A Dare With The Player

Chapter 2: Kiss A Stranger

The night was young. Everyone who was anyone was prepared to get absolutely wasted because it was the last week before we were back to school. You could even tell who were the ones going into Senior year from how shitfaced they were. It’s like tonight they decided that they were going to go all out.

I could say the same for myself, in terms of my dares, that is. Alcohol? That part was easy for me.

“Alright, how about we take this up a notch, boys and girls?” The game master, Hugo, also seemed to be determined to get everyone here drunk.

Everyone in the circle started to cheer, screaming excitedly, but him, the stranger from earlier, stayed silent. Mostly, it was his eyes that did all the talking. He had such… expressive eyes. You could tell when he would be amused at something as they lit up a little, as if there was some quick twinkle, but it disappeared as fast as it appeared.

I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t seem to look away from him. I try to, but find myself turning back to face him, really looking at him, because something about his presence feels so familiar that it continues to bother me.

“Two bottles will be spun and our lucky winners will have to chug from the beer bong for a whole minute.” Hugo announced, a proud smirk plastered on his face before I caught his eye glanced at me for a quick second.

Ohhh, I knew it. This guy wants me to get drunk. He absolutely knows my tolerance is high so he wants me to get baited. I clicked my tongue and shook my head and felt the competitiveness in me get stronger. We’ll see about that, Hugo.

Everyone in the circle was nervous and anxiously waiting as we all stared at the bottle, following it as it spun and spun.

And as if it was somehow controlled, the battle landed exactly where I was. I would defend myself, calling it a cheat, but I didn’t bother. I was ready to accept the challenge.

“Lucky player number one, what an honor. Our very own Queen of dares. Are you up for it?” Hugo asked me with a cocky smile and tone, somewhat trying to taunt me.

“Just hurry up and spin the bottle for the other player,” I glared at him and he momentarily panicked.

“Alright! Lucky player number two is… Drumroll please!”

The boys started to pound on the floor, creating a makeshift drum, as eyes stared intently at the spinning bottle.

I don’t know why everyone was so invested, but there was just something about a spinning bottle in a game and the excitement of being chosen or not.

And then, it stopped. Slowly, but surely, it landed on…

My eyes traveled from the bottle to the person at the other end of it and I almost choked on thin air when it landed on him. I wasn’t expecting that.

“The stranger who doesn’t own a shirt!” Hugo announced and everyone chuckled at the nickname.

It’s funny because he won’t give his real name, so I guess stranger who doesn’t own a shirt was good enough.

Even when everyone was laughing, he didn’t look fazed at all.

“Shall we?” He asked ever-so-confidently while looking at me, those deep hazel eyes of his once again making my heart skip a beat.

Stop it, heart! I shouted in my head, but it didn’t want to listen.

I cleared my throat, before pushing myself up from the floor. “Prepare to lose, shirtless guy.” I told him before hitting my fists together in a threatening manner, but it must have not looked as threatening as I thought it was going to be because he just let out a soft chuckle.

I would be annoyed if he didn’t chuckle in such a cute way.

What? No, he’s not cute! He’s not cute at all!

“You got this, girl. You’ve trained your whole life for this match.” My best friends were already cheering me on as we walked to where the kegs were situated and there’s a beer bong tower right beside it.

Only in a party where the Harries twins are would there be a literal six feet high beer bong stand complete with six tubes. Although it was only the two of us drinking so they took out the other four. Now it was a total mano y mano.

Well, in this case, woman versus man, and I’ll be damned if I lose to shirtless guy.

“Are you sure you can do this? I won’t hold it against you if you can’t. After all, girls can’t drink as much as boys.” He teased, holding on to the other tube as he tried to tell me what I can and can’t do.

I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling annoyed that this guy could talk down on me when he doesn’t even know me.

“Know who you’re talking to before you start assuming things. Be prepared to lose,” I said displeased before grabbing my tube from his hand and preparing myself for a whole lot of alcohol.

“Suit yourself, Miss Promiscuous.” He scoffed at me proudly, triggering me even more.

“That’s not my name,” I straightened my back and pushed my chest up at him, raising my chin up to look a little more intimidating, but it was hard to do that when he was completely towering over me.

Nonetheless, it’s the thought that counts.

“Would you prefer… shortie?” A smirk formed at the side of his lips as his eyes glinted at me with so much pride.

At that moment, I just wanted to smack his face and leave a big black eye, but before I could, our drinking dare was initiated. Lucky for him.

“Tubes up and drink in three, two, one!”

A horn sounded off just as they started to pour whatever alcohol it was at the top and into our tubes. I held on tightly to it and lifted my chin up in order to have a better position.

