When the Bad Boy Isn't Bad

Prologue: Truth or Dare

"Truth or dare?" CJ asked, looking pointedly at me. Ha, truth or dare, more like tell me your deepest, darkest secret or perform a strange sexual act. Ok, yeah, that was on Tumblr, but that doesn't mean it's not true. I felt like smacking her. No way was I choosing truth. But a dare... this was high school, it could be anything. I bit my lip in thought.

"Just choose already!" CJ as good as yelled. I gave up. There were only ten or so people here, my closest friends. It couldn't be that bad, right? What was there to lose?

"Dare," I decided, and looked at her challengingly, wondering what she could possibly make me do. CJ pursed her lips in concentration as she thought.

After a moment, her face lit up and she grinned widely at me. "Okay, I've got one. Ready?"

Everyone else in the group leaned forwards in anticipation, setting aside their drinks and food to hear the dare.

CJ's eyes sparkled. "Okay. I dare you to find out why Blaze Schmidt is a bad boy, and then you have to turn him good."

Oh my god, why did I choose dare? And of all things, why did CJ choose that dare?

Gasps were heard around the circle. I caught snatches of whispers, too.

"I heard he killed a guy."

"He's been arrested twice."

"He does drugs."

"Doesn't he have a tattoo on his-"

"Enough!" I shouted. I might as well do it, couldn't be too hard, right? I turned to CJ. "You're serious?" I asked without much hope. She nodded. "Any rules?" I bit my lip again, setting my face to stone. If I was going to try, I had to know what I was up against.

"No." CJ said at last.

"So no time limits." Maybe I could do it in thirty years, when nobody remembered.

"No." She reconsidered. "Actually, you have to do it by the end of this year. By senior graduation, Blaze Schmidt, notorious bad boy, must be turned good." Or not.

I nodded. "That's it?"

She snorted. "It would be an understatement."

I smiled. "So who's next?"