"Well, who's gonna start?" Zac asked, glancing around. No one volunteered.
"Fine then. Isaac, truth or dare?" Zac said, grinning at Ike. Isaac hesitated for a second, wondering what his twisted brother was going to make him do if he picked dare, or what he was gonna ask if he picked truth.
"before i answer, can we play it the way we usually play it?"
"And how would that be?" Bess asked, too busy admiring her nails to look up.
"If i pick truth, and Zac gives me a question i don't wanna answer, I can pass. But then, i HAVE to do the dare he gives me, no matter what it is"
"Yeah, we'll play that way," Zac said, knowing that even if he said no, Isaac was gonna whine and complain until they all buckled.
"Ok good. In that case: Truth," Isaac said, sitting back satisfied. Zac chewed on his finger for a while and stared off into space, trying to think of the worst truth possible. Torturing Isaac is fun.
"Ok Isaac. Picture this. Your home alone with Mara. It's late and it's pouring outside. The power has been knocked out, so the only light is from the 3 candles you have lit on the nightstand. Your sitting on your bed. What happens next?" Zac said, finishing with a very triumphant evil grin. Christina bit her lip to keep from laughing when she saw Isaac's expression. His mouth was open and his face was slowly turning red. Poor Isaac hadn't really expected Zac to give him THAT sort of question. Mara looked at Isaac expectantly. This was actually a question she really wanted to know the answer to. She could have hugged Zac for asking it.
"Uh--well, um, uh...PASS," Ike stuttered.
"Lemme warn you Isaac, you pass this question and my dare is going to include you being naked..." Zac said laughing. Isaac sighed.
"Fine I'll answer it"
He sat quietly.
"Well? We're waiting," Mara said impatiently.
"We would, um, write a song together. And then I'd play it for her on the guitar. Yeah, yeah thats it. The end," Ike said smiling with relief.
"Oh no no no no no. If you think you're gonna get off that easily your WRONG," Zac said. Isaac looked at him innocently.
"You know very well that if you and Mara were in that situation, you'd be rolling around naked before the candles even had time to have wax dripping down the sides," Zac said. Everyone's eyes were glued to Ike to see his reaction.
"ZAC!!" Isaac scolded. Zac giggled uncontrolably. Isaac quickly changed the subject.
"Mara, truth or dare?"
"Dare," Mara said, "I like to live dangerously"
Isaac thought for a few minutes. He couldn't think of anything that wasn't perverted.
"Umm, I dare you to eat dirt"
"Oh Isaac. Thats SO second grade," Mara said rolling her eyes. It wasn't exactly the dare she wanted him to ask her.
"Well itz a dare I happen to find exciting," Isaac said crossing his arms in front of him. Mara rolled her eyes and rubbed her hand along the floor, then licked some of the dirt off.
"Happy?" She asked. Isaac nodded.
"Taylor, truth or dare?"
"Dare"
Mara studied Taylor's grin. She knew there was something he wanted her to dare him to do, she could tell that from his expression. But she had no idea what, so she just decided to use the dare that she wanted to use.
"I dare you to stay in only ur boxers for the rest of the time we're up here," She said. Taylor shrugged and peeled off his shirt, and pulled off his pants. He sat down next to Christina. He glanced over at Bess. She was smiling at him. He glared at her and looked away. Taylor tried to decide who to make his victim. He could always dare Christina to hook up with him, but that would be too easy. Then Taylor got an idea. Making a fool of Zac in front of Stina could be fun...Nah, he wouldn't be that mean. He looked over at the ditz that was staring at him. He decided to pity her
"Bess, truth or dare?"
"truth!" she said perkily.
"Do you find isaac at all attractive?" Taylor asked.
"Ewww" Bess said crinkling her nose.
"I think thats a no," Tay said.
"Zac, truth or dare?"
"Truth"
"Ok, umm--" Bess said, but Isaac interupted her.
"Bess, do u mind if I take this question over?" He asked her. Bess shrugged and went back to studying her nails. Isaac grinned at Zac. Zac gulped. It was payback time.
"Ok my dear brother, you picked truth right? Hmmm, how big is your--"Isaac said smiling, but Zac cut him off.
"No, not answering that"
"Why? Are you too embarrassed?"
"Hell no! I bet I'm 10 times bigger than you Ike," Zac said stubbornly. Isaac snorted.
"Fine then. Your dare," Ike said. He knew later he would feel guilty for being so cruel to an 11 almost 12 year old. But it would be MUCH later. MUCH MUCH later.
"Be nice Ike," Mara quietly warned.
"I dare you to hook up with Christina," He said. Christina stared at Ike with a look of horror. Itz not like she hadn't already hooked up with her share of guys, but this was ZAC. her bestest friend since they were toddling around in diapers. Plus lately, the way she had been feeling about him, she wasn't sure how she felt.
"Isaac! No!" Zac said.
"Ah ah ah. You passed the truth, your stuck with the dare. Now shove that tongue in her mouth," isaac said, practically bursting with glee.
"But...but...I don't know what I'm doing! I'm not doing this!" Zac exclaimed. Taylor sat taking in all of this. He realized now was a very good oppurtunity for him.
"Zac, itz not that hard," Tay said.
"Yeah, well I don't want my first kiss to be a forced kiss," he said stubbornly.
Tay rolled his eyes.
