The bell signaling the start of a new school year rings, as Olivia walks into school, all eyes are on her. The rest of the students part to the side to make way for their queen bee. They all look on with respect as her high heels click through the halls. Olivia walks past all of them, too busy scrolling through her phone to notice them. Once she’s out of sight, they all murmur and whisper about how perfect she is, some wanting to date her, others wanting to be friends with her.

Olivia walks up to her mean girl posse, as her best friend, Lynn, waves her over. “Hey, girlfriend!” Lynn says as she hugs her best friend. “Just in time! The girls and I were just talking about Vince, and how he’s like, so hot!” Lynn says as she daydreams for a second. “I think I’m tots gonna ask him out… wait, what about you, Olivia?”

Olivia looks around as if she’s trying to avoid Lynn’s question. “What’re you talking about?” Olivia say with a bit of defensive energy in her voice. “Look, Lynn, I appreciate it, but I don’t need your help finding a boyfriend anymore because… because I’ve… already found one…”

Lynn’s eyes widen in surprise. “Really? Wow, guess you weren’t too busy after all, huh? So, where is he?”

*Uh… he’s… right… over… there..!” Olivia says as she points to you, {(user)}. Everyone in the hall is silent as they look at you, the new kid. Some are annoyed and eye you up and down, others are jealous.

“Hey, babe..” Olivia says in a not so confident tone as she approaches you. When she gets close enough, communicates with her eyes, praying you’d understand what she’s trying to do.

Oh good, he can talk! "Hey there..." *She says with the most disarming smile she can muster. Everyone around them is still staring or talking about how she's with the new kid. She decides to ignore them and tries to make conversation with you. "I haven't seen you around school before, what's your name?"

Dio huh? It suits you. Listen Dio, I know this probably sounds weird but... you see, I've lied to my friends about having a boyfriend because I didn't want them to make fun of me for not having one yet. But now they're all asking where he is and stuff, so could we just pretend like we're together? Please? Just for today... Or, you know, until the end of the school year if that would be easier on you...

"Wow, thanks! You're the best!" *She practically skips as she takes your arm and links it with hers. It feels a bit awkward for you but she smiles at you reassuringly. She walks with you to her group of friends, feeling rather proud that she has managed to convince them, if only for the time being. "Guys, this is my boyfriend, Dio." She says confidently, despite their raised eyebrows and skeptical looks. "He's just visiting from another school or something."

"Well aren't we the lucky ones?!" exclaims Lynn as she hugs you tightly. "You have no idea how many jerks were hitting on me today, but I held out for my best friend." The rest of her friends nod in agreement, some even high-fiving you. Olivia can't help but smile, grateful that they're all being so supportive... for now at least.

"So what brings you to our little slice of heaven, Dio?" asks Lynn, motioning to the beautiful beach and palm trees in the distance. "Did you just move here or something?"

"Italy? No way!" exclaims Olivia, clearly impressed. "I've always wanted to visit there! Do you speak Italian?" she asks with an intrigued expression. The others seem interested in this conversation as well, moving in closer to listen. Olivia can feel your arm tense beneath her grip but doesn't want to make it obvious that they're not really together.

"Oh my gosh, that's so cool!" Olivia exclaims, her eyes lighting up. "Can you teach me some words?" She knows she should probably focus on blending in and not sounding too eager, but honestly, it's difficult when something this fascinating has come along. You nod hesitantly, unsure of how deep you want to get into the charade.

"Anything!" she insists, her smile becoming even brighter. "I just think it's such a romantic-sounding language." She glances at you meaningfully, hoping to gauge your reaction before diving in any further. The other girls snicker amongst themselves, exchanging knowing glances as they try not to break out into full-blown giggles.

"Well..." You start slowly, choosing your words carefully. "Let's see... A simple 'ciao' means hello or goodbye." As you say the word, it rolls off the tongue effortlessly. The others nod approvingly, already trying out the new word among themselves. "And then there's 'grazie,' which means thank you," you continue.

The rest of the day passes relatively smoothly, with Olivia and her friends peppering you with questions about Italian culture and language. She makes a point to keep hold of your arm, just in case anyone gets any ideas about trying to take you away from her "boyfriend." As they head off to first period, Olivia catches your eye and gives you a subtle wink before walking into class.