My Boyfriend Is the Real Pick-Me

"Babe, thank goodness you caught me, or poor little me would've gotten hurt for sure." My boyfriend's sixfoot frame was curled up in my arms, and he sounded more fragile than anyone.

Meanwhile, my roommate, the one who'd tried to stumble into his arms on perfectly flat ground, was sprawled on the floor in a humiliating heap, because nobody had caught her.

This wasn't the first time she'd "lost her balance." The two times before, she'd landed right in the arms of our other roommates' boyfriends.

Too bad for her that this time, she'd run into a real pro. After all, my boyfriend chased me for years before he finally won me over, and he did it with the exact same playbook.

Chapter 1 "Hi, everyone! I'm Stella!" The last roommate to arrive stood in the doorway of our dorm room and waved at us. We all introduced ourselves too.

Stella was pulling her suitcase in when she suddenly tripped on flat ground and landed on her butt. The other two roommates and I instinctively went to help her up.

Stella giggled and got up on her own. "Did I scare you? You just met me. You'll get used to it. I fall like this out of nowhere all the time.

My old classmates always said I'm soft and delicate." The other two and I just smiled and didn't say anything. We figured Stella was joking, just being funny.

But on the very first day of school, right there in the dorm, she went down three or four times. For a moment I didn't know what to say, and I didn't dare laugh.

What if she had some kind of condition? Wouldn't laughing make her feel selfconscious? Seeing me look at her, Stella laughed again. "Don't mind me, Cora.

I've always been like this. Otherwise people wouldn't call me soft and delicate. "But my body really is soft, not like you guys. Don't believe me?

Come feel." Me: "…" I took a step back. "I think I'll pass. You're so soft, I might break you." That made Stella laugh. "No, you won't! How could you break me?

I may be soft and delicate, but don't treat me any differently. I still want to be friends with you guys as a normal person." I forced out a laugh. "Uhhuh.

Whatever you want." I turned to go, but Stella pulled me back. "Oh, Cora, do you have a boyfriend?" I answered without thinking. "Yeah." Only after I'd answered did it hit me that her question was kind of crossing a line.

We'd only just met. Why was she asking about that? "Why do you want to know?" I asked coldly. Stella smiled faintly. "No reason.

Just asking." Under my searching gaze, Stella's smile deepened, and she hooked her arm through mine like we were close. "A boyfriend taking his girlfriend's roommates out to dinner.

That's tradition, right?

So, Cora, your boyfriend's going to take me out to dinner too, isn't he?" Before I could say anything, our roommate Hope laughed softly. "Even if he's treating, he'd be treating everyone.

What's this 'take me out'?" Stella pouted. "Why are you nitpicking? Obviously I meant take us out.

I just got one word wrong, that's all." Then she looked at me again. "Seriously, Cora, your boyfriend can't be so cheap he won't even spring for one dinner, right?" She was really going to bait me like that, all for one meal?

I smiled. "It's just dinner.

Once he's done with what's keeping him busy, I'll have him take everyone in our room out." Stella clapped. "Cora, you're the best." Chapter 2 Then she asked Hope and Reagan, "What about you two?

Do you have boyfriends?" "Yeah. He has to take you out to dinner too?" "Yep! It's tradition. What, you guys have never treated anyone before?" "Fine, it's just one dinner.

Let's do tonight." As she said it, Hope called her boyfriend. "Come by campus tonight and take my roommates out to dinner." Reagan called her boyfriend too and set it up for tomorrow night.

Stella raised her eyebrows at me. "Cora, hurry up and call your boyfriend too, so we can pick a time." Hope and Reagan had both called their boyfriends, so I called my boyfriend, Brooks, too.

A second later, Brooks's gentle voice came through the phone. "Babe, did you miss me? I miss you too, babe.

As soon as I wrap up what I'm working on, I'll come right back to you." The corners of my mouth lifted on their own. "Mm, I miss you. Go ahead and finish up.

I just wanted to tell you about taking my roommates out to dinner when you get back.

We'll figure out the details then." Brooks instantly switched to a baby voice. "Babe, you're in that much of a hurry to introduce me to your roommates?

Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior. I'd never embarrass my babe." Me: "…" I was used to how clingy Brooks could get, but my roommates weren't.

Before the dinner, I'd have to tell him to tone it down. After I hung up, I told the three of them, "My boyfriend says he'll be done soon and come back.

Use the next few days to think about what you want to eat." Then Hope, Reagan, and I all looked at Stella. "What about your boyfriend?" "I don't have a boyfriend." Stella tilted her head, smiling with her eyes curved into crescents. "My old friends all said a soft and delicate, sweet, squishy little cupcake like me shouldn't start dating too early.

Can't let those gross boys get me that easily." At that, Hope, Reagan, and I exchanged a look, and nobody said anything else.

Maybe Stella just liked calling herself soft and delicate. Gotta respect people's quirks. That night, Hope's boyfriend, Walker, took us out for hot pot.

