Imagine #157: Dare Me Not (Part 18.5)

*Flashback Chapter*

*Y/N's P.O.V.*

"Mia! Have you heard? That nerdy guy from the star section in the morning classes has a HUGE crush on you!" Cindy said while we are eating in the high school cafeteria. Mia and I are just eating there when our friend approached us.

"Who? You mean that Patrick Stump?" Mia asked as I was just listening to them as I eat.

I'm a part of their circle of friends for a while now and I still don't know why. They are known to be the popular girls in this high school...and me? Well, I just got lucky that I became their friend and here I am sitting with the popular girls in school.

"Yep, that's the guy. I just heard it from some others that he's really head over heels for you." Cindy continued to say.

I honestly haven't seen that guy, but I always hear his name, it really seems he's the intelligent star-student of this high school. I was just shocked to find out that he like Mia...well, it's not that Mia is not likable, I just think that she's not the right one for that kind of guy. Mia is playful, and by liking her is like coming close to fire.

"Really?" Mia said, sounding so interested about the topic. She suddenly had a smirk on her lips. "I can make use of that, besides, I'm really failing my subjects now. I need an extra help." she said and from that moment I'm not voting for what she's thinking.

"You thinking of using him?" I suddenly asked and she looked at me.

Mia...how can I describe this girl? She's not that mean...well, not for me at least. She's actually really kind and funny, but she's a girl with an attitude and when that attitude hits her...she's like this. She's like a part of the mean girls.

"What? It's not like it could harm him." she simply said and she shrugged.

"Just leave him be, I'm here...I can help you with your subjects...besides, you have someone already. It'll just mess up things." I told her with a smile and she just giggled.

"Oh, you're really no fun, Y/N...I'll think about it." she said and I just hoped I convinced him not to do it anymore.

But I guess that hope of mine didn't really do anything.

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*Days later*

I was just reading inside the library when a piece of paper flew in front of me. I caught it and written on it was a phone number.

"What's thi--

"Patrick's phone number," Mia said and she was the one who threw me the paper. She has this smile on her lips again and I sighed.

"I thought you won't do it anymore? What's this?" I asked worriedly.

"Come on, it's just a little fun, Y/N...besides, Cindy dared me. It seems like she has a thing with that Patrick too and she told me whoever got him first will win the dare. I actually have the upper hand here, so help me out." she said, with excitement in her voice.

"What? Mia...we're toying with someone if we do this. This is...cruel." I told her in worry and she just giggled.

"We'll just flirt, come on. Besides, your task is just to always text and talk with him on the phone. I gave him your number, telling him it's mine. Just pretend to be me and flirt with him. It's not that hard, just to keep in going on and I'll be the one personally meeting him at times." she explained and I just sighed. "Come on, girl. I dare you to do it," she said with a smirk and I can't believe I just chuckled at her.

"You're insane...but this is all that I'm going to do, okay?! Nothing more than text and calls." I told her.

"Yey! Yes, I promise!" she said excitedly.

Surely, I'll regret this someday.

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*Weeks later*

Honestly...I wanted to stop what I'm doing right now...Just stop texting and calling him, stop talking to him. It's messing me up and I know soon it'll mess him up too.

We've been talking with each other for weeks now, but he knows that he's talking to Mia because I introduced myself as her, but other than that...everything else that I told him is about me. My likes, my hobbies, my talents...everything, those are not Mia anymore, it's me...and I just realized we had a lot of similarities.

I actually enjoy talking to him, it's like I'm not doing a dare whenever I contact him...sometimes, I also even forget that he doesn't know me...I sometimes think he's really a friend of mine...not someone we're fooling with.

The guy is sweet, funny, and just plain nice...and I feel guilty for doing this to him. Sometimes, Mia meets him personally and I get nervous because he says that it seems different when they are personally together compared to texting and calling me like this. Well, technically, it's really different, but he doesn't need to know that.

The guy is obviously falling for Mia more...because of me, because of my personality, because of my likes...He just gets information from texting since everytime Mia meets up with him, it's just for him to tutor her or help her with the academic works...so technically, he knew Mia with my personality. And again, technically...Patrick likes my personality...not Mia's.

"We really have a lot in common, you know. It's just weird that every time we're personality together, it seems like you're shy since you won't show any of those personalities :)" Patrick texted and here I am again, being nervous. "I hope you'll just be yourself whenever we're together, I honestly like your attitude and traits."

"I just really get shy whenever you're around, so I'm sorry. I hope you're not disappointed." I replied, and honestly, I'm making this more complicated now. I should just stop.

"Course not, you'll never disappoint me, Mia!" he texted, I was about to reply but he sent another message. "Anyways, wish me a good luck tomorrow for my presentation! I need your good luck ^_^" it read that honestly made me happy. 

Suddenly, I remembered the charm that my mom taught me when I was little.