All of a sudden, I realized…

Fuck. I’ve actually never done this.

Panic started to set inside of me, but I didn’t let that show. Especially when shirtless guy clearly knew what he was doing, way more than me.

How could I have not remembered I’ve never done this?! Sure, I’ve had my fair shares of alcohol - beer, vodka, tequila, I’ve had a lot of it from constantly being invited to parties, but chugging continuously? I never actually trained for this!

“You got this, Thalia! You got this!” My friends were screaming into my ear and the crowd around us began to get bigger by the second.

At the side of my eye, I could see T shaking his head once again. That’s become a habit of his every time I do a dare, but I could tell he was ready to take me to the hospital if something goes south. Luckily, it has never reached that point. Thank you, liver, for staying strong.

The amount of alcohol cascading from the top to the tube and into my throat was starting to become very unpleasant. The stench was strong, but the burning sensation was stronger. When I felt like getting ready to give up, I looked to my left and saw my opponent not even having a hard time, or even if he was, he sure made it look like he was just walking in the park.

Shit! I can’t give up now! Not when I was so overly confident earlier!

I felt like I was beginning to tear up, my mouth stayed open as I let all the alcohol pour into it nonstop. It’s like drowning, but it’s just your mouth and nothing else.

Oh god, why does this minute feel like a whole hour?!

I’m so close… so close to choking and giving up, but no! I felt tears trickle down the side of my face and at the edge of my capability, all of a sudden, shirtless guy dropped his tube and that was it.

I think I… won?

Amber and Rubi pulled out the tube from me and started jumping up and down as well as the crowd who were a little too over excited. Frankly, I think the alcohol was starting to settle in and my claim to not get drunk easily was failing me.

Oh s**t, I think I’m going to pass out.

I felt my body slowly starting to tip over, like when you’re on a boat in the sea and you feel like you’re swaying on the ground, and before I knew it, I was tumbling down.

I didn’t even have time to react as I felt arms wrapped around me from the back and when I shook my head to wake me up from my momentarily dizzying state, I was greeted by the same deep hazel eyes.

It took me a few blinks to come back to reality, squealing in surprise as I pushed myself away from him. I cleared my throat as I dusted myself off, slightly blushed.

He only looked at me with an amused smirk before taking his hand out to shake mine. “Fair game… shortie.”

I bit my lip at him annoyed, especially at the nickname.

“I am not-”

Before I could finish my sentence, Hugo is already gathering the players back into the circle. I chose not to waste any more time and breath on this guy who kept taunting me.

I turned my back away from him, but once I was turned around, I had to hold onto my chest and tried to calm my beating heart. God, we were so close to one another. I swallowed nervously, remembering how his solid arms felt as he steadied my body and kept me from falling to the ground.

“Ah, knock it off!” I mumbled to myself, frustrated, but alas, I must keep going.

I sat myself back into the circle directly in front of my newfound enemy, narrowing my eyes at him and if this was a cartoon show, flames of fire and smoke would be coming out of my ears right now.

As the game continued, every time the bottle landed on him, he would effortlessly make out with whoever dared for him to kiss. It was just so effortless for him and it didn’t matter if the girl was taken, he would stand up and do it.

I sat there, grinding my teeth in irritation, but at the same time, it was hard to look away with the way he kissed.

His hands often went to caress their faces, played with their hair, then held onto their neck with so much passion. How can his lips look so soft and lush?! It’s obvious that all the girls somehow dissolve into nothing but sensation and sometimes he even adds a little tongue. The boyfriends of some of the girls become heated for a second, but it’s like they themselves get a little interested in the way their girlfriends are being kissed that they forget that they were angry in the first place.

It was… an unusual sight.

The bottle spun once again and it landed on me after the nth time of it landing on shirtless guy.

I smiled proudly. “Give me your best shot.”

Another spin was done to determine who was going to give me the dare and unfortunately for me, it landed on my mortal enemy of the night. As displeased as I was, I tried to mask it with a confident smile and an unfazed expression.

The corner of his lips perked up and it was in his eyes that I saw the total mischief he was thinking of.

“Kiss a stranger,” he said in a split second.

Of course he would dare me to kiss someone. That’s all he’s been doing the whole night. Well, I can do that just fine. Easy for me, I’ve had my fair share of adventurous kisses and one of those was with my friends. Let’s say it was a matter of curiosity and I can do that again, no lesbo.

I was about to turn to my Rubi, giving her a mental message to just take it, but then he spoke up.

“That’s not a stranger. She’s your friend, isn’t she?”

Shit. He was right. Oh my god, he tricked me. He didn’t say kiss anyone, he specifically mentioned a stranger.

