CHAPTER TWO #6
Her heart nearly stopped. Then she glanced toward John.
Or... John.
She smiled to herself. Either option sounded significantly better than kissing Maria. Amanda nodded once. Decision made.
"Dare." Several students let out impressed whistles.
"Bold."
"She's got guts."
Maria's smile returned. Slowly. Too slowly. Amanda noticed. Something changed behind Maria's eyes. It wasn't excitement. It was satisfaction. Loren leaned closer to Maria. The two girls exchanged a look. Just a look. No words. No smiles.
Yet somehow... Amanda suddenly felt cold. Loren whispered something into Maria's ear. Maria gave the smallest nod. Amanda watched the exchange carefully.
That's... Weird.
Michael noticed it too. His smile faded slightly. John frowned. Theresa shifted uncomfortably beside Melissa. Amanda tried convincing herself she was imagining things. Maybe they were deciding on a dare. Maybe it was harmless. Maria leaned forward.
"Perfect."
Amanda smiled nervously. Maria rested her elbows on her knees.
"I dare you..."
The room leaned in.
"...to tell your crush how you feel."
Silence.
Amanda blinked.
"...That's it?"
Maria smiled sweetly. "That's it."
Amanda actually laughed. Relief flooded through her. She'd expected something awful. This... This was easy. Almost. She scratched the back of her neck.
"My..."
She laughed awkwardly.
"...crush isn't here."
Maria didn't miss a beat.
"Then text him."
Amanda blinked.
"I don't have his number."
Maria's smile finally disappeared. Her patience had run out.
"Just do the damn dare, Amanda."
The sharpness in her voice silenced the room. Amanda's stomach tightened. She hadn't expected that reaction. Her eyes instinctively wandered around the circle. Trying to figure out why Maria suddenly seemed angry.
Then... Without realizing she'd done it... Her gaze landed on Michael. He looked back at her. Confused. Curious. Waiting. Amanda's entire body froze. Her heart dropped into her stomach.
Oh... no.
She looked away immediately. Too late. Maria had followed her eyes. A slow... Knowing... Almost triumphant smile spread across her face.
"There it is." Amanda's pulse pounded in her ears. She knew that smile. Maria knew. She knew exactly who Amanda liked. Maria leaned back, folding her arms.
"Unless..."
She tilted her head.
"...you're too scared."
Loren laughed. Not loudly. Just enough. Enough for Amanda to hear it. Enough for Amanda to understand. This had never been a game. It had been a setup. From the moment Maria asked her to spin the bottle... She had been walking straight into a trap. Amanda swallowed hard.
Across the circle... Michael looked between the two girls.
Completely unaware that he was standing at the center of whatever game Maria had just begun.
Amanda's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
The room suddenly felt much smaller. She could feel dozens of eyes fixed on her.
Waiting. Watching. Across the circle, Maria rested her chin against her hand, looking almost bored.
"Well?"
Amanda swallowed. "I..."
Her voice caught.
Maria smiled.
"We're waiting."
Amanda looked toward Michael again. He was still watching her. Not laughing. Not judging. Simply... Waiting. He had no idea what was happening. Amanda took a slow breath.
"No."
The room went quiet. Maria blinked. "...No?"
Amanda shook her head.
"I'm not doing this."
A few students exchanged surprised looks. Maria's smile tightened.
"It was a dare."
"I know."
"You picked dare."
"I did."
Amanda looked directly at Maria.
"But I'm not confessing my feelings for someone in front of half the school."
A murmur spread around the circle. Someone whispered, "She's got a point."
Maria ignored it.
"Then you fail."
Amanda nodded once.
"...Okay."
The answer caught everyone off guard. Even Maria. Amanda felt strangely calm. Embarrassed? Absolutely. Terrified? Definitely.
But this... This wasn't how she wanted Michael to find out. Not because Maria decided it would make good entertainment. If Amanda ever told him... She wanted it to be because she chose to. Not because someone cornered her. Maria's expression slowly hardened.
"So..."
She stood.
"...you'd rather fail?"
Amanda nodded.
"Yes."
For a split second... Something dangerous flickered across Maria's face. The smile disappeared. The room grew strangely still. Michael frowned. Something about Maria's expression made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
She wasn't disappointed. She looked... Angry. No. Not angry. Satisfied. As though Amanda had just walked exactly where Maria wanted her. Maria slowly reached toward a nearby table. Amanda frowned.
"What are you—"
Maria picked up a red plastic cup. Ice clinked softly against the sides. Amanda's stomach tightened. The room seemed to hold its breath. Michael immediately pushed himself forward.
"Maria..."
His voice was calm. Careful. A warning. Maria didn't look at him. She only looked at Amanda. Amanda's pulse quickened.
