Dare

‘Three, two, one…’

Bring!

“Remember, finish Part Five tonight!” Mr. Eldridge yelled out over the bell and the class’s chatter. Mikey pushed his glasses back up his nose and shoved Crime and Punishment into his bag. He left in a hurry, eager to leave the school grounds. Luckily his English class was near the front doors, so he was at the front of the mob of students exiting the building. He straightened his leather jacket and searched the spacious pockets for his Walkman. Anette had given the coat back to him the first day back from Christmas break when she showed him she had received a new coat for Christmas.

And speaking of Anette, he could see her white blonde hair from across the courtyard. Mikey would have practically ran to her if there hadn’t been two things standing in his way.

The first was the people she was with. Though Anette and Mikey had been the best of friends since they had met in middle school, one could not have found a pair who were more polar opposites. Mikey was what most of the school considered to be “that loner emo kid,” despite the fact that he wasn’t any of those things. He was actually fairly smart, had a few close friends, and simply liked staying quiet and wearing dark colours. Anette, on the other hand, was fair and considered even by Mikey’s standards to be beautiful. She always looked very nice and treated everyone as fairly as she could. But she was a popular kid, and Mikey couldn’t stand most of the lying, superficial, back-stabbing people she called her friends, and they didn’t like him much either.

The second thing was the person who had grabbed Mikey’s shoulder. Mikey turned to see his friend Frank Iero there, along with Charlotte Goode. They were both Juniors and the three of them made up the leaders of the “bad crowd.” Charlotte was the only one who Mikey would really consider “bad.” Sure, he and Frank might drink on the side, but Char was the one who smoked and drank and did God knows what else. Mikey often had to make a point of keeping away from her when she lit up to prevent himself from smelling like smoke and therefore causing his mom to have a heart attack.

“Hey Mikey! Are we gonna hang today?” Frank asked. “Isn’t Gee home for spring break?” His voice was hopeful. He had always looked up to Gerard, but since his coming out as bi last year, Mikey had a strong suspicion his friend had a thing for his older brother.

“Yeah, he is. But I don’t know. I need to talk to Annie first.”

“Planning a date?” Charlotte laughed, pushing her long red bangs out of her face.

“No Char, we need to work on our history project,” Mikey said a bit defensively. He started walking again towards Anette. “I’ll call you later when we’re done, okay?”

Meanwhile, Anette’s friends were trying to talk her into a shopping trip.

“Come on Anette, we haven’t been able to go in forever, and today’s the perfect day!” Dawn said in almost a whiney voice.

“Can we please do it another day? Jason’s taking me to a movie tonight,” Rachel said, looking over longingly to her boyfriend. Anette thought they were an ironic cliché, the football player and the cheerleader. But maybe that was because that was how everyone expected them to be.

“Yeah, and I have a lot of homework tonight,” Sarah added, playing with her long hair.

“Since when do you do your homework?” Rachel asked snidely.

“Since I got grounded for getting bad grades last semester,” Sarah retorted.

“Well, I for one want to go shopping,” said Kate, pouting a little.

“I don’t know, I think I’m working on my history project with my partner tonight, so maybe tomorrow,” said Anette.

“Yes, we are, unless the plan’s changed without me knowing it.”

Mikey stood there strongly, locking eyes defiantly with Anette. The surrounding popular folks edged away from him as if he had a sort of plague, and they gave him looks of disgust and disbelief, like, “I totally can’t believe you just walked over here and talked to one of us.” But he did, and had several times before. He was used to their prejudice by now.

“Of course not, we had plans first,” Anette replied with her trademark soft smile.

“Good, then let’s get going.”

“Alright, bye girls, see you tomorrow!”

“Bye Anette, have… fun,” spoke Dawn for the entire group. And so Mikey and Anette left for the parking lot.

“Are we walking?” she asked.

“Nope, I have the car, Mom doesn’t have to work until tonight.”

“Cool,” said Anette brightly.

They reached the car that Mikey and his mom shared. It was a beat up old blue Toyota Celica. It still smelled a tad bit like old cheese from an incident with Gerard their sophomore year, but it didn’t bother Anette. Very few things about Mikey really bothered her, and an old cheese-smelling car wasn’t one of them.

