Will You Be My Not-Girlfriend? (Genevieve)

[Genevieve Duval]

Did she want to meet him? Genevieve blinked at Jackson, staring for an extra moment. Meet his boyfriend? Oh, and he was looking at her with such hopeful eyes too, so she couldn't say no. She smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Yes!" She said in what she hoped was a normal voice, but it came out a tad too loud and high. It made her blush and look down awkwardly and so she resumed nodding. "I would like it." It would only be proper, right? Besides, it could be a good way to reassure whomever it was that Genevieve would never try something with Osiris. At least she thought so. She would never try anything with anyone, now that she thought about it. Ha. No wonder she'd never experienced anything normal teenagers were supposed to experience. And now, she sent Osiris a sad smile... now she wasn't going to be able to do anything either, because she was going to have to pretend to be someone's girlfriend. She couldn't very well go around flirting with guys now! Well, she'd never done that so there wasn't much difference, was there?

The French girl nodded at him as he said it wasn't the same. "Is not." She said in a soft whisper, smiling gently though a slight pink flush came to her cheeks. It'd be... He didn't finish and she sighed. "I would take advantage." She said, obviously thinking he'd been thinking the same thing she was, "Is not right." Besides, he had someone else already, someone he liked. Genevieve wanted that, so be able to kiss and hold someone she liked and liked her back. It wouldn't be the same, right?

He hugged her and she flushed, feeling suddenly awkward. It was silly, she thought, since she'd always been hugging her friends. In her perspective, hugs were for everyone, as was cuddling or caresses or anything that wasn't by its definition sexual. So why was she so nervous now? She was being so silly. She figured it was the talk about kissing and pretending to be a couple. It was hard for her to pinpoint exactly where the attentions between friends ended and those meant for couples started. Well, she would learn now, right? Ha. Maybe hugging was only meant for couples. No wonder Colton had been so weird about that.

Osiris asked if they could kiss cheeks and Genevieve moved back slightly, blinking at him in surprise. "Of course." She said as if it was obvious. "Cheeks are meant for couples?" She asked. Wow, America was so weird. She frowned, looking away for a second, getting lost in her thoughts again. In her homeland, kissing the cheek was the way to greet everyone, so why was it such a big deal here? She sighed, thinking she was never going to adapt well. Still, she sent Osiris a small, gentle smile. It was sort of cute though, to have these touches reserved only for those they dated. So, to prove her point, she leaned and kissed his cheek, easily getting it thanks to their similar height. She, of course, moved to kiss the other cheek, force of habit maybe and parted. "See? Is okay."

[Deleted]

Yes! Great! “Awesome! That’s…!” Jackson had to keep himself from twirling her around again in his excitement. Yes, this was great, those two were going to love each other, he just knew it! It was perfect! And the best part….was that Rue will get to give Jackson as many ‘love bites’ as he wanted now! Well, Jackson would still tell him to keep it down or put them in places where no one could see them, but at least if he slipped up and one of them landed on his neck again, then he could just explain it by saying that he and Ginny got a little carried away. “So…when would you like to?” They could make arrangements to go meet at Rue’s apartment. Like after school. Or the weekend.

Oh, shoot. Jackson forgot about the weekend. There was one more thing that Jackson needed to ask Ginny to do, now that she’d agreed to go along with this ploy. “Um…you don’t…want to meet my Grams too, do you?” he asked. Not just out of interest, or because he thought it was a good idea either, but because Jackson had already told Grams that his girlfriend was Ginny and she was expecting to have her over for dinner this weekend. Whoops. “She…would love to have you come over sometime. Soon. Like, this weekend, maybe?” Jackson sent her another pair of adorably hopeful eyes.

Take advantage. Yes, exactly. Though actually saying it....it was okay. As long as they kept to the rules between them(specifically the no kissing part but they ought to figure out others for the sake of smooth sailing) then they would be fine. It was to ease the discomfort as much as possible....though the only discomfort that Jackson was feeling was due to asking Ginny to do something that was wholly unreasonable. And of the fact that this was the closest thing to a real relationship he was going to get, specifically with Ginny. She didn't seem too excited about the kissing deal and Jackson could only conclude that it had to do with him. She didn't have feelings for him that way so of course she wouldn't want to kiss him. For Ginny, she must be incredibly uncomfortable to have to pretend to be going out with someone she didn't even like. Like like-like, not just like, like a friend. Jackson should do something to make it up to her. "Um...since I'm asking you to do this, and it would be unfair of me to ask you for it for nothing....is there anything you like me to do for you? Like buy you lunch or dinner one or twice a week?"

