Dare

Twenty

EDITED: December 2020

That Monday at school, I was feeling particularly happy. Theo and I had returned from the lake house yesterday afternoon and I had spent the afternoon just talking to Kendall. Ever since our parents' divorce, we've become a lot closer. She almost flipped when I told her about...well, you know. But she knows I love Theo and wouldn't have it any other way.

Standing at my locker that morning, I proceeded to pack in my literature, accounting and drama books into my bag while humming a random tune.

"Hey," Aimee's voice said.

"Hi," I mumbled.

"How come you weren't answering your phone this weekend?" She asked.

"I uh, was busy," I said.

"With Theo?" She asked.

"Yeah," I muttered.

"Any closer to breaking up with him?" She questioned with a small smirk.

"God, Aimee!" I huffed, slamming my locker door shut.

"What?" She snapped. "You know you have to."

"First you were pestering me about getting together with him and now you're badgering me to break up with him! What is it with you!" I hissed.

"You know you have to!" She repeated.

"Yeah, well, you know what, Aimee, I'm not gonna whether you like it or not," I said firmly.

"Oh, come on, Ella! You can't be seriously into this guy!" She exclaimed. Thank god the hallway was basically empty.

"Newsflash, I am!"

She rolled her eyes at me. "Well it doesn't matter whether you're into him or not. You still have to break up with him before prom," She said stiffly.

"Don't bet on it," I scoffed.

"I don't know what you see in him! You and Liam would make such a better couple! Why won't you give him a chance?" She asked, causing me to now roll my eyes. She's still hung up on the fact that Liam still likes me even though I don't feel the same way about him.

"Aimee, Liam and I had a thing back in the eighth grade! We're past and over that!"

"Well he isn't!" She said, clearly stating the obvious.

"Look, I don't care what you say. I'm not breaking up with Theo, and that's it," I said, standing my ground.

"Then I'll tell him," She said after a moment of weakness. "I'll tell him about the dare and everything."

"Like hell you will," I seethed.

"Oh yeah? Watch me," She glared.

"God, you can be such a bitch sometimes," I said, shaking my head at her.

"I'm doing this for you and Liam, Ella. You'll thank me one day," She said.

"Yeah, or never," I muttered before catching Theo's questioning gaze and walking over to him.

"Hey," He said, pulling me into a hug.

"Hi," I muttered bitterly.

"What's wrong?" He asked with a frown. "You and Aimee didn't look like you were having a pleasant conversation."

"Ugh, she was just being basic. Nothing I can't handle," I lied, faking a smile.

"So uh, my mom wants to know if you wanna come over to dinner tonight?" He said awkwardly as we walked down the hallway hand in hand. "I mean, uh, my dad's gonna be home tonight and he also really wants to meet you."

"Yeah, okay," I nodded even though I was freaked out of my tree about meeting his father. I mean, what if he doesn't like me? What if he thinks I'm not good enough for his son? What if -

"Ella, calm down. I'll be fine," He said as if he could read my mind, wrapping a muscular arm around my shoulders.

"I'm okay," I said with a weak smile. "I've just never really done the whole dinner with the parents thing," I told him honestly.

"My mom already loves you and I'm pretty sure my dad will too," He said, and then pressed a kiss to my temple.

"Hey, Ella. Hey, Theo," Joey's voice said. Turning to face him, Spencer was standing next to him. I wasn't really sure where Liam was.

"Oh, hey," I smiled at him. "Uh, not really sure if you guys have met yet, but Theo, these are my friends, Joey and Spencer. Guys, this is Theo," I introduced them.

"Yeah, we know each other," Theo said, nodding at the boys.

"Physics," Spencer said.

"EGD," Joey shrugged.

"Oh, okay," I mumbled.

Before we could continue to talk, the bell went, signalling the start of the day.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay," Theo said to me.

"Yeah," I nodded before kissing him quickly and then heading to my homeroom class.

Walking into Mr Davids' classroom, I quickly ticked my name on the register list and then sat down at my usual seat. When Aimee walked into the class with Liam by her side, her brown eyes shot daggers at me. She was pissed, and I knew why.

For the first time ever, I wasn't doing what she wanted.

***

At five thirty when I parked in the Parker's driveway, I was still feeling nervous about meeting Theo's dad.

Gripping the straps of my overnight bag, I rang the doorbell and hoped that my palms weren't sweating. Why do they do that everytime I get nervous? Gross.

When the door was answered by Theo, I had to blink twice to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. I had seen Theo just two and a half hours ago. In the time period that I hadn't seen him, he had cut his hair into a fade, pierced his lip and now had both his ears pierced and his eyebrow. He was even dressed like a fuckboy. The socks, the chinos, the Vans.

"Hey, babe," He grinned at me.

"Uh...hi," I mumbled, still wondering what the hell my boyfriend had done to his appearance.

"What? You gonna stand there and not kiss me?" He asked with a cocked eyebrow.

For a second I almost did kiss him, but something just really didn't feel right. And then I was suddenly dead sure my mind was tripping.

"Yo, Ben! Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend!"