We Can't Save Ourselves

Chapter 1: Day 1; Ryan

I laughed with my friends in the back of the bus. We had just left the Minnesota state fair a few hours ago, and were on our way home. It was Saturday, May 13th. I fanned myself with my hand. The temperature on the bus hot, hotter than the air outside, and there were no windows. And the air conditioning was broken. Perfect.

"Hey, I think I've got a new game." Zach said.

"Okay, what is it?" Zoey, another one of my friends, asked.

"Okay, it goes like this. It's like never have I ever, but it's called never have I dared. It's played the same way, but when you say something that you haven't done, if it's doable right now, you have to do it, and you have to do it as many times as people put fingers down. And if you don't do it, you lose four of your fingers." Zach explained.

"That's super confusing, dude." Mason said.

"Yeah. Give us like an example or something." Ellie flipped her long brown hair, hitting the girl next to her in the face. Erica lightly smacked her.

"Bitch." She whispered playfully.

"Oh, sorry." Ellie gave her a small smile.

"Let's say I haven't ever put on makeup, so everyone who has put on makeup would put a finger down, and I'm assuming you guys have makeup, so I'd then take that and put on as much as fingers that went down. Or I'd lose four fingers." Zach said.

"Okay I guess that kinda makes sense." Daniel concluded. I looked at him through the corner of my eye. I hated to admit it, but I was bisexual. And Daniel was super hot. I had a really bad crush on him, but no one would ever know that, because nobody knew I was bi. Except for one of my friends back home, but I didn't worry about that. I stole another look at Daniel. His short brown hair was swept perfectly into place, and his light blue shirt was almost see through. He wasn't wearing any shoes. But then Isaac interrupted my thoughts.

"Who's all in?" He asked, putting up his ten fingers.

"I am." I announced, putting up my fingers. Other people began to do the same. I looked at Emma and Eddy. The two were cuddled up together, Emma on Eddy's lap. I rolled my eyes and looked away. Honestly, I hated love, because it was one of the things I could never have, at least, not with Daniel.

"Okay, I'll go first, then we'll go to my left." Zach said. I looked at the players. Four girls, Ellie, Erica, Emma, and Zoey. Ten guys, Daniel,  Mason, Zach, Eddy, Jack, Ness, Evan, Jason, Jacob, and myself. "Never have I dared to eat coffee flavored M&M's." He stared at Emma, who had a pack of them next to her.

"You just want these, don't you?" She asked.

"Yes." Zach grinned at her. I put one of my fingers down, because yes, I had eaten those, but I didn't like them. Emma rolled her eyes and tossed him four of the candies, because Ellie, Jacob, and herself had also eaten them, apparently.

"Never have I dared," Emma began. "To kiss someone on a bus." She winked at Eddy. Zoey, Jack and Ellie all put a finger down. She leaned in and kissed Eddy, once, twice, and by the third time, her tongue was in his mouth, and we had to pull them apart. We laughed at how red Eddy's face was, and how Emma had clearly set that up. Eddy was up.

"Never have I dared to use the bathroom on the bus." Daniel, Mason, Zach, Jack, Ness, Evan, and Jacob all put a finger down.

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?" Emma asked.

"Maybe." Eddy answered quickly.