You Know

Chapter One

 "Words, how little they mean, when you're a little too late."

- from Taylor Swift's Sad Beautiful Tragic

        The teachers always stressed how two students of opposite genders weren't allowed to be in a classroom alone, but it wasn't like they were going to do anything. Not like he would do anything.

         Mika looked down.

        The floor was in shades of gray, covered in footprints no one had bothered to smooth over while the concrete was still wet. Tyler was looking at her, waiting for her answer, but she couldn't look him in his eyes. Why was it so hard to just say yes? Why couldn't she just nod and let him take the stupid book?

        Because you love him, her mind said. Because the fact that he was talking—looking at her— to her made her insides freeze.

        "Come on, please?"

        Mika shook herself out of her daze. She looked up at him, not wanting him to notice her . "Yeah," she said, though she couldn't hear herself say it.

        Tyler said, "What?" and leaned closer to her face.

        Her breaths felt too loud for the proximity. "I said...y-yeah. The...Little Women. Go." She pushed the book further into his hands and took a step back. The air became less suffocating. He nodded happily and turned to put the book in his bag.

        "I'll give it back next week," he was saying, his back turned to her. "I won't fold the pages or get food on it and—"

        Mika turned her head when the door opened and Kasey Yap came in. She stared at the two of them like she'd just caught them doing something.

        "So," Kasey shifted her weight onto one foot and put a hand on her hip. "What's going on here?"

        Mika looked up at the wall where the clock hung. Lunch had just started 10 minutes ago. How could have Kasey eaten that fast?

        She had to be careful. Talking to Kasey was walking around in the dark.

        "Nothing," Mika said, her voice rising then falling, walking to her bag. "why?" Play it cool, Mika. Play it cool.

        "Nothing," Kasey mocked more than answered. "just a little game we're going to play upstairs."

        During all this, Tyler had been quiet, reading through Little Women. He looked up when Mika and Kasey were silent.

        "Oh hey," he said to Kasey. "a game?"

        "Truth." Kasey waited. "or dare."

        Oh .

        "So you guys have fun," Mika said with forced casualness, turning away from them. "I'll just eat—"

        "You won't be joining?" Kasey asked, the same time Tyler said, "Okay."

        "Yeah." Mika looked down again. Tyler knew why. Well, he knew why she didn't like joining games like that, not why she did not want Truth or Dare in particular.

        Kasey looked at Mika, then Tyler, and her smile widened. Mika felt slightly afraid for Tyler.

        "Are you hiding something?" Kasey asked, as if such a thing was out of this world. Mika felt her stomach roll and her dislike for her grew.

        "Aren't we all?" Mika tried to smile like she knew what she was doing, even though she was treading on thin ice. If Kasey suspected even a little bit, then, well, Kasey always looked for new juice. Out of the corner of her eye, Mika could see Tyler watching her with a curious expression.

        "If you aren't," Kasey said. "then I don't see why you can't join." She then gave them a sweet smile.

        Mika's stomach flipped. No. No. No.

        "Come on, Mika," Tyler finally said. "It'll be fun."

        Mika nodded. Stupid Tyler. "Yeah. Sure. I'll join." She went back to her lunch things. "After I eat."

        "Great." Kasey turned to the door, flipping her hair as she left.

        Tyler gave her a small smile. Such a beautiful smile.

        A Truth or Dare game. What could go wrong?