“Hunh?”
“I said,”—He straightened his shoulders—“When I ask you for your time one day, you can’t say no.”
Bella squinted. “That’s not a dare, Gallery.”
“It is. I dare you to say ‘yes’ when I ask you for yo’ time. Or take yo’ two shots.”
“When?”
“Just gone take yo’ lil’ two shots, Bellz,” Italian said.
Bella ignored Italian and waited for Gal to answer, but when he didn’t, his eyes boring into her, she clicked her tongue. “What you gonna do with my time when you ask me for it? I’m not having sex with you.”
“I asked for your time, not for your cat. And I’m prorating mine. Could be a year… Could be ten from now. But I dare you to say ‘yes’.”
“Hell, the world might not be here in ten years, so dare accepted. Shit, that was easy.” Bella sat back in her seat and pulled her phone back out with Gal still boring his eyes into her. Bella was a tough cookie because if a boy looked at me that way, I knew I’d be scared as hell for whatever he had planned.
“Ion know now, bestie. If it’s too good to be true, it normally is. You should have took the shots!” Mahzeyah spoke up.
I smiled. “I think it’s cute. It sounds like the start of a ghetto, interracial love story. Make sure we around when you cash in on that dare.”
“Nah, Pearla. But I’m sure Bella will share the news.” He matched my smirk before his eyes shifted to another handsome boy. “Ro, yo’ go.”
Ro walked up, slides flopping underneath his feet. Blayke did a cute little dance in her spot on the couch. She was feeling Ro hard, and although I’d seen him eye her a few times, it was hard to tell whether he was interested or his mind was just elsewhere. I knew mine was.
Ro released the dice, and Blayke was the first one to sit up. A nine and a two showed, making another odd number.
“Dare!” Blayke clapped her hands.
Ro licked his lips and grabbed the bottle from the tray. Blayke’s body stiffened, and my stomach sank. I could tell from the way the room had gone silent that everyone had felt bad for her.
“Hey… Let’s go in the kitchen and get more pizza,” Glee recommended.
Blinking, Blayke nodded and pushed herself from the couch.
“What’s the dare?” he asked, his voice deep enough to make my stomach sink again in another way. Italian had too many fine friends.
“Hunh?” Blayke’s head reared while stopping mid-stride.
Ro took a sip from his red plastic cup. “What’s the dare?”
“But you drinking.”
“Oh, shit. I’m just drinking. I ain’t rejecting the dare. What is it?”
Blayke’s body relaxed as she sat back into the sectional, and Ro’s face morphed into a seductive smirk.
“Come to the back, and I’ll tell you…” she said, crossing her arms.
All of our eyes were bouncing back and forth between the two just as they were when Bella and Gal were going back and forth. Ro took another sip and glanced over at Italian. When he nodded, he took the rest of his liquor to the head and set his cup on the ottoman.
“Don’t come to the back with all that playin’.” His voice went lower, and even though we shouldn’t be in their business, we still were since it was unfolding in front of all of us.
“Boy, you don’t know me at all if you think I play games.” She turned to Glee. “You good best friend?”
Glee nodded, and Blayke stood. “Cool. Let’s go.”
She walked around the ottoman, grabbed Ro’s arm, and dragged him out of the living room. When we heard the door shut, we all fell out laughing.
