A Dare With The Player

There’s a very thin line between trying to look nice for a party to get a guy’s attention and wearing the sluttiest outfit to date and right now, I’m about one strip of clothing away from the latter. All thanks to my best friends who are set on making me lose the V card tonight. “I am not wearing that! You can see my n*****s!” I retorted, staring at myself in front of the mirror in horror. “Stop being such a prude! You know, Logan’s going to be there. It’s the perfect time to get him to notice you!” Amber threw me a lipstick which I just managed to catch at the last second. I pouted at her. She knew that I had a little bit of a thing for Logan ever since we were randomly partnered up in a Math project and he managed to pretty much carry my weight all throughout half of that semester because, let’s be honest, Math was my weakest subject and for someone that was a total jock, he also had brains. No wonder he’s literally the most popular guy in school. “I’m pretty sure he hates my guts after he did all the work and thinks I’m this i***t he was forced to socialize with,” I huffed a strand of hair blocking my sight which was me in a way-too-tight two piece bikini. It didn’t help that it was neon pink. Aliens could probably see me from space. “Another outfit, please!” I pleaded to my best friends who squinted at me disapprovingly, but with one puppy face, they were sold. Rubi threw me another bikini, this time it was a floral one with summery colors ranging from yellow to orange and it had a matching skirt with it. Granted, the bottom was still a little see through, I felt much more covered than earlier where one movement could give everyone in front and behind me a free show. I let out a deep exhale as I looked at myself in the mirror again. My chocolate brown hair that reached my waist was curled by Amber, claiming it needed a change as I always just left it straight and loose. “I always envied you for your green eyes. I wish my name was just Sage or Emerald instead of Amber so then I could have the same eye color too!” My best friend complained as she ordered me to look straight so she could put mascara on my lashes. I suppressed my chuckle in order for her not to end up putting black mascara on my lids as that would completely ruin the entire makeup look she had given me. I was never used to putting makeup on, my mom herself wasn’t the type so I just never learned. Thank God for best friends that do know. Where would I be without them? Probably looking like a zombie. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works, Amber.” I told her and she took a second to understand what I meant, brushing it off with a whatever. “Well, I for one, think Amber is a gorgeous name just as gorgeous as the person named it.” She blushed at the compliment, fluttering her eyelids at me before gently nudging my shoulder. “If only you had the same energy when boys approach you. Instead, you freeze up like a popsicle stick and embarrass yourself,” Amber teased and Rubi chuckled with her. “Hey, I do not!” I tried to defend my honor, but deep down I know that they were right. I guess this is what I get for having only a brother and never really getting tips from another girl sibling. The fact that my brother was also the popular one between us proved to not boost my skills in conversing with other boys. Frankly, the only other male species I have ever managed to talk with without making a fool of myself were the Harries twins, Austin and Ashton, as they were friends since birth, and… him. Cristiano. The second I remember him, there is a slight tug at my heart. I don’t mean for that to happen, but every time, it just does. I remember what he was like, how we had a lot of fun times together, and the second time he saved me… became the last time I saw him as well. Who knew that that weekend in the lake back when I was fourteen was going to be the last time we would all hang out together? I still remember it exactly. When Monday came, the Ferreira family had just disappeared. They pretty much left everything behind in their house, all the furniture and their belongings besides what they needed. I never knew why. All that I knew was information from my brother when I asked him. It turns out Cristiano gave him a game they used to play a lot and said to take care as he was going back to Brazil. There was no specific reason, no other message, just goodbye. We never saw him after that and just moved on. At least, for the most part. “Have a good night, girls! Make sure to ask your brother or the twins to drive back if you know you can’t.” My mom reminded us and we quickly agreed. “And make sure to check the cupboards for better food. They sometimes hide the good stuff there.” My dad added at the last second and I chuckled, shaking my head at his silly joke. I caught my mom giving him a funny look before he plants