Truth Or Dare (CH. 3: The Truth)

My eyes narrowed into slits. I couldn’t believe that Jayden was so shallow, that he could actually like someone as conformist as Lauren. Maybe he was just like every other guy with a one track mind.1

Natalya noticed that something was wrong, and she looked at me raising her right eyebrow. “Brie, what’s wrong?”2

“Nothing, I’m fine, Nat,” I said, maybe too snappily. I was mad, but I wasn’t sure if I was mad at Jayden or Lauren, or both.3

“Fine,” Natalya replied shortly. She sounded hurt, and I felt guilty. It wasn’t her fault.4

“Sorry, it’s just the Jayden thing. Look who he’s sitting with,” I explained apologetically gesturing toward my back stabbing step sister and the guy of my dreams.5

“Oh, Brie, I’m sorry. What does he even see in her?”6

“Honestly, I don’t know, Nat. Boobs? Seriously, she doesn’t cover up her body half as much as she reveals it.”7

Natalya giggled, and when I looked back over towards Jayden and Lauren, Jayden was standing up, and Lauren looked like she was trying to keep his attention. Jayden shook his head, and it was then that I wished I could hear what people were saying. Lauren looked like she was begging him to stay, but Jayden didn’t look convinced.8

His gaze turned toward our table, and we made eye contact for a brief moment. My cheeks naturally blushed scarlet, and I looked down. Jayden turned from Lauren to walk away. As a feeble attempt to stop him, Lauren reached her small, tan hand out and grabbed his wrist. At contact, Jayden’s body stiffened.9

Chills ran down my spine when I saw Jayden’s eyes slant and turn into an evil glare. Her hand dropped slowly, and she got up quickly, running off in embarrassment. I started to laugh, and Natalya looked to see what had happened. She began to laugh along with me at Lauren’s expense.10

Lauren passed our table, and her eyes turned to glare in my direction. I just laughed at her and shrugged my shoulders as she continued to run through the loud, crowded cafeteria. Maybe Jayden didn’t have a one track mind after all. There was a possibility that Lauren had approached him, and he just wanted to be left alone today. Perhaps, just perhaps, he was the Jayden of my dream, and he really was only having a rough start.11

Lunch ended, and my next class was chemistry. In this class, Natalya and I sat on opposite sides of the room since the class got a seating chart for talking too much. I sat at a table furthest from the door, alone. There was very little chance that I would have Jayden in this class, too, but who knew anymore. Crazy possibilities were popping up all over the place.12

Natalya and I were a bit early for this class, so I sat on her table talking with her about random things. I had my back to the door, and Natalya was facing me. “Oh… my… gosh,” Natalya lengthened the three words.13

“What?” I asked suddenly nervous that I knew what she was gasping about.14

“I’m warning you, only turn around if you promise not to freak out,” she cautioned.15

“He’s there, isn’t it?” I guessed.16

Natalya just nodded, and I slowly turned to face the door. I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw Jayden sitting in the seat next to mine. My eyes abruptly faced away; my heart beat quickened.17

Slowly, and nervously, I made my way back to my seat and quietly sat down. I reached into my bag and pulled out my senior level chemistry book. As I moved, I could feel his gaze upon me. It made me nervous.18

I sat back up, my back straight and goose bumps appearing on my bare, pale arms.19

“Um…” the magical voice of the guy next to me began, “hi.”20

I turned and looked at him shocked. Was he actually talking to me? My eyes were questioning him, and he smile erasing all of the doubts I held. My lips followed his example, and I smiled back. “Hello.”21

“We didn’t get a proper introduction earlier, thanks to my temper,” he stated. That was why he was so mean, he was just mad. “I’m Jayden.” He stuck out his right hand for me to shake.22

“Um… I’m Brienna,” I introduced myself, my hand slowly extending towards his till our skin touched.23

“Nice to meet you, Brienna,” Jayden slowly brought my hand to his perfect lips and kissed my skin.24

My body tingled, and chills ran up and down my spine. “You can call me Brie,” I choked. 25

“Okay, Brie.” His face was beautiful, and his dark eyes didn’t leave mine.26

My mind wouldn’t stop buzzing with the fact that Jayden actually talked to me. The first part of class passed quickly, and I had no clue what the lecture was about. There was only one focus for my mind, Jayden.27

“Brie?” Mrs. Johanson interrupted my day dream. Her small white hands rested on her hips; her green eyes watched me.28

“Yes?” I answered clueless to the lecture.29

“Are you paying any attention?” she interrogated in annoyance.30

“I’m trying to, sorry, my mind is just elsewhere today,” I explained, and I swore I heard Jayden chuckle next to me.31

“Okay, I just hope you can figure out the lab,” Mrs. Johanson sympathized knowing why I was struggling today. “Get started, class.”32

I looked over to Jayden, and he said, “Daydreaming?”33

“How did you know?” I asked.34

“You eyes seemed kind of distant, I couldn’t help but notice that you had to be doing some dreaming of some sort. They were content, not upset. Having a good day?” he analyzed.35

