Montana Mansion

Truth or Dare: AGAIN?

Philby's POV:

Jess walked into my room hesitantly after dinner. "Can I talk to you?" she asked.

"Sure," I replied, closing my book and sitting up straight. "What do you need?"

"Just come with me," Jess said before turning and stepping out of the room, leaving the door wide open behind her. Reluctant to leave my book and curious about where we were going, I followed her all the way up to the "Gypsy Cove" as Charlene called it. I smiled bitter-sweetly. Charlene.

"Why are we going up here?" I asked her as I scaled the rickety wooden ladder. 

"You'll see," she glanced down at me before disappearing through the door. 

I walked into the room right behind her. Inside were Maybeck, Charlene, Finn and Willa. I paled, matching Charlene's expression perfectly. Willa however, hadn't noticed a thing. She jumped up and ran over, planting a soft, closemouthed kiss on my lips. "Hey babe."

I smiled at her before looking to Jess, willing color back into my expression. "Where's Amanda? We playing "Truth or Dare" again?"

"Amanda's on her way up. And yes, actually, we are."

"Fun!" Charlene forced herself to exclaim in an attempt at her cheerleader voice. But her tone was shaky and strange. Finn noticed and I saw him lean over and whisper something to her as Willa dragged me over to the couch to sit beside her. When no one was looking I caught Charlene's eye and mouthed "Something's up" to her. "I know" she mouthed back before turning to kiss Finn on the cheek. 

"I'm here!" Amanda announced as she came up the stairs. She ran over to plop down next to me. "What's up?"

"We're playing truth or dare," I told her, praying my voice was steady and sure. "Again."

"Cause that went so well last time," Charlene joked. Everyone laughed hesitantly. 

"So," Jess began after locking the door even more securely than Charlene had the day before yesterday. "Who wants to go first?"

"Me," Maybeck said immediately. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach when he looked at Charlie. "Charlie, truth or dare?"

Charlene looked like she was a deer caught in the headlights. Either answer could go very badly, very quickly. "Um, dare." Her voice shook like a leaf.

"I dare you to kiss Philby," he said so easily I was sure he had rehearsed it. 

"I don't think that's--" Charlene started.

"No it's okay, Char," Willa told her, reaching over to squeeze my sweaty hand. "Philby explained earlier. It was just a really not funny joke. But we're together now and so I know how he feels." Willa looked at me tenderly. "So go ahead."

"Are you okay with it Finn?" I attempted to get him to call the kiss to a halt. "Because it's totally fine if you aren't. She can do another dare."

"Yes, I totally can. 100%," Charlene tacked on. She batted her eyelashes nervously.

"Come on you two," Amanda chimed in. "It's just a dare! Do it!"

"She's right," Finn agreed. "I don't mind a bit."

Maybe if I go over to her. Maybe if we're far enough away from Willa she won't notice. But Finn definitely would. So I stood, willing my knees not to knock, and walked over to Charlene, who stood as well. Once our faces were just a few inches apart she whispered. "Peck." We both held our hands behind our back, tipped our heads to opposite sides and brought our lips together in the fastest and most underwhelming kiss of the century.

"Ta da!" Charlene did her little jazz hands thing that was so adorable. "We did it!"

"That doesn't count!" Amanda complained.

"No it doesn't," Maybeck agreed. "I'll be more specific with the dare. Open mouthed french kiss."

I started to low key hyperventilate. Even if Charlene was able to act like it meant nothing there was no way I'd be able to. 

Charlene's head began to bob forward slightly. Her face turned green and she rolled her eyes back into her head. "I'm starting to not feel so great, actually."

"Don't chicken out," Jess jeered. "You have to do it."

"No, really," Charlene insisted, wobbling about on her feet. "I feel awful. I think I'm going to faint."

Yes, Charlie! No one argues with a fainter! I cheered silently in my head, though I kept my facial expression at platonically concerned. Finn jumped up and caught her as she swooned. He carried her over to the couch and laid her down on it. Her eyelids came open just a few seconds later. "Oh," she moaned. Finn pushed her hair back out of her face, crooning something softly to her. He was beside himself and it was no wonder; Charlene had nearly convinced me!