Henry walked toward the café on foot, his hands stuffed into his pockets as nerves churned in his stomach. The streets felt oddly familiar and distant all at once, as though he had walked them a million times—but as Jeff, not himself.
When he spotted Maddie waiting outside, scrolling through her phone, his heart skipped a beat. She looked amazing—her short skirt showing off her long legs, a crop top revealing a hint of her smooth stomach. Her wavy blonde hair fell effortlessly around her shoulders, and she had the kind of self-assured smile that made Henry’s chest tighten.
She’s so… grown-up looking. Is she really fifteen? Henry gulped, stopping for a second to collect himself.
Before he could think about turning back, Maddie looked up and waved, her whole face lighting up. “Hey, Jeff!”
Henry managed a smile, trying to keep cool. “Hey,” he said, forcing himself to walk over. But as soon as he got close, Maddie leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips.
The kiss caught him completely off guard. His face burned, and he froze for a moment, unsure how to react. “Uh—”
“What?” Maddie teased, giving him a playful smile. “Don’t tell me you’re getting shy on me now.”
“No, no,” Henry said quickly, feeling Jeff’s instincts kick in to save him. He scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. “Just, uh, caught me by surprise.”
Maddie grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers with his like it was second nature, and started walking toward the café entrance. “Come on, slowpoke. I’ve been waiting forever for you to get here.”
Henry let her lead him, his mind racing. I just got kissed by the hottest girl I’ve ever seen… Jeff was dating her? How does he do this without freaking out?!
Inside the café, Maddie ordered her usual—a caramel macchiato—and Henry, falling back on Jeff’s apparent confidence, ordered a mocha. They found a table near the window, Maddie sitting close enough that their knees brushed under the table.
“So,” she said, taking a sip of her drink, “what’s the plan after this? Are we hanging out at your place?”
Henry nearly choked on his mocha. “Uh… my place?” he asked, stalling. His brain screamed at him to come up with something, anything, but Maddie was already smiling like it was a done deal.
“Yeah,” she said, leaning her chin on her hand. “You promised I could finally meet your parents. Don’t tell me you forgot.”
Henry felt the blood drain from his face. “Oh, uh, right. I didn’t forget,” he lied.
Parents? Meet my parents? Oh no. No way. They’re going to ask questions. Too many questions. And what if they realize I’m not Jeff? What if—
“You okay?” Maddie asked, raising an eyebrow.
Henry quickly shook off his panic and forced a grin. “Yeah! Of course. Totally fine.”
Maddie giggled. “You’re acting weird today, Jeff. Did something happen?”
“No! I mean… it’s just been a long morning,” Henry said, trying to sound casual.
Thankfully, Maddie didn’t press further. Instead, she launched into a story about a hilarious moment she’d had in their shared science class, leaving Henry to nod and laugh in all the right places. As the conversation continued, he found himself relaxing—just a little. Maddie was surprisingly easy to talk to, and when she started talking about her favorite video game, he perked up.
“Wait, you play Skyforge?” he asked, leaning forward.
“Of course,” she said with a grin. “I mean, I’m terrible at it, but it’s fun.”
Henry couldn’t help but laugh when she described an epic fail during a boss fight, and for a moment, he forgot all about his nerves. “You seriously walked off the platform before the boss even spawned?”
“It was dark!” Maddie protested, laughing along with him. “And my teammates were yelling at me, so I panicked!”
Henry chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s actually hilarious.”
Maddie leaned closer, her voice dropping slightly. “I like this side of you, Jeff. You’re so… cute when you’re relaxed.”
Henry froze as Maddie kissed him again, this time lingering just a second longer. His heart raced, but before he could process what was happening, his mouth betrayed him. “Uh… how about we go back to my place and play Skyforge, and maybe have some other fun?”
Maddie’s eyes lit up. “Really? You’d let me see your gaming setup?”
“Yeah, sure,” Henry said, inwardly screaming at himself. Why did I say that?!
“Alright,” Maddie said, standing up. “I just need to freshen up. Go ahead and pay, and I’ll meet you outside.”
Henry nodded weakly as she walked off toward the restroom, leaving him at the table. His hands shook as he pulled out his wallet and paid for their drinks.
