Text from: Jake Morris-Whittaker, 6:35 am

Ellie's Daily Reminder 13/180: Network network network!

(No, I don't mean like wifi)

The one thing I've learned about Adulting: it's all about who you know

lmao

guess I'm doomed then

~*~

Pretending to be into Theo Ellerby was a lot easier than I'd expected. Disconcertingly easy, if I was being honest. But that was only because he could charm the skirt off a nun. And thankfully, I wasn't the only one on the receiving end of his attentions.

He'll know it's fake if it moves too fast, Theo had texted the morning after our scrimmage.

So don't freak if you see me flirting.

Oh. Right.
I'm supposed to give a
damn about that now.

Yes.

You're supposed to be
head-over-heels for my
charming self.

Shouldn't be too hard.

Debatable

You're so difficult

The feeling is entirely
mutual, darling.

🙄🤨

But the warning was appreciated. Because that way, when Gyeong-Ja and I walked back from math class to find Emma sitting on Theo's lap in the common room, I didn't immediately wonder whether he'd changed his mind about our whole arrangement. I did, however, take great satisfaction from the way her head whipped around when he waved at me. And then again, two days later, when he plunked himself down at our lunch table as if he owned the place.

"Can we help you?" Audra asked, pausing in peeling an orange.

"I assumed this seat wasn't taken," Theo said, with a wink at me. "Hope you don't mind."

"Oh, we definitely don't," Gyeong-Ja replied, then sipped her tea to hide her grin.

Much to my surprise, Audra didn't protest. She remained true to her word and didn't chase Theo off. She didn't even hassle me afterwards. Instead, she and Theo got to discussing Harcourt's varsity soccer teams, debating strategies and offering me unsolicited advice about how to best defend against their speedy strikers.

"You can talk to anyone, can't you?" I muttered after lunch, when Theo threaded his arm with mine on our way to English class.

He grinned. "It's my gift. Besides, what better way to broadcast my interest than by going out of my way to sit with you. Next time, you come sit with me."

"What?" My steps ground to a halt in the wood-panelled hallway just outside our English classroom.

Theo frowned at me. "What do you mean 'what'? If we're dating, we're gonna have to sit together at—"

I folded my arms. "So I'm supposed to just abandon my friends to go sit with yours?"

His chest swelled with a sigh as he studied me. "I mean...yeah. That's what all the girls who date me do."

"Not this one." I brushed past him into the classroom.

He slid into the desk beside mine rather than his usual one in the back row. "Remember when I said this was supposed to be fun?"

"You have a zillion friends," I replied, digging out my laptop. "I have two. And I'm not willing to lose them for this."

Theo was still frowning when Mrs. Wiltshire called the class to order. But I didn't really care, because I wasn't about to stop sitting with Audra and Gyeong-Ja just to sell this ruse. I ignored the buzz of my phone in my pocket through class, especially when the texts were clearly from Theo, his thumbs flying across his screen in his lap whenever Mrs. Wiltshire wasn't looking.

"At least let me walk you to tutoring," he said, when class finally ended and I still hadn't so much as checked my phone.

"Why are you acting like I'm mad at you?" I asked when we were out of earshot of the others, walking along the breezeway.

"You're not?" he asked slowly.

"No?" I huffed a laugh. "I'm just not going to ditch my friends. Were you expecting some kind of hissy fit and ultimatum?"

His frowning silence was enough of an answer for me.

With a grin, I clapped him on the shoulder. "Remember when you said this was supposed to be fun? Just relax. Stop overthinking it. I'll sit with my friends, you sit with yours. Problem solved."

But his frown didn't smooth out. Instead, he just studied me from the corner of his eye until we made it to the library, when his arm found its way around my shoulders again. It was purely for William's benefit, though. And if the look on my tutor's face was any indication, it worked.

"Well, you've perplexed me enough for today," Theo muttered, "Permission to kiss your forehead?"

"Fine," I replied, looking anywhere but at William when Theo leaned down and nuzzled into me.

"You smell like fruit," he said into my hair, then trailed his fingers down my arm as if he couldn't help but touch me in farewell. "Have fun."

"You're late," William said, not even looking at me when I thunked down into the seat opposite him.

I checked my watch. "I'm right on time."

His jaw worked. "Show me your latest chapter summary."

"Yeesh," I said, pulling out my laptop. "What's with that tone?"

