handprints on my soul - jaylor oneshots

family that i chose

summer 2016

"Okay, truth or dare?" asked Taylor. She lay stomach down on the bed, her legs bent upwards and crossed in midair.

"Dare," said Joe. He sat on the floor, trying to attract Meredith and Olivia with a jingly little cat toy. Needless to say, he wasn't having much success.

"You always pick dare!" Taylor complained. "Pick truth!"

"That's tampering with the player! I want dare, they're so fun," Joe said.

"But truth is more entertaining! You get to discover something new about people," Taylor pointed out.

"You choose truth then!" said Joe.

"I do!" Taylor laughed. "Ugh, fine. Dare. Um... I dare you to... chug the water." She pointed to a full water bottle on the desk.

"That's nothing," said Joe nonchalantly.

"Do it, then," Taylor challenged.

"I will," Joe said haughtily. He grabbed it off the desk, screwing off the top.

"I'm gonna time you, hold on," Taylor told him, opening her phone. "Okay... go!"

She watched the contents in the water bottle disappear as Joe chugged it down, not even stopping to breathe. Finally he slammed the empty plastic bottle back on the desk and gasped for air for a few moments.

"Nine seconds. Impressive," said Taylor.

"I'm gonna be sick," Joe chuckled, putting one of his hands on his stomach as he sat back down.

"Don't be sick in here," Taylor teased.

"I'll try," responded Joe. "Okay, it's your turn now. Truth or dare?"

"Truth, of course," Taylor casually told him.

"You are so boring!" complained Joe.

"What, for liking thoughtful answers over doing stupid things?" asked Taylor. "Just give me a truth to answer."

"Fine..." Joe sighed, rolling his eyes. Suddenly he sat up in excitement. "I have an idea of how to make this more entertaining for us both!"

"I'm almost scared to ask," Taylor replied, chuckling softly.

"Truth or drink! We can do stupid things but because we're drunk instead, and you get to answer all your little truths," Joe said.

Taylor rolled her eyes, but was secretly entranced by the idea. Maybe this could be her chance to really, deeply scope out Joe.

"Yeah, sure. I guess that's a win for both of us," Taylor agreed. "You remember where the alcohol is? I showed you, right?" she asked.

"Yep, specifically pointed it out," Joe said, and he was already standing at the door, eager to get the real fun going.

"Great. Grab whatever, I'll drink anything," Taylor instructed, and then watched as he bounded out of the room and downstairs to attain whatever he saw fit.

As she waited, it gave her mind the energy to think over every scenario she could come up with and more.

She really liked Joe. Probably more than she'd ever liked anyone, really. He was so sweet to her, an amazing buddy on Words With Friends. But still, she felt like she knew him on a friendly level, and she wanted more. So she'd invited him to stay wih her in Rhode Island a few days, partly as a way to distract herself from the awful things people said about her on a daily basis and partly because he was always on her mind and she was desperate to see him.