Stepping outside, he leaned against the wall, trying to calm his racing heart. What am I doing? I can’t bring her home! Mom’s going to tease me to death, Dad’s going to give me.... what ever days give when there sons bring home a girl and I’m supposed to be JEFF, not me!
But there was no backing out now.
---------------
Henry sat stiffly on the couch, Maddie pressed close to him, her hand resting casually on his thigh. His mom was perched in her favorite armchair, a cup of tea in hand, while his dad stood by the doorway, arms crossed, appraising Maddie with a look Henry couldn’t quite decipher. The room felt heavy with awkward tension—or maybe it was just Henry projecting his nerves.
But Maddie was a natural. Her easygoing charm filled the room as she chatted with his mom about school, her hobbies, and how much she admired their home. Henry’s mom seemed utterly won over, laughing warmly at Maddie’s jokes and nodding approvingly.
“Well,” his dad said finally, a slight grin breaking his usual stoic demeanor. “You’ve got good taste, Jeff. She’s a keeper.”
Henry tried not to visibly cringe as he muttered, “Thanks, Dad.”
Maddie beamed, squeezing his hand affectionately, and Henry did his best to keep up the act. But sitting there, playing the role of “Jeff” with Maddie at his side, felt surreal. This was Jeff’s life, Jeff’s girlfriend. Yet here he was, fumbling his way through it, trying to act like the confident, smooth older brother everyone expected him to be.
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, his mom finally said, “Alright, you two, go on. I’m sure you’d rather hang out in Jeff’s room than sit here with us boring old folks.”
Henry nearly sighed in relief. “Good idea. Thanks, Mom.”
As soon as they got to his—Jeff’s—room and shut the door, Maddie spun around and practically pinned him against the wall. “Finally,” she whispered, her lips brushing his ear. “I thought they’d never let us leave.”
Before Henry could say a word, Maddie kissed him deeply, her hands tangling in his hair as she pressed her body against his. His brain short-circuited for a moment. Holy crap, this is happening. She’s all over me.
Maddie pulled back slightly, grinning. “You’re so sexy, you know that?”
Henry swallowed hard, his face flushing. “Uh… thanks.”
She guided him to the bed, pushing him gently to sit as she climbed onto his lap. Her kisses were urgent, and Henry found himself responding instinctively, his hands resting on her hips. It was overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time.
But just as things started heating up, a loud bang echoed through the room.
Henry froze, his head snapping toward the source of the noise. It was the terrarium. Inside, Kain—the real Jeff in snake form—was slamming his body against the glass, his tongue flicking angrily.
“What the hell is wrong with your snake?” Maddie asked, sitting back and glancing at the terrarium with a mix of confusion and disgust.
Henry, his heart still racing, forced a laugh. “Uh, probably hungry. One sec.” He gently moved Maddie off his lap and crossed to the mini fridge next to the terrarium, pulling out a frozen rat.
Maddie wrinkled her nose. “Ew. Gross.”
“It’s nature,” Henry said with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant. He opened the terrarium, dropped the rat in, and watched as Kain’s animal instincts kicked in. The snake struck quickly, swallowing the rodent whole in a disturbingly efficient display.
“Ugh, that’s disgusting,” Maddie said, shuddering.
Henry just laughed. “You get used to it.” He closed the terrarium and turned back to Maddie, who was already pulling him back to the bed.
“Forget the snake,” she said, her voice playful as she tugged him down beside her.
Henry found himself relaxing as they kissed again, her hands running over his chest. For the first time, he wasn’t overthinking it—he was just enjoying the moment. This isn’t so bad, he thought. Being Jeff has its perks.
Meanwhile, Kain, now full from his meal, curled up in the corner of the terrarium. His snake instincts were taking over, and for now, he didn’t care about what was happening on the bed. The world outside the glass felt distant, unimportant.
Hours later, Henry lay on his back in bed, Maddie sprawled out on top of him, her head resting on his chest. Her soft breathing filled the room as she traced lazy patterns on his shirt with her fingers.
“You know,” she murmured, “I think this might’ve been my favorite day with you so far.”
Henry’s heart swelled, and he smiled, wrapping his arms around her. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Mine too.”
For a moment, he forgot about everything else—about being Henry, about Jeff, about the terrarium in the corner. Right now, he was just a 15-year-old boy with his amazing girlfriend in his arms, and it felt perfect.