I own nothing HOA!

So, I've got the rest of the story mostly written. It's not all completely typed, but it's all planned out in my head. There will be two more chapters after this and then an epilogue...so three chapters total. Thanks for sticking with me so far :)

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Jerome POV

It had been a few days since I'd found out about the dare and I still couldn't wrap my head around it. I couldn't let myself accept the fact that it hadn't been real. Everything I'd felt for Patricia was one hundred percent real and there was no point in trying to deny it, I knew I was head over heels for Trixie. I just wish she felt the same.

I'd ben trying to go on with my life as if this weekend had never happened, but it wasn't really working. There was something wrong with every girl I flirted with and it was the fact that they weren't Patricia. I couldn't get her out of my head.

Patricia wasn't being herself that much was obvious, even though I'd been trying to stop paying that much attention to her. Since Sunday afternoon something had been off. My wishful thinking was hoping she felt the same as I did, but I knew that probably wasn't true.

I know I should be pissed about the dare and Patricia using me, but I wasn't. I was more hurt than anything, but I wasn't going to let that show. In all honesty I just wanted to go back and pretend like the dare never existed. At least that way I'd still have Patricia and I might have a chance of winning her over because that's all I really wanted. I wanted Patricia, any way I could have her.

"Jerome, we need to talk," Joy's voice broke me out of myself pitying thoughts I had been sitting in the common room alone, just staring into space.

"About what?" I ask as I watch Joy move over to the couch I was on and take a seat next to me.

"You and Patricia," Joy answers.

"What about us?" I ask defensively. What does Joy want? Is she here just to rub in the fact that all I was was a dare? Or maybe she was here to tell me I'd misunderstood and there hadn't been a dare. I was hoping for the latter.

"Are you still mad at her?" Joy asks, looking at me with curious brown eyes.

I take a deep breath and let it out before answering. "I feel like I should be, but no I'm not," I admit. I figure if I'm honest then maybe Joy can help me to get Patricia back.

"Then why the hell are you ignoring her?" Joy asks in confusion.

"It's easier for both of us that way," I sigh.

"That's a lie and you know it," Joy bursts, shocking me.

"How's it a lie?" I ask in confusion. It's easier for me if I ignore Trixie because then I don't have to think about my feelings as much. It's easier for Patricia because then she doesn't have to deal with the fact that I like her.

"Patricia's all torn up because she hurt you and she thinks you're mad at her," Joy answers as if it should be obvious to me.

"Why?" I ask in confusion. "She's not the one who was being played. It was all fake to her anyway, wasn't it?"

"Wait a minute," Joy says as she studies my face. "You seriously don't know, do you?" she asks in awe.

"Know what?" I ask still as confused as ever. I try to push down the hope that maybe I'm completely wrong and maybe it wasn't all fake.

"Patricia's head over heels for you. None of it was fake. That's why she was calling off the dare," Joy informs me. "Even though she clearly already won the dare," Joy added quietly, but I'm still stuck on the first half. Patricia likes me? It wasn't fake?

I feel a whole rush of emotions flow through me before finally settling on awe. "Patricia likes me?" I ask, wanting to clarify what I thought I'd just heard.

"No shit Sherlock," Joy says in exasperation.

"But…" I trail off as I try to process this new information. My first thought is, what the hell am I doing still sitting here when Patricia likes? I restrain myself from taking off to find her, I need to process this first.

"Please don't screw it up Jerome. She likes you," Joy says. "She normally doesn't put herself out there and she knows she messed up, but give her a chance," Joy pleads.

"I will," I nod. I want nothing more than to give Trix another chance and I will, I just need to process everything first.

"Thank you," Joy smiles and stands.

I just nod as she walks out. The ball is in my court now and I'm going to go for it. I just need to hear Trixie's explanation before I jump into anything. I need her to tell me everything Joy just told me from her own perspective.

I am not going to mess this up because I need Patricia in my life. I am in love with her and there is no turning back now. I need to win her over.

Thanks for reading! I'd love to know what you think.