I Dare You

Chapter 10- Gummies in the Rain

I heard thunder rumbling in the silence of the detention room on Thursday. It had been gray skies all day and the rain had finally arrived.

We were out of detention soon and I checked my phone to see if Carson had messaged me saying he was on his way to get me yet.

He hasn't.

We were released and I stepped outside to see if Carson's car was outside.

It wasn't.

I called him multiple times and they all went to voicemail. I tried to call and see if Leah could come get me from the school but I remembered she was going to be busy with her mom today.

Maylan doesn't drive yet, just like me. Cars scare me but I promised my dad and my brother that I would learn before I'm out of high school. They were getting tired of driving me around literally everywhere.

The rain was pouring down and I was lucky to have the roof cover me from getting wet. I actually wouldn't have minded getting wet since I loved the rain, but I was wearing denim today.

A black coupe pulled up next to me and the window rolled down to reveal Tristan.

"You waiting for your ride?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm waiting for Carson, he isn't answering."

He thought for a moment before leaning over to shove the door open, "get in." he told me.

I hesitated then spoke slowly, "You mean, you're willingly going to spend time with me outside of detention."

"I can leave you here if that's what you want." He said and motioned to the rain pouring down around us.

What the hell, I thought and climbed in his car. It smelled like his cologne in here. I liked that smell.

We were driving for a little while when his car beeped. He looked down at his dashboard, "Shit, I'm almost out of gas."

"Stop by this gas station here." I pointed up ahead to the one coming into clear view.

He turned in and pulled up by a pump. He closed the door behind him and I was suddenly in the mood for something sweet. I took out some cash from my bag and stepped out of the car myself.

"I'll be right back." I told Tristan and pulled my jacket over my head to block the rain.

When I was inside I went straight to the candy section. I got some chocolates when something else caught my eye. I smiled and looked out the window at Tristan who was leaning against his car, waiting for the gas to fill up.

It was the gummies we used to get all the time in fifth grade. They were both our favorites. I grabbed two bags and payed for them at the register.

I came back out with my mini grocery bag in hand as Tristan was screwing the gas lid back on. I came to his side of the car and looked at him, trying not to smile.

He stared back at me, suspicion creeping into his expression. "what?" he asked, like he was afraid to ask.

"Look what I found." And I pulled out the gummies from my grocery bag and presented them dramatically to him, not able to contain my excitement anymore.

His face transformed from grumpy to surprise. He let out a single breathe of laughter, "I forgot about those." He said in a reminiscent tone.

I held them out for him, but he didn't take them right away. He just looked at them.

"Fine then, more for me." I began to pull them away. I heard him tut his tongue and he snatched them from my hand and opened the bag.

I laughed in surprise and then grabbed them back right away, "I don't think so, don't you remember the rules? I always get first bite." Don't ask me why, I just always insisted on being the first.

"Yeah well that was before." He said and reached for them again.

I pulled it farther from him at the last second before he could rip them from my hands. We both froze and his eyes lit up with amusement as his arm shot out for them a second time.

I let out another laugh as I stepped back further. He took another step forward, and then another, so took another step back, and then another.

I ran out of room, so I started circling the car until he picked up his pace and I had to turn around to run.

I started laughing and I looked back to him smiling and I swear I felt the sunshine in the rain like all those songs said.

I didn't care about the denim I was wearing anymore, and I ran out into the rain, daring him to follow me out. I looked back to see if he did follow me and it turned out he didn't even hesitate. In that moment of surprise, he caught up to me.

His hands wrapped around my hips and he flipped me around as I shrieked. When my feet were back on the ground his hands were still in place as I steadied myself, the candy bag crunching in my grip. We were both laughing and then it hit me how close we were and where he had his hands.

We gradually went silent as the rain soaked through our clothes and I thought about how good it felt to be close to him again. How good it felt to be able to sit next to him in a classroom and casually say hi to him. How good it felt to actually make him smile like I used to.

And then it made me sad that we ever lost that. My smile slowly died and the one question that had been nudging it's way into my mind ever since we started talking again was back.

"What happened to us Tristan?"

I saw his Adams apple bob in his throat and I watched as his deep blue eyes seem to flash with a million different thoughts.

"Things changed Ada." It was the first time he called Ada in years.

And before I could question a thing he pulled himself back from me and said, "let's get you home."

I chewed on my lower lip and followed him back to the car.

When we were buckled, I held the gummies out to him, deciding to share the first bite.

We snacked on our candy for the short ride, listening to the radio on a low volume so we could still hear the pitter patter of the rain on the windshield.

"Turn up here." I told him I recognized my street.

"I remember." He said quietly and somehow those two words unexpectedly woke the butterflies in my stomach.