An angry sigh huffed through his nose. "Should I tell Mr. Harris that you're not taking this seriously?"

I paused, frowning. "Okay but for real, who shat in your cereal this morning?"

The glare William fixed on me was fleeting, but it still had me leaning back in my chair until he scraped a hand across his face. "Sorry. I'm sorry. It's just..." He sighed. "You didn't reply to my texts, and now you waltz in with my brother. You're being played, Ellie, and I hate it."

I bit my cheek to stifle the triumphant grin that sprang to my lips. "Played?" I repeated, feigning confusion.

William held my gaze. "I've seen the way he's been all over you lately. At your scrimmage and now in the hallways and the dining hall. It's an act, Ellie. He's doing it to mess with me, not because he's into you."

I crossed my arms, still fighting my grin, and fired back, "Why would paying attention to me be messing with you?"

William opened his mouth, clamped it closed, then tried again. "Because I'm your tutor."

I tilted my head. "That doesn't make any sense."

He ran a hand across the back of his neck and shook his head. "Just...be careful, okay? He's not serious about you, and I don't want you getting hurt."

This time, I lost the battle to my grin. "You don't want me getting hurt?" I nudged his foot under the table. "Look at you, being all protective."

He shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not being protective, I'm just trying to be a friend. I know when my brother is serious about girls, and unfortunately, this isn't one of those times." He held my gaze, then cleared his throat and stared down at the history textbook in front of him. "We should get on with this. The war of 1812 has multiple theatres of war, and—"

"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and change the subject." I flipped open my notebook and pointed my pen at him. "But I see you, President Ellerby. And it's kinda cute that you want to protect me."

Finally, his face broke into a smile, albeit a rueful one. He huffed another sigh. "Date of the first invasion. Go."

"July 12, 1812," I replied, "Which would've been a lot easier to remember if they could've just waited until August and made it 8/12/1812 instead."

William chuckled. "Good. Now hand over that chapter summary."

After a gruelling hour about a war that was far more complicated than I'd originally thought, William's timer went off, and we packed up. I was tempted to bring up Gustavo's again, especially when we were all alone on our walk to the dining hall for dinner. But when Theo waved from his usual table and pointed to the empty seat beside him, my annoyance flushed away all thoughts of flirting with William.

"So, Sunday then?" William asked, frowning at his brother.

"Yeah. Not sure when we'll get back from the away game, so I'll text you," I said, then set off towards the food line.

"I look forward to it," William called after me. But even the butterflies that awakened at his words weren't enough to cool my temper. In line, I fished out my phone and ignored the string of texts Theo had sent during English to type one of my own.

Nice try. Not happening.

Because it wasn't. Even though I hadn't really noticed it at first, the divide in the dining hall was exactly like my old high school, and Theo and I were on staunchly separate sides. He and his friends sat at their gossipy table of well-to-do heirs and heiresses, while Audra, Gyeong-Ja, and I sat at our fun little table of laughs. I'd never fit in with Theo's group, and, frankly, I didn't really care to. Not when I had friends who liked me for me—a rarity anywhere, but especially at a place like Kingsbridge. I mashed send, then served myself a double portion of spaghetti and meatballs before making my way over to Gyeong-Ja and Audra.

"Carb loading. I approve," Audra said when my tray hit the table. I was about to reply when my phone buzzed. I scowled down at it.

Playing hard to get? I like it.

I told you I wasn't
sitting with your friends.

Stop trying to manipulate me.

😳

"Ellie?" Gyeong-Ja asked. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I scraped a hand through my hair. "Sorry. History sucks and I'm just frustrated. And starving." I dug into my dinner as they exchanged a look.

"Well, I hope you won't mind but I logged us as roomies for the away game this weekend," Audra said. "I promise I don't snore, and G assures me that you don't either."

"Sure," I said, flipping my phone over when Theo lit it up with another text.

But if the sly look Gyeong-Ja shot me as any indication, she'd seen his name.

**A/N: I am so late posting this today and I'm sorry! I'd wanted to make sure the texts were clear with the alignment, but it turns out I have to do that from my phone and I'm not allowed my phone at work 🤦‍♀️.

I hope it was clear, and if it wasn't, let me know and I'll go back and edit which is from Theo and which is from Ellie!

As always, if you enjoyed it, please take a moment to cote and comment!**