I cradle her face in my hands and plant a chaste kiss on her swollen lips, then dip my head and rest against her forehead with a sigh.
“I’ve never wanted anything more in my life,” I whisper with fervor.
“Okay,” she whispers back. We break apart and lose ourselves in each other’s gaze. “We’d better seal it with a kiss.”
A rush of excitement floods my entire body as I give her a broad smile and lean in one last time.
THE END
Epilogue
Holly
The basement door clicks, and wolf whistles and cheers erupt into the air as Mark and Debbie approach the rest of us hand in hand.
“Nice dare, Michelle. Look what you’ve done to these two lovebirds,” Ryder says with approval. Cameron nudges Mark in the ribs and pats him on the shoulder. Michelle beams like a proud parent on graduation day.
“Did you enjoy that?” she asks. Debbie’s face reddens and she remains unusually quiet as Mark pumps his fist in the air.
“Best – dare – ever!”
A twinge of jealousy nips at me as I clap and look on. If only Cameron and I were locked in a room together all night. There would be fireworks, for sure.
I’ve fancied Cameron since the first moment I met him at drama club. He’s always the sweetest guy in the room. And even though he’s my best friend in the whole world, I wish we were more. If only he could just look at me like I’m a blonde-haired woman and not ‘one of the guys.’
So what if I’m a tomboy? I like to kick a ball around, make funny faces at passing cars, and I have a loud laugh, but I can be a girl too. Being friend-zoned stinks.
But hey, maybe Michelle has a grand plan. She seemed to see something between Mark and Debbie that no one else saw. Maybe she has something up her sleeve for me and Cameron? Here’s hoping.
Michelle insisted that we wait until the next party to do another dare. It’s probably just given away the fact I’m super keen, but I volunteered to host the next one. If only I could host it tomorrow.
But no. We all have work and lives to live.
A fateful dare for me must wait, no matter how hard that is.
“Well, everyone, thanks for a truly memorable birthday party. Have a great month and I’ll see you all again at Holly’s house next month,” Michelle announces as everyone cheers. Cameron pulls me in for a casual side hug before he moves on to Jonah. A plume of his cologne washes over me and I close my eyes for a moment, bathing in the scent. Oh, if only he would scoop me up in his arms and let me inhale his cologne all day long.
“See you later. Take care. Bye,” I say as everyone takes turns to pull me in for a hug and we say our goodbyes. My mind is already racing. Just what will Michelle dare us to do next? I can hardly wait to find out.
Dare Number One: Kiss Me Like You Mean It
Holly and Cameron’s story.
Holly
I, Holly Chapman, solemnly swear to devote the rest of my twenties to embracing my authentic self.
No more people-pleasing.
No more hiding from adult responsibilities.
I will schedule my own doctors’ appointments––not get my mom to do it for me.
I will never slack on the laundry again.
And most of all, I am going to get out of the friendzone with Cameron James.
I've been into Cameron since the first day of high school.
There he was, sitting across from me in drama class. His ruffled chocolate brown hair was sticking up in all directions, and he was wearing a pair of shredded jeans and a faded denim jacket. He looked so cool––for a drama kid, anyway. Our eyes locked for the first time, his eyes twinkled, and he smiled at me. That’s all it took. I’ve been besotted ever since.
The problem is, acting like one of the guys is how I flirt.
I punched him, ruffled his hair, laughed too loudly at his jokes, and before I knew it, I was in the friendzone.
Being Cameron’s best friend has been great, don’t get me wrong.
We spent most of our teen years playing computer games and eating pizza until the early hours.
We tell each other everything. From the embarrassing dreams about our teeth falling out, to the darkest fears of our future.
But now we’re supposed to be adults.
Fresh out of college, we’ve left home, got jobs, and now we need to have everything figured out. Cameron got a job at a drama club at the local community center. He teaches troubled teens and gives his heart and soul to those kids. Just thinking about it makes my heart squeeze so tight I could pass out.
I, on the other hand, have bigger ambitions. After landing an agent, I’ve been taking on whatever role I can get. Sure, it’s mostly TV commercials and voice-over work for phone apps. But my big break is coming, I can feel it.
Since Debbie and Mark followed through with their dare––to spend the night locked in Michelle’s basement––they’ve been joined at the hip.
It’s gross, actually. These days those two are either bickering over ridiculous things, like what brand of bacon is the saltiest, or making out. There is no in-between.
I can’t blame them. They’re just making up for lost time. I like to imagine Cameron and I––when we finally break down the friendship barriers and confess our undying love for each other––will be just as annoying to the rest of the group.
The doorbell rings and pulls me out of my head to notice that I’ve been folding and unfolding the same napkin for the last half hour.
Michelle has this plan for four parties and four dares. She says it’s a psychological experiment for her masters. Who am I to argue with that? I’ll do anything to support a friend. Especially if it means Cameron and I might get locked in a basement. I pray it’s a good, juicy dare.
I pull open the door and Michelle beams