I pursed my lips as I looked around the circle, scanning the people in the game. That was when it hit me. Nobody here was a stranger because I knew all of them. They were either old classmates or a friend of a friend or someone that was in the same club.

Except… for him. He set me up.

I caught him smirking at me as he must have realized that it finally sinked in. He wanted me to kiss him.

Shit.

I cleared my throat, panic setting in as my eyes shifted left and right.

“Are you going to do the dare or not, Thalia?” The other players asked as they were starting to get impatient.

“Just kiss him already!” They shouted out and I was stuck. I was torn.

A part of me was dead set on not going anywhere near him. He was vile, annoying, and I don’t want anything to do with him more so giving him a kiss. That- that stupid smug-faced i***t with nice lips and nice abs and-

I was momentarily lost in my own thoughts that when I snapped back out of it, I wheezed in shock as shirtless guy now stood in front of me. I think I lost the ability to breathe as he stared at me, or more so pierced his eyes into mine again.

All of a sudden, his warm hands reached my face and I froze up even more. Oh f**k, what do I do?! I’m turning into a popsicle stick that my friends said I do every time a guy gets too close to me. Snap out of it, Thalia!

“Don’t worry. I make sure you’ll enjoy it,” he says in such an arrogant and boastful manner that this actually helped me snap myself back.

“No!” I shouted out as I pushed him away from me.

I saw him make a stunned face before licking his lips and brushing his hair back from surprise, something I can’t deny was not sexy, but that wasn’t the point of this.

“I- I choose truth!” I told everyone in the game and they gasped at me.

“Seriously? Truth? Are you chickening out, Thalia?” One of them asked and I had to make an excuse. Fast.

“I am not! I’ve just- I’ve just been doing dares this whole night. Might as well do at least one truth. Come on, hurry up. Ask me something.” I bluffed my confidence, raising my chin up and acting as if I wasn’t just blushing earlier at the thought of kissing him.

When I looked at shirtless guy, suddenly all my confidence had been thrown out of the window when I saw the way he was staring at me. A look of determination was obvious in those hazel eyes of his.

I think I might have hurt a bit of his ego when I rejected him and now he was determined for me to pay for it.

“Are you a virgin?”

Silence. Complete silence besides the booming music, but even that felt like it had disappeared as a ringing in my ears began and it was like all the noise around me had become muffled.

Did he just ask… what I think he did?

“So? Are you?”

Shit. He did. What the f**k? I know truth questions are supposed to be something difficult to answer, but I didn’t expect him to ask something so… personal. I was stuck.

My best friends were whispering nervously while the Harries twins and my brother seemed to be at the edge. Other students were also curiously whispering amongst themselves.

Shirtless guy was most definitely enjoying this.

“Yes.” I answered. It was the truth they wanted, and it’s what I gave.

I couldn’t decipher what the expression on his face meant. It didn’t really change. It’s like he stayed… emotionless.

Then he sat back down and I did, too. Albeit, slightly embarrassed.

“I hate him,” I whispered to my friends with a sense of grudge in my tone as I narrowed my eyes at him and he continued to look at me with that same emotionless expression.

I hate him.

It was a quarter to two and a bunch of other students were starting to leave. Hugo had decided that the game was coming to an end and with that, the big dare was to come.

At this point, most of the students are either full-on drunk or tipsy and getting there. The circle has gotten smaller because other players who started making out with a dare just… continued on from there, if you know what I mean. Others just passed out and, well, forfeited.

Basically, competition was getting steep.

“For the final dare, we usually get two students to date each other for a month. It’s an Eastwood High tradition. Some win, some lose, but I say it’s time to switch it up.” Hugo looked around the people that were still sober enough to play.

“What do you say we bring this game to the pool? Whoever is brave enough to jump from the balcony to the pool wins. Winner gets bragging rights and, hm, a thousand dollars?” Hugo nonchalantly gives the biggest prize known to high school and we’re all still trying to process if he was telling the truth or not, but knowing him, his father being a billionaire in the Middle East, this was just mere change for him.

It’s not that I’m struggling with money or anything, but imagine how many baking supplies I could get with that. Oh, I get excited just thinking about the new materials and ingredients I could buy.

“You’re on,” I said without any second thoughts.

“What the hell, Thalia?! What did I say about accepting any dare?!” Amber is quick to protest against my life choices as she stared me down.

“Take that back this instant!” She complained just as T came up to where we were.

“I agree. That’s way too risky, Lia.” He called me with my childhood nickname, the one he uses when we’re having a timid sister-brother moment.

“Oh come on, I’ll be fine. I’ve done this already, remember? Ashton can vouch for me! He gave me a ten out of ten score on that jump!” I told them proudly.