a quick kiss on her forehead. If I could give one reason as to why I have such a high expectation of love, I’d just point out to them and the case would be closed. “Is it just me or did your dad get a new haircut? He looks really good,” Rubi giggled and I shot her a glare. “Ew! Rubes!” I lightly shove her off the path in our house and she almost tumbled onto the grass. “That’s what you get. Now you drive,” I tell her before tossing the keys. “Hey, it’s not my fault your dad’s a DI-” “Don’t even finish that word!” I shouted out to her just before entering the car and closing the door loudly. I let out a loud exhale. “Rubes has a point. The haircut does look good, but your mom looks absolutely spicy too.” Amber commented behind the car seat and I jokingly flipped her off. They burst out into laughter. My best friends, ladies and gentlemen. Albeit embarrassing, I would never trade them for the world. - “I will never get over how ridiculously lucky you are having the Harries twins as your childhood friends. You get to enjoy all the perks.” Rubi commented as we stepped out of the car, her mouth hung open in awe as we stared at the mansion in front of us. “By the perks you mean getting a spam link that leads you to Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up no matter what you do? Then please, be my guest.” She rolled her eyes at me and we all chuckled before going back to being slightly intimidated at today’s party venue, the infamous white mansion at the end of Beverly Hills. Technically speaking, it wasn’t the Harries twins that owned the place. It was the Taylor’s, but Liz Taylor was engaged to Austin so I guess it meant they were about to legally own the place on paper. “Hey little snot!” I turned to my side and speak of the devil, it’s the twins walking up to me. The two wore the same colored shorts and non-existent tops that if they didn’t have completely different features, you would have a hard time figuring out who is who. Austin was a complete replica of their mother, Auntie Alexa, with auburn hair and brown eyes, whilst Ashton got Uncle Aiden’s good boy charms, blue eyes and hazel hair. You can already imagine how ridiculously popular they were back in Eastwood High before they graduated and are now studying in the University of California. This is exactly the reason why they are still the go-to party spots for us high schoolers. That and because these two just loved to party so any chance they get to give us a party place, they’re down. “I told you to stop calling me that! I’m not three anymore!” I groaned before raising a fist up to the two of them and they raised their hands up in defeat. “Alright, alright. No violence in this party, please. Tonight is all about booze and-” “Views,” Ashton finished Austin’s sentence as his eyes drifted to a group of girls in very revealing bikinis. Austin quickly hit the back of his head, earning him a negative reaction. “What was that for?!” “Get the ladies some drinks first then you can go play around,” he tells him and Ashton agrees but not before rolling his eyes at his brother. These two always bickered, but that’s what it’s like to have a sibling. Frankly, T and I were only a few months shy from also being twins. Some people do think we are, but mostly that I was younger because, well, let’s just say I was more adventurous than my uptight overachiever of a brother. Austin bids us farewell as he walks over to where Liz is. A small smile formed on my lips as I watched them quickly bond with one another. Funnily enough, it was during a dare that the two of them got together. Liz was the daughter of a rich conglomerate that liked to have fun, whilst Austin was the son of two doctors, making him a little too uptight like my brother. They were polar opposites, but you know what they say… opposites attract, and the rest was history. “What did I say? Stupid lucky to know the twins!” Rubi squealed excitedly after we got our free drinks. “Cheers, ladies! May this night be ever-so-productive.” We winked at each other before clanking our glasses and downing the cocktail in one go. “Don’t look now, but ten o’clock by the edge of the pool,” Amber subtly whispered to me and we all slowly turned to where it was, trying our best to look as uninvested as possible sipping on our new cocktail. I almost gagged at the sight in front of us. It was Mindy, the captain of the cheerleading team, and her legs were practically spread out for everyone to see in between her as she tried to flirt with Logan who was sitting next to her, waving his legs in the pool. “How desperate can Mindy get? Half of the Football team has literally been inside her,” Rubi commented disgustedly and we all agreed, nodding our heads. Mindy continued to seductively play with the water, desperately trying to keep Logan’s attention on her, but he didn’t seem all too interested. I guess that’s one of