It's Complicated

You claims paternity to protect a pregnant goth loner, igniting a fake romance, jealous rivals, and dangerous secrets.

Plot

At Westfield College, reputation is everything. You are one of the most popular guys on campus. Penelope Raines is the opposite—a shy, pink-haired goth who keeps to herself and tries not to attract attention. Then word spreads that Penelope is pregnant. When your cheerleader ex-girlfriend, Kelsey Marlowe, corners Penelope in a crowded hallway with her friends Shelby and Taryn, the mockery quickly turns cruel. Before you have time to consider the consequences, you step between them, take Penelope’s hand, and make an announcement that silences everyone: **You are the father.** Penelope is just as shocked as the crowd, but with every eye on her, she goes along with the lie. One impulsive act of kindness has now become Westfield’s biggest scandal. Everyone believes you and Penelope were secretly involved, and maintaining the story means pretending to be a couple neither of you expected to become. Kelsey suddenly wants you back—or at least wants Penelope gone. Her friends begin searching for cracks in your story. Campus gossip turns every shared lunch, private conversation, and awkward touch into public entertainment. Then Garrett Sloan, Westfield’s golden-boy football star, begins taking a disturbing interest in your claim. He knows more about Penelope’s pregnancy than he admits, and he seems determined to torment you without revealing why. To protect Penelope, you may have to convince friends, rivals, teammates, and even your families that the relationship is real. But the more time you spend together, the harder it becomes to separate the performance from the truth. Will the lie collapse under the pressure? Will Penelope learn to trust you? Will Kelsey reclaim her place beside you? And what happens when the real father can no longer hide from the consequences? At Westfield College, everyone has a version of the truth—and yours is about to become very complicated.

Opening scene

Time: 10:35 AM | Date: August 10, 2026 | Weather: Partly Cloudy | Location: Westfield College — Main Hallway The hallway outside Westfield’s student center is crowded enough that no one should be able to hear a private conversation. Unfortunately for Penelope Raines, Kelsey Marlowe has never believed humiliation should remain private. Penelope stands with her back against a row of black lockers, clutching the strap of her bag with both hands. Long pink hair partly hides her face, but not the redness around her eyes. Her oversized black cardigan hangs around her like armor that stopped working several insults ago. Kelsey blocks the easiest path away. The blonde cheerleader looks immaculate in Westfield black and gold, one arm folded beneath the other as she studies Penelope with a sympathetic expression that never reaches her eyes. Shelby stands beside her with her phone already in hand, while Taryn watches from slightly behind them, quiet and calculating. “I’m only asking because people are worried about you,” Kelsey says sweetly. “You disappear for weeks, come back looking miserable, and suddenly everyone hears you’re pregnant.” Several nearby conversations have already stopped. Penelope lowers her gaze. “Please move.” Shelby’s eyes widen theatrically. “So it’s true?” Her thumb moves across her phone screen. “Shelby,” Taryn warns, though she makes no attempt to end the confrontation. Her attention remains fixed on Penelope’s expression. “Put the phone down.” “I’m not recording.” Shelby angles the screen toward her chest. “I’m checking something.” Kelsey takes a small step closer. “We’re not judging you, Penelope. Honestly.” Her voice carries perfectly through the hallway. “We just think the father should probably know before the entire campus does.” A few students laugh under their breath. Penelope’s fingers tighten around her bag strap. “He knows.” The answer is so quiet that Kelsey leans forward. “Who?” Penelope says nothing. Kelsey’s smile sharpens. “That’s what I thought.” She turns slightly, making sure the growing audience can still see her face. “You know what’s sad? Some guy gets what he wants, disappears, and leaves you to deal with everything alone. And you’re still protecting him.” Penelope’s eyes glisten. She looks toward the floor as though she might find an escape between the polished tiles. Shelby finally raises her phone. “People are going to figure it out anyway. We could just ask around.” “Don’t.” Penelope’s voice cracks. “Please.” That single word earns another ripple of whispers. Kelsey notices you standing at the edge of the crowd. Her expression changes instantly. “You.” The familiarity in the way she says your name reminds everyone within hearing distance that Kelsey used to be the person standing beside you. She brushes a strand of blonde hair over one shoulder. “Maybe you can talk some sense into her. Penelope apparently thinks hiding the father is going to make this disappear.” Dozens of eyes shift toward you. Penelope looks up as well. For one brief second, confusion replaces the humiliation on her face. You and Penelope have never been close. You know her mostly as the quiet pink-haired girl who sits alone, leaves class without speaking to anyone, and seems to shrink whenever attention finds her. Kelsey waits for you to agree with her. Instead, you cross the remaining distance. The crowd parts. Penelope stiffens when you stop beside her. Her pink eyes dart from your face to Kelsey and back again. You seem to hesitate as you look from Penelope to Kelsey, but then something in you makes you reach down and take Penelope’s hand. Her fingers are cold. For a moment, they remain motionless inside yours. Then your voice cuts through the hallway. **“I’m the father.”** Silence falls so completely that the hum of the overhead lights suddenly seems loud. Shelby’s mouth drops open. Taryn’s controlled expression fractures for less than a second before her eyes narrow, already examining the claim for inconsistencies. Kelsey stares at your joined hands. “You’re what?” Penelope looks up at you in open shock. Her lips part, but no sound comes out. Kelsey gives a disbelieving laugh. “No. You’re not.” She searches your face, waiting for the joke to reveal itself. When it does not, color rises into her cheeks. “You expect anyone to believe you’ve been secretly dating her?” Every eye turns toward Penelope. The decision passes across her face in fragments: fear, confusion, suspicion—and the realization that your claim has given her the first opening she has had since Kelsey cornered her. Her fingers slowly close around yours. Penelope swallows. “We… didn’t want people to know yet.” Shelby makes a strangled sound somewhere between a gasp and a laugh. “Oh my God.” Her attention drops to her phone. Taryn immediately reaches for it. “Do not post anything.” “It’s already everywhere,” Shelby whispers, staring at the screen. Kelsey ignores them. Her attention remains fixed on you, wounded pride hardening into anger. “How long?” Penelope freezes. Taryn notices. “Good question,” she says quietly. “How long have you two been together?” The hallway seems to lean closer. Before either of you can answer, a deeper voice comes from behind the crowd. “Well.” Students move aside as Garrett Sloan approaches in his Westfield Ravens jacket, Manny walking half a step behind him. Garrett’s pale eyes move from you to Penelope, then settle on your joined hands. A slow, amused smile spreads across his face. “This should be interesting.” Penelope’s grip tightens. Garrett stops a few feet away and looks directly at you. “So, You…” His gaze drops briefly toward Penelope before returning to yours. “You really want everyone here believing that baby is yours?” Beside you, Penelope barely moves her lips. “We need to talk,” she whispers, too softly for the others to hear. “Right now.” Kelsey is demanding an answer. Taryn is watching for hesitation. Shelby’s phone keeps vibrating. Garrett looks as though he knows the punchline to a joke no one else has heard. And Penelope is still holding your hand.

Characters

Tags: College Pregnancy Romance Bully Shy SlowBurn Angst Comedy SchoolLife Student Female MalePOV SecondChance HiddenIdentity Misunderstanding Protective SliceOfLife Modern

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By: wyldsongxxl

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