I have done it before during last summer. Granted, I wasn’t as intoxicated, but still, I nailed that landing and even did a backflip. It was awesome.

Ashton gave a thumbs up and both T and Amber sighed in defeat. They knew they wouldn’t be able to get me out of this as I had already set my mind on it.

“It’ll be over before you know it! Make sure to get cool pictures!” I shouted out to them as I started to walk away.

It was only when we were at the balcony did I notice only two others had accepted the dare. Maxine, a freshman that was probably pressured into doing it and of course, him. Of course.

I let out deep exhales and tried my best not to be bothered by his presence.

“I guess you’re not so little Miss Promiscuous after all… virgin.”

I clenched my fists and jaw tightly as shirtless guy tried to taunt me with words. I didn’t turn to look at him. Instead, I focused on the pool below us. Now that I was looking at it from above - is it just me or did it get further the last time I did this?

Crap, now’s not the time to be scaring myself. Stay focused, Thalia.

Breathe in, breathe out. I told myself repeatedly, followed by my breathing.

“Are you ready up there, daredevils?!” Hugo shouted out from below and the crowd began to cheer.

“Born ready! Let’s do this!” I shouted out with so much confidence, but deep down inside my heart was racing like crazy.

“It’s four and sixteen feet,” shirtless guy said out of nowhere.

I turned to him with furrowed brows. “What?”

“The distance from the side of the balcony to the pool is four feet and the height of the balcony to the pool is sixteen feet. Don’t miss.” He said straight and without a single noticeable emotion before turning back to face the people below.

For a second, I was a little flustered, but I realized what he said was actually helpful. It only took me about another ten seconds of analyzing the distance based on what he said and it made me feel much more confident on the jump.

Albeit unexpected, I guess I should be thankful for his sudden advice.

“Get ready to jump in three, two, one!”

When the number one was shouted, every part of my body felt like it was electrified with adrenaline rush and with one jump, I was falling. Fast.

Many people ask me - why? Why am I so obsessed with agreeing to dares? Why am I so determined to do crazy things? I tell them one thing.

Because life is supposed to be lived, and I feel most alive when my heart is thumping fast and every part of me is at an all-time high.

There’s no time to look at anyone else around me, but I hear them screaming in excitement and nervousness. This fills me up with more rush.

And then a huge splash.

I did it! I f*****g did it!

My arms and feet are swimming underwater, trying to get back up to the top of the pool, and I see it. I see the people above the water looking down at us and the party lights, but before I could reach it, I felt a sudden cramp on the side of my leg.

Suddenly, I couldn’t swim anymore and the view of the people started to get further and further. My adrenaline rush is being replaced by panic and I start to see bubbles in front of me while I try to catch my breath.

Fuck! Swim, Thalia!

As much as I tried to tell myself to move my legs and arms, it was just too painful. The cramps were like twisting my leg and I couldn’t move anymore.

Suddenly, I see someone swimming towards me and then when I am nearing my last breath, I am pulled up. Thankfully.

I began to cough up all the water I had swallowed and when I turned to the side, I realized it was him who helped me up to the top. Shirtless guy. As hard headed as I was feeling, he was helping pat my back to get out all the excess water so I stayed there.

“s**t, Lia, I told you to be careful!” T showed up at the edge of the pool completely panicked.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. The jump was great, I just had a small cramp.” I told him reassuringly, but I knew that it was somewhat of a close call too.

“If Cristiano hadn’t gotten to you in time, our parents would have killed me. Damn it. You’re going to give me a heart attack.” T said frustrated, but I couldn’t focus on anything else as one word stuck in my head after he said it.

Or more so a name.

Did he just say… Cristiano?

I swiftly turned my head to shirtless guy, taking a step back from him inside the pool. My brows furrowed in confusion and disbelief at the sudden discovery.

Now that I think about it…

The hair, although darker, had the same style from when we were younger. The shape of his face was much more defined, but if you look closer there was some resemblance. And then the eyes, the same hazel eyes that looked at me all those years ago and it hit me.

It is him. It really is him.

Cristiano Ferreira.

He cleared his throat and this in turn made me stop my gawking at him.

I can’t believe it. I was still in shock so when he moved closer to me and leaned to whisper in my ear, I just stood there.

“Next time, make sure to stretch.” He said in the same taunting manner as his lip brushed at the side of my ear ever so slightly that it sent shivers down my spine.

He turned away and got out of the pool while I stood there, soaking wet, and in denial.

That’s not him. It can’t be. That’s not the same boy that’s been popping in and out of my head for the past three years. That can’t be…

My first crush.