Friends Without Benefits

Dare

It all started as a dare, one stupid thing that would change my life forever. That summer Reese, my best friend, had come home from college and had promised he would come home "at some point" those were big words for me since I went to little community college in town and hardly ever saw him. That was just beginning.

My name is Lana, just Lana, with a face so plain I could get lost in a crowd among all the girls at my college most of them with the same straight, brown hair and thin build. I wore jeans and long shirts, most of which looked too big on me, but I didn't care, that was the way I liked it.

Reese came home on a Friday and said he would stop by on his way home since his parents' house was well within driving distance of my apartment. By the time he arrived, however, it was far from what I expected.

He had ridden home with friends and they were laughing and talking and someone had the radio up too loud. The radio finally stopped when the engine was cut, and Reese got out. At first glance he was average looking with short brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. Those eyes were my favorite thing about him, they always told me what I wanted to know.

Then I was running and flung myself into his arms he caught me and laughed.

"Missed me?" He asked, still sounding amused.

I only mumbled against his chest as he squeezed my shoulders.

It was then I remembered his friends.

"Hey, Lana, I rode back with friends this weekend since we were busy yesterday it was the most convenient. Do you mind if we all stay here for a bit, my parents aren't expecting back until 4."

I shrugged.

"Sure, no problem," I shoved him in the shoulder, "just don't be rolling into my complex with your bass blaring like some juvenile delinquent."

Reese chuckled.

"I'll be sure to mention that to my driver."

A short time later, we were all sitting in the portcullis in the quad by my apartment. Reese made introductions.

Finally one of the guys with strawberry blonde hair which looked vaguely curly looked at me then back at Reese then back at me.

"If y'all have been friends since grade school why aren't you dating yet?"

He looked from me to Reese and back again.

I could already feel Reese's embarrassment and a rebuttal forming on my lips, a denial, the same answer I always gave. The same answer I gave to protect both of us.

"We're just friends." This was Reese's default answer and had been since I had even brought up the subject of us being more than that.

"Not the way she looks at you you're not." Another guy I knew must be Reese's roommate commented. He had a narrow face with hair a little longer than Reese's, I only knew this was the roommate because Reese talked about him so much and maybe because he was currently wearing a T-shirt with the university logo.

I bit my lip and could feel a blush creeping into my own face. I tried not to let my feelings  show in front of other people but they always seem to creep out when I didn't want them to.

"Prove it. I dare you." His other friends said shortly, the shorter dark-haired guy that had been driving the car; the one that had been blasting the radio.

"Yeah," This time it was a girl who spoke presumably a friend or a girlfriend of someone, a person in the back of the car I hadn't noticed, and there had been five in the car counting Reese."I dare you to kiss him."

Then Reese was in front of me. For one moment I thought he was going to tell his friends off which he only did it he got really annoyed. He looked at me for a long moment and I could see everything coming together in his head, I still didn't know what he was thinking though; sometimes he seemed to keep me from seeing that.

Then he placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me closer, bent his head and kissed me. It was too much to take in. I vaguely registered Reese's friends making noise, which seemed to have faded into the background. Everything about Reese with stiff, he hadn't relaxed at all, only his fingertips on my shoulders, which tightened their hold slightly.

As quickly as it had happened he pulled away. His expression unreadable.

"Hey, can you give us a minute."

"Sure man," his roommate, (Ryan?) replied, his tone was subdued.

Then Reese was steering me back towards my apartment. I followed without protest, I didn't even cross my mind to argue, my mind was still spinning.