Love from Tinley

Love from Tinley: Chapter 5

Everyone sat down, and Delainee jumped right into the game of Truth or Dare without the slightest warning.

"Drew! Truth or dare?" she said, smiling devilishly.

Drew shifted in his seat. "Dare," he said immediately, without any further consultation.

Delainee didn't hesitate. "I dare you to kiss Tinley."

I froze. You've got to be kidding me, I thought. Of course this would happen. I could already feel myself blushing scarlet. Kendall tried to talk Delainee out of it, but she was persistent. 

"Come on, Drew! It's just a kiss! It's not like I asked you to marry her!" Delainee said. Everyone else at this point looked around at each other, waiting to see what would come of the dare.

"I know," Drew reasoned, and before I knew it he leaned over from beside me and kissed me. I was shocked at first but gave in, and kissed him back. Apparantly we lost track of time a bit because everyone started to hoot and holler and we both pulled back. He had a hint of a smile on his face, and I tried to hide my obvious shock and embarrassment. 

Drew turned to Kendall. "Truth or dare, Kendall?"

"Truth," he responds fearlessly.

Drew sat to think for a moment then grinned and looked straight at Kendall. "Is it true, then, that you think the new twins are hot?"

Nadia and I immediately looked at each other with confused looks, and then Kendall blurted out, "Well, duh," and everyone went dead silent.

Delainee whipped to face him. "WHAT?" she screamed.

Kendall's face went blank. "I mean, no! I mean, well- ugh!" he said quickly, stumbling over his words.

I began to feel extremely uncomfortable, and I could tell Nadia did too. Maybe we really did have twin telepathy.

Drew was doubled over laughing, until Delainee stomps right over to him and smacks him right in the face before he even realizes what he had coming.

"This IS NOT FUNNY, Drew!" she screamed, then whirled back angrily to face a stunned Kendall. Everyone was still silent; this time, including Drew. "As for YOU, Kendall. We're over, done, finished, no more. I cannot BELIEVE you!" she screeched before storming away. I immediately feel guilty, and a lump builds up in my throat. She's really, really, mad. I suddenly wonder if Delainee will hate me now and I pray that she doesn't.

Kendall tried to get up and chase after her but Logan held him back. "Just let her go. She needs to be alone right now, more than anything. It would only make her more angry if you followed after her."

Kendall gazed back at Delainee, who was almost out of sight. He sighed and announced that he was going home, and just like that, he was gone too.

After a few minutes, Tricky broke the tension. "Well, I absolutely didn't see that coming."

* * *

It takes a while, but finally everyone lets what just happened sink in, and we all return to our game of Truth or Dare. Charley volunteers herself to go first, and turns to Addy to start off with. "Addy, truth or dare?" 

Addy, who had apparantly gotten in an awful jogging accident, was on crutches, so she chose truth, since it would be a bit of a challenge for her to get up and participate in the dare. 

Charley folds her arms and leans forward. "Adelyn Madsen. Is it true that you and Sam are secretly in looove?" She waggles an eyebrow.

My immediate instinct is to be totally confused. Sam? If I was correct, he was the one that was throwing himself at me earlier. 

Meanwhile, Addy stammers and fidgets until Sam steps up next to her. "Since when was it any of YOUR business?" he asks Charley.

"Since she picked truth," she replied coolly. "Now whatever I asked her is my business to know."

Sam looks down at Addy, who is still dumbfounded and unsure of what to say. "Well since she's apparantly incapable of saying a full sentence, I'll answer that. Yes."

Everyone gasps, except for Logan and Raelyn, who I assume knew this already. I, for one, though, was extremely confused about earlier. 

"I knew it! I knew it!" Charley chants, bouncing up and down uncontrollably in her seat. She has a grin on her face similar to one of a kid in a candy store. "I thought I saw you two holding hands earlier!"

Curiousity gets the best of me, and I force myself to interject. "Wait, wait, wait. If you're secretly in love with Addy, then why in the world were you throwing yourself at me earlier?"

Sam has no trace of fear or guilt on his face. "Logan dared me for 20 quid," he explains.

I feel relieved. "So you're not always like that?"

Addy steps up and actually speaks for the first time since it was her turn. "What, disgustingly forward?" She looks at Sam and playfully grins. "Yes, yes he is."

"Heeeey!" Sam says with mock hurt, putting his hand over his heart. "We're a couple now! You can't talk about me like that!" Addy laughs then reaches out to hold his hand.

"Awww," James says in his best lovey-dovey voice. "True love. Now let's get back to the game, people."

"Fine, James," Addy says smoothly. "If you're so intent on playing, I pick you."

"Dare," James retorts, before Addy even gets the chance to ask him. 

Addy gets a smug smile on her face. "I dare you to go up to the smoothie stand and sing to whoever's working there 'Didn't You Know How Much I Love You' until they give you a free smoothie!"

James jumps up excitedly, and makes his way over to the smoothie stand, all of us in tow, waiting to see what happens.

The cashier just happens to be a grumpy looking old man, which we all seem to find extremely amusing. James announces loudly that he won't leave until he is given a free smoothie, and doesn't hesitate on jumping right into the song, singing loudly in a deep voice. We all fall over with laughter for three entire minutes until the cashier finally gave him the smoothie, yelling, "Fine, just get out!" James paraded back to our group, his smoothie held high above his head in victory.

* * *

After a few more rounds of Truth or Dare, which include Logan stealing a little kid's soccer ball and Tara rolling up to a random guy and throwing leaves at him, Raelyn invites us to her house after an "ok" from her parents. We all get up and head to the Madsen's house for dinner. Nadia calls Mom, who immediately gives us approval, delighted that we found friends so quickly.

Tricky still seems desperate to continue our game of Truth or Dare. It is her turn, after all.

"Drew, truth or dare?" she asks, as all of us slowly migrate towards Rae and Addy's house.

"Dare," he says again confidently. I can't help but wonder if he wants to kiss me a second time. Or if he likes me like I'm starting to like him.

"I dare you, Drew Ryland, to carry Tinley in your arms all the way to the Madsen's house."

I can't help but feel disappointed. And really, really paranoid that I'll be too heavy for him to carry. Which would be beyond embarassing.

But he takes on the challenge immediately, and swiftly picks me up in his arms before I can say a word.

The guys start to whistle and holler again, and I can feel myself blushing. Thankfully, though, he doesn't seem to be struggling to carry me. 

"Get you some, Drew!" Sam calls out from beside us, holding Addy's hand. Everyone laughs.

We all seem to forget about the game and drift back into our own conversations again. Drew does a hair flip, and I look up at him.

"Hey there," he says casually with a laugh.

"Hey yourself," I reply, and we, too, drift into conversation.

Before I know it we're at the Madsen's house. Drew gently sets me down on the sidewalk as we make our way up to the house. Mrs. Madsen opens the door. "Good Lord in heaven, Raelyn!" she drawls in her southern accent. "You didn't tell me the whole neighborhood was coming!"