the reasons why he’s the only guy I ever thought of being more than just a casual wave to. He didn’t get fooled by flirty girls that just want s*x and alcohol. Also because he looks insanely good with his dark blonde hair and steely blue eyes, the boy was straight out of a Hollywood- My thoughts are instantly interrupted as my jaw practically drops to the floor when Mindy gets exactly what she had wanted from Logan for the past year and the boy I once admired for not giving in… has given in. “Is it wrong that I kind of hate her?” I muttered to my friends before letting out a displeased sigh. They turned to me. “Why? Because she’s a flawless, honey-scented, spray-tanned, bikini-waxed, manicured blonde-female robot who always gets the guys and is at this very moment making out with your crush?” I shot both of them a deadly stare and they started snickering at one another. “He wasn’t that cute, anyways. He just has really pretty hair, nice eyes, and absolutely rock hard abs, and-” “Not helping!” I snapped back at them before dramatically marching away from the pool in order not to see anymore of the gross makeout session. “Also, he is not my crush!” I shouted out to my friends with so much conviction as I continued my way to the kitchen. “If you say so,” I heard them whisper to each other with a giggle, but was already too focused on finding good food to bother. Luckily, my dad was right. The cupboards are pretty much a jackpot in a house. There were new chips unopened and not filled with bacteria from high schoolers’ hands who more or less do not wash their hands after peeing and I happily grabbed my favorite potato chips. I’m sure Austin wouldn’t mind. I stood by the kitchen bar, watching from the sides as each high school student made their way into this party. The loud music banging in your ears mixed with others screaming their lungs out was just the sure indication of a hangover for them the next day. I, for one, always make sure not to go over my alcohol limit. Then again, I’ve always had a high tolerance for alcohol. Someone wise once taught me a trick. I couldn’t help but chuckle softly as I continued eating my chips, remembering him again. It’s been three years since I last saw him and I barely even remember what he looks like or know what he would look like now, but once in a while, he pops up in my head like a memory that’s never going to fade away, forever just stuck in my head. I pursed my lips in thought. I wonder where you are now, Cristiano… “Truth or dare! Time for truth or dare and spin the bottle!” Someone started shouting like he was making an important announcement. He then turned to where I was standing peacefully with my chips and an evil smile formed on his lips. “Thalia Donovan, I know I don’t have to tell you twice to join the game,” he says in an all-knowing tone and as much as I would want to play coy, when it comes to truth or dare, he’s right. “See you in five,” I confidently told him before raising my cup and downing another drink. He hopped away happily, continuing to invite others around the party. “Hey, you better not say dare to everything this time. Remember what happened at the last party? You almost got yourself caught on an electric fence! T seriously had a heart attack,” Amber protested as she shook her head and finger unamused at me. “Yeah, yeah,” I tell her indifferently. “In my defense, the freaking Zimmerman’s said they turned it off!” I tried to lighten the mood, but Amber was not having it. Her undying one-sided crush for my brother since we were kids is probably also the reason why. One, she doesn’t want me to die, and two, she doesn’t want him to die either. I guess it is a valid argument. As we walked into the game circle, I had a wicked smile on my face knowing my fingers were crossed behind my back when I agreed to Amber. Where’s the fun in a truth or dare game if you don’t accept the dare? Psh. “Oooh, there she is,” a few of the students in the same year got excited when I showed up. See, I’m not popular like my brother who is number one at everything, but I am popular for one thing - my dares. Everyone knows it’s not a game of truth or dare without me, because let’s face it, no one does it better like I do. On the first spin of the bottle, it immediately lands on me. The crowd goes crazy and they don’t even ask whether I want truth, they just immediately go to dare. “Thalia Donovan, I dare you…” Kylie, an old classmate in Biology class, stared at me deep in thought. Having earned the reputation of accepting any dare given to me, it’s like they always have to think hard on what they want me to do. I’ve had my fair share of embarrassing ones - run to the end of the street wearing a clown suit, and also some gross ones - take a sip of spaghetti water with alcohol. “To dance on top of the table for a whole song,” she said with so much confidence as if that was