The Bet

"So you are saying that…" I began.

"Yes Jessica is cheating on her boyfriend" Haley answers.

"But you said they weren't dating so it's not really cheating is it"

"That's old news you are way behind" 

"Well you are my primary source after all" I replied back.

"So he caught her making out…." Haley went on….

The class I had to attend with the freshmen surprisingly became the highlight of my day. I had developed a friendship of sorts with Haley.

When we first met, Haley was hostile towards me for her strange reasons, but over time, her quirky, carefree nature began to grow on me. She warmed up to me as well, but we still had our disagreements. 

The only mistake I made was sharing my number with her, as she took it as an open invitation to reach out at any hour, sharing everything from random thoughts to observations.

I won't, I would never admit it, but I found myself looking forward to her texts. They had become a small, yet significant, part of my daily routine.

Even my friends were confused when I started sharing all the school gossip I learned from Haley to them.

"What happened to you?" Haley asked as I slid into the seat beside her.

"What do you mean?" I countered, puzzled.

"You look... different. Did you get a makeover or something?" She examined my face by bringing her face next to mine.

I laughed at her reaction. "I had a photoshoot yesterday," I admitted.

"Ah, a celebrity thing. So what was it for?" she asked.

"Teen Vogue," I replied as I took my notebook out.

"Teen Vogue? Seriously?" Haley exclaimed, her eyes widening with genuine surprise and interest.

 "Yeah, I was as surprised as you are when they approached me." I replied.

"So, what's it like?" she asked enthusiastically leaning towards me, her curiosity clearly piqued.

I shrugged, downplaying the whole thing. "Honestly, it's a lot of waiting around, changing outfits, and trying not to look awkward in front of the camera. Not as glamorous as it sounds."

Haley scoffed, "'Not exciting'? Please, you're on the cover of a major magazine! That's huge, Daniel."

"Well, when you're being poked and prodded by stylists and makeup artists for hours, it loses some of its glamor," I explained, hoping she'd understand my lack of enthusiasm.

She leaned closer. "I can't believe you're whining about being on Teen Vogue. Do you know how many people would kill for that opportunity?"

"Well, I guess the crew was very nice," I replied slowly.

Haley simply turned away from me after that muttering something about being ungrateful.

The class began and I caught Haley looking at me a few times. I would ask her what she wanted, but she wouldn't answer. I focused on the class again before the end of the class. Mrs. Thompson had some news for us.

"This project that you'll be working in pairs. It's a significant portion of your grade," she announced.

"I will be making the pairs so don't bother pairing up with your friends," she added.

She made a couple of groups first and then laid her eyes on me and Haley.

"Daniel and Haley, you two will be working together," she stated, as if it were the most natural pairing in the world.

"Looks like I'll be doing all the work for this project," I remarked, half-joking.

Haley, clearly offended by my assumption, shot back, "Excuse me? I can do just as well, if not better than you."

She said as we walked out of the class together.

Her feisty response amused me. "Oh really? Would you care to bet on that?" I asked, surprised by her confidence.

"Sure, why not? I'll do the project myself. If we get an A." 

I raised my eyebrows at that.

"If we get a B or higher…" she quickly corrected.

"If we get a B or higher," I repeated.

"You have to take me shopping," she declared.

I chuckled, accepting her challenge. "Deal. But if we get anything lower, well…..."

"Well what?" she asked.

"I haven't decided yet," I replied.

"Good and don't bother because make sure your card is working because I have expensive tastes."

"Is there a problem?" a very familiar voice said from behind me.

I turned around to see Joanna standing behind me with a strange expression on her face.

"Who is this?" Joanna asked.

"This is…" I started to say.

"Haley Dunphy," she said, interrupting me and extending a hand towards Joanna.

"Joanna Sterling," she responded by shaking Haley's hand. They stared at each other for a while with fake smiles on their faces.

"Umm..ladies," I said, trying to figure out what was happening.

