Good Morning. Casey woke up first thing and received a text from Snow. He had lain down in his bed under the comforts of his white duvet. The bedroom was darkened from his blinds shut, and everything around had been creeping with silhouettes. Only his phone shone brilliantly, and he was having to rub his tired eyes so he could text her good morning back.

The time was 8:01 am when he checked. She was quick with responses, suggesting him to make his way to campus now. Snow thought it'd be better if he could walk her there to her class. And the thing was, he's not an early riser and preferred to sleep in until he really had to go. His class didn't start until later, but hers was soon. He'd rather store his phone away and resume sleeping, but she would persuade him to go, even having to use a sad emoji.

What really had gotten to him was the please part. She really wanted him to come.

Despite his protests to stay inside, he forced himself to get up. He walked to the window to open the blinds, and abruptly, the sunlight entered his whole room brightening. The sun was blinding as it hit his face like it was attacking him, and he hurriedly shielded his eyes.

Ugh. He hated too much sun.

He was very slow-moving with the time he took before he left his house. The campus had some students strolling, and he searched for Snow. From checking out places everywhere along with benches and trees, soon, he'd found her waiting at the front of the building. Casey treaded to her, and when she saw him, she waved.

"Hi, you're here," Snow said with a faint smile.

"You've asked me to," Casey said, his tone dulled.

She brought her phone to view and looked at the screen. "It's 8:41 now." Her gaze turned back to him. "At least you came before I have to go."

The sun out here really came to question otherwise for him. "So you just want me to walk you to class?"

Snow nodded and took a step closer. "It's our first day as a couple, and I'd like having someone to walk to class with."

Casey stared at her, and her eyes looked at him innocently. She pursed her lips into a pout and then took his hand. "Can we?"

The way her voice sounded in a sugary tone, she was trying to coax him. He looked down at their hands, hers gently holding onto his, and it was something peculiar. Looking back at her, he yielded. "Fine."

Her face lit up, and she shyly smiled, leading him the way as they walked. "I'm nervous about the whole thing, but let's make it the best we could. We'll just act like our usual selves, hmm?"

"Only today I'll walk you this early, I prefer to have more hours to sleep in." Casey wouldn't have to do this if he didn't remember about the pact they made.

Snow sucked in one of her cheeks. "If you say so, but the other times we could. I'll walk you to your class as well."

"You don't have to."

Casey took the time to look at their hands again. With her hand smaller than his, her simple touch was an easy weight to carry like a light feather. Funny how she offered hers in his first. When he looked back up to her face, he spotted a blush appearing on her cheeks.

Was this her first time holding hands with a guy?

They stopped at the front of her math class while a couple of other students went in. Snow smiled awkwardly at Casey and said she'd see him later. He walked out of the building, now not knowing what since he had until 11 am for his first class to start. He'd missed his bed already.

Slowly letting out his breath, he couldn't go wrong with breakfast at this time. It'd help him pass the time as he went to a local diner near the university.

❥

Casey made it through the lecture and left. Waiting for him outside the hall, was Snow who looked his way and waved casually. He walked toward her the same time her eyes glinted, with amusement.

"Why are you here?" he questioned.

She bobbed her head like she was slightly embarrassed to reveal. "Wouldn't it feel nice to wait for someone? I thought that."

He lifted a brow, she was really absorbed into doing these little things. As he was silent for not knowing what to say, she smiled sweetly. Many people were around as they strolled out.

It hadn't been long yet, and Casey's not used to this. Like how would he get used to hold hands with a girl that had a different touch? Just because he agreed to their pact didn't mean he could forget her. It had been only a week, and he wasn't willing to move on. He stayed up all the nights in his bed alone, his mind thinking about a million things at once.

Everything he did suddenly seem conscious like he should have done more, or apologize for something even though he didn't know what that would be. The ghosts haunted him at night, and he'd let it. He wanted to go back to those days before the breakup happened, those days where they were happy. Everything now was wrong.

How could he live with himself?

"Casey?" Snow said, rupturing through his thoughts. He turned to see her with a curious gaze. "Are you okay?"

He shrugged his shoulders, a sad smile coming to his lips. "It's nothing, I'll be fine."

His word didn't really convince her because she had that look of confusion, but instead of saying anything, she moved on. "Nice day, isn't it?"

He glanced at the sun and the clouds, but it was always there. It didn't look anything new to him. "Really? Haven't noticed."

"You wouldn't have to think about it. You can smell the fresh air and seize the day," Snow said enthusiastically.

Casey didn't match her enthusiasm. He didn't have anything to say to that, or since he was tired, he didn't want to.

"Look at that!" She pointed to the sky, and a bird flew by. "Isn't that cute?"

"I've seen birds before."

"But are they not cute? They paint the sky a little more."

