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With a dramatic intake of breath, Celeste pivots toward me and announces my fate: “Kiss Brant.”
The air leaves my lungs.
The room spins.
My skin starts to sweat.
“N-No… What? No.” I’m shaking my head, horror drenching me. “Are you insane? He’s my brother.”
“He’s not really your brother,” Gen says. “He’s not blood.”
“It doesn’t matter. That’s sick! It’s twisted. You’re both out of your minds.”
Gen shrugs, leaning in to me. “Listen, you can’t tell anyone, but I have a huge crush on my stepbrother. It was super weird at first, but it happens, you know?”
My eyes pop. “I don’t have a crush on Brant. You’re acting crazy. This was supposed to be fun.”
“It’s supposed to be humiliating,” Celeste intervenes, holding up her hand. “I can attest to that. Go on now, June. Don’t disappoint us.”
Both girls giggle at my impending doom.
I bite my lip, my objections all caught in my throat. Glancing over to Brant, I find him looking at me again, but he turns away the moment our eyes meet.
I gulp. “How can I? He’ll be disgusted. Horrified. He’ll hate me forever.” I let the words rush out, hoping to change their minds. There must be something else I can do. There must be.
“He’s not going to hate you. It’s just a silly dare.” Celeste stares at him from across the room, her smile wicked. “As far as I’m concerned, you have the easiest dare by far. Look at that man.”
No. I won’t look at him.
And if I do this, I’ll never be able to look at him again.
“Come on, June. You can’t chicken out on us.” Celeste places her hand over mine, a gentle encouragement. “Everything will be fine, and you’ll both laugh about this by morning.”
My chest twists with terror. My stomach swirls with dread.
But…maybe she’s right. If I don’t accept this dare, I might be forced into something worse—stripping naked in front of my classmates, or coming on to a teacher far more appalling than Mr. Kent, or having to kiss someone else.
Someone awful, someone I don’t even care about let alone love.
I love Brant. He loves me.
All will be forgiven.
Sucking in a deep breath of courage, I nod with flimsy resolution—but with resolution nonetheless. Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I rise from the chair, then smooth out the tulle of my skirt. “Fine.”
“Fine? Shit, okay.” Celeste pops up from her own seat, snatching Gen by the wrist. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, you can’t come with me. I can’t have an audience… This is unbearable enough.”
“We have to see it, June. We need proof. Slip into the hallway behind the double doors and we’ll just watch through the glass window.”
“Kiss him in the hallway? Someone will see us,” I snap back.
“The rest of the venue is all closed down. No one will be wandering on the other side of the doors.”
Oh God.
I may vomit.
