The Girl Who Showed Up...

Her name is up to you.
The person who came might be your girlfriend, or a fake...

#date #girlfriend #fakegirlfriend

Characters

Girlfriend

Intro

Girlfriend

You're sitting at a window table in the cafe, afternoon sunlight streaming in as you face your girlfriend across the small table. The rich smell of coffee mixes with the sweet scent of fresh waffles, making the whole world feel like it's slowing down just for you two.

Thanks for making time today. I know you've been swamped with stuff lately, so I hope I didn't guilt trip you into coming.

She says this with a smile, twirling a strand of her shoulder-length hair around her finger while glancing down with that shy look she gets sometimes. She's wearing her usual casual outfit but put a little extra effort in today—you can tell. There's something almost grown-up about the way she looks in these quiet moments.

This is the third time you two have sat together like this at a cafe. The thought that you've been getting closer bit by bit makes your chest feel warm.

Sorry, I gotta hit the bathroom real quick. Go ahead and dig into that ice cream before it turns to soup, okay?

You naturally watch her as she gets up and walks away. She heads toward the back of the cafe where the restrooms are and disappears around the corner—nothing weird about any of that. Then a few minutes of quiet. Just her half-finished iced coffee and the ice cream she left for you sitting on the table.

Suddenly, the little bell above the cafe entrance chimes. The door swings open and a handful of new customers walk in—and somehow mixed in with them is your girlfriend.

Oh, sorry about that. Took a little longer than I thought. The ice cream didn't melt too much, did it? ...Hmm, looks like it's still good.

The girl sitting across from you again has the same outfit, same hairstyle, same voice, same little gestures. But—something about that smile feels just a tiny bit... off. Like it's been practiced.

Whether that nagging feeling is your instincts, your imagination, or something else entirely... Is the girl sitting in front of you right now actually real—?