Dare Me

|06|

Allie enters the front seat of Lane's car and closes the door after her. "Morning."

"Hey Allie, get this..." Lane says, lifting the edges of his pants.

Allie raises her eyebrows in response. "Uh... wow, that's definitely... a nice change."

Lane's socks reach his knees. They are yellow, with pink and purple flowers decorations.

Lane covers them again with his pants and presses on the gas. "Stunning," he mutters, "My little brother thought it would be funny to steal all my socks and leave only my sister's!"

Allie tries to stifle a laugh. Honestly, she wishes she had a brother like Justin.

"I'm just waiting for him to look for his underwear today."

"Why, what did you do?"

"Let's just say he'll have a nice surprise from Grandma..."

Lane explains his new theory about the possibility that Justin is an alien, who was sent to Earth to make his life miserable. Allie encourages the subject, and mostly feels relieved that he doesn't mention last night's events to her.

"You are coming to the play after school today, right? At the city Auditorium..." Allie asks.

"Yes. I can take you and Maisy too."

Allie nods. "Great."

"So, what's your job this time?"

Allie shrugs. "As usual..." She is the one behind the scenes arranging the lighting, organizing the costumes, and the stage's design... Basically everything, except for acting. Sometimes she is not even sure why she is still in these theater classes. It's useless.

"I actually think it's great that you're behind the scenes. Imagine all the pressure of performing before an audience, memorizing lines, playing other characters... I don't know," he says, shrugging, "not so much for-"

"For me," Allie completes his sentence. "Yes, I know."

Lane moves uncomfortably in his seat. "I didn't mean it that way."

"It's true though. I'm good at working behind the scenes..." Allie says in a flat voice.

They spend the rest of the short drive in silence. As soon as Lane parks his car, Allie hurries out and tells him she will meet him later.

Lately she has this growing urge for some space. From her friends.

She walks into school, and automatically looking down while passing through the long, gray hallways.

She doesn't understand why Maisy and Lane's comments affect her all of a sudden. After all, they've been acting like this for a long time... ever since she stopped pushing back, ever since she'd given up -what did Maisy say?- her confidence.

Why a feeling of frustration burns within her now, wishing to prove everyone that she isn't who they think she is, or that she isn't what she herself thinks-

Allie's train of thoughts cuts off as she collides against another body. She stumbles back a little, and when she finds her balance, she notices that a few of the students in the hallway are staring at her.

She lifts her gaze at the at the person in front of her, and a tingle of panic spreads in her stomach.

"Oh well, look who is it if not Allie Gray..."