By looking at her, he couldn't tell if she's naturally a positive person or if she's doing it to find ways to deflect the broken heart of his.

When they shortly met up with Kyle, he put his hand up in a wave but then stopped when he saw their hands. He raised a brow when they closed the distance.

"Is there something I don't know about?" he asked.

Casey left it up for Snow to explain since he wasn't going to. She chuckled. "We're in a relationship—not a real one, but temporary."

"Temporary?"

She nodded. "We've made an agreement to have a relationship for a month. It's like... lifting each other and finding out what makes a great one. You can say it's practice dating."

Kyle shifted his gaze at each of them. "You two? After your girlfriend broke up with you?" He stopped at Casey.

"I didn't think so either, but she had some points," he said, but that just made him more inquisitive.

"When did this happen?"

"A while back," Snow said. "It's when I first found him on the day of his breakup."

She took over, opening up about the proposal of the relationship. It took a couple minutes that she hit all the points, and when she finished, Kyle nodded and got the gist of it.

"Wait until Malloy hears about this." He rolled a fist to his mouth as the amusement on his face was there. "And you two exchanged numbers?" Snow showed a strained smile, and Kyle looked like his tongue was wrapped.

"Anyway, congrats Snow." He patted her on the arm. "You get to have a taste of a relationship." The way he said 'relationship' had an emphasizing point to it.

She managed to bring out a light blush on her cheeks while turning her head away from him.

Becoming tired of holding hands for much longer, Casey dropped her hand and rubbed his own against his dark jeans.

Kyle noticed, and Snow answered awkwardly, "We don't have to hold hands all the time."

"Does this mean you two going to be lovey-dovey from now?" he asked.

"Haha," she laughed. "I don't think it's that realistic. We're just going to experience some things here and there and go on dates."

Snow sneaked a glance at Casey, and this time he was the one answering. "Yeah, if we're going to learn how to do right."

"Do you think you'll last?" Kyle said.

It's a long time to get by and push for something that he didn't know what he wanted to find, or what he wanted to hear from Snow. But if there was anything at all, he would be there.

"It's the goal to try to," Casey replied, hopefully convincing himself.

"Well then, I wish you two the best of luck. Let me know if there's progress." Kyle whistled.

"We will see Malloy soon. I think me and Casey are going to catch up on a plan," Snow said, gesturing him to follow along.

He backed up with Snow, and they waved at Kyle then turned around. "Let's grab a table so I can show you an outline, I made one copy for you so you'll remember."

On the first floor of the library, when they got there, they had sat on the empty table. Snow slid an extra copy to Casey, and she had one for herself.

"So, this is what I come up with," Snow began.

Casey saw the title on the top page: Relationship Things. Down below were the dates of different days and the list of things that normal couples would do.

"These dates may change depending on circumstances, and that's okay. Even if we don't get to all of them, we just have to go through thirty days. Whether we have a good time or..." When Snow didn't finish her sentence, he waited. She pitched her voice again, momentarily. "It doesn't matter, we'll just let those days come as they do."

"Keep it in case you forget. If anything changes, tell me ASAP," Snow instructed.

He looked at the list again. "Is our first date Dinner and a Movie?"

"Yep! I think we should start off with a classic. Pretty great, right?" She eagerly smiled.

Dinner and a movie sounded pretty cliche to him, but it was a start.

"Oh, which do you prefer first? Dinner or Movie?" she asked.

"Movie," Casey said immediately. "I don't like rushing off during dinner to see one because of a fixed time."

Snow nodded like she was making a mental note to herself. "Got it."

His phone buzzed, and it came from Malloy's text. YOU TWO? Whre are u? Im coming.

After Casey texted, Malloy rushed as fast as possible. The empty seat across from them became occupied when Malloy sat in front of them. He pushed back his hair behind before crossing his arms on the table.

"So I heard." He flicked his gaze between them.

"Malloy, hi," Snow said with a weak smile, surprised.

He studied intensely at them, leaning his head forward. Mad curiosity rested his face, and when he finished, he raised a question. "Is this going to be a thing going on for a while? I mean, with you two pretend dating. Can you really be okay with that?"

"I think we can handle that, can't we?"

"Hmm, nothing serious will go on," Casey said calmly.

"You two are really something. When I thought you two would get along, I didn't think about this." Malloy gestured with both hands moving from Snow to Casey.

"I'm not only going to be his pretend girlfriend. I'll be his friend as well," Snow said.

"Well, I came here to see for myself." Malloy stood, pulling the chair back in. "I gotta run to my next class, bye guys," he said. His figure disappeared around the corner.

Snow looked back at Casey. "Are you ready for tomorrow night?"

▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

Happy second day of August. We're already more than halfway through the year. 

Get ready for their first date in the next chapter.

Please vote and comment as it means the world to me!