The car started up in one go, which was in all honesty, a miracle. Mikey patted the dashboard as Anette secured her book bag in her lap and pulled on her seatbelt.

“So, how was your day?” Mikey asked as he pulled out of the school and turned down the radio to hear her response.

“It was alright, I guess,” she started, frowning a slight bit. “I mean… I think I failed my Trig quiz today, and I’ve been worrying about the cast list for Twelfth Night since yesterday, and we have this history project to do.”

“Sounds like a shitty day to me.”

“But it’s not over yet. So it could still turn into a good day.”

Mikey laughed a bit cynically. “Well, I know you’re back to normal, anyways.”

“How so?”

“You’re back to being completely optimistic.”

“You’re so funny,” Anette replied with soft sarcasm. “Now, what in the world do you want to do for this project?”

“I dunno. I think we have some poster stuff hidden somewhere at my house.”

“Then a poster it is.”

“You have all the notes, right?”

Anette patted her bag. “All in here. I can go to the library tomorrow to type them up, if you’d like.”

“Nah, we can just hand write.”

“You mean I can hand write. Your handwriting is awful, Mikey.”

“Touché, Annie.”

They pulled up and parked outside the Way house. Right where they usually parked, however, was a bright white ’64 Mustang. The duo exchanged looks of confusion. “That’s not… Gee’s car, is it?” Anette asked cautiously, swinging her bag over her shoulder.

“No—aw, dammit. They’re here already.”

“Who?”

“Gee’s passing through on his spring break trip. It must be his friend’s car… I think his name’s like Rick or Ron or something.”

“Exciting,” Anette said in such a way that Mikey didn’t know if she was being sarcastic or not. He locked his car and walked up to the house.

As always, they slipped off their shoes in the entry way. Anette’s shoes stood out like a ginger at a blonde convention. The golden flats with little bows looked like royalty next to Mikey and Gee’s worn old pairs of converse. For a moment, Mikey felt overwhelming inferiority. But like all moments, it passed, and the two of them were walking into the dining room where Gerard and his college buddy were seated around the table.

“And here’s my little brother with a sexy lady in tow! I was wondering who was with you,” Gerard commented as he looked up at his brother, a grin plastered on his face.

“Of course it’s Annie, who the hell else comes over to our house?” Mikey asked.

“I dunno, maybe you would have had Frank over or something.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Anette said with a smile.

“I didn’t say I was disappointed,” Gerard replied with a flirtatious wink.

“I’m going to go find some art shit,” Mikey said grumpily and he left to go search the house.

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Mikes,” Gerard called after his brother. He turned back to Anette and his friend. “Oh, Anette, this is Ray. We go to the same college.”

Ray reached across the table and shook Anette’s pale hand solidly. “Nice to meet you. You’re prettier than what Gee described you,” he said, nodding, causing his afro of curls to bounce.

Anette blushed a little. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Annie, I found some! Could you help me out?” Mikey called out from somewhere in the house.

“Sure,” Anette called back, and she stood to go find him.

He was in the spare room which was usually a catch-all for the family. Mikey held an enormous poster board and a handful of paint brushes. “Could you grab that?” he asked, motioning down to his feet where a large crate filled with markers, paints, and even some glitter sat.

“No problem.”

“Thanks.”

Anette picked up the crate (which weighed more than it looked like it did) and followed Mikey back out to the dining room. He set the poster board on the counter that separated the dining area from the kitchen and he and Anette began sorting out the crate of art supplies.

“We’re going to go play Playstation while you kids have fun,” announced Gerard, and he and Ray left for his old room.

“Great, we can work in peace,” Mikey muttered. “Do you want to call your mom? I have no idea how long this will take.”

“You just want me to stay the night,” Anette teased.

“It would be nice.”

Anette smiled and went for the kitchen phone.

-

“Alright kids, I’m off to work, don’t get in trouble and please go to bed at a reasonable time.”

Mrs. Way was throwing on a coat over her work uniform.

