XXXIV. Truth or Dare

                                    

                                          
"Who wants to play truth or dare?" Someone shouts, starting a circle. Nothing like truth or dare to get a bunch of teenagers excited.
                          
"I'm in." I say just glad for something to do. 
                          
"If she's in, I'm in." Minho says, always up for a challenge.
                          
"What the heck, I'll play." Kate chimes in. 
                          
"Me too." Clint says. Mal and Newt take a little more convincing, but finally agree to play. 
                          
Eventually about fifteen of us stand in a circle, ready to play. Jess unfortunately among them. Newt sets an empty water bottle in the middle of the circle and starts it spinning. The bottle spins twice, before stopping on Ben.  "Ben you get to dare........." Newt starts, spinning the bottle again. "Minho." Newt announces as the bottle comes to a stop. 
                          
"Hmmm... I dare you to..... Jump over the fire." Ben says pointing to the, now small, pile of burning wood. 
                          
"Easy." Minho says walking to the middle of our circle. He takes a running start and jumps, easily clearing the small fire. He lands on his side in the dirt. laughing, I go to help him up. 
                          
"Ok Minho you get to dare....." Newt says, spinning the bottle again. "Kate." 
                          
"Ooo....... I dare you to juggle three knives." He states. If Kate doesn't do it, she loses, which is what Minho is hoping for. Kate always wins truth or dare.
                          
"You're on." She says holding out her hand for knives. 
                          
"You can't be serious?" I ask, reluctantly slapping my knife into her palm, but I know Kate too well to think she's kidding.
                          
"Kate, no." Clint says refusing to hand over his knife. "This is crazy." 
                          
"What? you don't think I can do it?" She says,  getting a knife from Minho instead. 
                          
"No, I just...." Clint trails off. 
                          
Kate takes the tree knives in her hands, and tosses them into the air one by one. I exhale in relief when she catches the first one by the handle, quickly throwing it to the ground. She repeats the process with the other two, somehow managing to catch each one by the handle, avoiding injury. Once the last knife hits the ground she bows, and we applaud. 
                          
"Wow." Minho says looking impressed. 
                          
"Kate...you dare....Mal." Newt says as the bottle comes to rest in front of a very nervous looking Mal. 
                          
"I dare you to walk to the cemetery alone." Kate says, pointing to the deadheads. They are pitch black, and eerily silent, only the first row of trees visible in the fire light. 
                          
"Lame." Someone comments from across the circle. Mal looks scared, but doesn't let it stop her. In minutes she returns to the group. 
                          
"Mal, dare Chris...." Newt says pointing to a boy standing half way across the circle. I don't know much about Chris, other than that he's another runner. One of the boys who originally suggested that I become a runner. From what I can tell, he and Minho don't get along very well. 
                          
"Ummm.... I dare you to raid frypan's kitchen....and you have to bring proof." 
                          
A couple minutes later Chris returns from the kitchen, Apple in hand, frypan screaming at him from the doors. I stifle a laugh remembering the time Kate and I raided the pantry. 
                          
"Chris gets to dare.....Skylar." Newt says as the bottle rolls to a stop in front of me. I tense, waiting for my challenge.
                          
"Ooo fun..." Chris sneers and I wonder what he means by that. Instantly, Minho moves closer to me.
                          
"I dare you to kiss someone in this circle." Chris says. I should have expected that, what's a game of truth or dare without a kiss? At least I have an easy way out, I was expecting something worse. Though by the way Chris is acting he clearly thinks it's him I'm going to kiss. Not a chance buddy. 
                          
"You're not going to turn down a dare are you?" Chris asks raising his eyebrows.
                          
"No of course not." I say with a smirk. I hear Minho laughing behind me as Chris takes a step closer. Either Chris lives under a rock and hasn't got the message that Minho and I are together, or worse, he knows and thinks I'll drop Minho for him. Either way he is going to be sorely disappointed. I let him get closer until he's standing just a few feet in front of me. I hear Minho's laughing stop, even he's starting to doubt what I'm going to do.  
                          
I shoot Chris a smile before turning to Minho. Without hesitation a wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him hard, He kisses back, smiling against my lips. I hear ooo's and aaah's from the group as I pull away, turning back around to face Chris. His face is lit up in complete shock. 
                          
"What? you didn't think she was gonna kiss you did ya shuck-face?" Minho asks wrapping his arms around me. I laugh and lean backwards into him, ready for my turn to dare somebody. Chris still stands there, mouth hanging open in shock. 
                          
"You seriously didn't see that coming?" Clint asks throwing Chris a sideways glance. Chris just shrugs, stepping back into his place in the circle. I feel a little bad for showing him up, scratch that, no I don't, he just tried to get me to kiss him in front of my boyfriend, I don't feel bad at all. 
                          
"You had me worried for a second." Minho whispers as Newt goes to spin the bottle. 
                          
"I was just having some fun with him, I never would have done it." I whisper back. 
                          
"Well I should hope not." He chuckles. I'm about to answer when a voice echoes through the glade.
                          
"Fun's over everyone to bed!" Alby yells over the noise of the crowd. Of course just when it was my turn. Everyone grumbles, but we all head to bed, leaving the games for another time.