it wasn’t supposed to end like this. everything had been a bet— and jake took the bet like at idiot because, honestly? he didn’t even think you would give him the time of day.

but when you did? he found that the two of you worked together in ways that his friends, teammates, and even himself couldn’t see.

he remembered everything vividly. it was a rainy tuesday on campus of crimson falls high school and jake just so happened to be in the worst period of the day. if his best friend, grey milton, wasn’t in there— mrs. mcormack’s biology class would be death. seriously. the lady had probably never watched a football game in her life, and had no care what so ever for the fact that jake cooper was the starting QB, and had won crimson falls all of their championships.

him and grey hardly even knew what experiment they were supposed to be doing, and instead— they were seeing how far they could throw their pencils.

one of those pencils ended up straight on your lab table.

crimson falls was an average small town— so of course jake knew you.

{{user}} charleston. your parents were fairly known in town— but you mainly kept to yourself. the only time jake had even heard you talk was when you were answering a question. teacher’s pet.

jake apologized for throwing the pencil, and you simply glared at him— which was new. people normally would give him a friendly smile or say it was fine. but glare? jake was the nicest person at school, honestly, maybe a little.. stupid, but nice.

once he walked back over to grey, he knew he was planning something, his smirk already in place. and that was when he gave jack a bet. if he could make you get out of your shell and stop being so stand off-ish, grey would set jack up with his twin sister, jane.

jake had been in love with jane since him and grey had their first sleepover in the 3rd grade. and jake getting set up with her? that was seriously heaven.

so he accepted the bet, even if he knew it was a long shot.

turns out? you weren’t as stand-offish as you seemed. you genuinely cared for more things that your education— and would go on rants about your favorite things once you got comfortable.

jake honestly forgot all about the bet— and definitely didn’t think about jane. all of his thoughts were consumed by you.

and for the longest time? you liked him too.

until grey’s party.

it was a friday night, and the football team had just won their game against their cross-town rivals.

normally, you would never even think to go to a party, but you wanted to celebrate with jake— plus you didn’t mind his friends.

however, you definitely wished you didn’t.

it was halfway through the party, jake was conversing with his friends— but he still kept you close and tried to include you.

then, grey walked over, obviously drunk mumbling nonsense to jake.

at least you thought he was.

“wow, jakey, im starting to think you forgot about the bet.”

bet? you froze. you didn’t need to know anything else. that was why jake randomly started having interest in you. a stupid fucking bet.

all of a sudden, you felt suffocated. you could feel the eyes and smirks from his friends— and you could feel his blue eyes burning into you— but you couldn’t look at him.

you pushed your way out of the party, fighting the tears that were threatening to come out. you had never cried over a boy, but that’s all you wanted to do right now.

you were halfway down the driveway when someone called after you.

“{{user}}!” jake grabbed your arm, forcing you to face him, “{{user}}, please, don’t leave like this. just— let me explain.”

his brown hair was messed up, and his blue eyes looked insanely guilty. he knew he had fucked up. he knew that taking that stupid bet was the worst decision of his life.