Truth or Dare

Truth or Dare part 5

Everyone gathered back around the coffee table, Lucas wedging himself between Riley and Maya, and then all helped to reset the game board. Fifteen minutes or so later, Maya had won again and jumped up to do a little victory dance just to rub it in Josh's face.
Fortunately for him, her taunting was cut short by the pizza guy.
Josh placed the pizzas on the dining room table and Maya began to open them while Riley and Lucas got plates and napkins from the cupboard and Auggie made a bee-line for the bathroom.

Maya's eyes went wide as she saw what Josh ordered: one large pepperoni and one medium, half-pineapple and half-jalapeño pepper.

"What's this?" She questioned, gesturing to the medium-sized pizza.

"That's ours." Josh stated simply.
"Ours?" Maya repeated.

"Yeah, I know Riley and Auggie prefer pepperoni, but you like pineapple–god knows why–and I love spicy toppings, so I figured we could just split one together. That okay?" Josh inquired.

"Oh, yeah, of course...thanks." Maya finished sheepishly. She was trying to play it cool, but it was a hard task when she was internally awing at his sweetness. How did he remember that her favorite pizza topping was pineapple? Better yet, why did he remember? Maya dismissed the thoughts, figuring he just remembered because it was weird...but what if there was more to it than that? With a grumble of her stomach, Maya let the thought drop. She was too hungry to think logically.

"Lucas," Josh began. "I don't know what kind of pizza you like but you are welcome to whatever's here." he finished, gesturing to both pies. "Even my beloved jalapeno-topped goodness."

"Thanks." Lucas responded with a slight chuckle. "But I am more of a pepperoni guy." He explained then began to fill his plate.
"Really?" Josh inquired, surprise evident in his voice. "I would have thought a Texan like you would go for the spicy one."

"Eh," Lucas shrugged. "Spicy is okay, but I much prefer sweet." He clarified, eyes locking with Riley's as he gave her a knowing smile, which she gladly returned.

"I can respect that," Josh nodded. "But I'm finding that I like spicy better. It keeps you on your toes and makes everyday a little more fun." Josh added, quickly glancing at Maya with a small smirk on his lips. She was nibbling at her crust, completely unaware of Josh's double meaning, but he figured that was probably for the best.

Before anything more could be said, Auggie came running into the dining area, water dripping from his damp hands that he failed to dry completely in his haste to eat.
"I'm ready." The little boy stated. "'Za' me!"
They all just smiled and shook their heads as Auggie sat down at the table. Riley made him a plate, and they all ate the rest of their meal in peace.

*******

After stuffing himself full of pizza, Auggie had a bit of a tummy ache, and so Josh helped him get ready for bed so he could lie down and rest. It was around eight o'clock when Josh returned to the living room, running a hand through his dark brown hair. Maya watched him come closer, wanting nothing more than to let her own fingers roam free through Josh's chocolate locks. She bet it was soft. It looked soft... and shiny and perfectly messy, yet another one of her favorite features on Josh. Suddenly, her eyes locked with Josh's and a light smile played on his lips from catching her staring. Maya just rolled her eyes to indicate that he was making something out of nothing.

"You look fine, Casanova." Maya told him. "Now get over here so we can play another game."

He just shook his head and took a seat in the free spot on the opposite end of the couch next to Lucas. Maya was teasing him a lot, but she couldn't help it. It was amusing to watch his reactions, plus it helped to keep things friendly. Tonight Josh was not an object of her affection but rather her competition, and you can't be in love with the enemy. I mean, it is called "friendly" competition for a reason, right? "

Just then, Riley and Lucas came back to the living room. Lucas had been using the bathroom, while Riley had been checking on Auggie.

"Well, little bro is sound asleep." Riley stated. "So, our next game should probably be something quieter." She finished as she sat back down on the couch.
"Like what?" Lucas questioned, taking a seat next to Riley.
"Hmmm..." Riley thought for a moment. "How about Truth or Dare?"