitar, "Snow, get down from Skylar, you're gonna get hurt".

I freeze, realizing what I just said in front of Skylar.

"Skylar?" a chuckle escapes his lips, "you named your guitar after me?"

Busted.

"Don't be so full of yourself Skylar, not everything revolves around you. I've had this guitar since I was 14, a whole year before you became famous".

LIAR.

"Mhm," he gives me a knowing look, "I don't mind though, I feel honored to be namesakes with Ashley Reynolds' guitar".

"Whatever," I roll my eyes and plop on my bed. Skylar sits beside me, holding out my guitar towards me.

"Play me something," he says.

"Hmmm?"

"Play me something".

"I don't know, it's been a while," I lie, feeling a bit reluctant.

"I heard you playing 'If only you knew' while I was in the stairway earlier. You like it?"

"It's my favorite,"

"Then sing it for me,"

"As much as I take pride in not fangirling over you, I'm a huge fan. It'll feel weird singing in front of you," I tell him honestly.

That's the truth. I'm not usually shy. I'm never shy, but this is different. For some reason I'm scared of his judgment on my singing. He's done it before during tour practice and they were all negative. 

"Then I'll sing and you play. Is that alright?" He asks with the most charming smile ever. I'm beginning to wonder if this is the same Skylar Anderson from this morning.

"Yeah," I nod. He hands me my guitar and I'm about to strum it when he stop me.

"How about we make this a hot topic," he says, "just imagine, 'Skylar Anderson and his girlfriend, Ashley Reynolds singing to one of FOREVER ALIVE'S biggest hits, 'If only you knew'. That'll also make our relationship believable".

"That's so brilliant," I say.

"Boys thinking deep," he says with a smug smile.

I chuckle at this and attach my phone to a ring light and set it in a good angle, "Alright, let's do this".

I start playing the intro to 'If only you knew' and he starts to sing.

Woah! His voice is even sexier in person. I keep my fangirling under control, smiling at this scenario. Who knew this day would come. I've dreamed about singing with Skylar since sophomore year. And it's happening... It's actually happening. Never give up on your dreams because they come true... eventually.

I subconsciously start singing the chorus along with him and once again I get lost in the song.

"If only you knew, I loved you for all that you were,

If only you knew, I loved you for all that you had been,

If only you knew, I loved you for all that you were gonna be,

If only, if only, if only you knew,

You'd still be with me..."

Once the song ends, I slowly open my eyes to see Skylar staring at me with a small smile playing on his lips.

"You're eyes are really pretty," he says leaning over to stop the video recording . He lies down on the bed, facing the ceiling.

"Thanks," I say. I drop my guitar beside my bed and lie down too. We stay silent for a bit before I break it, "how did you even find my room?"

"I found it eventually, after trying every door in the hallway. Besides, who else would have a collage of herself and Shawn Mendes on their door?" he says, letting out a chuckle.

"Watch out Skylar, it'll happen. You'll be his best man at our wedding".

"Keep telling yourself that," he laughs, "about this whole fake dating thing. I'm so sorry you somehow got roped into this".

"Are you kidding me right now? I get to hang out with my favorite boyband and meet a lot of celebrities I can't meet even through my brothers. I also get to see the priceless faces of your exes when they see us together. I love this fake relationship," I ramble out.

He gets up from my bed and pats Snow on her head, "I better get going. I'm glad you've forgiven me. Thanks for a wonderful evening, Ley," he says with a wide smile while putting on his shirt.

I get up from my bed and return the smile with a hug, "Thanks for not being the jackass I thought you were".

#~#~#~#~

A/N

What's popping guys?

How did you like the chapter? So, Skylar and Ashley are now on good terms. 

No one said they'd be best friends *smiles evilly, rubbing her hands together maniacally*. Their bickering will definitely remain.

Next update: soon...

Please vote and comment 🥺

All my love...

STAY WILD♡♡♡