“We promise, Mom,” Gerard assured her. “I’ll keep the kids in line.”

“It’s you I’m worried about. Michael, keep your brother out of trouble.”

“Will do, Mom,” Mikey said with a grin. She gave them both hugs and left.

The brothers went back to the island and dining room. Anette and Ray were just finishing cleaning up after dinner, while Frank and Charlotte sat around the table engaged in an impossible game of hangman.

“So I’m in charge until about—” Gerard consulted the clock on the wall, “—two in the morning. What do we want to do?”

“Let’s do something fun,” said Frank, not looking up from his game.

“Out of the house,” Ray added.

“Let’s go swimming,” Charlotte suggested.

Everyone looked at her. “Where?” Anette asked. “Everywhere is closed this time of night.”

“Well duh, we jump the fence down at the outdoor one across town.”

“It’ll be freezing.”

“That’s the point, and we won’t get caught, it’s not like they have cameras or anything.”

“Sounds fun. I’m in,” said Gerard.

“Yeup.”

“Me too.”

“Sounds cool.”

Now everyone was looking at Anette, who was biting her lip slightly. “Well, I—”

“Ugh, come on Anette, don’t be such a killjoy,” Gerard sighed dramatically.

“I just—I—oh, alright, fine.”

“Then let’s go!” Ray exclaimed, wiping dishwater on his jeans and pulled out his car keys from his pocket. Everyone jumped up for the door and followed him, but Mikey walked at the back of the group with Anette.

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, Annie.”

“I’d rather not stay here alone. But thanks Mikey,” replied Anette, offering him her gentle smile. It sent his heartbeat up a couple notches faster.

“I call shotgun!” they heard Charlotte yell.

“Keep it down Char, the neighbors might tell,” hisses Mikey.

“Wait…” Gerard said, holding the door to the back seat open. “There’s five seats… and six of us.”

They all began to count each other and found that he was right.

“Someone’ll need to lap sit,” said Ray from the driver’s seat. “Or rather, lay, I’d rather not give the cops an excuse to pull us over.”

“I’ll do it,” Frank offered, starting to get out of the car.

“No, I will,” Anette said. “No offense, but I’m probably the lightest besides Charlotte.”

“Cool, now get your asses in. Gee, you’re the bitch in the middle,” said Ray, grinning.

“Aren’t I always?” Gerard asked with another one of his winks.

It took a few minutes jostling before they could go. Anette ended up with her knees draping over Frank’s and her head resting in Mikey’s lap, staring at the roof of the car. She cursed herself for wearing a dress and tights today, but then again, wasn’t that what she pretty much always wore?

They drove through the night. Anette was totally lost. All she could see were flashes of light when they passed a street lamp. All she could feel was either her knees or her head being pressed into a door when they took a turn. Once, they made a very sharp left, and Anette braced herself for another head impact with the door. Instead, she found her head resting in a rather muscular hand. Mikey looked down and flashed her a smile.

“Alright everyone, here we are,” Ray announced, and they all piled out of the Mustang, which was just as awkward as getting in had been.

“Alright, let’s go!” Charlotte said in excitement, and she and Frank raced for the tall fence. Ray locked the car and then he and Gerard started after them.

“Wait up!” Mikey yelled, and he started running too. Anette walked, felling nervous. It wasn’t the fence climbing that really bothered her, it was the dread that she would do something stupid and embarrassing while she climbed that made her less-than-eager.

“You comin’, Annie?”

Mikey was the last one on their side of the fence, and he was all in position to begin scaling it.

“Yeah, I am,” Anette reassured him.

“It’s easy. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“I know.”

He gave her one last look before he started climbing.

Now it was just Anette. She dripped the fence and slowly began climbing. She gripped with her toes as hard as she could so as to not lose her shoes. When she got to the top, she ran into the problem of getting over.

“Just swing your leg over, Annie!” she heard Mikey call out.

“Okay,” she called back shakily, and started to swing her left leg over. Once she got it settled, she tried to get her right one over. Her tights caught on the top of the fence and she heard a ripping as she yanked her leg free. Then she scurried down to the ground.

