Secrets

Chapter Three

Now - December 2041

The four girls sat in a circle on Seth’s bedroom floor. They had an empty water bottle in the middle of them and were playing Spin the Bottle: Truth or Dare, a game their parents had taught them. Instead of kissing, the person the bottled landed on would have to pick truth or dare and have to complete the task that was given to them by the other girls. It mostly turned into Truth or Truth since Spencer and Seth were the only ones who would actually do the dares.

Aria spun the bottled and the four girls watched it turn. It pointed to Chloe.

“So, Chloe,” Spencer started.

“Truth or truth?” Seth said.

“Truth,” Chloe replied. 

“So,” Aria started, looking at the other girls before she continued, “if you could bang one guy in our class, who would it be?”

Chloe thought about it for a moment before she answered, “Caleb Gunnell.”

Seth giggled. “Seriously? After all this time?”

“Okay, so what if I’ve liked him this long? Apparently, Seth, your mom liked his dad for years.”

“Okay, moving on!” Seth said, spinning the bottle. It landed on herself.

“Seth, Seth, Seth,” Aria said.

“What is your deepest, darkest secret?” Chloe said.

“Oh come on, guys. Chloe get’s a question like that and I get this? Unacceptable. Next question.”

“Seth!” Seth’s mother shouted. “Spencer’s mom is here to pick the girls up!” There was a pause and then the girls heard Seth’s mom exclaim, “Oh my gosh! Lexi, shut up!” The girls rolled their eyes. Sometimes their moms were worse than them.

“You heard her,” Seth said, still avoiding the question. “Downstairs, you three.”

“Seth, you know our moms will talk forever. Stop trying to avoid the question.”

“No, you seriously have to go.” With that, Seth turned on her heel and walked down the steps, but stopped before they got to the bottom, a ritual they always did when two of the moms were downstairs. They always listened to them because they had the greatest gossip for a bunch of forty year olds. 

“Shut up, Baxter McRoberts!?” Seth’s mom said. Spencer and Seth exchanged looks. Bryce’s dad and Spencer’s mom? What was going on?

“Like there’s another Baxter, Kelly,” Spencer’s mom retorted back. 

“So, you guys like, reconnected? That’s so eighth grade. I thought he was completely over you!” 

“Guess not. I mean, I feel so bad for doing that to Joby, but Baxter is Baxter, you know?” 

“Not really.”

“Wait,” Seth whispered to Spencer, “Bryce McRoberts’ dad and your mom have a thing for each other?” Spencer shrugged.

“Guys, this is wrong, we shouldn’t be listening to this,” Chloe butted in, slightly shoving Spencer into Seth. Seth charged down the stairs, followed by the other girls.

“What’s up, Momma?” Seth said, sitting on the island next to where her mother was standing.

“The usual,” she replied.

“How are you girls doing?” Spencer’s mom asked.

“We’re doing fine, Mother,” Spencer quickly said.