"I'm not the kind of fool Who's gonna sit and sing to you."

-Alex Turner, Stuck On The Puzzle

January 8, 2016: 9:38 a.m.

Not many things were able to get a reaction from me. Shit is bound to happen and when it does you just continue on.

This, though. This had me ready to kill a bitch.

Cooper's plan sounded simple. Fake date a girl for a few months and I'd be on my way with the public's adoration. What Cooper failed to mention in person was all the other crap that came with it. It meant no more partying, no more girls and no more blunt responses to the media.

Bottom line: Be fake.

Some had already labelled me as that, but it wasn't true. Admittedly, I used to be different, but one thing lead to another and this was what I made of myself.

At first the paparazzi ate it up and I went with it because with my new 'bad boy' image came the privilege of not having to answer any personal questions. So here I was, the guy that didn't give a fuck about anybody or anything.

I was just the guy who had the right looks and the right lyrics.

I made my way through Hurricane until I found the space where McKenna was talking to yet another unfamiliar face.

He was lengthy and slim wearing an overcoat and a teal collared shirt. He supported a black scarf that made his green, catlike eyes pop. His brown hair reached the nape of his neck and was covered by a striped trilby.

Walking toward them, my chucks echoed through the room letting them know I was here. They turned toward me, McKenna looked me over without giving a reaction.

The guy, however, brightened giving me a broad smile, "Reece glad you could join us! I'm Scottie."

He made it sound like it was voluntary.

"Hey," I shook his outstretched hand before putting my own into my jean pockets. I already knew Scottie was going to be a little too enthusiastic for me.

"You're late," McKenna informed me.

I was also hungover.

Things we weren't going to tell Cooper.

"You're drinking throw up," I told her referring to the bottle she was holding filled with some sort of green, weird liquid. Her hair was up in a messy bun and she was supporting a grey shirt with a Maroon 5 logo imprinted on the top left.

"It's a health smoothie," She explained.

I shrugged thinking she didn't really need it. She looked pretty damn fit to me.

"Aww, I can see the bubbling chemistry arising already!" Scottie interrupted his eyes glowing.

I laughed awkwardly a little confused, "What?"

McKenna rubbed her forehead while shaking her head at his statement.

Scottie waved me off, "I've been informed on your relationship status and will be helping your behaviors so the world can witness the two of you as a real couple."

I nodded realizing he was our new publicist.

"I think I actually might throw up," McKenna feigned pain.

"What, burning in hell didn't prepare you for this?" I asked.

McKenna flipped me off with a sardonic smile.

Scottie looked between the two of us, his confidence slightly shaking, "We'll fix this. One small step at a time. Sit down," he gestured to the round table close to the wall.

I made my way over with McKenna who took a sip out of her "smoothie" and sat opposite of me. Scottie pulled out two papers from his folder. He passed one to each of us and whipped out two pens from his back pocket.

"What's this?" McKenna asked as I looked over the paper.

A bunch of questions were listed down the paper with a blank space next to each where I assumed my answer was supposed to go.

"Part of being a couple is knowing details about the significant other," Scottie started.

I looked over at McKenna who was focused on her paper. I didn't like being called a couple.

"This will prepare you if you are asked questions about each other and you will be-randomly-while you're with each other or doing solo interviews. It's best not to expose the nature of your predicament because one of you can't remember the other's eye color."

I scoffed leaning back in my chair, "This is stupid."

Scottie crossed his arms, his weight shifting to his right leg, "Oh, really? What's McKenna's eye color," he challenged.

"Correction, this is beyond stupid."

"Humor me."

"Brown," I decided to play along.

"EHHHHHHHH," Scottie made an buzzer like noise making me cringe as the pounding in my head began to grow. "They're hazel and before you speak, yes, there is a difference. A difference you need to know."

I scowled still believing this whole thing was stupid. I was secretly impressed that Scottie had the answer without a glance in McKenna's direction but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

"Are you a virgin?" McKenna read.

"We haven't even been on our first date yet and you already want to take my virginity?"

McKenna gave me a pointed look before turning toward Scottie waiting for an explanation.

He shrugged putting his hands up in mock surrender, "People are nosy! You have five minutes so get going."

10:19 a.m.

"You told your mom you couldn't go to soccer practice because your coach was trying to kidnap you?" I asked trying to hold back a laugh as I read the line asking 'the biggest lie you've told' on McKenna's paper.

"Yeah," she admitted slightly embarrassed, "He kept making us run during practice like he was training us for the army. And then he wouldn't even play me! I wasn't down for that."

"Oh my god," I laughed.

McKenna raised her eyebrow, "You think it's funny? My mom called the city and it became this huge deal. No one believed the coach until they brought me in to explain the details in front of the whole council."

"That's horrible," I chuckled trying to compose myself, "He probably had half a mind to kidnap you after."

McKenna shrugged, smirking, "I got kicked off the team and became the legendary 6 year old back in the day. I guess it was a win-win."

"You're crazy," I said shaking my head. She managed to drink the rest of her smoothie, which amazed me. It looked like shit.

"Yea well at least my childhood best friend wasn't an imaginary kid named Binky," McKenna retorted mockingly.

I scowled, "I was five and he was cool!"

"Oh, I don't doubt the awesomeness of Mr. Binky," McKenna replied, her eyes dancing in amusement. Scottie was right, McKenna's eyes were a brilliant hazel and looked almost amber in the light. They were a stark contrast to my dark, brown eyes.

I glowered not very fond of that particular question. I was pretty sure no one was going to ask her if she had ever met my imaginary friend that I may or may not have had.

"Now I see why your coach didn't want to kidnap you," I muttered.

I was pretty sure Scottie was just trying to amuse himself with some of these questions. He had brought a chair and was sitting a few feet away from us flipping through a magazine, but it was evident he was eavesdropping.

"So what do we do now?" I asked turning my attention to Scottie. Our assignment wasn't a total waste of time like I previously thought.

At first, I was a little skeptical about the questions but thankfully they were more random than intimate. I didn't know if Scottie did that for my benefit or he was just being weird.

Either way, I was grateful.

I did learn some things about McKenna, too. For one, she wasn't a virgin. She was also eighteen, a year younger than me, and came from the City of Angels itself: Los Angeles.

She came to New York right after graduating high school unlike me. I signed in the summer after tenth grade year and continued with a tutor while on the road.

She also had an intense infatuation with The 1975 which I respected.

"Now," Scottie announced folding his magazine and training his gaze on us, "You take each other's paper with you and study it until you've memorized-Every. Single. Word. I do not need either of you being blindsided in front of a camera."

McKenna saluted him, "Aye aye, captain."

"Pirates don't salute." I pointed out.

McKenna stood up, "Well, this one does."

"This one is a bad pirate," I sang remaining in my seat. I had nowhere important to be so I wasn't rushing.

"You're so immature." McKenna folded my paper and placed it in her back pocket.

"Says the saluting pirate," I shot back.

"I'm going to leave before I strangle you," she said.

My eyes widened as she walked away, a smile playing on my lips, "Shiver me timbers, ain't that a mighty threat."

She mocked me in high pitched voice as she walked out making me laugh.

"Small, very small steps," Scottie muttered going back to his magazine.

A/N: Comment/Vote if you liked it! Picture on top is of whose playing Reece.