Hiding From Us

25. robin

Parker did let us in, but only after he asked Leigh. His girlfriend. She said that it was totally fine, and so Parker made more popcorn and we gathered in a circle in his living room. 

     There were ten of us. Six of us were not single. Four of us were. 

     I sat with Parker on my left and Kim on my right. Leigh was on Parker’s left. She was pretty in a very innocent way, all soft blond hair and blue eyes. She was taller than Kim but shorter than Parker, and that meant that the two of them looked like a normal couple. 

     ‘’Um,’’ said Henry. He was sitting very close to Kim, and his face made it look like he found it a bit awkward, but also a bit nice. ‘‘What are we playing?’’

     ‘‘Truth or Dare,’’ said Shain, still full of energy. ‘’I have a good one. Adrian, truth or dare?’’

     Adrian, sitting next to Grace, parted his lips. He said, ‘‘Truth.’’

     ‘‘Are you and Grace irrevocably in love now?’’

     At this, Grace blushed, predictably. Adrian gave a nervous smile and said, ‘’I think we are. I know I am. Grace?’’

     When he said her name, it was like he was answering a question about his most favorite things in the world. 

     ‘’I am consciously and unconsciously in love with you,’’ she said. It was for Adrian’s ears, but we all listened. ‘‘It’s like breathing—it’s a natural reflex, and you do it when you’re awake and when you’re asleep.’’

     Adrian looked down at her. I recognized the expression in his sapphire eyes—it was the same expression Erick got when Shain played a song on her guitar or when she laughed with him or when he leaned down to kiss her. 

     Shain said quietly, ‘‘God, that’s cheesy. But it’s very cute. Good simile, Grace.’’

     Erick whispered, ‘‘Shhh,’’ in her ear as they kissed. 

     After, Adrian looked at Parker. ‘‘Truth or Dare?’’

     ‘‘Dare.’’ He said it with a slow grin. 

     ‘‘Tell us how you and Leigh got together.’’

     Oh, no. No. Not this. I don’t want to hear this I really can’t hear this please just shut up and talk about something else—

     ‘’It was a crisp autumn day,’’ Parker said loudly, ‘‘and I simply minding my own business—’’

     ‘’—or planning a prank—’’ Kim muttered.

     ‘’—when I stopped dead in my tracks. On the other side of the road was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.’’ He looked at Leigh, and Leigh smiled back at him. 

     I couldn’t listen to this. I didn’t know why. For some reason, it really bugged me to listen to Parker rave on about another girl. It wasn’t even that painful to hear it, but there was this itch inside my stomach and I couldn’t scratch it. 

     Inconspicuously, I took my earbuds out of my pocket and plugged them in. I started playing Masterpiece by Jessie J, and I turned it up loud enough to distract me from Parker. Minutes went by; they felt like forever. I clenched and unclenched my fists over and over again. Closed. Open. Closed. Open. 

     Finally Parker looked at me—no, beside me. He was looking at Kim. He said, ‘‘Truth. Or. Dare.’’

     ‘‘Dare,’’ said Kim.

     I expected him to give her something really stupid or embarrassing. Instead, he just asked her if she had any food at her place, and then he dared her to bring us back some chips. She did. 

     Kim pursed his lips together, looking for her next victim. ‘‘Liam,’’ she said, ‘‘truth or dare?’’

     ‘‘Dare,’’ he said. Of course. By this time, there hadn’t been any dangerous dares going on. He thought he was safe. 

     But this was Kim. She said, ‘’I dare you to pick one girl in this room and kiss her. On the mouth.’’ 

     Grace said, ‘‘That’s evil.’’

     Kim replied, ‘‘That’s life.’’

     Liam swallowed. Everyone wanted to know what he was thinking. His eyes flicked nervously to each girl in the group—Grace, Kim, me, Leigh. I noticed that he didn’t look at Shain until he had too. After a moment, she looked back at him. Her expression said, What? 

     He didn’t answer. He just moved forward and kissed her.