By the time Rae arrived at the studio, her cheeks had finally cooled, but her mind? That was still spinning.
Vivienne was waiting near the set chairs, clipboard in one hand and her phone in the other, as usual. She didn't look up as Rae approached, just tapped her nails rhythmically against the screen like she was composing an email with sheer sass.
"Ah, there she is," Vivienne finally said, eyes flicking up. "My rising star and her newest PR goldmine."
Rae blinked. "You mean Milo?"
"Mmm," Vivienne hummed, tucking her phone away. "The fan pages love him. 'Soft boy with mysterious eyes'—it's giving indie heartthrob. You should see the engagement numbers. If this little fauxmance keeps trending, I might even increase his hourly."
Milo, who had just walked in behind Rae with his usual sleepy expression, blinked. "...You pay me hourly?"
Vivienne gave him a look. "We all get paid, darling. Some of us just earn it with our faces."
Rae stifled a snort. "Don't let her get to you. She's like this with everyone."
"I am not," Vivienne said, offended. "Only with the ones who might actually make me money."
She turned on her heel, striding off toward the makeup room with a sharp, "Touch-ups in five! Milo, don't disappear. Rae, hair's a mess — fix it."
Rae tugged a strand behind her ear and muttered, "She means that with love."
Milo raised an eyebrow. "That's love?"
"Hollywood love."
Before Milo could respond, Lena slid in like she owned the air between them. "Okay, hold on—is she serious about giving him a raise just for fake dating you? Because I've been your best friend since fourth grade and all I got was glitter in my eyebrows that one time."
Rae grinned. "You also got to borrow my purple sequin boots for a month."
"And I had to give them back. Tragedy." Lena crossed her arms, giving Milo a once-over. "So. You're officially unofficial with Rae, and suddenly you're getting a fan base, a potential raise, and feature shots in background reels."
Milo looked confused. "Am I being bullied right now?"
"Absolutely," Lena replied cheerfully. "But affectionately."
Rae laughed and looped her arm through Lena's. "Don't mind her. She only roasts people she doesn't want to punch."
"Exactly," Lena said with a wink. "You're safe. For now."
Before they could get any deeper into sarcasm and sequins, Vivienne called again from across the set. "Let's go, people! Chemistry doesn't film itself!"
Rae rolled her eyes. "Guess that's our cue."
As they headed toward the lights, Milo leaned a little closer and murmured, "You and Lena? Scary together."
"Terrifying," Rae agreed. "But fun."
---
Later That Evening
By the time Rae got home, she was exhausted. Makeup wipes in one hand, she flopped face-first onto her bed and let out the most dramatic groan a teenage girl could legally make.
Her phone buzzed. Then buzzed again. Then just… wouldn't stop.
She blinked, sat up, and unlocked it — and nearly dropped it.
#MiloRae
#Raelo
#RiloFeels
#BitsAndPiecesGirl
Trending. All trending.
Fan edits. Paparazzi photos. Someone had snapped a shot of her looking at Milo during lunch — the sketch napkin moment — and paired it with captions like:
> "Look at the way she's already falling."
"The world is watching them like it's season two of a Netflix drama."
"Is this real? Is it fake? Why does it feel better than my last three relationships?"
There was even a poll titled: "How long before Rae and Milo go full canon?" (Option C: "They already are. You just don't know it yet." had the most votes.)
Lena sent her a voice memo:
"Girl. You're trending. You're ICONIC. Also, I fully take credit for coining 'Raelo' in the group chat. Pay me royalties in fries."
Rae just blinked. "What is happening."
A new notification popped up:
Vivienne: Pick up your phone, darling. History's being made.
Rae sighed and hit call.
"Finally!" Vivienne's voice rang through the speaker like a Broadway bell. "I've been fielding calls all night. Listen to this — Bits & Pieces. You know, the coming-of-age dramedy that won last year's teen choice awards? They're casting a new lead."
"Okay…?"
"And guess who just became their number one choice?"
Rae paused. "You're joking."
"I never joke about career-altering opportunities. They want you." Vivienne sounded like she'd already popped champagne. "Your look, your moment, your TikTok algorithms. It's all aligning. I just got off the phone with the executive producer. He said — and I quote — 'she's got the kind of screen presence you can't teach.'"
Rae's heart skipped. "Oh my god."
"I know. I told them I'd speak to your mother, loop her in. Which reminds me—"
Rae didn't even get a second to panic before her bedroom door creaked open.
"Vivienne called me," her mom said, holding a mug of tea and trying to appear calm. But Rae could see it — the twitch of excitement behind her eyes.
"She said there's a new show," Rae said breathlessly.
"She said you might be the lead," her mom said at the same time.
Silence. Then:
They screamed.
Like, full-volume, scare-the-neighbors screaming.
"You're proud of me?" Rae asked once the decibel level lowered.
"I always have been. But now the rest of the world finally caught on." Her mom hugged her tight. "Also, please don't actually date Milo unless you really like him."
Rae blinked. "What makes you think I'm even considering that?"
Her mom raised an eyebrow.
"…Fair."
---
Across Town
Milo sat on the floor of his room, hoodie on, legs crossed, staring at his phone like it had personally betrayed him.
He opened the latest fan edit someone tagged him in: Rae and him in slow motion, sparkles added, soft piano music in the background, and a caption that read:
> "The way he looks at her like she hung the stars."
He turned to his little sister who was standing in the doorway, chewing gum and judging.
"You're like… famous now," she said, unimpressed.
Milo groaned and flopped backwards onto the carpet. "I didn't even do anything."
She popped her gum. "Exactly."