LightningSmolder

The Battle (Part 4)

I descended the stairs, sliding my hand along the smooth banister. My other one tapped nervously against my thigh. Aiden would be down there, no doubt. But I still wasn't ready to talk.

Once Mini's short hair came into view, I walked towards her and sat down to her left. She shot me a shy smile, and I grinned at her.

I'm okay, I said through our mind link. 

You sure? You might not want to play - Brynne said she's feeling particularly evil today....

If I took on the Sleeper, I'm pretty sure I can face my older sister's dares, Mini.

You're gonna regret saying that, Shah, Brynne butted in. Mini sighed out loud.

For what it's worth Aru, good luck, she said.

Ditto.

For the first time, I noticed Aiden and Rudy looking between us. The slight crease between Aiden's warm eyes made me want to reach out and-

I mentally smacked myself.

"If ya'll are done, can we start playing?" Rudy asked, throwing his hands up in the air exasperatedly. I whipped my head towards him.

"Ya'll? Since when do you say ya'll?" I demanded.

"Anyway," Mini interrupted. "Let's start! Oldest goes first. Hmm." She glanced at all of us. Then, she shot a sickly sweet smile at Brynne.

"Brynne. Truth or dare?" 

My older sister looked like she was waging a battle with herself.

"Dare," she said finally, though it was hesitant. Mini held her hand out.

"Hand me your phone."

"What? No! Mini, don't you even-"

"It's a dare!"

Brynne huffed and handed her phone over her face turning beet red as she buried it in her hands. At my confused face, Mini said,

"I'm gonna show you a conversation between Brynne and Hir-"

Brynne lunged for her phone, and Mini tossed it to me, laughing. I cackled and pressed on her messages between her and Hira.

"She said, 'Do you want to get coffee sometime'," I read aloud.

"Oooh, a date!" Mini said at the same as Aiden, who said, "Something you wanna tell us, Bee?"

"It's just coffee!" She protested, looking furious and flustered all at once.

"Just coffee?" I inquired. Brynne groaned and crossed her arms.

"Well, it's my turn now," she stated. She turned to Rudy. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare!"

"I dare you to pop some microwave popcorn in the microwave."

A look of horror crossed onto Rudy face.

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh yes, I would." Brynne, looking pretty smug, dragged Rudy into the kitchen and handed him some microwave popcorn.

Needless to say, it was hilarious.

After ten minutes of pure terror and girlish screams (that was all Rudy) we were all seated again with a bowl of hot, buttered popcorn in the middle of our little circle. Rudy, seeming a little traumatized, looked at me.

"Truth or dare, Aru?"

Based on the dares so far, I decided to go with a safer option.

"Uh, truth?"

"What's going on between you and Aiden?"

What. In the entire fucking world. Did he just say.

Aiden shot him a dirty look and turned away, his face beet red. He focused his gaze on his hands, fiddling with the hem of his black tee-shirt. Mini looked at Rudy, a warning in her eyes. Brynne's mouth parted slightly as she took in the question.

And me?

I got up - snatching a handful of popcorn as I did so - and fled.