Take Me Dancing

The group ended up in Central Park, of all places, sitting on a set of concrete steps, stuffing their faces with bread and telling stupid jokes. As they all started to sober up, they decided to play a game of Truth or Dare.

“This is so fucking dumb,” Cam said. “We’re not twelve.”

“Just shut up and play!” Jenna scolded him.

“Fine,” he said. “Whak, truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Whakaio replied.

“I dare you to strip naked and jump in that fountain.”

“Dude, it’s freezing,” Whakaio complained.

“Dude, it’s a dare. You have to do it. Now go,” Cam said with a smirk. Whakaio groaned. “Can’t I switch to truth?” he pleaded. Cam glanced over at Jenna – she was the best at picking Truths. She nodded at Cam and looked over at Whakaio.

“Fine. If you don’t want to do Cam’s dare, you have to do my Truth.”

“What is it?” Whakaio asked.

“Are you in love with Becca?”

“I’m getting in the fucking fountain.”

True to his word, he stripped completely naked and got into the fountain. His friends couldn’t stop laughing as they watched him splash and frolic around, at Cam’s order. Becca was still asleep –this time on Matt. Jenna retrieved a towel from the van for Whakaio and he took it, drying himself off before putting his clothes back on and grabbing his sleeping bag from the van to wrap around himself as he shivered.

“I hate you guys,” he grumbled.

Throughout the entire game, everyone picked on Whakaio. They all used their turn to dare him to do ridiculous things. When he failed at finding and capturing a squirrel, he had to forfeit to a Jenna-dare, which were always brutal. He turned to her, dreading the insane task she would demand he must complete.

“I dare you to tell Becca how you really feel.” Whakaio just looked at her.

“I can’t,” he said. “We’re just friends.”

“Horse shit!” Cam yelled. The others nodded in agreement.

“C’mon, Whak. It’s Valentine’s Day. Grow a pair and do it,” Matt said. They all egged him on, their talking waking Becca. They all stared at her as she yawned and sat up in Matt’s lap. “Hey guys, what’d I miss?” she said. They all just looked at her.

“Do I have something on my face?”

Jenna bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from smiling. “I, uh, have to clean out the van. It’s getting disgusting,” she said, getting up and running off.

“I’ll help her!” Matt said, taking off after her.

“I need to find some shoes…” Jake trailed off, wandering away from the group.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Cam said, taking Kelly’s hand and leading her away from Becca and Whakaio. There was no escaping it now. Cam looked over his shoulder as he walked away with Kelly, winking at Whakaio and mouthing “do it.” Whakaio rolled his eyes and turned to Becca, as Cam smiled to himself and tightened his grip on Kelly’s hand.

“Thanks for hanging out with me tonight,” Kelly said. “This time of year is pretty fucking depressing for me.”

“What? Valentine’s Day? Dude, don’t stress it. It doesn’t even matter. It’s just a day.”

“I guess you’re right,” she said.

“Of course I’m right,” he replied.

“It still would have been nice to have a date,” she muttered.

“Honestly, would you rather sit in a boring restaurant and eat shitty over-priced steak, or watch some guy piss all over a few hundred people in a packed club?”

Kelly laughed. “You’ve got a point there. Tonight was…I don’t know the words for it.”

“You’re welcome,” he said with a smile. They walked in silence for a while, before Cam spoke up. “Do you think I could get a second date?” Kelly stopped walking to look at him.

“Only if it doesn’t involve pissing on people and making out in dumpsters,” she dead-panned.

“No promises!” Cam said. Kelly laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck as he placed his hands on her hips, leaning in for a kiss. A jagged pulse ran through Kelly’s veins as Cam kissed her, her heart thrashing against her rib cage so hard she feared it would break. They broke apart and Kelly was left feeling breathless.

“You’re a good egg,” Cam said, ruffling her hair. She rolled her eyes and laughed, following him back to the van. They arrived just in time to see Whakaio and Becca locked in each other’s embrace, leaning in for a kiss. Their lips connected and all their friends started clapping and cheering. Whakaio smiled as he kissed Becca, holding her face in both hands.

“It’s about fucking time!” Cam yelled at them. Becca took one hand off Whakaio’s chest to flip him the bird. Cam laughed and shook his head. “Seriously, Kell. This sexual tension thing between them was getting pretty old. It’s been six years.” Kelly smiled and shook her head, feeling more at home with these strangers than she had ever felt in her entire life.