Jackson nearly barked out a laugh when she responded to his question about kissing on the cheek. Of course, why not? She was so cute, saying it like that. Jackson shook his head. “Not…not necessarily, but it’s just another casual way to say that…that we’re ‘together’. Like holding hands.” Because regardless of the type of kiss, you usually didn’t want someone you didn’t like doing that. Even if used as a greeting, even here in America, it was only done between people who were either family or were close friends.

Jackson nearly froze, though, when she went ahead and demonstrated how okay she was with it by kissing him on either cheek, like it was nothing. He blushed, and smiled shyly. “Th….that was….” He cleared his throat. Man it was hard to talk. “That was a….a lot nicer….than when my Tia Eva does it.” Seriously, both cheeks full with spit and lipstick. Jackson was certain it was some sort of punishment or another form of harassment his family agreed upon for him whenever he came to visit. His heart was thumping in his ears. It was just a kiss on the cheek. Two, actually. He’d done a lot more with Rue. So why was he so nervous?

Must be because she was a girl, he concluded. That made all the difference. Jackson swallowed, stilly smiling a bit like a dope he was sure. “I was thinking….of something a little more….” Jackson kept his hands rested on her shoulders and leaned down slightly. His lips pressed delicately against her left cheek, and he held it there for a noticeable second before pulling away. “…like that,” he said as he straightened out and smiled down on her. Ginny. His ‘girlfriend’. Wow.

[Genevieve Duval]

When did she want to meet Rue? "I-ah." She was nervous about that, though she was really curious about him too. She started to wonder how pretty he was. He had to be handsome and incredibly nice if Osiris was so willing to go to this extent to stay with him. It really made her uneasy to meet him, but she still smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Any time is good." She said, not wanting to make a choice that could bug either of them. It was better if she adapted instead.

And now it was his grandmother! She actually yelped in shock as he said it, staring at him with big, frightened eyes. This weekend? As in a few DAYS away? Genevieve wasn't ready for that. She suddenly felt really nervous, as if she was about to meet her real boyfriend's parents for the first time. But it was a silly feeling, wasn't it? "I- ah!" Oh no. He was looking at her with big sad eyes and she couldn't say no to that, could she? "I just-" Those eyes. Genevieve let out a sigh and then smiled at him, nodding. "This weekend. Yes. I will prepare." How could she even prepare for that anyway? She ought to ask Alanna to help her with it. She had to know about that stuff, right? About what to wear and all of that. Genevieve looked down at herself and sighed. She had to buy better clothes if she was going to be someone's girlfriend. Fake girlfriend. The reminder saddened her.

It wasn't like she wasn't willing to help him, or even that she disliked him enough not to want to be close to him. Quite the opposite, she liked Osiris very much. But she felt so insecure now. This was going to be her first relationships ever, her first time getting this close to a boy, and just to know it was all a facade made her uneasy. But she would do it, right? For him? She'd said so. Anything.

He offered to buy her dinner and she stared at him in confusion. Was he trying to repay her then? She shook her head. "Non." She said hurriedly, waving a hand. "I am happy to be of help." She was, really. "I- uh..." She looked away, smiling gently and blushing, "I like it a little. Spending time with friends, yes?" With people she cared about. "You have helped me, yes? Lot of times. You are the best friend. I can- will do anything to help back."

Holding hands was also a sign of a couple? Oh wow. She'd been doing things wrong the entire time. She wondered if the people she'd met before had thought of her as too forward because of that. Genevieve still seemed confused about it though. Wasn't it better to be close and show affection to others? No matter if there were romantic feelings involved or not? "I see." She said thoughtfully, "Holding hands, hugging, kissing." She nodded, "No lips." She added as an after thought, blushing at the thought.

She kissed his cheeks and smiled sheepishly when he said it'd been nice. Or nicer than his Tía? Tante? Oh, she got it. She giggled though, at the idea of an old woman kissing his cheeks. It was a cute idea. So maybe her kissing cheeks wasn't as odd as she first thought. Ah, but apparently she'd done it wrong. He demonstrated and even though it was similar to what she'd done, the lingering of his lips against her skin made her heart skip a beat and her face turn bright red. She closed her eyes tightly, berating herself for having this reaction. Non, non, non. Je suis pas une imbécile. She still turned as he parted, letting out another hot breath. She stared at him for a moment, nodding at his words, though she wasn't listening. Her father had been right, she ought to be careful around boys. They were enchanting... maybe a tad too enchanting. "I can do." She said in a whisper, for some reason feeling breathless. The realisation made her look away, still blushing, and take a step back. This was affecting her far more than it should, and she had to remind herself it was all pretend. Osiris wasn't kissing her or hugging her because he liked her, he was doing it out of necessity. And even though the idea made her chest hurt, it helped her recover her nerves enough to look at him again and smile. It is all fake. All fake. No need to get worked up over it.

