The Bucket List, 𝙟. 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠

𝟭𝟴 art of starting fights

"The person you're most attracted to is Sarah?" He narrowed his eyes over at Trinity. "That's a lie."

"Oh, but you don't know that." The Shoupe girl shook her head teasingly while Sarah giggled next to her.

"We're back in the game, baby! Let's keep playing." She announced, picking up the ping pong ball out of their cup. She made it into the boys' last dare cup and smiled victoriously to herself. "Alright, alright, it's your turn now, Carson. I dare you to kiss the the person you're most attracted to here at this party."

There was a bunch of 'ooh''s that coursed from the crowd as Carson smirked to himself, a breath of amusement leaving him.

"Don't get shy now, Carson." Trinity found some unknowing confidence to taunt him with, making Sarah laugh from besides her while Carson's eyes shot up to find hers.

"Alright, come here then." He nodded his head to the side, beckoning Trinity over to him. Sarah grasped at Trinity's arm and squealed while the Shoupe girl herself froze up, heart pounding erratically in her chest as she tried to remember how to breathe and think properly.

"Go!" Sarah encouraged her, shaking her a bit as the crowd's continued loud reaction to Carson's words drowned in her ears. "You got him to admit he likes you first! You freaking win, Trin!"

Trinity started forward on her feet and Carson left his side of the table too so he could meet her halfway. She was ready to melt into a puddle of nervousness, but she forced herself to let the alcohol pumping in her veins to take over so that she could keep her chin held high as she neared Carson.

At the front of Kelce's house, John B, JJ, and Kiara finally arrived at the party and didn't know where to start looking for Trinity and Ellie in the giant manor-like home they'd found themselves in. To their luck, Eleanor Routledge came stumbling over to the Pogue trio.

"I can't believe you guys are here!" She cried and JJ could tell she was tipsy since she didn't even look mad to see that he and her brother had crashed the party. She even looked a bit . . . relieved?

"Why are you roaming around by yourself drunk?" John B scowled down at his sister, gathering her in his arms before a passing-by party-goer could knock into her.

"Yeah, where's Trinity?" Kiara asked from besides John B.

"John B, you've gotta help her." Ellie gripped onto the front of her brother's shirt tightly and something sunk in JJ's chest when he saw the franticness wash over the Routledge girl's face.

"Help her? Why? Is she in trouble? Where is she?" He quickly stepped up to Ellie and bombarded her with questions. The girl just shot JJ a helpless look before turning back to John B.

"She's playing beer pong– she's playing beer pong right over there with Sarah and . . . and . . . John B, she's playing against Carson." 

Something snapped in John B's composure and he urgently handed Ellie over to Kiara.

"Watch her." He demanded before starting forward with a vigor that confused JJ.

"What the hell was that about?" He voiced his confusion out loud with a frown.

"JJ, go after him and make sure things don't get too out of hand." Ellie tugged on the sleeve of JJ's shirt to get his attention.

"I don't understand . . ."

"Just go, JJ." Kie also urged him and JJ gave in with a sigh, following after John B in a hurry in order to catch up with him. He made it just in time to see Trinity and a half-naked Carson Kheelaghan standing in front of each other– standing too close in front of each other, like they were about to kiss. But John B was already on Carson, grabbing at the back of the boy's shoulders aggressively and yanking him away from Trinity.