A small crowd circles around us.

“How dare you put your lips on me?!”

Maya closes the distance between us and whispers in my ear.

“Can you… do it again?”

“Why?“

“Just… do it, please.”

She gives me the biggest puppy eyes ever seen, and it melts away any resistance I have to her request.

“Fine.”

I reach in to kiss her. Once again, she punches me. This time, it sends me to the ground.

“Ack! What the hell?!”

The crowd cheers, taunting me relentlessly. Apparently, I’m not in Maya’s “league”.

She grabs me by the shirt in exaggerated fashion.

“Moron! You think you’re in my league?! Don’t make me laugh!”

Maya looks around, like she’s waiting for them to be distracted. Then she whispers in my ear again.

“Sorry about that.”

“Whaddya mean-“

She covers my mouth.

“Lower your voice. They’ll hear us.”

“Just why did you do that?”

“Look, my friends saw you talking to me. And… I need to prove that I’m not dating you.”

“Why not just tell me to brush you off? Why make me look like some stupid pervert?”

“I… didn’t think it through.”

“Clearly.”

She frowns.

“Whatever. You just, uh, fall back down and scurry off. I’ll make it up you later.”

“You better!”

I pretend to stumble, before falling to the ground again.

“Ah… ah…. AHHHHHHH! Umf!”

The crowd loses it.

I pick myself up. She has to pay me back for this.