Zap! (M. Clifford/5SOS)

Chapter 22: Rejects

Monica's P.O.V.

"What?!" Michael and I shout in unison. Sitting up, I stare at Luke with wide eyes, wondering how the hell he thinks this would be funny.

"You said you weren't going to make me do anything that bad!" I almost scream at him.

"Compared to the things we had to do earlier, it really isn't," he defends. "You don't have to go out into the rain, you don't have to drink anything, and you don't have to embarrass yourself with a text."

"He does have a point," Calum interferes.

"But I didn't even want to do a dare in the first place! You guys practically forced me into it!" I yell.

"We didn't force you. We persuaded you and kind of pressured you, but honestly, the game really is no fun if you just keep picking truth," Luke admits.

"Hey, it's okay. It's just a game," Ashton soothes, stroking my arm. It does feel better knowing Ashton's fine with this, since it's not exactly alright to be kissing other guys when your boyfriend is watching from the couch. And it's also just Michael, someone who I've known for years and not some random stranger. All I have to do is kiss him. That's it. One kiss and it's done.

A million things are running through my brain but one question surprisingly pops out among the others: how long? How long do I have to kiss him for?

"What are you waiting for?" Luke urges. I open my mouth to ask the question but then something in my mind clicked. I figured out a loophole.

Rising from my spot, I slowly walk over to Michael with a smirk on my face, keeping eye contact with him. The room becomes so silent that I'm pretty sure you could hear a pin drop on carpet. Michael's expression reads frightened as I approach him and honestly, if I could see myself right now, I'd probably be scared of me, too. Without sitting down, I place my hands on his face, turn his head, and peck his cheek. I release my hands and he gapes at me as I straighten myself, giving him a wink before moving back to Ashton.

The look on Luke's and Calum's faces are priceless as they gaze at me.

"You didn't tell me where or how long," I shrug, the smile becoming bigger on my face.

"Damn, she got you," Ashton comments. I swear I could see Michael breathe a sigh of relief and honestly, there's nothing awkward about this because I've actually kissed him on the cheek many times before. I feel proud to have wriggled out of that dare as I glance at Luke's and Calum's defeated faces.

"Figuring out an escape plan doesn't make the game fun," Luke pouts.

"No, but it made it interesting," I reply, still smiling.

"Okay, Monica, it's your turn," Calum says, moving the game along.

"Do we have to keep playing?" Michael questions. "As much fun as that seemed, I'm getting a little tired."

"Yeah, me too," Ashton agrees and I yawn in response.

"Movie?" I suggest. Everyone murmurs a "yeah" or "sure" and I get up to prepare it, switching over the TV from the gaming system to Netflix. As I do so, Michael uses his magic to gather blankets and pillows and spread them across the entire living room floor, the rest of the guys laying out their sleeping bags to create a comfy space for us to relax in. Calum and Luke are still intrigued by our magic and it's surprising because they've been seeing it a lot lately.

Once everything is set, we pile on the floor and I'm in charge of the remote. I flip through and we finally decide on a good one after a few arguments erupted between all four of the boys. Settling down, the movie begins playing and I don't realize how tired I am until my head hits the pillow. The last thing I remember happening is Ashton's lips on my cheek and a goodnight whisper in my ear.