She forced a smile. "Any more?" She asked, wondering if she needed to do more than that. Something more intense than what he'd already done and she was sure she was going to end up fainting, or worse, get lost in it enough to enjoy it. Ah that would be so embarrassing!

[Deleted]

“Anytime? Okay, then….I’ll ask him when it’s best.” That made it easier. Besides, Jackson wasn’t entirely sure what Rue’s schedule was like. He knew that the man was a college student, and that he volunteered at Hammel, that he lived alone and his best friend was named Finn….but outside of that, there was surprisingly not much that Jackson actually knew about Rue. As a friend, that made him sad. He really should try and find out more about the guy he was….kissing casually… Sigh… Well, if Rue and Ginny met, then that will provide an opportunity to find out more about both of them. And that prospect excited him.

Much much more than he was about Ginny going to meet his Grams. That was a disaster waiting to happen and…and they didn’t exactly have a lot of time to prepare for it. After all, there were going to be questions, so he had to make sure they had a proper story to go off of. Ginny didn’t seem like she knew how to lie well, so it was even more imperative that she be prepped for this dinner. Or maybe Jackson should just do all the talking? That might work! But still, he should go over the ‘story’ with Ginny anyway. “Okay, great. Um…we’re gonna have to tell her something about…about us and how we met and….maybe we should get together before then and get our story straight?” It was worded as a question, but they didn’t really have much choice if they wanted to get away with this. “We can use my room the day before to do it if you like.” That was a not-so-subtle suggestion that she should come to his dorm room on Friday. That should give them enough time, right?

They’ll work on it all night if they had to!

Now Jackson was being pushy, incredibly so, but he was caught up now in the whats and hows too much to notice Ginny’s discomfort. As far as he knew, she had agreed and so was on board to do whatever it took(except lip-kissing).

It was a lot to ask, hence why Jackson was offering to at least give her something, so she wasn’t just doing it for free. But she refused him. She wouldn’t let him buy her dinner? Not even lunch? Oh. “Okay then…..if you’re sure.” It would have been great cover for them too. For them to go on regular ‘dates’. Jackson might try to convince her later. He wasn’t going to push his luck today, after everything else he was asking of her.

How did she not know that holding hands was also a part of it? Jackson couldn’t imagine holding hands with anyone just casually either. Family. And even then, Grams was the only one he’d ever done. And his mom and dad, but that was when he was still a kid…. Jackson nodded and smiled. “Yeah, that’s right,” he said and shook his head. “No lips.” Sigh…

Though to be honest…if just kissing her on the cheek was going to trip him up this bad, then maybe avoiding the lips was a good idea. Jackson wasn’t sure he could handle all the…stimulation…nervousness….just from having their lips touch. He could barely even speak as it was. Not even to tell her not to laugh. Jackson was too busy trying to restart his brain, which happened a little too late. As in after he gave her a kiss of his own. On the cheek, of course. “Okay,” he said softly. What was this feeling? Jackson felt like he was floating. It was similar to how he felt with Rue, only….just a lot lighter. It was weird. And he liked it.

Jackson blinked out of his daze when she spoke to him again, asking if there was anything else. Oh… Guess he wasn’t…..yeah, it was just a kiss on the cheek to her. Ginny kissed people’s cheeks all the time, no wonder she was acting so nonchalant about it. She was used to it. Jackson gave her his own soft smile and shook his head. “I think that’s it. But if—“ His words were interrupted by the sound of the school bell. Oh, shoot! How long had they been in here? The next class had already started! “Um, if I think of anything else, I’ll let you know, okay?” he said hurriedly now, looking up now with impatience. “Um…we should probably….” He pointed meekly towards the door, indicating that they should start heading out soon. Was there anything else they needed to discuss?

[Genevieve Duval]

Genevieve blinked up at him. So she needed a briefing? This was going to be difficult, wasn't it? Not only did she have to lie to what she was sure an incredibly nice woman, but she also had to say specific lies. And be believable. But she was going to try. "Yes." She said with conviction. "We do it in your room." Had it been anyone else, she would've realised her phrasing, but it being the innocent girl she was, it went past her head.

And no, she didn't want anything from him. Not like she could ask anything, right? And she'd already helped her so much already. Although... "Well..." She said in a low voice as she thought of something, "I- Do not think I ask as a return, yes? Is more... friends, yes? As friends?" She looked up at him hopefully. "I- um... You know I cannot... swim, yes? Would you.." She looked down in embarrassment, her cheeks flushed red. "Teach me?" Then, hurriedly, she added, "You can say no. It is- ah, no obligation, yes? Just- um... a request?"