Charlotte, Frank, and Gerard were already in the pool, what cloths they had on billowing around them. Anette looked down and inspected her tights. They had torn at her knee and run from the ankle to the middle of her thigh. “Darn it, these are my only purple ones,” she muttered. She pulled them off while a shirtless Ray and Mikey jumped in the pool. Water splashed up and onto Anette. It was freezing.

“Come on Annie, get it!” called out Gerard, pushing his long, wet hair out of his face.

“In my own ti—no,” she said sharply as he started to get out of the pool. Gee had a mischievous grin plastered across his face. “No no NO!” Anette tried to run away, but Gerard caught her up in his arms and started to carry her over to the pool. “I don’t want in the pool, Gerard!”

“The water awaits, Anette!” said Gerard happily, and he threw her in the pool. She screamed, but it was cut off when she fell into the water. Then there was blood.

“Gerard, what the fuck did you do?!”

-

Anette became conscious of herself and groaned. Her head really hurt.

“Was the Anette?”

“Yeah. So shut up, she’s awake.”

Anette tried to open her eyes, but the lights really hurt, so she shut them again. Then she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

“Annie, how do you feel?” asked Mikey’s voice.

“Ow,” Anette moaned, unsticking her throat.

“What’s ow?”

“My head.”

Anette set a hand on her forehead and slowly opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light. Mikey and Frank stood over her, eyes anxious. “What happened?” she asked, sitting up a little.

“Gerard threw you in and you and Ray hit heads,” Mikey explained, shoving his slipping glasses back up his face.

“Is Ray okay?”

“Yeah. He has a bump and a headache though. You were the one who was bleeding.”

“Great,” Anette replied.

“Yeah, well, your spare cloths are up in my room for when you think you can get out of your wet cloths. Then I’ll get you some ice and painkillers.”

“Thank you Mikey,” Anette replied with a weak smile, and Mikey and Frank left for the dining room. Anette laid there for a few moments before getting up slowly and walking to Mikey’s room. Sure enough, the bag she kept at the Way house was there on his bed with a clean change of cloths in it. She changed out of her cold, damp cloths, noting with some distaste how short the dry dress was, seeing as it only came down to her mid thighs.

The clock on Mikey’s dresser read twenty-three past midnight. Anette groaned again. “I’ll just take some Tylenol and sleep somewhere,” she mumbled to herself as she walked back out to the dining room.

Everyone was seated around the table and looked up when Anette entered. “Quick Annie, truth or dare?” Gerard asked, smirking.

“No, I’m getting painkillers and sleeping,” she replied firmly.

“Come on, just one little dare?”

“No Gerard.” Anette reached for the pills on the counter, but Gerard snatched the up. Anette caught Mikey frowning. She sighed. “If I do a dare, will you let me have them?”

“Sure thing,” Gerard replied coolly.

“Fine, give me a dare.”

Gerard grinned. “I dare you to make out with Mikey. Like, full-out straddling tongue-action make out.”

Mikey turned a little pink as Frank and Charlotte laughed. “Fuck you, Gee,” he mumbled, but pushed his chair back from the table anyways.

Anette just rolled her eyes. “Typical. So immature…” She walked over and straddled Mikey, careful to not let her dress ride up too much. They sat looking at each other for a moment, and Anette suddenly got self-conscience because everyone was looking at them, but she just took his face and kissed him.

Everything sort of blurred together as one kiss turned into ten and Anette pulled Mikey’s hair and Mikey pulled their torsos together and she thought he grinded her once and she was sure she was getting faded pink lipstick all over Mikey’s face and somehow his spearmint gum ended up in Anette’s mouth and they both forgot they were just best friends and were kissing in a room full of people and all they could focus on was what the other one was doing.

Anette broke it off, panting. Once she had mostly caught her breath, she got off Mikey, snatched the pain pills out of Gerard’s hand, and left for the couch without another word.

The couch was still a bit damp, but that would be okay. Anette found a blanket and pillow, swallowed two pills dry, and laid back down, wondering what in God’s name had she just done.