Hope, Reagan, and I got there together, and Walker was already waiting at the hot pot place. After we'd said our hellos, Reagan said to Hope, "Why isn't Stella here yet?

Want to call and ask her?" Hope took her phone out of her bag, and a sugary voice rang out. "I'm here!" We all turned toward the sound. Whoa. Stella had really gone all out.

Since we were going out for hot pot, the rest of us had all dressed simply. Nobody wants to come out reeking of it, and the smell's hard to get out of clothes.

Stella had actually changed into a sweet, frilly babydoll dress. She came bouncing over like a little bunny. "Sorry I'm late!

Everybody says I'm soft and delicate and can't handle anything fizzy, but I was late, and whoever's late has to chug three sodas as a penalty…" Just as we were debating whether to stop her if she actually went through with it, Stella suddenly let out an "Ah!" and went down.

And she went down right into Walker's arms. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, as if she'd been startled. "I'm so sorry!

I lost my balance again." Chapter 3 As she spoke, she lifted a hand and gave herself a little bonk on the head. "Stella's body is just too soft.

Stella can't help it." Walker glanced at Hope out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "It's fine. As long as you're not hurt." "How could I get hurt with you catching me?

Thank you!" Only then did Stella get up, pull out a chair, and sit down, turning an innocent look on Hope. "Hope, thank you!

Your boyfriend caught me just now." Hope didn't respond to Stella.

Instead she turned a cold look on Walker, whose eyes were still glued to Stella, and asked in an icy voice, "Still haven't seen enough?

Walker, want me to dig your eyeballs out and stick them on her so you can keep looking?" Walker looked embarrassed and immediately peeled his eyes off Stella. "I was just watching to see if your roommate was going to fall again.

Don't be ridiculous." Hope's face was icecold, but in the end she didn't say anything else to ruin the mood. She just had us order.

The hot pot was pretty good, but Stella's signature line kept ringing in our ears: soft and delicate. Except for Walker, none of us really got to enjoy the meal, and then we left.

Outside the restaurant, Hope hooked her arm through mine and headed back toward campus.

Walker caught up. "Hope, don't be mad…" Hope flung off his hand and pulled me along faster, not forgetting to hurry Reagan. "Reagan, come on!" Back in our room, Reagan and I both tried to comfort Hope and told her not to be mad.

Stella came back. She walked in and flopped straight onto her bed. "Nothing beats lying in bed.

Soft and delicate little cupcakes like us should just lie in bed twentyfour hours a day." The other two and I: "…" The next night, it was Reagan's boyfriend's turn to treat, and we had Korean BBQ.

Stella made her entrance last again. This time, she'd changed into another babydoll dress. Something felt off.

I glanced at Reagan without thinking and was just about to say something when Stella tumbled into Reagan's boyfriend's arms. His reaction was about the same as Walker's.

As long as Stella didn't get up, he just kept holding her. Reagan had a hot temper. She slammed down her chopsticks and walked out. Hope and I went right after her.

Only when we got back to the dorm did Reagan start cursing. Hope joined in. "Something is seriously wrong with Stella.

She wants to seduce everybody's boyfriend, is that it?" "Sweet, squishy little cupcake, my ass.

Even perfume can't cover up that skanky stench on her." Then Reagan warned me, "Cora, forget your boyfriend's dinner.

Be careful, and don't let Stella near your boyfriend." The way Stella kept burrowing into other people's boyfriends' arms really was gross. But I'd already told Brooks.

Besides, I wanted to see how Brooks would react. Brooks and I had grown up together as childhood sweethearts.

We'd gotten together the summer I graduated from high school, and Brooks said he'd liked me for a long, long time before that.

Even so, I still wanted to see how he'd react when faced with someone like Stella. Brooks came back three days later. He called me as soon as he got off the plane. "Babe, I'm back.

Have you guys decided what you want to eat?" In the end we settled on Sichuan boiled fish. Brooks brought his suitcase straight into the restaurant. Hope, Reagan, and I all came.

I introduced everyone. Chapter 4 Brooks gave Hope and Reagan a gentlemanly nod. "I hope you two will look out for Cora at school." Hope smiled. "Don't worry, I will.

We're all in the same room. We look out for each other." Brooks took out two exquisite little boxes and gave one to Hope and one to Reagan. They opened them. "Holy crap!

Is this real gold?" "It's actually gold!" Hope and Reagan said it almost in unison: "Don't worry, Dad.

We'll take really good care of Cora." Me: "I…" Was Brooks buying their loyalty for me? "Sorry, I'm late again!" Stella came trotting over in quick little steps.

Her eyes landed on Brooks first thing, and they lit up a little. Today she was in a babydoll dress again, the pink kind with lace trim.

Hope cleared her throat. "Cora, red alert." I couldn't believe this. Was Stella seriously going to pull the same routine three times? What was she even after?

My eyes were on Stella the whole time. I didn't even notice when Brooks got up from beside me. An "Ah!" suddenly rang out, and Stella fell toward Brooks