"...Maria?"
No answer. Maria stepped closer. One step. Then another. Amanda instinctively stood.
"What are you doing?"
No answer. Loren watched with barely concealed excitement. Theresa frowned. John's expression darkened. Something wasn't right. Amanda glanced around the circle.
Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The music from the other room suddenly felt impossibly distant. All Amanda could hear... Was the sound of ice shifting inside Maria's cup. Michael stood.
"Maria."
This time his voice carried more authority.
"Don't."
Maria finally looked at him. For the briefest second... She smiled. Not kindly. Not playfully. Just... Coldly. Then— Everything happened at once. Maria swung her arm forward. Amanda didn't even have time to flinch. The icy liquid crashed against her face.
Splash.
The shock stole her breath. Cold soda soaked through her hair, her dress, her makeup. Ice cubes bounced across the hardwood floor. Silence.
A heartbeat later... Someone laughed. Then another. Within seconds, the room exploded into nervous laughter, shocked gasps, and scattered whispers. Amanda stood perfectly still.
Liquid dripped from the ends of her hair. Down her cheeks. Across her dress. A strand of wet hair clung to her face. She didn't move. She couldn't. She wasn't crying. Not yet. She simply... Stopped. Across the room... Michael stared at Maria in complete disbelief.
"What the hell was that?"
His voice cut through the laughter like a knife.
Maria casually tossed the empty cup onto a nearby table.
"She failed."
Michael took a step toward her. "So?"
"You humiliate people because they don't do what you want?"
"It was a joke."
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"It wasn't."
The laughter around the room faded. Even the students who had laughed moments earlier suddenly looked uncomfortable. Nobody expected Michael to react like this. Maria folded her arms.
"Oh, please. It was soda."
Michael looked at Amanda. She still hadn't moved. She hadn't even wiped her face. Something inside his chest twisted painfully. That wasn't embarrassment anymore. That was shock. Real shock. He looked back at Maria.
"Was that really necessary?"
Maria shrugged.
"Very."
Michael couldn't believe what he was hearing. For the first time all night... He didn't recognize the girl standing in front of him.
Amanda slowly blinked. The cold finally registered. She reached up with trembling fingers. Water dripped from her hand. She stared at it for a long moment. Then... Almost instinctively... Her eyes searched the room.
They found Melissa. Immediately. Across the circle. Melissa stood frozen. One hand covered her mouth. Her eyes were filled with horror. Amanda looked at her. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Everything was written across her face.
Please.
Melissa took one step forward. Her body finally obeying her heart.
"I'm—"
"Melissa."
Maria's voice stopped her instantly. Melissa froze. Slowly... She turned around. Maria's smile had returned.
"If you go after her..."
She folded her arms.
"...you're off the squad."
Silence. Maria stepped closer.
"And I promise you..."
Her voice lowered.
"...I can make your life much worse than it already is."
Melissa felt her entire body go cold. Her father's hospital bills. The eviction notice. Her desperate need to belong somewhere. John. Everything flashed through her mind at once. She looked back toward Amanda. Amanda was still standing there. Waiting. Not for help. For her.
She looked back toward Amanda. Amanda was still standing there. Waiting. Not for help. For her. Melissa couldn't breathe. Amanda stood across the room, soaked from head to toe. Her hair clung to her face. Her mascara had begun to run. The front of her dress was stained dark with soda.
Yet somehow... That wasn't the worst part. It was her eyes. Amanda wasn't looking at Maria. She wasn't looking at Michael. She wasn't looking at anyone else. She was looking only at Melissa. Waiting. Melissa's feet finally moved. One step. Then another.
"I'm sorry—"
A hand gently caught her wrist. Melissa looked down. Theresa. She hadn't grabbed her tightly. Barely at all. Just enough to stop her. Melissa looked up in confusion. Theresa's expression was filled with the same horror she felt.
"...Go."
Melissa blinked.
"What?"
Theresa released her immediately.
"Go after her."
Melissa looked toward Amanda again. Amanda had already turned away. Without a word... She began walking toward the front door. Every step was painfully slow. Not because she wanted anyone to stop her. Because she was trying desperately... Not to cry. Melissa felt panic rising in her chest.
"I have to—"
"Melissa."
Maria's voice cut through the room again. Melissa closed her eyes. No. Not now.
"Congratulations."
Melissa turned reluctantly. Maria smiled proudly.
"You're officially one of us." The words landed like stones. One of us. Melissa looked around the room. The cheerleaders. The football players. Students she'd wanted acceptance from for years.
Not one of them looked happy. Some stared awkwardly at the floor.
Others watched Amanda leave with obvious guilt.
Even Loren's smile had faded. This wasn't acceptance.