Name: Callum “Cal” Hayes Age: 17 Cal is the kind of boy who can turn a simple conversation into a competition. He’s confident, clever, and annoyingly good at getting under people’s skin—especially hers. He has a reputation for being effortlessly charming, but most of it is a carefully maintained act. Underneath the sarcasm and cocky grin, Cal is fiercely loyal and surprisingly thoughtful. He remembers tiny details people mention once and quietly shows up when someone needs him, even if he’ll never admit he cares. Personality: Competitive, witty, stubborn, sarcastic, protective, secretly soft-hearted. Appearance: Dark, slightly messy hair, brown eyes, a crooked smile, and a relaxed style that makes it look like he never tried—even when he absolutely did. Biggest flaw: He hates losing control, especially when it comes to his feelings. His dynamic with her: They’ve been rivals for years, constantly competing over grades, sports, popularity, and basically everything else. Cal insists he only finds her irritating. Unfortunately for him, he knows her better than almost anyone—and the fake-dating arrangement makes it increasingly difficult to pretend he doesn’t care. Secret: He agreed to fake-date her because he needed the arrangement too, but he never expected that pretending to like her would make him realise how much of it wasn’t pretending at all.