Metanoia: A Change of Heart

Chapter XX ~ Thonia

Kennard and Alex laughed as they explained what they saw to Fredd. We were at the school play ground. I sat on the three-set-swing between Alex and Asaila. The boys sat on the bench infront of us, while Mary and Fredd were leaning on the tree beside it. There was nothing if you saw a couple of friends in the mall, right? Why were they kept on adding malice to it?

"I just dared if he could get the prize." I explained.

"You dared Joshua Silva in an arcade game?" Fredd smirked. "He is not unbeatable, I've beaten him several times, but to those kinds," he shook his head, "You'll surely lose."

"He got it the third time! That's close not to."

"What's the dare anyway?" Kennard asked. I hesitated to answer. Not with all these people hearing what he dared to me.

"If that last coin failed, I should give her lunch for a week." Joshua lamely said. So, he did not care about all the accusations and he was back in his old self like the happy dinner with my family was nothing. "And if I could, which I'd already done," his eyes met mine and I hid my face in my palms before he said what his dare was, "she... she will go to Nikki's party with me."

"You're going to Nikki's party?" Asaila asked beside me. She and I had a little argument about going to that party. She'd insisted to bring me there since she wanted me to meet Arthur. But jeez! Nicole was not in my clique, and I very well knew I was not in hers. I nodded and eyed her the unsaid I'll explain later.

The others had the emotion of disappointment and humor. Joshua curved the side of his lips at me. "To be honest, I was just adding suspense last night. I could get it in the first try." He smiled at me with boastful smile.

My mouth fell because of all the air in this guy's head! "Really?"

"Really."

I rolled my eyes in frustration. "Let's play a match tomorrow after school." The challenge slipped out of my mouth without further notice to my brain.

"Are you," he smirked, "serious?"

I stood and hovered over him as he sat on the bench beside Kennard. "Basketball, racing, anything, as long as I play it." There was silence in our group despite the undying noise around the playground.

Joshua stared for a moment before laughing. "You're daring me?"

"You're daring him?" Kennard looked at me with mixture of disbelief, pity, and concern.

"That's what I said. And I mean what I say, remember?" Who was this Joshua Silva? The king of Arcade-dom? I definitely disagree.

Joshua stood and faced me. Something danced in his eyes. "If I win, you will do all those past dares. Including my new one. If not," he shrugged. "If not, they will be disregarded. Understood?" I hated his arrogance and boastfulness.

My heart raced in his dares. That included talking to Rick. I sent a silent prayer to God before agreeing. "What is the new dare?" I asked. He placed his hand behind his neck and thought.

"Hey," Kennard stood from his seat and announced the bell just rang. Alex and Kennard walked with slight distance, not too close like couples, not too far like normal friends. In between was a complicated label. While Fredd and Mary walked in the building, holding hands.

Asaila stood too and waited for me. I wanted to know what the dare was. Another Rick thing? Oh, no. That secret dare glued me and Joshua together and I hated it. I took a deep breath and turned to Asaila. "Let's go, A."

Joshua did not move. His face only showed amusement and deep thinking for what his dare might be.

"So he is the only person who can make you go to the party, then?" Asaila laughed as she texted. The way she held her phone everytime I see her irritated me. I hoped that Arthur guy behaves or else...