Just a Game | ASHANNIE | ✓

eighteen

Annie missed simplicity. In the last day alone, she went from being excited to angry to unbelievably happy to disappointed. Was this normal? Did she want this?

She didn't think to think hard on it cause as soon as she sat down, a huge group of people were being ushered to play truth or dare. Annie sat in between Lilia and Will who was there the whole time but quiet. Asher was there but on the far side of the circle with two of his basketball friends.

Annie avoided his gaze. She knew it was a bit petty but she was emotional and frankly she hadn't really dealt with liking anyone before. Instead she focused on a few other people in the group she recognized, like Kenzie, Johnny, Lauren, and Hayden. Kenzie and Lauren were the prettiest girls in her grade, and Johnny was a sophomore. They all hung out whenever they could and everyone knew them. Kenzie's sister Maddie was a senior and pretty popular too.

Kenzie started off the game and she started off by asking Hayden truth or dare. He chose dare and Kenzie smirked. "Kiss the prettiest girl in this room." Hayden's gaze started to sweep the circle, weighing who was the prettiest when his eyes settled on Annie.

Annie held her breath. There were so many pretty girls not her, move on, she screamed in her head. But he rose and settled on his knees before her. He began leaning in, and for a split second Annie considered it but last second she turned her head so he got her cheek.

They got a few oooh's and when Hayden shrugged before sitting down, Annie refused to look up from her fingers. She knew if she did, she would just look at Asher.

Hayden asked the boy beside Asher a truth or dare question. The boy went with dare and was told to go down the stairs on a pillow. He did it and then they were back in their seats. The boy chose to use his question on Annie.

"Truth or dare, Annie?" Annie's head rose up quickly and she found Asher's eyes locked on hers before she looked at his friend.

"Truth." She didn't want to do a dare. She was pretty comfortable in her seat actually.

"Why did you give Hayden the cheek?" Annie was asked and she gulped.

She weighed her words carefully. "I think kissing means something, and that kiss wouldn't have meant anything." She finally said and moved on.

"Will." She turned to her side, he was leaning back on his hands casually. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare." Will answered.

"Uh..." Annie thought for a split second and said the first thing that came to mind. "Will say walk."

"Walk."

Annie giggled to herself before mimicking him. She realized a few seconds after that everyone was silent and she met Asher's humorous eyes who burst out laughing as she did so. Everyone else erupted into it.

"Asher..." Will leaned his elbows on his knees after a moment. "Truth or dare."

Asher finally quieted before saying "Dare."

"I dare you to tell us the last text you got." Annie's breath whooshed out of her and Asher's eyes fell on her. Apparently it was more noticeable than she thought.

Asher opened his phone and had his friend verify that he was going to his last text. "My last text was from Peyton and it said 'if you ever loved me, meet me at our place. I have so much to tell you.'"

Annie schooled her face into the aloof one she wore from before as Asher looked up and put his phone in his pocket. She didn't take the face off until many rounds later when she was called again.

"Annie, truth or dare." It was Lauren this time who called her.

"Dare." Annie finally said. The fear of being asked perhaps about Asher rose.

"I dare you to pretend to be in a romance movie and declare your love for someone." Annie choked on the craziness of the dare before finally agreeing.

Annie looked at the ground and breathed. "I-I never really loved anyone the way I do you. You crawled your way into my heart and now you're running through my veins, like you're a part of me. Like there's an essence of you in my legs, my arms, sweeping up my throat into my head. You're always in my head. It was simple before you. But I wasn't living, and I hate that. I hate that you make life worth living. I hate it so much that whenever I'm trying to not think about you, I'm thinking about that and then I hate that it's still about you. It's always about you." She finished off in a whisper.

And she couldn't help but look up. She looked at everyone, every one who knew that there was truth in her acting, and she saved Asher for last. But when she got to his seat, she found it empty.