A few days later, Shane receives a text from Lynsey asking if his offer to stay at his place is still open. He agrees to host her and a guest during her tour of Briar, expecting her arrival the next day.

The following morning, Shane offers Diana a ride to her spirit camp after she oversleeps and misses the bus. During the drive, they chat about Fling or Forever, continuing their lighthearted debates. Afterward, Shane excitedly cleans his apartment in anticipation of Lynsey’s visit. However, he’s shocked when she arrives with Tyreek, whom she introduces as her boyfriend.

After a long day at work, Diana looks forward to Chinese takeout and watching Fling or Forever live. Her mom calls, gushing about Diana’s younger brother Thomas and his charity work in Lima. When her mom asks about Diana’s plans for the evening, she’s unimpressed by Diana’s choice of fast food and reality TV. To prove she’s doing something meaningful, Diana mentions her NUABC rehearsals, but her mom dismisses dance as an unproductive pursuit.

The conversation shifts to Percy, and her mom questions why they broke up, expressing approval of him as an intellectual match. Diana stands by her decision to end things. After the call, Shane calls to explain that Lynsey and her boyfriend Tyreek are staying at his apartment, admitting that in a moment of panic, he lied to Lynsey, claiming he has a girlfriend. He asks Diana to dress in clubbing clothes and pretend to be his girlfriend to help him escape the awkward situation.

Diana gets dressed and heads to Shane’s apartment, playing along with the story that her clubbing plans were canceled. She quickly bonds with Tyreek over their shared kinesiology major. Tyreek reveals he’s a basketball player, while Diana shares that she’s a cheerleader. Lynsey, a ballet dancer, comments on whether cheerleading is recognized as a sport, but her tone comes across as condescending. Diana admits cheerleading isn’t a sport but emphasizes the athleticism and dedication it requires. Tyreek agrees. Diana also shares that she studied ballet until age 14 but quit due to its rigid structure and demands, preferring a more balanced life. She finds teaching and coaching youth cheer and gymnastics camps more rewarding. Lynsey disagrees, saying she lacks the patience to teach and prefers focusing on mastering her own craft.

To sell the fake relationship, Diana claims Shane first wooed her on the dance floor, which irritates Lynsey, who couldn’t get Shane to dance when they were together. Shane escalates the story, announcing that he’s agreed to partner with Diana for the NUABC competition—the same competition he refused to join when Lynsey asked. Tensions rise further when Lynsey learns that Shane has also been watching Fling or Forever with Diana, a show he previously wouldn’t watch with her.

While Tyreek and Diana discuss their schools’ cheerleading teams, Shane and Lynsey express mutual frustration over the lack of warning about their partners. Lynsey’s jealousy is evident; she reveals she’s been dating Tyreek for a month. When Shane steps into the kitchen for a drink, Diana follows. Both slightly intoxicated, Shane confesses his desire to kiss her, and they share a kiss that quickly deepens. They’re interrupted by Tyreek. They break apart and are stunned by the intensity of their attraction.

The next day, Diana lounges by the pool, overthinking her kiss with Shane. He joins her, explaining that Lynsey has left for her university tour and won’t be returning. They agree the kiss won’t happen again, though Shane admits he doesn’t regret it.

He thanks Diana for pretending to be his girlfriend. She suggests he be her dance partner for NUABC to pay her back for the kindness, but Shane refuses, planning to make an excuse to Lynsey if she asks. Their conversation is cut short when Diana receives a text from Percy asking to talk. Annoyed, she explains to Shane that her ex has been pestering her, despite her efforts to avoid him.

That evening, Diana works her shift at Della’s Diner. Percy shows up uninvited, asking to talk. Reluctantly, she agrees to meet him after work. She notices he smells of alcohol. During their conversation, Percy apologizes for his insecurities and suspicion during their relationship, claiming he’s working on himself and wants another chance. When Diana declines, he loses his composure, demanding to know if she’s seeing someone else. Frustrated, Diana lies, saying she’s dating Shane. Percy snaps, grabbing her arm and accusing her of humiliating him. When Diana tries to free herself, Percy punches her in the face.