something so hard to do. Oh, Kylie sweetie, you don’t know who you’re up against, but I’ll show you exactly who. I down another cup of alcohol before quickly standing up from the circle. “DJ, hit the music!” I shouted out to the man in the DJ booth and he gave me an acknowledging nod. Instantly, the song Promiscuous started to play in the giant speakers scattered around the Taylor mansion. Well, that’s one music choice, alright. Other guests started to gather in the living room, amused, curious, and just bored. Either way, I hope they enjoy the show. I got up on the table and with the beat of the song, I began to dance. Excited screams of students filled the room as they raised their cups up to me, cheering and shouting in unison. “Thalia! Thalia!” They continued to shout, getting more attention from others. I spotted Mindy looking displeased as I captured Logan with my dancing, and a sense of confidence surged through me. Why is it that I can do something like this but freeze the second boys try to interact with me? I will never know, but hey, might as well just have fun. Promiscuous girl, wherever you are I’m all alone, and it’s you that I want Promiscuous boy, you already know That I’m all yours, what you waiting for? The music and its loud bass continued to bang in the speakers and at this point, the mix of alcohol and the adrenaline rush had me doing crazy things from dropping it low to cartwheeling on the table bar. At the side of my eye, I caught T clutching his red cup tightly when I almost slipped from the table. Sorry, brother, but a dare is a dare. The Harries twins looked to be enjoying my stunts completely, though. Finally, the song ends, and everyone is either gawking at me or cheering wildly, congratulating me for a job well done and I basked in my undefeated glory of being the Queen of all dares. “And you were worried about showing too much skin with your bikini?” Rubi said as she appeared next to me. “Girl, that’s the least of your concern now.” She shook her head at me, but amusedly, knowing that I have once again proved to be game for anything. I don’t know, something about a dare just excites me. “Two o’clock. Looks like you may have just caught a big fish, you wild child.” Amber gently nudged me on my side and my eyes traveled to where she was pointing out. Logan. He was walking towards me while Mindy was grumbling behind him. My heart was still racing from all that dancing and I’m still filled with a bit of rush so when he got in front of me, I surprisingly didn’t freeze. “Hey, uh, Thalia, right? That was… quite a show.” He complimented me, biting his lip, as his steely eyes pierced into mine and it’s obvious he wanted… more. “Thanks. I’ve done better, though.” I replied nonchalantly and I could tell Rubi and Amber are shocked at the overflowing confidence I was having right now. Bless you, alcohol intoxication. Logan smirked and moved an inch closer to me. Honestly, now that I was seeing him up close, he didn’t seem so special. His once striking blue eyes just looked basic to me and his blonde hair kind of looked like he forgot to put conditioner on. Basically, I was no longer infatuated on the idea of being with the most popular boy in school. “Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing more…” He licked his lips in a seductive manner, and Thalia about half an hour ago would probably be drooling at the sight of it, but right now, I was barely amused. I chuckled lightly, making him look at me a little dejected. “Don’t you have your little cheerleader waiting for you?” I tilted my head to the side where Mindy was standing with her arms crossed in front of her chest. “She’s practically throwing daggers with her eyes. Just a tip, Logan.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and leaned closer to his ear. “Don’t forget protection. You don’t want to be stuck with someone who’s had half of the team inside of her.” I told him unphased, tapping his shoulder lightly before walking away. I had to suppress my chuckles until I was sure I was far enough from both him and Mindy who was now looking at me confused, probably wondering what I had just said. “Thalia Donovan! Oh my god!” My friends squealed at me in surprise and disbelief. “Who the hell are you and what have you done to our best friend?!” Amber shouted to me while shaking my shoulders and I couldn’t stop laughing. “Ladies and ladies, this is all thanks to five cups of alcohol and adrenaline rush from the dare.” I told them with a light chuckle as they continued to excitedly jump up and down in front of me. “You were so freaking cool!” Rubi gushed at me before trying to reenact what I did, placing her arm on my shoulder and all. She cleared her throat. “Don’t forget protection,” she said in a sexy high-pitched voice. “That is not what I sound like!” I contested and we all laughed. “You should have seen the look