fake | tratie | EDITING |

| thirteen |

This one's a little longer than usual, sorry about that! I hope it doesn't get too boring.

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My mouth went dry, and when I licked my lips to speak, nothing came out. I had no idea what to say.

If I picked dare, he'd no doubt make me to something insane, or humiliating, or outrageously inappropriate. He was Hades when it came to dares, and I was not making a deal with the devil.

But if I picked truth, he'd make me say something just as embarrassing. He'd ask for my most private moment, or darkest secret, or worse... my true feelings about him. (I couldn't decide if I'd say something good or bad to the latter one.)

Both options weren't looking too good.

I hated that his eyes softened at my silence, and he leaned in to whisper to me. "You can back out if you want, Kates - no shame in that."

I shook my head, determined to stick it out. "Truth."

He chuckled. "Safe choice. Tell me, Katie, what's your favorite memory with me?"

A few people in the circle rolled their eyes and faked gagging, but I was relieved he hadn't asked me something worse. A part of me thought he may have been looking after me, but then I reminded myself that he was just pretending.

It was all pretend.

Still, when I tried to say a tame, fake-relationship type thing, the honesty spell kicked in. I cursed to myself when I started talking. "Easy. Driving back from my family reunion last month. When you held my hand all the way home, and we talked about anything and everything. It made me realize how much I cared about you, and it made me feel like you cared about me."

Schist. 

His Magnificent Quirked Eyebrow made me want to crawl into a hole and never come out, and so did the seething Ashley on the other side of the circle. I hadn't meant to say all that; the stupid truth spell did it for me. I couldn't stand all the people in the cabin staring at me, so I cleared my throat before anyone responded.

"Miranda, truth or dare?"

Smirking, my sister tapped her chin. She'd obviously enjoyed my babbling, and I was sure she wouldn't let me forget it later. "Dare."

Silence filled the cabin as I contemplated. I didn't want to be lame and say an easy dare, but I couldn't think up something good. The only time I'd participated in a game of truth or dare was in the Demeter cabin, and it never got more wild than "I dare you to go outside and cut 50 blades of grass with a pair of scissors".

"Make her lick the floor!" Connor suggested, and the others murmured in agreement. 

Miranda and I both made a face and said, "Eww."

"Can I just dare you to hold someone's hand for the next few rounds?" I offered timidly. 

Connor frowned. "That's boring."

"For that, it can be your hand," I decided. "Miranda, I dare you to hold Connor's hand for the next three rounds."

Natalie laughed, and Miranda groaned. 

Connor begrudgingly took her hand, and Miranda harrumphed. Hiding her giddiness, she rolled her eyes. "Katie, you're so boring."

"Would you rather have licked the floor?" I recalled. 

She pointed at me with her free hand. "Good point."

After that, I was pretty sure Miranda dared Piper to make out with her hand, and then I zoned out again. Sitting next to Travis had its advantages: having a strong, lean body to droop on; feeling his steadying inhales and exhales; noting his scent of bergamot, teak wood, and maybe a dash of vanilla...