The following weekend, Lynsey calls Shane to catch up and subtly brings up Diana, describing her as loud and outspoken. Lynsey reveals she’ll be transferring to Briar U in the fall and mentions that the distance with her dance partner, Sergei, may complicate their NUABC rehearsals. She jokes that if things don’t work out, she might steal Shane as her partner instead, giving him the impression she’s flirting.

Lynsey expresses frustration that Shane agreed to be Diana’s dance partner when he repeatedly refused her in the past. Shane explains that Diana is hard to say no to, but Lynsey criticizes their dynamic, suggesting their constant arguing is unhealthy. Shane defends their banter as lighthearted fun, but Lynsey dismisses him. She admits that his decision to compete shows growth, implying he might now be capable of putting someone else first. While Shane appreciates her seeing something positive in him, her comment also irritates him, as it dismisses the support he gave her during their relationship. Nevertheless, Shane is giddy after the call and decides to participate in the dance competition.

Shane heads to Diana’s apartment to tell her, but when she opens the door, he’s shocked to see she has a black eye. Diana lies, saying she got it from a stray elbow at cheer camp. Accepting her explanation, Shane shares his decision to join the competition.

Diana struggles through her cheer camp responsibilities, keeping up appearances until she’s alone. Since Percy hit her, she’s been an emotional wreck. Percy continues texting her, claiming it was an instinctual response to her attempting to push him. Humiliated, Diana hasn’t confided in anyone—not even her dad or Gigi—fearing it would make her appear weak.

Diana documents the incident by saving screenshots of Percy’s messages admitting guilt and photos of her black eye in a folder on her phone, just in case. After telling Percy to leave her alone, she blocks his number. When her phone rings shortly after, she panics, thinking Percy is calling from another number, but it’s her dad. The idea of going to the police feels more embarrassing after the call, knowing her dad would find out; he’s always been her biggest supporter and thinks of her as strong and resilient.

To clear her head, Diana heads to the pool to rehearse with Shane. After practice, she learns from neighbors that a new resident has moved into Sweet Birch 1A. Horrified, she discovers it’s Percy. Diana confesses to Shane that she told Percy they were dating during their last interaction. She pleads with Shane to continue pretending they’re together until Percy moves out. Shane is suspicious of her desperation, but Diana explains that Percy won’t accept their breakup and she doesn’t want him around. Shane agrees, even though it means lying to their friends to maintain the illusion.

They run into Percy on their way back to their apartments. Diana confronts him about moving in, but Percy insists it’s temporary until his townhouse is ready in September. Diana firmly reminds him to leave her alone before she and Shane walk away. Back in her apartment, Diana feels the beginnings of an anxiety attack—something she’s never experienced before.

After Diana tells Gigi she’s dating Shane, Shane starts fielding curious questions from his friends and hockey teammates. During a group hangout, Will reveals that Shane has entered a dance competition with Diana. When Shane asks how he knows, Will explains that Diana posted about it on her social media account, Ride or Dance, which features videos of her dancing and rehearsals. Will eventually leaves to meet Gigi and Diana for drinks. Meanwhile, Ryder invites Shane to assist with the Hockey Kings camp in August.

After work on Saturday, Diana plans to rehearse with Shane, but he’s still out golfing with Will. Instead, she relaxes with an episode of Fling or Forever. When Shane eventually returns, they rehearse outside. Diana notices his frequent texts with his dad and finds their close relationship heartwarming.

As they practice, the tension between them is undeniable, but they try to ignore the chemistry. Afterward, Shane offers to re-watch the rest of her episode and catch up on the latest one together. During their conversation, Shane suggests starting a friends-with-benefits arrangement, but Diana rejects the idea, jokingly claiming there’s an application process for that.

On their way back to the apartment, they run into Percy, who calls out to Diana. She pulls Shane away, insisting on ignoring Percy until he leaves. Shane offers to confront Percy, but Diana refuses. The encounter leaves Diana uneasy, and she changes her mind about their planned Fling or Forever marathon, opting to head to bed early instead.