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Chapter 10

5...4....3...2...1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The entire house was cheering. James joined me because he had been turned down by a brunet who had come with her boyfriend. We watched the ball in New York City drop on the TV from the back of the room. After everyone had calmed down a game of truth and dare began in the dining room. Alyssa and Mitchel were playing along with most of the seniors of my class. The only person missing from the game was Logan. Anna had taken a seat next to Alyssa on the floor on the opposite side of the circle from me. The game started out lame with mostly everyone asking for truths and the occasional dare from Bradley. When it was Anna's turn I was not expecting what would happen next.

"Theresa, truth or dare?" She asked with a smile on her face.

"She chooses dare!" Bradley inputs before I could answer.

"Dare it is." I respond. As I waited for the dare about to come my way I became more nervous each second she just sat there contemplating what to dare me to do.

"I dare you to find Logan and give him a kiss." She said with a smirk on her face. I don't know what game she's playing, but I know that this was not what she wanted.

"I don't think that's a good idea." I try and give her the opportunity to change her mind. Alyssa nudges Anna's shoulder and gives her a confused look.

"No, I think that you have wanted to do this for a long time. I'm just making you do it now." Everyone else in the room was silent and staring at me. I was only focused on Anna and her devious eyes. "Well?" She pushed. If I were to kiss Logan, it could ruin the friendship I had with Alyssa, Bradley, and pretty much everyone else I cared about.

"I'm out." I place the $10 chicken's bet on the floor and push it to the middle of the circle. I stand-up from the group and head back to the kitchen embarrassed and confused. I jump up and sit on the counter. I can see Alyssa lean in closer to Anna and ask why, but Anna just shakes her head smiling. She grabs the red cup sitting on the floor in front of her and takes a sip. I take another cup from the stack and place enough punch in it to fill it halfway. I practically gulp the whole thing down in one tilt. The game continues as someone dares Bradley to take shots out of a fellow senior's belly button.

As the circle laughs I jump down from the counter and walk into the other room where I had previously sat and tried to fix whatever problem Anna had with me. That had obviously failed. I walk into the room and see Logan sitting on the couch with one leg propped up onto the coffee table. He is looking at something on his phone that has his full attention. I turn to go back to the kitchen.

"Theresa." I hear him call from the couch. I turn around and see him looking straight at me. I try and act like I had not seen him sitting there.

"Logan. I didn't see you there." I try and play it off.

"What, you're not playing an intriguing game of truth or dare?" He questions.

"I was lame and chickened out already." I say laughing to myself as I sit down on the other end of the couch.

"Wow. At least tell me you weren't the first chicken." I remain silent and smile while looking down at the couch we were sitting on. "Wow" he over exaggerates while removing his foot from the edge of the wooden coffee table. "What was the dare you chickened out on?"

Of course he would ask that question. "It was some dumb dare. Are you enjoying the party?" I try and change the subject.

"Yeah, the party is pretty lame."

"Hey!" I exclaim in protest. I pull my leg up onto the couch and under my body turning to face him more.

"It is the most interesting party I have ever been to!" He sarcastically said while looking around the house.

"It wouldn't be so lame if you came and mingled with everyone." I insisted.

"Now why would I want to do a crazy thing like that?" He said while turning his body slightly in my direction.

"It's better than just sitting on this couch." I laugh jokingly.

"I'd leave, but I was Anna's ride here and I can't just ditch her."

"Yeah, ditching your girlfriend isn't a good idea." I say while looking down at the couch once again before returning my attention to his eyes. He doesn't respond and the silence begins to grow between us.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" He finally asks. Before he can answer I hear commotion from the living room. Both Logan and I look in the way of the noise and jump up to go see what the problem is.

We turn the corner quickly to find Mitchel about to bring another punch down onto Bradley's face. The hit was hard and you could hear the sound of the knuckles hitting his jaw. Not a second later, Logan was in the middle of the room putting his arms around Mitchel and pulling him off. Once Logan placed Mitchel back on the ground, Mitchel shook him off and started steaming for the front door. Everyone watched as the front door was slammed against the wall and Mitchel walked away. I started to look around the room for Alyssa. She was standing there in shock with her eyes beginning to water. I started to push through the crowd to her and directed her to head upstairs to her room by slightly placing my arm around her back.

While we walked up the staircase past the people who were still looking at where the fight had happened, I looked over to see Logan helping Bradley back to his feet. Of course Bradley was not one to hold a grudge and was laughing at Logan the moment he was standing on his own. He grabbed his jaw and moved it a little to make sure that he could still feel it. Once Bradley turned around to comment on something James had just joked about, Logan's eyes followed the staircase up until he saw me. His attention was taken away when Anna came over and put her arm around him. I looked back up to the stairs I was walking. Alyssa was already in her room holding a pillow to her stomach.

"What happened?" I asked confused.