The Dare - b.b

Chapter Nine

[Skylar’s POV]

“SKYLAR!” both the twins exploded, rushing forward to embrace me in a hug. “Um, hello,” I said, patting them both awkwardly on the backs.

I was blushing so hard right now. Even though Beau was the most attractive, that didn’t mean the twins weren’t hot either.

“Alright guys, that’s enough,” I heard Beau say before he pried them both off me. I saw the one with a lip ring give Beau a meaningful look and Beau shook his head.

I wonder what that was about. “KIDS!” we heard Gina call again. I followed the three brothers to the dining room where there was a steaming dish of lasagna sitting on the table next to a basket of fresh bread.

I hadn’t had anything since my Clif bar at the studio this morning so my mouth was watering. “Hungry?” Beau asked with a laugh when he heard my stomach growl with an embarrassingly loud volume. I blushed under his stare and nodded.

He took my plate and loaded me up with lasagna, vegetables, and bread. I dug in, scarfing down the pasta and ignoring the burning feeling on my tongue.

Oh. My. Gosh. This was the best lasagna I’ve ever had! This just made me eat even faster.

I ripped my bread apart, enjoying the fluffy, flakey, buttery taste on my tongue.

I swallowed everything down, washing it all down with a large gulp of milk. When I had finished my giant plate of food in about two minutes I looked around to find everyone’s eyes on me.

I looked at all their plates and they were all only a quarter of the way done with their food.

I blushed bright red, “This is very good, Gina,” I said to Ms. Brooks. She smiled widely, “Would you like some more, dear?” she asked me before nudging Beau to dish me some more of that heavenly lasagna.

Beau gave me another honking slice of the pasta with two more pieces of bread. I ate these a bit slower this time, really taking in all the yummy flavors.

When we were all just picking at our plates, Gina started to ask me some questions.

She found out that I was in the same year as Beau, that I liked to read and listen to music, and that I loved to dance.

After dinner, the Brooks brothers dragged me into their backyard to wait for two other boys they had invited over. Luke and Jai were jumping around on their trampoline while I sat on a bench in the garden with Beau.

“You’re brothers are very nice,” I said as we watched them tackle each other in the trampoline.

Beau laughed at me, “They’re little dipshits but I love them for it,” he said as Jai bounced a tennis ball off Luke’s head. We all watched it pop out of the trampoline, bounce once on the patio, before jumping over the fence.

The boys all looked at each other before they sprinted over to the fence, hopping over it like they had been doing it all their lives.

From what I gathered, they probably had been; they all seem like the troublemaker kind.

I chuckled quietly, shaking my head, and thought ‘Boys’. I got up from the bench and began to walk around Gina’s garden. It was very pretty. I bent over to smell some of the roses when I heard some voices coming from the side of the house.

“OI! FAGGOTS!” I heard one of the voices call. I didn’t respond but stood there awkwardly, waiting for them to round the corner. “Where are they?” I heard another voice ask before I finally saw them.

They came around the side of the house and I instantly recognized them as some of the people Beau, Jai, and Luke hung out with at school.

Daniel was the one on the left and he was, from what I heard, a giant flirt. Apparently, he tried to get some action but never got any.

James, however, was a sweetheart and friends with almost everyone. What all five of these boys had in common, I didn’t know, but I’m sure I would find out later tonight. “Hello!” Daniel called when he saw me before racing over to me and wrapped me up in a hug.

I caught a whiff of his cologne when he hugged me and had to admit he smelled good, but not as good as Beau. ‘God, Skylar, you’re so creepy, smelling boys all the time’ I thought. I seriously had to get a life.

But you have to admit, if a guy smells good it makes him like one bazillion times more attractive. Daniel sets me down and stuck out his hand, “I’m Daniel and you’re Skylar,” he said. When I stuck my hand out to shake his, he took it and kissed the top of it.

I blushed furiously before saying, “How do you know who I am?” “Ummm,” Daniel stuttered before looking to James for help. James looked thoughtful before saying, “Beau’s had his eye on you for a while”. I blushed with pleasure. Really? I thought.

Maybe that’s why he invited me over for a study session. My stomach exploded with little bursts of happiness.

I couldn’t stop a large grin from spreading across my face. Suddenly, a commotion broke out by the fence. It sounded like someone yelling at the brothers. I heard hoots and laughter before the three boys jumped back over the fence.

“I’m calling your mother!” I heard an older man’s voice shout at them. “Hey guys,” Jai said, acting like nothing had happened.

He took the tennis ball in his hand and chucked it at Daniel who ducked, laughing at Jai because he missed him, before the ball bounced off the house and came right back at Daniel, whacking him in the back of his head.

The five of us burst out into laughter at the dumbfounded look on Daniel’s face.

Daniel grinned when he saw all five of us laughing at him, “Think that’s funny?” He asked and grabbed the soccer ball from the chair next to him.

He ran across the lawn, dribbling the ball like a pro, before shooting and scoring into one of the nets. He let out a loud whoop of celebration, running around the lawn with his arms spread out like an airplane.

“We weren’t ready!” the other boys protested. Soon, we had the teams all planned out. It was going to be me, Daniel, and Beau versus Luke, Jai, and James. About an hour into the game, we were tied 19 to 19. We were playing up to 20.

I was dribbling the ball up the yard, getting ready to pass to Daniel, when Luke came sprinting at me and instead of kicking the ball, he tackled me into the ground.

Luckily, the ground was soft so I didn’t feel that hurt, but I was angry. “HEY!” I shouted at Luke when I stood up. “PENELTY KICK!” Daniel and Beau shouted.

I lined the ball up on the designated kicking line and took my stance.

I eyed Jai, who was playing goalie, before James shouted, “3, 2, 1, GO!” I backed up, before sprinting at the ball with all my might.

I swung my right foot back and kick the ball, hard. Jai dove for it but it sailed into the goal, just brushing his fingertips.

I stood there for a second in shock, before jumping up and down in celebtation. I turned to face my team to find them rushing at me.

Beau picked me up and swung me around in a circle. I laughed, watching the world spin around. “WE WON!” Daniel was yelling in Luke’s face. Luke punched Daniel in the arm and Daniel shoved Luke. Soon they were chasing each other around.

“C’mon,” Beau said, slinging an arm around my shoulders, “Let’s go get some cookies”.