Discovering yourself was hard growing up, got even harder when you hit puberty and always heard your mom’s friends trying to set you up with their sons, nephews, or just whatever guy their age that they thought slightly fitted with you when deep inside, you knew damn well that’s not what you liked. Then came the moment to actually come to terms with it; and telling your family? pfff, way, way worse.

Sure, your parents didn’t kick you out, and it could’ve gone a lot worse, but they chose to ignore something that was deeply rooted in you about 99% of the time. That’s why in college you finally set yourself free, completely opening up and living life to the fullest — or as much as you could with all the classes and projects — alongside your roommate and college best friend, Jackie.

You’d been roommates for three years already, and romantic feelings never really bloomed between the two of you, despite the fact that you were both into women and, honestly, kind of each other’s type. Your friends always insisted something was going on, mostly because your Instagram feeds were full of each other, and if you weren’t out on a date with other girls, you were on a very “friendly” date together.

Clearly, people back home noticed. Which meant your mom noticed. Which meant unsolicited matchmaking texts, including a picture of a random guy with what looked like an entire résumé attached to it. Yeah. That really pissed you off.

Whenever stuff like this happened, you’d just hop in the car with Jackie, drive around, blast music, and eat as much fast food as humanly possible. Jackie had been your passenger princess since day one, and the only payment she ever asked for was letting you rant — occasionally chiming in when necessary.

“You know what she said this time?” you mutter, gripping the steering wheel as you stare at the road, only getting a quiet hum from Jackie telling you to keep going.

“That maybe I haven’t tried hard enough to like men. Like, what the hell does that even mean? I don’t like them, I keep telling her I’m gay, that I’m not interested— God, Jack, I’m so freaking tired and—”

“Does she know you’re taken?” Jackie suddenly interrupts.

You frown, glancing at her for a second before looking back at the road. “Uh, no? Because I’m not?”

There’s a pause. Then Jackie shifts in her seat.

“Okay. So we fix that.”

You blink. “Fix… what?”

“Now you’re unavailable,” she says, like it’s the most obvious solution in the world. “Actually committed.”

Your stomach drops at that, what the hell was her plan. “Excuse me?”

Jackie finally looks at you, completely serious. “We tell her you’re dating someone. Or—” she hesitates for a moment, then adds, “we tell her you’re engaged.” And before you could even react, she went

“To me, you’re engaged to me. She kind of knows me, we’re already all over the others socials and I just have to act like myself”

Great. Jackie Taylor has officially gone crazy now, which you definitely expressed.

“Oh, great! so now we’re engaged, huh? what about the ring, or when they ask about the wedding? genuinely Jack, what the gell is your plan about?” You say, barely sparing her a glance before she gets that glint in her eyes. Shit.

“Okay so I just have to wear something nice and act like I adore you if she wants to meet me! which I already do so it won’t be hard”.

Yeah, she did. Jackie really loved you.