" *kisses you on the forehead* May you always be smiled upon. " I typed and hit sent. "That's a charm that my mom taught me, it's a good luck charm to give someone you care about in the hopes that everyone will always be delighted with him/her. :) Now you know it, use it to someone in the future too." I texted again.

"That honestly made me smile, Mia. Thank you. Really, thank you for letting me in...I've always like you, you know. Thank you for giving me a chance." he replied and that made me stop from texting that time.

He's thinking he has a chance...because of me...and the fact that he kept on liking Mia because of me hurts me too. I'm honestly liking Patrick because of this, and really...it's painful enough to see the person you like is liking someone, what more if you are the reason why he kept on liking that other person...that's my situation right now. Everything is just really going down in a lot of earlier round right now.

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"Mia, I've had enough. Let's stop it. I'm stopping it." I told Mia as I found out that he just started dating this other guy that while she still tells me to flirt with Patrick by using her identity.

"Come on, just a little more, Y/N. Besides, the year is about to end. I just need his help mo--

"No, please. The guilt is killing me...besides I'm liki---..I'm able to help you with those. Let's just stop it." I told her.

"Fine...but just a week more, Y/N. Promise, then we'll stop this." she said and I sighed, I can't really stop her decision now.

"Thank you." I said and I walked away.

I've only seen Patrick twice since his class are in the morning and ours was in the afternoon. I rarely see him and honestly, I think he doesn't know me. Even I'm friends with the popular girls, I'm just their shadow and I like it that way, besides, I don't want any attention given to me anyways. I just want to observe from the shadows and that's how I was able to see him.

Honestly, he looked so innocent and sweet and seeing him really makes me feel guilty. He's so hopeful...that the girl he likes is giving him hope...false hope that I am giving him. But actually, I am hurt too...I honestly learned to like him and knowing that he doesn't even know I exist even I'm the one talking to him ruins my thoughts. It's really complicated.

I just wanted to tell him that 'You need her, I could be her.'

But at least soon, it'll all be over and maybe we'll just leave this at that. But sadly, it became more complicated than this.

Days later and Valentine's day came...this was also supposed to be the time where I'll confess everything to Patrick. I just didn't care anymore, it's better for him to know the truth and hate me than him continuously having false hope. I need to tell him now.

My heart beat was so loud and hard as I walked around the school trying to find him. It was Valentine's day and since this school isn't that strict...serenading guys are all over the place. It was a romantic sight actually, but I'm too nervous to appreciate all of this.

Finally, I spotted Patrick from afar and it's like he's stuck frozen looking at something. I carefully walked towards him and finally, I saw what he was seeing - it was Mia and the guy he was dating. That guy was already serenading her and Mia looked so happy in there.

I didn't know what happened to me, but I just hid there. I didn't let Patrick see me, I didn't approach him to tell him the truth.

Suddenly, he came forward to Mia and the guy. Patrick was even holding a bouquet of lilacs...which was my favorite flowers as I have told him.

"M-Mia...w-what is this?" he asked, he sounded so frustrated and I was just there, hiding.

"Patrick, what are you doing here?" Mia asked in shock as he saw Patrick. The other guy looked at him too and laughed mockingly at him, actually that guy was the douche one.

"Sorry, buddy. Got her first." the guy said and I really want to slap him for provoking Patrick more.

Patrick looked at Mia in confusion.

"L-look, Patrick. I...I was really planning to tell you all of this --

"Just shoo off, nerdy guy. Do you really expect a girl like her to like a guy like you?" the guy said and laughed again. "Don't make me laugh, you're just a little dare, dude. Just as experiment how she can get anyone she likes, but the real deal is here now so leave..." he said.

I honestly almost showed myself and slap that guy. I've known Patrick for communication with her throughout these months and he didn't deserve this, but somehow I'm a huge part of this mess...I was the one who gave him false hope, I just looked at him like a dare before too.

"Is it true? Huh?!" he asked in frustration and I saw the sorry in Mia's eyes too.

"Yes...but I never meant to reach it this far. It was just supposed to be--

"SHUT UP!" he shouted and I myself have jumped too because I was shocked. My heart feels so heavy and my eyes are even filling up with tears.

I caused this...I became too comfortable with him...gave him false hope...became closer to him...that's why he was hurt like this. It's all my fault, it's all because I accepted the dare.

"You will regret doing this, you people are cruel...I'll just let the bad karma get all of you." he said and his words felt like there is venom in it. "Thank you for making me realize that I should never believe in anything again."  he said, throwing the flowers to the ground and walking away.

My tears have fallen that moment too, my mind was screaming to follow him, to explain to him, but I was too scared...I have liked that guy, but all I did was give him false hope...toy with his feelings and look at him as a dare...how can I have a face to show him after that?

I know I'm already feeling the bad karma while this is happening, he doesn't know I exist even if it's obvious it's my personality that he likes...but I know this will not end here...soon enough, the true karma will come.

And I really hope it'll never arrive.

But I guess, it really can't be help...

*End of flashback*

{Thanks for reading! Hope you understand everything, here are the answers to your questions <3 }