Jason & Darius |Craving Yours| ✔

42.Bets & Subtitles

Jason Maddison

Dae punched my arm lightly. Her laugh was contagious and a relief to hear. Even after continuous back and forth texting my heart was still unsettled about leaving her alone. Even though she was not technically alone.

"How come I am your best friend but it took you five whole days to pay me a visit?" Dae said punching me again.

"Hey, stop that." I said laughing at her pouting face, "Before you go around being your melodramatic self... I have a good reason."

"Bet you do." She said leaning against her living room wall.

It had been her 'wise' idea that we sit on the floor. An idea I was definitely starting to regret. Sitting on the floor was great if you planned to be there for less than an hour. I shifted slightly and turned to her with a wavering smile, "Because I knew. I knew if I came to you first you would talk me out of talking to him."

"Him?? Him who...oh. Yes, I would. You, big dummy. Don't tell me you went back there?"

"I promise that I am more objective now. I am not just trailing behind him like a lost puppy." I said letting out a nervous laugh.

"Does he know that?"

"Yeah. He didn't take it well. But I think it's because he has a lot on his plate right now." I said leaning my head against the wall and closing my eyes.

"Don't do that," Dae whispered.

I cracked an eye open so I could see her face, "Do what?"

"Make excuses for him." She said looking at me with a worried look in her eye.

"Okay."

Dae bumped her shoulder into mine, "Yeah. So... what was it like? Meet any hot foreign boys?"

I smiled as I remembered some of the misadventures I had had on my trip, "I did actually. The worst part about learning how to be alone. Is learning how 'to not get attached to anyone who shows you basic human affection'. Pretty hard. Especially if you meet a hot one night stand who wouldn't mind making it a more than a one-night thing."

"Oh, you heart breaker," Dae exclaimed excitedly.

"Calm down. He was great, he was fun but he wasn't..." Darius. I thought to myself before continuing, "That had to end. For the learning and all."

Dae slapped my arm with a frown on her face, "Seriously, I want to say I don't get it but I do. Because I have heard you talk about Darius. You could write countless volumes of books on the reasons why you like Him. It's infuriating that's what it is."

"You have no room to talk. Your gallery is packed with pictures of Brad." I said laughing at her grin.

"That's because he does a lot of stupid stuff. Someone needs to keep track."

"Yeah sure." I said laughing, "So we binging some foreign shows or what?"

"Oh yeah definitely. So...you know how we both don't understand French?"

"Yeah?"

"Okay good. We are going to binge-watch Osmosis. I have been dying to watch that show and I don't have subtitles but hey why not."

"Please don't do this to me again," I said standing up to go to the kitchen.

"Do what?" Dae called out from the living room.

I poked my head through the door and gave her a look," You made me watch a Russian show with no subtitles last time."

"What Russian show?"

"Sniffer!!"

"Oh, that was a good show. I like it."

I let out an amused chuckle, "of course you do."

I pulled out the bowl of popcorn from the microwave. Hanging out with Dae was like slipping back into an old routine. It felt familiar and warm. Normal. I couldn't help but feel happy about the fact that our friendship handed changed.

"Hey, Doofus. What's taking so long you are missing half the show?"

I rolled my eyes, "Hold on. I am coming."

I settled into the seat beside her and leaned back into my earlier position, "He is hot! Do you think he is the main actor?"

"Beats me I can't understand a single thing. Except for all that removal of clothing. That I get." Dae said laughing.

I laughed at the absurdity of it all, "That's a universal language, of course, you get that."

"Man, I missed your dumbass."  She said bumping her shoulder into mine.

"Yeah, I know," I said laughing.

"Dick," Dae shouted before smashing a pillow into my face.

"I miss you too, relax," I said laughing.

Odette bumped her shoulder into mine with a mischievous smile plastered all over her face, "Guess what?"

"What did you do I know that look?"

I turned away from the tv to fully look at Odette her smile grew wider and she shrugged like she was about to tell me something insignificant. I would have believed her too if I didn't know her as well as I did. I watched the devious gleamer in her eye twinkle with anticipation or excitement.

"Come on Dae you can leave me hanging," I said holding her by the shoulders and shaking her lightly.

"Okay. Okay. Brad lost a bet." She said smiling at me with a significantly wider smile.

"You didn't!" I exclaimed thinking about all the ridiculous bets they always have.

"Hey, he shouldn't have accepted if he didn't think he could take it," she said in between laughs, "Noone forced him."

"What was the bet?" I asked getting excited.

"I promised I wouldn't tell." She said laughing. "But here is a hint. It involves a porcupine, sausage and salt."

"I have ideas but they are not clean ideas," I said laughing at the many possibilities, "And what did he have to do?"

"Shave his hair like Ezra Miller in the second fantastic beasts movie. Then dye it with patches of the brightest red and the most disgusting shade of green he could find. It's Hilarious."

"Oh my gosh, I have to see this!" I exclaimed laughing.

"I have a picture. He had to go to work with a wig for two straight weeks. It was Hilarious it still is." She said laughing and handing me her phone.

I glanced at the image and lost it. I was torn between laughing and feeling sorry for him. Brad stood next Dae in a tux in front of a fancy looking restaurant. Although his hair looked ridiculous his face looked relaxed and happy. Just like Dae's. A part of me figured that he let her get away with this dare to cheer her up. And she also took advantage of it.

"This is awesome," I said smiling at her, "Is his hair still like this?"

"Yes. Wait until he comes back home." She said beaming at me.

AN: Any wild guess to what the Bet was? Let's hear them we all need a laugh.