The Truth About Faking

scold as we walk to his car. “Of course, we’ll see whatever they’re seeing!”
    “He didn’t commit,” Jason says, opening the door for me.
    As we drive to the theater, I notice soft music is playing. He’s quiet, and everything suddenly feels very intimate. Not at all like a casual friends-going-to-the-movies night. It almost feels like this is turning into another real date.
    “Hey, I was thinking,” I say, breaking the mood. “I really should pay for my ticket.”
    “What?”
    “I mean, it’s just a fake date after all. You shouldn’t have to spend money on me.”
    “I don’t mind buying your ticket.” He seems annoyed by my suggestion.
    “But it’s kind of a lot. And I don’t want any popcorn or anything.”
    “Look, H.D., just because we’re faking doesn’t mean I won’t buy your ticket.”
    “I know. I just… I’d feel better about it if I paid for myself.”
    Jason looks at me a second. Then he shakes his head. His expression is a mystery to me as I hold out my ten, almost like he’s about to tell me something, but at the last minute changes his mind.
    “Just put it in the ashtray,” he says.
    I open the small compartment and stuff it on top of quarters and what looks like a rock.
    When we get to the theater, he buys our tickets and leads me inside. I see Shelly and Trent waiting at the snack counter. Trent has on jeans and a plaid shirt with a blazer that I’m sure I’ve seen on one of those headless mannequins in the mall. Then he smiles, and I feel all squishy inside. Trent’s teeth were so white, and they have the slightest tilt inward at the bottom. I imagine kissing him, and my eyes almost close.
    “Hi, guys,” Jason’s voice snaps me back to attention.
    “Hey,” Shelly says, obviously checking out my date.
    “Should we go on and get seats?” I say.
    “We just ordered popcorn.” Shelly seems even less enthusiastic about being with Trent tonight, and I figure the make-out session was a bust. Oh, well!
     “Why don’t you and Trent go,” Jason says. “I’ll help Shelly and get us something.”
    “Oh, you don’t have to…” I start to say, but Shelly comes to life.
    “That’s a great idea!”
    I do a double-take at her, but Trent steps over and lightly touches my arm. My pulse jumps through the roof, and I completely forget about stopping Jason or pretending to be miffed at Shelly’s obvious interest in my date. My fake date.
    “Our theater’s Number 5,” he says and smiles. I remember to smile back.
    “Okay,” I say, turning to follow him.
    As we walk toward the big red five in the distance I hear Shelly talking to Jason.
    “Your hair is the most amazing color,” she says. “It’s like dark chocolate with milk chocolate highlights.”
    I roll my eyes and almost laugh. Shelly does not miss a chance.
    “What?” Trent’s watching me.
    “Oh!” I jump. I can’t be amused by Shelly’s tactics. Jason’s supposed to be my real date, and it wouldn’t make sense if I found her behavior funny instead of annoying. “I just thought of this funny story. Something Jason told me earlier.”
    “So you two are dating now?”
    “I guess. I mean, we’re just getting to know each other, so I don’t know.”
    Trent nods, then he touches my arm again. Zing!
    “This is us,” he says, reaching to hold the door for me. I sigh inwardly. He’s such a gentleman.
    We go inside and pick out four empty seats next to each other. Then he and I sit beside each other in the middle two. Several minutes pass, and I try to think of something to say. All I keep getting are thoughts of Shelly making out with him and milk chocolate highlights.
    “Did you have fun at the luau?” he finally asks me.
    “Yeah,” I say. “Did you?”
    “Oh, sure.”
    Silence again. I looked around trying to find a subject for conversation. I don’t know what Trent likes to talk about. Shelly covered everything that doesn’t work last night in the bathroom, and we’ve never had a class together. We don’t have lunch together, we didn’t have lunch together last year, not that it would’ve mattered since I was hideous last year. We’ve never had the chance to really talk, come to think of it. Just then Shelly walks in with Jason. She’s holding his arm and laughing like he just said the funniest thing on the planet. Jason looks up and his eyebrows rise slightly. My shoulders rise a hair in response. It’s like we’re using a secret code, only at this point I have nothing to