"I have to meet up with my friends," Haley said, turning to me. "Don't forget to make sure that card of yours is loaded," she said as she walked away, giving a look to Joanna.

"Yeah, you wish," I replied to her retreating form.

"What was that about?" Joanna asked as we walked to where the others were.

"Ah, it's just a stupid bet," I said dismissively.

"So we are working on the song tonight, right?" she asked.

"We don't have to work on much since I have already completed it," I said with a smile.

"Wait, really? But I thought we were going to work on it together," she asked. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"You get the final say, of course, and I don't have the instruments completely down yet, just the lyrics. It's just that this time will be faster than before," I said.

I looked at her. She still looked a bit disappointed. Is it because she can't spend more time with me? Oh wait, does she have a crush on me? Of course, she has a crush on me.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" she asked, standing in front of me. I had abruptly stopped while I had that realization.

"Nothing, just remembered something," I lied.

.

.

.

It was the weekend, so Mom, Nathan, and I were driving to Oregon, where the Blair Witch was being filmed.We decided to turn it into a mini vacation. 

We left the city, and slowly the landscape changed to rolling hills and open fields. Eventually, we began driving through dense forests, and as we neared our destination, the forest grew even more dense and mysterious. The trees seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky; they had chosen a perfect place for shooting the movie.

We were led to where the film crew was.

"Welcome to Oregon, Daniel," Dave yelled out.

"Hey, Dave. So, how is everything?" I asked.

"Everything is on schedule," he replied.

Sam and Jason were coordinating with the crew, ensuring everything was set for the day's shoot. They noticed us and waved us over.

"You haven't met the cast yet, have you?" Dave asked as we walked towards where the crew was.

I shook my head no. "So, how are they?" I asked.

"Well, you were at the audition for the first two, so you know they are great. Derrick, our third and final lead, is as good as them," he replied.

"Good, good," I said.

"Are we sure it's safe here? This place is…" Mom started to say.

"Scary," Nathan finished.

Mom nodded.

"I think it's supposed to be like that, Mary," Dave said.

"Hey, Daniel! Glad you could make it," Jason said, clasping my hand in a firm handshake.

"Let me introduce you to our stars," Dave said.

Scarlett Johansson, portraying Heather, was deep in discussion with Sam about a scene. Michael Harris and Derrick Williams were reviewing their lines nearby.

"Derrick, Michael, this is Daniel Adler," Dave said, introducing me.

"Hey, nice to finally meet you in person," Michael greeted me with a warm smile, extending his hand.

Derrick followed suit, "Heard a lot about you, man. Excited to be working on this project."

I then walked to where Scarlett was. She saw me walking towards her so she met me midway.

"Hello, Mr. Adler, it's so great to meet you," she said, extending her hand.

I shook her hand. ""Come on, call me Daniel. You are only, what, two years older than me?" I said with a smile on my face.

Scarlett's smile widened.

"I've read your work. It's quite... captivating," she remarked, the tone of her voice suggesting she was not just talking about my writing.

"Thank you. I could say the same; your audition was captivating as well," I replied, my words mirroring her compliment.

I glanced around the place. "How do you find working in these woods?" I inquired.

"It's exciting. There's something about the unknown that's quite thrilling, don't you think?" Scarlett responded, her gaze following mine into the depths of the forest.

"It would be fun to explore a bit," I suggested, leaving the idea hanging between us like an unspoken challenge.

Scarlett had a coy smile on her face.

"Exploring the unknown with Daniel Adler? How could I resist such an offer?" she replied.

Oh, she was good. Damn, I still can't believe Scarlett johansson is the same age as me here.This world is amazing.

Our conversation was interrupted by Dave. "I wouldn't recommend that."

Scarlett was called away by Jason.

"See you around, Daniel," she said as she walked away.

"I see you are having fun," I heard Mom behind me.

"What?" I asked as innocently as I could.

"Nothing, nothing at all," she said with a smile.