Paradice

I smiled at Dylan from across the room, my drink firm in my hand. Dylan smiled back, lifting his beer in a toast as he winked at me. I hid my blush by taking another sip of my drink. Holland, who was standing in front of me, stepped to the side so she was blocking Dylan from my view. My eyes refocused on her.

"Hello? Earth to Y/N," Holland said.

"Oh, sorry, Hol," I chuckled nervously, ridding Dylan from my mind. "What were you saying?"

"I asked what you were going to do now that Teen Wolf was over, but now I'm more interested in who got you so red." Before I could say no, she looked back. Dylan, who's eyes had still been on me, quickly darted back to Tyler Posey, continuing with the conversation like he hadn't been staring elsewhere.

I dreaded seeing Holland's face when she turned back to me because I knew what she would say. For years, she'd been begging me to talk to Dylan about my feelings for him, but what was the point of that when the possibility of losing his friendship altogether seemed greater than the chances of him reciprocating my feelings? Holland wasn't the only one who wanted me to tell him; Shelley and Tyler knew, but I made them vow secrecy if they valued my friendship.

Besides, even though Dylan and I were friends, it had always been a bit awkward between us. He wasn't stand-offish per se, but he definitely didn't seem to like being around me as much as he did the others. That hurt at first, but I'd gotten used to it. As time went on, I caught him eying me more. This, I had thought, was progress towards a blossoming friendship, but it just stayed the same. Just the looks over a distance, a smile, maybe a wink here and there. So, if I never told him my feelings for him and went on with my life never seeing him after this End of Teen Wolf party at his house, it would be fine.

"You should talk to him. Tonight's your last night before he goes off to do whatever it is he does," Holland said as she faced me again. I took a few large gulps of my alcoholic beverage, letting it buzz my nerves.

"No. No way," I replied, which had been my answer the last seventy times she said that.

"You never know. He could like you back and you'd never know because you're too sca-."

"Hol. I'm serious. There is no way in hell I'm telling that man that I have a stupid crush on him." My voice lowered to a whisper as I glanced around, acting like a little kid who just cursed for the first time.

"Fine, whatever," she sighed. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. She had never given up that easy.

"That's it?"

"That's it." Holland suddenly turned around, grabbing the attention of the room. "I brought a game. I think we're all sufficiently buzzed enough to play it."

In her special commanding way, she sat us all in a circle on the floor. On either side of me was Shelley and Tyler, then it was Holland and Dylan. Dylan was right across the floor from me, and I could feel his eyes burning my face, but I couldn't look at him. I watched Holland dig through her purse before she dropped a pair of dice in the middle.

Upon closer inspection, one of them had body parts and the other had an action. I was familiar with these dice. She brought them out to spice up a party, but I'd never actually participated in the game. However, she was right. I had just enough alcohol in my system to agree.

"Rules, each person rolls the dice, and the rest of the group gets to pick who you do it to," Holland explained, nestling comfortably in her spot.

"No!" Dylan and I both blurted. I wasn't sure why he was saying no, but I said it because everyone in the room besides Dylan knew about my feelings for him, and it was bound to be bad.