After he kissed her, he answered back to her and his voice sent a shiver down her body. Weird, considering all he'd said was 'okay', the simplest word. Genevieve thought then maybe she couldn't do this, not without ending up doing something embarrassing. But this was Osiris, her friend, and he had someone he probably was in love with! She had to help. She had to forget the shivers and the way his lips had left a lingering feeling on her cheek, and how warm it suddenly felt inside the closet, and how he'd left her breathless with that simple action. Which was all too stupid and she was being far too silly because it'd been a kiss on the cheek, and she'd had those before, and he had someone else and this was all fake and- was she really ranting inside her own head now?

She had been smiling, or trying to, but then the bell ran and she lost any traces of smiles. Oh no! She couldn't afford to be late, not with her grades! She grabbed his hand and pulled, opening the closet door. "Yes! And in Friday we do it in your room! I get it." She said hurriedly and loudly, her mind focused on getting to class, but then she looked outside and saw the remaining people hurrying to class had stopped and were staring. Uh... what did she say now?

[Deleted]

Jackson nodded, completely missing the implication that her words could have been mistaken for. “Right, just um…come over after classes, okay?” Though he was excited once again over the thought that he’d have a girl in his room again. Not just any girl, but Ginny! The best fake-girlfriend a guy could ask for! He was going to have to make sure it was extra clean this time, last time he had been in a rush to get it done and ended up some things out and lying around. Jackson would do a much better job of that this time!

Jackson was disappointed that he couldn’t do anything in return for her, but…but she was making a request of him as a friend? Somehow….that was even better! His eyes sparkled as he listened to her hesitant request. Had he been a puppy, his tail would be swishing to and fro furiously in excitement. Yes, as friends. This meant that she would have asked for his help regardless. And that meant something special, that she could depend on him like that. Jackson nodded rapidly once she finally articulated her request, to teach her how to swim. “Of course! I can help! No problem! I’m…” Jackson smiled brightly. “I’m glad you asked me!” Jackson had a lot of experience in swimming, but…had he ever actually taught someone before? Well it couldn’t be that hard, he’d just do it how his mom taught him. If he could remember that far back….

Either way, it was just another chance to sneak in more time with Ginny. Not just because of the fake girlfriend thing and the fact that them swimming together would be good for that image, but also because…well, he….was it horrible that it was because he’d get to see her in a swimsuit? Also because of hanging out with her more, Ginny was pretty cool! But…if she was this cute just by herself, Jackson wondered how much cuter she’d be learning how to swim like a kid all while being in a skintight…ahhh! The thought was almost a complete brain overload, Jackson shook his head to get the unknown image away from him. He’d never be able to concentrate on his next class if he kept that up!

Speaking of class....they both needed to hustle if they were going to make it. They were late as it was, but the teacher wouldn't penalize them for being a minute or two late, would they? Ginny seemed to be in a hurry though, the way she was grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the closet. And shouting. Jackson was too caught up in the moment to really grasp how other people might perceive what she said either. He was just smiling ridiculously. "Okay! I'll see you then!" he said with equal excitement. The other people may as well have been invisible to him, the way he was bouncing around and smiling like a dork. Since she paused....Jackson took advantage and landed another kiss upon her other cheek. "Bye Ginny," he said, squeezing her hand once before letting go and shooting off in the other direction to his classroom. He may realize later exactly what had just happened, but for now...there was just too much going on for him to notice.

[Genevieve Duval]

"Yes!" She replied obediently, nodding along and, of course, willing to help. If Osiris was in a romantic relationship with someone then of course she was going to do her best to protect it with all she could. He was her friend after all and, as awkward as this whole thing made her, she would do anything if it would make him happy. Wasn't that what friend were supposed to do?

He agreed to teach her and she smiled widely, "You will!" She exclaimed with the same energy as he agreed. His energy and smile were so contagious, that she laughed happily. Good! With his help, maybe she would manage to stop embarrassing herself and actually be able to take care of herself next time she falls into a pool. "Thank you! Osiris. Thank you!"

She turned to smile at him, but her eyes widened and she blushed deeply when he leaned down and kissed her cheek, freezing in the spot when her heart suddenly seemed to stop. She nodded, smiling shyly, staring at him fondly. He could be so sweet sometimes, like when he touched her hair... Was this what he felt with his boyfriend? She could understand why he wanted to keep this feeling safe...

Genevieve stared even after he disappeared and then realised with a gasp she too had to go too. This was no moment to be thinking about that! She needed to get to class. Oh no. She hurried to her classroom, almost running to get there, already thinking of what she would tell the professor when she got there.