Reckless Youths

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"You are mental."

It's been a week since the dreaded Dare Day. A week of filled inboxes and thousands of comments. A week with my absence from any social media with Tyler more than happy to take over. A week full of I Told You So's. A week full of regret.

That's why I have been forced to our local bar with the boys and Rae, a girl from university I've been friends with since second year. We're at the bar while the boys have gone off to beat people in pool, a hundred or so fellow students and drunks in the crowds between us. Every so often I try to get a look at their game but there are just too many bodies in the small establishment.

The place is dark, almost dingy, and definitely fit to cause fits from the way the strobe lights are flashing around the dance floor. It's popular, particularly on the weekends where it's piled up with out of towners.

Rae, with her judging blue eyes and scary red hair, knows every detail of the events of the last week, shaking her head at every detail she chokes out of me.

"I'm not mental," I tell her, sipping on my water. "The boys are. It's their fault. Blame them."

"You are a part of them." Rae has a voice that tells you she's right and funnily enough, it tells you not to argue. She's straight to the point and a bit righteous, but it makes for easier conversations and less bullshit.

"Whatever."

She's been reminding me at any moment she has seen fit how much of a bad idea it was. She doesn't seem to hear me when I agree with her. It was a bad idea.

Not only did it bring about the biggest hype we've ever had, all our viewers are wanting more. No, they expect it. Every dare we had submitted for yesterday's Dare Day involved another lip lock challenge between Tyler and I. Not a single one was other. That's why we cancelled Dare Day and had dinner with our parents instead.

"Want to dance?" Rae asks after downing her third jelly shot, hair as bright as the drink speeding towards her stomach. It shines in the light, looking as fierce as she is.

I shrug. She takes this as a yes. So we dance.

We're on the floor for a few songs, laughing and moving to the music before heading back to the bar to get another drink. Sitting in our old seats are two young men, maybe a couple of years older than us with eyes tracking us to where they stood.

"You looked great out there," the blonde one says to me with a flirtatious smile and attentive eyes.

"Can we get you ladies a drink?" His friend asks, looking between the both of us. By the way they sit almost rigid on their stools and their unfamiliar faces I say they are from out of town. Maybe around for the weekend or just the night, looking for something new. Or someone.

That someone isn't me.

Rae accepts with a nod and tells Jim, the bartender, her order. Not that she needed to; he's been taking our orders for years. I catch his eye and he nods with a grin, pouring me another glass of water.

Blondie looks at the glass I pick up with a raised eyebrow. I can't tell if he's apprehensive or impressed. "You don't drink?"

Colin and Tyler pick this perfect time to turn up, leaning against the bar on my other side. They pay for Colin's drink with cash they must have won.

I turn back to Blondie and shake my head. "Not as long as I'm friends with this guy."

Tyler gives me a grin and a wink, takes a gulp of my water until it's almost empty and heads back to the pool table with Colin by his side.