“At times,” I simply answered not giving away too much. “Do you get this lab at all?”36

“Well, actually, I did the Flam Color lab at my last school. I could just write down the colors, and we could chill.”37

I didn’t respond with more than a simple nod. Why would I argue with that? There was still remaining shock left over from the fact that Jayden actually spoke to me. I had to know what made him so mad, so I asked. “What caused your temper to go off like that this morning, anyway?”38

His body stiffened, and I knew I shouldn’t have asked, but I needed to know. “You stuck up for me in English,” he simply told me.39

That’s it? I didn’t get why that would make him so mad. “Yeah? So?” I pushed. I was confused.40

“I’m not used to having a girl stick up for me. Where I grew up, if you have to have a girl say something or do something to stick up for you, it means you have no personal strength, physically and mentally,” he explained, some what distantly, but in a still kind tone.41

“Oh, so when I stuck up for you against Mr. Jameson, you were offended?” I questioned for clarification.42

“Exactly,” he answered, smiling slightly.43

“Where did you move from?” I had to know if this Jayden had the same story.44

“San Diego,” he said answering my question. My heart stopped, and I had to have more details.45

“Why did you move to Seattle?”46

“Well, you see, my dad didn’t like me much. He hated that I wasn’t just like him. I obviously don’t dress like a 50-year-old business man, and he didn’t think I was proper enough. Plus, he hates rock and roll, so I had to keep my drum set at a friend’s. If I was caught playing the music on my radio, I was grounded. I live with my mom now. She’s much more laid back,” he told his reason. 47

It was the same story in my dream. I couldn’t believe it. But I couldn’t let him know that I dreamt about him, he would think I’m a freak. That would have to wait to be shared. “Wow, your dad sounds harsh.”48

“It’s all good. I don’t need him to approve of me in order to be happy. I like Seattle, but my band and friends are back in Sand Diego. It’s hard to find a new group of people I can actually stand to play with. Do you know anyone I should try?” he continued the conversation.49

“Actually,” I started, “my band is looking for a drummer.”50

“Really?” he seemed shocked by the coincidence, but I was still too numb from the likenesses of the dream and reality to notice the look in his eyes.51

“Yah. We have all the instrumentation, except a drummer.”52

“What kind of music does your band play?”53

This made me nervous. What if he didn’t like our music? “We play a mix of rock-and-roll and punk music. Sort of alternative in a way. Our name is Just After Sunset.”54

“Sweet. I was hoping you wouldn’t be one of those preppy wish-we-could-rock bands. Are you having try out for the spot soon?” he asked, obviously interested in the position.55

I got excited. “Actually,” I began, and I must have sounded pretty negative because his eyes went from happy to sad instantly. I continued to show hhim not to worry, “we are. Friday night at my house, there are two trying out. You, and Paul, the nerd from Algebra.”56

He looked at me as if he had no problem. “So, do you think I should worry?” Why was he asking my opinion? How would I know? I had never heard him play except in my dream.57

“I’m not sure, I haven’t ever heard you play before.”58

“Well, how bout I show you,” he suggested, the look in his eyes was hard to comprehend. It was a sweet, but seductive, look.59

I wanted reality to turn out like my dream so badly, that I wasn’t sure what to say except, “Of course. When and where?”60

“How about my house, tonight?”61

“Works for me,” I agreed.62

Jayden wrote down his address for me and handed it to me just as the bell rang. We grabbed our things and started to walk towards the door from our table at the opposite side of the room. Before we’d even made it to the aisle, I tripped on my own foot and fell to the tile floor.63

“Are you always this ungraceful?” Jayden teased with a laugh as he helped me back to my feet.64

“Actually, most of the time, yes,” I stated truthfully, completely embarrassed.65

“I’ll see you tonight,” he said with another chuckle, handing me my bag and leaving the room.66

Natalya looked at me with wide eyes. “Tonight?” she asked anxiously.67

“Yeah. I’m going over to his house. He plays the drums, Nat, he’s trying out. I’m going to listen to him play,” I explained.68

“So now you’re not mad at him?” Natalya tried to understand, obviously confused by my many mood swings today regarding Jayden.69

“No. he was mad at me because his dad raised him to believe that if a woman sticks up for you, you’re weak both mentally and physically,” I explained telling her the rest of his story.70

“Oh,” she ended. We made it into Spanish barely on time, and sat down.71

The last two classes, Spanish and American history, my only two junior classes, passed quickly in a blur. I was anxious for tonight, and kept thinking about what I would wear. There was no way I could possibly wear what I’d worn in my dream. I must look different, cuter.72

Again I began to fall into daydream after daydream. I only truly woke up when the end of the day bell sounded, freeing the students from more time in our own personal prison. I rushed out of the building, skipping my stop at my locker, and hurried home.73

My ride home was filled with thoughts of Jayden and the approaching night. I stepped into the house, and there was my mother, standing in the doorway waiting for me. This was the part of my dream I had forgotten about. ‘Here we go again,’ I thought dreadfully to myself. 74