Learning to Live-Chapter 6
By: Stephanie
Stephanie looked at him warily. “What?” she asked. “Though I probably don’t even want to know,” she muttered to herself.
“How ‘bout a game of Truth or Dare?” he asked, rubbing his hands together.
Stephanie arched an eyebrow. He really wasn’t acting his age. But, what the hey, none of the guys she knew acted their age. She really should have been used to it by now. She sighed. “All right. It’s not like I have anything better to do at the moment. As long as it's only truths or dares. No repeats, promises, or double dares,” she warned. She didn’t have very good memories of the last game of Truth or Dare she’d played, one that had included double dares, promises, repeats, and consequences.
“Truth or dare, Stephanie?” Brian asked. For him, there was nothing like a good game of Truth or Dare.
“Truth, I guess. I’m not sure I trust you for a dare yet.”
Brian thought for a second. “Okay. I’m gonna assume you’re not a lesbian. So, if you were a guy, which famous female would you drool after?”
“You’re way too weird, Bri,” she giggled. “I guess, if I were a guy, I’d wanna date…I don’t know. Jennifer Love Hewitt. Drew Barrymore. I don’t really know. But I can already tell this is going to be the weirdest game of Truth or Dare I’ve ever played,” she told herself. Brian smiled innocently. “Truth or dare, Rok?” she asked.
“I’m gonna be a man and go with a dare,” he proclaimed. He puffed up his chest and, even though he was sitting, struck a muscle man pose.
Stephanie was giggling as she told him, “Without waking him, put 10 braids in Nick’s hair.” She continued to giggle as Brian crawled across the room to Nick and began to braid. Nick once brought his hand up and slapped Brian’s hand.
“Go away,” he muttered in his sleep. Stephanie covered her mouth so that her laughter at Nick’s words and new hairdo wouldn’t wake up everyone. When Brian had finished, he crawled back and gave Stephanie a high-five.
“Your turn, girl. Want a truth or a dare?” he asked her.
“Truth,” she told him.
“Chicken,” he taunted. She stuck her tongue out at him. Brian thought. His face lit up as he asked, “Have you ever skinny-dipped?”
“Nope. Sorry. Your turn. Truth or dare?” she asked with a smile.
“Guess I’ll go with your favorite. The almighty safe truth,” he teased.
“I’m getting mighty tired of sticking my tongue out at you, boy. I want to know…. Hmmm. How ‘bout I ask you what you first asked me. If you were
a girl, which male celebrity would you date?”
“ME!!!!!!!!!!” he pronounced. “Now are you gonna take a dare?”
“All right” she gave in.
“Yes!” he exclaimed as he rubbed his hands in anticipation. “I want you to take off one of your sneakers and place it right in front of Nick’s nose.”
Stephanie was trying hard not to laugh as she made her way over to Nick. It was bad enough for him to have a totally humiliating hairdo, but now he had to smell her foul-smelling shoe too! She was glad she wasn’t Nick right now. She quickly put the shoe, turned sideways, next to his head and walked back around AJ and Howie to get back to her beanbag. “Mission accomplished,” she announced as she sat down. “Your turn,” she proclaimed cheerfully. “Dare,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye.
“Show me the famous duck-face,” Stephanie told him with a sparkle in her own brown eyes. Brian made a face before complying. “Awwwww,” she teased him.
“Take your pick, girl. Truth or dare?” he asked with an emphasis on dare.
“Truth.”
“Awwww, man! You’re no fun!” he said, acting hurt, upset, and disappointed.
“That’s the idea,” she teased. “Now ask away, singer-boy.”
“I’ve already figured out I’m your fav BSB from your story,” he started out. Stephanie began to blush. “But I want to know why,” he continued.
“Well,” she stammered, “God, this is gonna sound stupid. But here goes nothin’. Okay, first of all, I think you have the best singing voice. Not
just out of the group, but out of every male singer I’ve ever listened to. Second, you seem, from what I’ve read, to be a true gentleman. Not like the idiots I know. And third, well, I think you’re cute,” she said in a whisper. God, her cheeks felt like fire ‘cause she was blushing so bad!
“Thanks,” Brian said, touched. Unlike many of the fans he’d asked the question of, Stephanie had listed “cute” as last rather than first. “And I think I’m gonna take a truth,” he told her.
“Great!” she exclaimed, recovering from her embarrassment. “Now, I want to know, out of all the girls you’ve ever kissed, who was the best kisser? Not the who you had your first or best kiss with, but who was the best to kiss?” Stephanie had a mischievous look on her face as she watched Brian and waited for an answer.
“Of course, you’d go and ask one question I don’t have a ready made answer to!” he exclaimed. “And if you ever tell anyone what I’m about to tell you, I’ll personally track you down to throttle you,” he warned.
“Scout’s honor,” she promised, holding up the correct fingers.
“Well, this may surprise you, but it wasn’t Leighanne. I may have dated her for two and a half years, but she was not the world’s best kisser! This girl’s name was Tracy. She moved to Lexington not long before I left to audition for BSB. Tracy wasn’t super skinny, but she had this long black hair and these full, pouty lips. I only dated her for 3 weeks, though. She wasn’t exactly my type,” Brian finished wryly.
“What’d she do?” Stephanie asked curiously.
“I found her behind the gym kissing another guy. I didn’t tell her I saw them though. I just ended the relationship,” he said. “You want a truth or
a dare?”
“I’ll take another truth, if you’d be so kind, sir,” Stephanie said, laying her Southern accent on thick.
“Another truth, huh? How ‘bout you answer the question you just asked me? Who was your best kisser?” “I, uh, kinda don’t… have one” she mumbled.
“What? Why not?” Brian asked. This was a confusing turn of events. How could a pretty girl like Stephanie not have at least been kissed at least
once properly? “I, um, well, the last time I was kissed, I was 6 years old,” she admitted. Brian looked totally astonished. “And the guy before that was when I was three and lived in Italy. I don’t even remember his name.”
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