Truth Or Dare

Ch-15

" I thought you were lazy?" I ask Stella as she moves, more like jumps,  forward on the trail.

" Not when it comes to hills, mountains or rock climbing. " She lets out a small excited laugh.

" Why?"

" Hmm, perhaps because I was born in a hilly area and have spent 17, almost 18, years of my life around hills. Technically, I should hate them because usually I get bored and am not interested in the things around me, for example, both my parents are software engineers but I .. am not particularly interested in that stuff. So, even I don't know why I get so excited around mountains. Ok, I should stop talking. " She laughs a little at the end.

It happens in a fraction of a second. Her foot slips and she almost falls.

" Watch out! " I warn.

I grab her wrist and pull her towards me before she drops to the ground. My other arm is secured around her waist. Her body is pressed flush against mine and suddenly I'm aware of all the places she is touching me.

And the most surprising part, she looked at me. She looks at me but she never makes eye contact with me, or anyone else. She usually looks at my forehead or eyebrows or lips even but never in my eyes.

Her woody brown eyes look straight into mine. From this close, I can see small golden flecks in her iris.

And maybe I get a gist of why she never makes eye contact. It is a very intimate thing for her. What her face doesn't say, her eyes do.

" Uh... " She pushes back, " Thank you. I think I hurt my leg, it's gonna be ok I guess."

I frown, " let me see it. " We walk to a nearby stone and she sits. She did not have much trouble walking, the foot must not have been sprained then. I kneel to check it. There is no swell or redness, but it hurts her when I press her ankle. Nothing serious, she is gonna be fine.

" Your leg is fine, the pain will go away. "

" How do you know?"

I shrug, " Leg injuries are common in basketball."

" Hmm. Hey let me take you to my secret place, well it's not so secret, but I love it. I go there every time I come here. " She gets up and holds my wrist pulling me in the direction of the place. " It's somewhere here... "

" Wow," I say as I look at nature's beauty. It is a serene waterfall surrounded by trees.

I get why she likes this place. It's secluded and calm and perfect for some alone time. And it's spacious, not open, but big enough.

" I know right? Come let's sit there. " She points towards the stream below the waterfall. She runs towards it and sits down, her feet submerged in the water.

I fold up my jeans and sit beside her.

We sit there for a moment or two basking in the scene of the forest.

" I always wanted to have my first date here. " She starts after a while.

" Why? "

" I don't know. This is like my dream date. " She shrugs. " Ok enough about me. Don't you have a match tomorrow?"

" I do, "I say.

Her eyes widen, " shouldn't you have practice today then? "

" We don't. We don't have practice the day before the match ."

"Oh I see." she says after a pause, " I would need your jersey. Do you have an extra one? "

"Yep. Take it tomorrow morning. The match starts at six in the evening. "

" Hm ok."

I turn to look at her. Her eyes are closed and she seems so peaceful right now. She is always calm, but peaceful? I don't think so.

" Can I ask you something? " She says after a while.

" Yeah."

" Why did you bring me here? " She turns to look at me.

" I don't know. I saw the way you lit up when I said we could go, I wanted you to always look like that. Bright and happy. " I say at the spur of the moment, but I meant it. I don't know how or why but I meant it. It was true.

She laughs,  "You keep that act up and I might fall for you any moment now. And we can't have that."

" Why?"

She looks at me like it's so obvious, but it's not for me. So what if we fall for each other?

" Y'know like what if one of us harbours feelings for the other but it is all an act for the other, y'know it might mislead the person. It's gonna make things complicated. "

She talks like a book. Cute.

"But what if we both like each other?  "

" Why? Do you like me? " She smirks.

" I love you to the moon- " her laugh cuts me off.

" You're so cheesy. C'mon, let's go back. "

" Lead the way, m'lady."  I stand up and extend my hand towards her.

" Can we get dumplings on our way back?" She takes it and gets up.

And there it is again, the tingling.

" Sure." She takes her hand away, and I miss it. I want to hold her hand again.

I want to do a lot of things with her, a lot of things for her, to her.

Maybe I know what this is.

Just maybe.
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" Thanks for today. I had a lot of fun," she says beaming up at me as we stand in front of her door.

" Anything to make you happy- ouch " she hits my arms, " and you say you're non-violent. "I mutter under my breath.

" I don't like that much cheese" She rolls her eyes with a smile etched on her face.

She does like it. It's obvious. 

And I like this a bit too much.

I like getting these reactions out of her. I like seeing her laugh her ass off. I like seeing her giving me those small smiles. I like teasing her. I like saying all the cheesy stuff to her.

I've known her for a long time, but I swear spending time with this short sweet sexy smart girl is doing things to me.

But as she said; feelings are off-limits.

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