Truth or Dare - Danielle Allen

Prologue

Eleven Years Ago

Sophomore Year, Hamilton University

“What about Truth or Dare?” Dominick Love suggested as we crammed into the small dorm room he shared with Kingston Wright. “We haven’t played that since before Christmas break.”

Chloe Park grinned from her seat next to him on his bed. The last time we played, Dominick asked her to be his girlfriend officially. In the eyes of everyone who had ever met them, they had been together since freshman year.

“Goddamn, I know it’s the night before spring break starts, but did they turn the HVAC system off to run us off campus sooner,” Latisha Marshall grumbled, fanning herself dramatically next to me. “It’s hot as hell in here and we’re packed in like sardines.”

My head fell back as I laughed.

“Who taught you HVAC?” Eli Washington folded his arms over his chest, calling out Tisha playfully. “For someone who didn’t know the V stood for ventilation a couple hours ago, you sure are throwing that word around.”

“What did you think it meant?” I wondered, tears in my eyes.

Tisha shrugged. “Various. Heating Various Air Conditioners.”

Laughing even harder, my shoulders bounced, knocking into Kingston, who was sitting on the other side of me.

“It’s too hot for you to be doing all this moving,” Kingston complained with a smile on his face.

“You can sit over here with me, Simone,” Omar offered from his seat on the floor.

I shook my head, still amused. “I can tolerate Kingston’s bullshit for as long as I’m sitting on his bed. And I am not imposing on his space. His scrawny self only takes up”—I snapped— “this much room.” I pointed to the greyish carpet. “And besides, the floor is suspect.”

“This bed is suspect,” Tisha joked. “I don’t know how many girls have been on these sheets, but here we are…taking a chance.”

“Both of you can get off my bed,” Kingston laughed. “My sheets are clean—or they were before you two sat down.”

“You’re trying to say my ass isn’t clean?” I asked, feigning offense.

He cocked his head and looked at me incredulously. “What ass?”

Leaning into each other, we cackled.

My group of friends—we were all best friends—was a special group. The eight of us all had different dynamics and some of us were closer than others, but we were bonded and loved each other fiercely.

The two people I was closest to were Latisha and Kingston. I could talk to anyone in the group, but no one kept me laughing like they did. They were different, but the light and the energy that they brought to my life were similar. Not only were they funny, no one kept it real like the two of them. I could count on them for anything and there would be no hesitation. I could talk to them about anything and there would be no judgement. So, when the suggestion of Truth or Dare came up, only the two of them knew why I didn’t want to play.

“Let’s play Spades,” Kingston suggested.

“I like that idea,” Tisha added.

“Spades is cool, but I want to play Truth or Dare,” Eli proposed.

Maria Davies sat on a crate in the corner. She was so petite that she didn’t appear uncomfortable at all. “I want to play Truth or Dare. It’s something we can all play”—she cut her eyes at Tyler Stevens— “and no skill level is needed.”

Tyler lifted his hand from his seat on the floor. “I both resent and appreciate that.”

“Let’s vote,” Chloe said, taking control and being the mama bear she always turned into when decisions needed to be made. “Who wants Truth or Dare?”

Everyone but me, Tisha, and Kingston raised their hands.

“Truth or Dare it is!”

“It’s Tyler’s turn to start,” Chloe stated as all eyes turned to Tyler.

He looked around the room and rubbed his hands together. “This is going to be fun.”

We had made it through several rounds and after a couple kisses, a few secrets, and a lot of laughs, what I was afraid of happening happened.

“Simone, truth or dare?” Chloe asked me.

“Dare,” I answered quickly. I was much more comfortable with a dare.

“Kiss the person in the group that you would date,” she dared me.

She didn’t know. No one except for Kingston and Tisha knew and I knew for a fact they didn’t tell anyone. I was hoping the feeling would pass and that I could deal with it after spring break.

With a sigh, I climbed off the bed and squatted next to Omar. Taking his face in my hands, I planted a kiss on his lips. It was just