Fearless Beings

Chapter 25

Tom's POV:
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I can't believe she's finally here. I hadn't noticed how much I missed her until I hear her bickering with Karen in my living room.

Granted, I was a little cold and assholic, but c'mon, a girl doesn't ignore you for two weeks and when she comes back, everything is daisies and unicorns.

I watch her slowly as she stands up from my bed and walks across the room to my bean bag. Her lower lip sticks out in confusion, her eyebrows pulled down.

"Okay," I start. "Can I have it back now?"

She rubs her eyes and looks again at the picture, as if that would miraculously make whoever she expected on that photograph to appear.

"Tom?"

"Huh?"

"Um, who's that?" She asks.

"My mother," I mumble. I glance up at Mia and see her left eye twitching. "Mia... what's wrong with your eye?"

She slaps a hand over her eye as I start laughing. "Shut up, Tom. That's what happens when you don't sleep for days."

"Funny, now what would keep you awake in The City of Love?" I question, challenging her. For some reason, I can't believe her. She didn't go to Paris.

"My boyfriend dumped me," she says sadly.

"W-what? I didn't even know you had a boyfriend to begin with," I utter, my words scraping against my throat for some reason.

She spares me a glance and falls in a fit of giggles. "You should hear how you sound when you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous, Mia," I mutter.

"Alright." She stands up and sits  cross-legged on the floor. She taps the carpet. "Sit down. We're going to play Truth Or Dare."

"Can I play, too?"

We both turn to the small sound. Before I can reply, Mia says, "Sure thing, buddy. Come on here."

We sit in a small circle... I think it's a triangle, but it doesn't matter. As soon as James settles down, Mia grabs the water bottle on my study desk and spins it. The one's facing tip gets to ask. It lands on Mia and James, the tip on Mia.

"This better be interesting," she says, rubbing her hands together. "Alright, James. Truth or dare?"

"Ummm," James thinks about it. "Truth."

"Not so brave, are we James?" She teases.

"I'm only five!"

"Actually," I intervent. "You're turning six next month."

Mia sniggers and says, "Do you have any secrets, James?"

The little kid shifts in his place. "No."

Mia laughs. "It's called truth for a reason, James. The truth and the truth only. No exceptions."

"I once stole a picture from Dad," he says all too quickly and covers his eyes. He moves one finger to the side to peek at our reactions. Mia's face lits in excitement.  Mine, on the other hand, lits in skepticism. James is like an angel, it looks almost impossible that he'd do something like that.

Mia pats him on the back. "Good job."

"Mia! Don't encourage him," I scold.

"Shush," she murmurs before she respins the bottle. It lands on me and James, the tip on James.

"Yay, I get to ask!" He exclaims. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," I answer.

"I guess cowardice runs in the family then," I hear Mia whispering under her breath.