on his face when you walked away. Completely savaged, like a little boy whose lollipop was taken from him. Legendary, Thalia. Absolutely legendary.” “Completely over him then?” Rubi asked and it didn’t take me a second to answer. A confident smile on my lips. “Thank you, next.” As we walked back to the circle to continue the game, a few of the other students that we passed by were still giving me compliments on my dance and I thanked them. All of a sudden, there was a loud cheer that came from the circle and got everyone else’s attention. “What is that all about?” Amber turned to us and we shrugged our shoulders. It was only when we were right next to the circle that had become bigger now did we realize why there was such a fuss around it. Two students were making out and quite intensely, at that. The girl, who I think is Cassie, was absolutely engaged in her makeout session with someone that I can’t seem to decipher who. All I know is that he definitely has his own definition of a pool party dress code with only gray joggers that were pulled so low you could see the Calvin Klein tag on his boxers. No wonder everyone is so invested because the way he was taking Cassie was not your average high school kiss. It was more than that. He knew what he was doing. From the way he caressed her face and roughly kissed her that they were almost laying on the carpet to the small groans he let out, it was almost turning into a free show in front of you. When he pulled away, it was like Cassie was immediately begging for more, her mouth half open and her hands trying to reach back out for him, but it was clear he was done. He no longer cared about her as he wiped his lips with his finger and brushed his dark black hair back. I swallowed nervously when he suddenly locked eyes with me. It was hard not to stare. I tried to look away, but it was like there was something in his look that was pulling me towards him. His face seemed to be chiseled to perfection with a sharp jaw and strong nose. Every feature of his was so defined and perfectly matched with those deep and breathtaking hazel eyes, but it was like his soft and luscious lips were calling out for me the most. He jerked away from our gaze, leaving me a little fazed, but he didn’t seem to have been bothered at all as he just looked at the game master. “So, who’s next?” He asked, his voice so deep and velvety smooth, my heart skipped a beat and I don’t even know why. I think everyone was a little too stunned at the intense makeout session that they had just witnessed that no one was responding and besides the music booming around us, there was only silence. All of a sudden, he began to walk towards me. I froze. The adrenaline from my dare had already disappeared and I was practically sobering up from the tenseness I didn’t know what to do. The more he got closer to me, the more I could clearly see him, and not going to lie, it was hard not to like what I was seeing. He’s tall, even taller than my brother so probably around six foot plus, and he had shoulders that were so broad I could probably hide behind it and not be seen. Not to mention that chest and those abs even looked like they were formed of steel. He’s got it all… and he knows it. He inhaled sharply before licking his lips and biting it as he stood in front of me, towering me with his height. “What about you…” He spoke up, his voice sending tingles down my spine. “Miss Promiscuous?” I choked on air, letting out a huff and just realizing I had been holding my breath this entire time and an amused smirk suddenly formed on the man’s lips before turning away and chuckling proudly. “Come on, let the games begin!” He proclaimed as everyone snapped out of their momentary daze and got back to the game immediately while I stood there, still a little too stunned at what I had just witnessed. My heart was still beating crazily fast as my eyes continued to follow him curiously. Who the hell are you and why do you feel so familiar? --- PTR update: As of July 26, 2022 this book has now been changed to PTR. Hope you can still support my work and read on to find out more about Thalia and the player. ;) --- As of August 1, 2022 this book has now been completed. :) For new readers, you may be surprised at the amount of coins needed to unlock a chapter so I want to clarify why. Each chapter could cost around 40-50 coins, this is because they have 4000+ words meaning you are able to read more compared to books with chapters that cost 20 coins as those only have 2000+ words. So whether you unlock their chapters for less coins, you will likely have to pay the same amount or even more as they have many more short chapters (sometimes over 100) that need to be unlocked. Hope that makes sense! A tip for unlocking stories - click the download button at the top right of your screen. If you get the book in bulk, you get a huge discount! x