"Watch," Taylor said. He turned towards Christina and before anyone knew it, Tay had pressed his lips up against her and slid his tongue into her mouth. Stina was too shocked to really do anything, so she just kissed back. The kiss only lasted about 15 seconds. When he pulled away, the whole tree house was gawking at them. Taylor silently licked his lips and grinned. Bess let out a disgusted grunt. Zac felt like strangling Tay. When Taylor did that, Zac had felt a stab of jealousy. He was starting to realize he wanted Christina as more than a friend...
Jessica's head popped in the door.
"Mom says she fixed you guys milk and cookies and to come inside to eat it," She said.
"Ok Jess, we'll be right in," Ike quickly said. Jessie looked over at Tay.
"Where are your clothes?" She asked.
"Ummm, i'm wearing my clothes..what are you talking about?" Taylor said. Jessica just rolled her eyes.
"You guys are weird"
Christina felt fairly awkward sitting in the living room alone with Taylor and Zac watching TV after what had happened earliar. Duh, she had enjoyed the kiss, but she would have enjoyed it more if it had been Zac. But, just the fact that she enjoyed hooking up with Tay confused her. Could it be possible she liked Tay too? Nah, it was bad enough that She was falling for Zac. She couldn't like Tay. Taylor and Zac were glaring at each other from opposite sides of the room. Stina had a feeling that soon World war 3 was break out between Zac and Tay. She didnt wanna be there for that.
"Umm, I think I better be going," Christina said slowly standing up.
"Oh, wait," a voice called from the kitchen. Mrs. Hanson appeared wiping her hands off with a dishrag.
"Your staying. I called your mother earliar and your whole family is coming over for dinner. I'm trying to have as many people over for dinner as I can before I have this baby and don't have time anymore," Diana said, patting her stomach. Of all the days for me to have to stay for dinner...Christina thought.
"Oh, well, um, ok then" Christina said, forcing a smile and sitting back down. Mrs Hanson smiled back and walked back into the kitchen.
"I'm bored. Come on Stina, let's go into my room" Zac said standing up. He just wanted to get away from Taylor before he pounced on him and killed him. Christina reluctantly stood up and followed. Taylor, left alone with the TV, sighed. He had absolutly nothing to do. He couldn't go outside because then he'd be swarmed with screaming fans. He couldn't watch MTV cuz he'd end up just watching a show about himself. He didn't have any friends left to call. And he couldn't even go in his own room because it was occupied by the girl he loved and his younger brother who was plotting to murder him.
In Zac's room, Christina and Zac lay on his trundel bed staring at the ceiling.
"So" Zac said. If he was brave enough to, he would just roll over and plant one on her to make up for him acting like such a loser earlier. But he didn't have the nerve.
"My birthdays in 3 days ya know," Stina said absently-mindedly.
"Duh. Yeah I know. I bought your gift a couple weeks ago when we were in New York for the show at the Beacon. So if your birthday is in 3 days, mine is in 46. forty three days older than me right?" Zac replied.
"Yup yup. And thanx so very much for thinking of me in NY"
"Your very welcome"
Their had never been a time when making conversation was so hard for them. Christina silently vowed never to play truth or dare with Zac, Taylor, or any other Hanson ever again. Taylor opened the bedroom door and sat down on his bed. Zac sat up.
"Hel-lo? Mr Ignorance? Can't you see this room is already being used?" Zac said.
"Yeah, well too bad. It's as much my room as it is yours" Tay replied, flipping through a magazine. Zac ground his teeth.
"Yes, i know that TAYLOR. But it would be nice if me and my best friend could have some time ALONE. i think you've done quite enough with her today"
"Oh really? i think I'm just getting started" Taylor said glancing up from his magazine.
"Umm, I need to pee. Be right back," Christina said running out the door and to the bathroom. She didn't wanna be there if they were gonna fight. Zac stood up and closed the door. He turned around and looked Taylor right in the eye.
"Listen to me Taylor. I have been stuck with you every second of every minute of every single day for the past year. You are usually not that bad. You don't make corny jokes like Ike, you don't whine and cry like mackie, and you don't force me to play Barbies like Jessica and Avery. But, the day when you cross over the line is when you kiss the girl I obviously like"
"Oh come on Zac. You had your oppurtunity. It was YOUR dare after all. If you liked her that much you could have done exactly what I did" Taylor said rolling his eyes.
"But Taylor you don't understand! I have never had a girlfriend. And even though according to all the magazines and books and stuff, you haven't had one either, but we all know you have. There was Kim, and Alison, and Meg, and Julia, need i go on? and I'm sure u got to at LEAST 2nd with every single one of them. I, on the other hand, have never even THOUGHT about having a girlfriend. But little Zac is growing up, and girls are becoming more and more important to me. And you gotta pick the one most important girl in my life, to be the one you kiss right in front of me. IN FRONT of me Taylor. Me watching. More than me watching. Isaac, Mara, and bess watching too. i can't believe you would be so inconsiderate, that's so not like you. I just can't believe it," Zac said burying his face in his pillow. Taylor sighed. Zac had managed to take him on a major guilt trip.
"Look, Zac, I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking. Well, I was thinking, I just wasn't quite thinking with my brain" taylor said, looking at his crotch.
"That's ok Taylor. But wait a second, you like Stina?" Zac asked, suddenly realizing why this whole thing happened. Taylor looked away.
"Look at me Taylor"
Tay looked back, and his face was turning pinkish.
"Only a little Zac. But hey, I'll try my best to back off.." Taylor promised. He silently prayed that he COULD back off, even though he knew he couldn't.
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