Episode 2

The evening was shaping up to be interesting. There they were, all of them drinking, laughing, and having a good time as if nothing else existed beyond those moments of pure pleasure.

The dark-haired one was finally able to relax after a long time.

"Let's play!" Daniel finished off what little remained in his glass.

Daniel is the captain of the rugby team. At a glance, he seems like the tough guy, but those close to him enjoy his antics.

"Grow up already."

Magaly rolled her eyes. These two had been declared enemies since sophomore year, when a misunderstanding led to the end of their relationship. Over time, everything became clear, but they were so stubborn that neither would give in and they decided not to try again.

"Come on, Magy, I want to have fun!" Nara shouted, completely drunk.

"Easy there, goddess of lust." Cameron caught his friend before she hit her head on the floor.

Cameron is the bohemian of the group, a prodigy pianist. His beauty is just a bonus. He’s the one who brings calm to the group and keeps Nara's twisted secrets.

"What's going on?"

Bill sat down next to Jason, who suddenly froze, holding his breath feeling the touch of the one who nonchalantly squeezed in tighter to join the circle.

"We're about to play, that is if Miss Sourpuss here allows it." Daniel jutted his chin in the direction of the birthday girl.

"Fine, fine, let's play." Magali waved her hands as if she didn’t care one bit.

"But let's make it interesting, let's play for money." Jack added.

Jason swallowed hard. He hadn’t brought cash and wasn’t willing to spend it; all his savings were for his mother.

"I... I..." His soft, embarrassed voice was drowned out by the music, except for Bill, who noticed he was trying to say something.

"What?" Bill's piercing green eyes felt like daggers on the boy's face.

Jason's eyes widened even further when he felt Bill's face incredibly close, heating his cheeks, and he was thankful for the dim light covering his embarrassment. He wasn't the shy type, but around Bill, all his senses went numb.

"I'm not playing."

"Oh," Bill got it and nodded.

"Jason doesn't want to play," he announced in a loud and clear voice.

"Of course, you're going to play!" Magaly shouted. Before her cousin could refuse, she launched missiles through her eyes, making Jason agree without protests.

"How much are we betting?" asked Daniel.

"No, let's set an amount and split it among us all to gather the money," Jack spoke up.

"That sounds good," agreed Nara, trying not to vomit as she spoke.

"10,000 dollars! Let's play for 10,000," exclaimed Magaly. "It's my birthday, you're not allowed to refuse."

Everyone nodded except Jason, who couldn’t understand how this was at stake.

"Just explain the game already, Daniel," Bill ordered with his sexy, cocky smile.

"Okay, the game is called Thirty Days. We all put... let's see... here—" Daniel placed a hat in the center "—our names. We'll draw them, the first two will form the first couple and so on."

"I don't get it," Nara complained loudly.

"Calm down, I'll explain later," Cameron soothed, patting his friend's head, who offered a silly smile in return.

Daniel continued, "Each pair will date for thirty days. Whoever completes the challenge wins the 10,000 dollars."

"It's that easy," shrugged Magaly.

"It is if you get a guy, but... what if it’s Nara?" Daniel teased.

"I wouldn't mind; I've kissed my fair share of frogs," Magaly raised her eyebrows. Further explanations were unnecessary; those present knew who those words were directed at.

"I just won't accept being Jason's partner. That would be disgusting."

Jason and Magaly exchanged disgusted looks—everyone laughed.

"Don't worry, if that happens, we'll draw again," Jack assured.

"Now that everything's clear, let's start already!" Jack yelled excitedly, rubbing his hands.

"Are you sure?" Bill asked, frowning.

"Come on, Bill! You're a beast in the games covering for me, and you're scared of this?"

Bill sighed. "Okay, screw it, let's play."

"Alright, the rules are simple," Daniel continued.

"You must treat your partner as you would someone in a real relationship."

Kissing, caressing, dating, gift-giving—everything must be as if the relationship were real.

"Nobody except the participants will know about the game."

If any of us talks about the game and how the couples were formed, you're automatically disqualified.

"Everyone must believe the relationship is real."

The relationship must be so convincing that all the students at the institute believe it.

"What? No, that's too much!" Magaly protested.

"It's a game!" yelled Nara.

Jason felt uncomfortable, but the prize was a step closer to his goal. While 5,000 dollars wasn't much, since he'd have to split it with his fictional partner, he wouldn't mind if it meant fewer work hours. He promised himself he'd be the best boyfriend, despite his lack of experience. This game was the closest he'd been to someone in his 17 years.

"The breakup must be public and believable."

"This rule I like," Daniel said, rubbing his hands with glee. "It should end in public and be epic."

"And lastly, falling in love is prohibited."

A bottle fell just behind Jason, making him turn to see what happened.

"Did you hear?" Bill asked, touching Jason's shoulder to get his attention.

"Huh?" Jason looked at him, intrigued by having Bill so close he could feel his breath—a heady mix of alcohol and tobacco.

"The last rule," Bill repeated.

Jason gazed at the face of the boy he liked, details even clearer up close.

"Falling in love is off-limits, Jason." Bill said, flashing his beautiful smile.

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