Dare To Kiss (GxG)

Chapter 2

"It's meant to be an A#, not an A natural."

I turn to glare at Ruby as my fingers pause amidst my playing, and she rolls her eyes at me. "Just trying to help."

I can't keep the smile off my face as I pluck the strings on the harp to play an A# — correctly this time.

"See, not too hard, is it?" Ruby teases playfully, tapping her pencil against the desk.

"Oh hush, like you get every note right when you play the flute," I retort in the same manner. "And shouldn't you be focusing on your homework? Don't you have an English assignment due tomorrow?"

Ruby sighs dramatically, taking out her highlighters and colouring pens from her pencil case. "Yeah, our English homework is to read and analyse the next chapter of Pride and Prejudice, and I swear, Mr Darcy is driving me nuts."

"That sounds like a you problem." Giggling to myself, I once again place my fingers on the strings, just in time to see my music score snatched off the stand. The culprit? A smug-looking Ruby.

"Oh, don't you dare! Give that back right now, I need to practise," I call out to her, trying to look angry and annoyed. Though it doesn't seem to be very convincing because even I'm laughing along with Ruby.

Pushing myself off the stool, I chase Ruby around the cramped music practice room, taking care to avoid bumping into the piano, the harp, or the music stands quietly observing in the corner.

"Catch me if you can!" Ruby bursts out of the room, with my music score still grasped tightly in her hand.

When she suddenly bumps into Alison.

"God, you two act like such L4s! And you call yourselves U5s?" Alison exclaims as Ruby almost topples into her. "I'm heading upstairs to ask Ms Halley for the music sheet, and when I'm back, I better not see any more of these shenanigans." And with that, Alison climbs up the staircase to the first floor of the music department, leaving the two of us awkwardly standing in the corridor.

"This is your fault," I whisper-yell to Ruby fiercely. "I blame you and your stupid ideas entirely."

"Oh really now?" Ruby jeers with a mocking grin as she brandishes the music score in front of me, yet just out of reach.

With a newfound determination, I lunge and bridge the gap between us, my fingers closing around the edges of the sheet just as I crash into her.

And somehow, I land right on top of Ruby.

There's just something about her that keeps me mesmerised and rooted to the spot. The playful sparkle in her eyes. The glimmer in her hair as it falls over her face.

It would be so easy in this very moment, with her hand pinned under mine and our lips mere inches apart, to complete the dare that Elena gave me. Not because I had to, but because I want to.

And maybe I would've. Maybe in some other world I would've found the courage to. But not this one.

Because Alison has just returned.

"Well well well, look at this," Alison drawls, leaning against the wall as she crosses her arms. "I leave for thirty seconds, and you two manage to get on top of each other that quickly, huh?"

I immediately jump back, startled. I can already feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as they turn crimson. I open my mouth to deny whatever she's thinking, but that would be admitting something washappening.

"Don't stop on my account," she continues when we stay silent. She looks so entertained that she might as well have been eating popcorn while she watches the scene unfold right in front of her eyes.