nerve ;gd + ed

[❁ dare two]

[three → grayson ; grayson's first dare]
         [eliana is a brief character ,, just to add some like drama]

Ethan and I were currently sitting in a booth at our favorite restaurant, El Placer. Ethan was stuffing his mouth with carne asada and slurping a huarache. I was in a middle of enjoying my empañadas, when I received a message.

My initial thought was to ignore it, it was most likely someone from snapchat sending streaks.

"Mmm," Ethan moaned as he took another bite of his carne asada. "You have to have some of this!"

I shook my head, politely declining. I took another bite into my empanadas, devouring the warm and seasoned meat that I enjoyed dearly.

My phone went off again, not even a minute had gone by when it first happened. This time, I was far too annoyed to ignore it again. I peered at my phone screen seeing it was from nerve again.

I turned stiff, I didn't think or want to believe that nerve so soon was gonna send another dare. I peered around the restaurant, watching people chatter within each other and wondering how many people knew I was doing this. How many people were aware of my mistake and were currently judging me?

"Hey, bro you good?" Ethan asked, shaking my shoulder roughly. I nodded, shifting my gaze back on my brother. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Maybe something worse..." I trailed, unable to piece what was going down. "I got another dare."

"Oh shit." He whispered, he scooted closer. Eager to know what I had gotten. "What is it?"

"It says to confess my love to Eliana." I muttered, playing with my wing earring to ease my anxious feeling.

"Pssst! Piece of cake." Ethan took another bite of his carne, moaning once the meat had melted in his mouth.

"Easy for you to say, you haven't been her friend since elementary school and have been her shoulder to cry on for years!"

Ethan looked stunned, never had I seem to possess such emotions for a girl. I didn't have to say the exact words, he knew from the hurt that clouded over my light brown eyes had said everything. We stayed in complete silence, Ethan playing around with his food and me trying to collect my thoughts.

"It hurts, you know?" I sniffed. "Knowing that she'd never look at me that way and it tears me apart every time. So I sit there, letting her cry on my shoulder and never telling her how i really feel."

"Why haven't you told her?"

"I think I was afraid of what she might say, or think of me. I was stuck on believing for the longest, that you know, I was never good enough for her — or the belief that I was never seen to be someone more than just a friend. Someone who'd she never consider being with, or anything remotely close to the term."

"Damn, sorry I've never realized." Ethan deeply sighed, "Don't do the dare then, lose the five hundred."

I thought for a while, the pros and cons on confessing. A pro is the burden I had been carrying for over 8 years were finally being spoken aloud and into the air. A con is knowing that after it's outspoken, what I've said can't been taken back but in this case, can't be deleted fast enough the other person doesn't see it. I decided to take the risk and send that message, while also earning my rightfully five hundred.