Arthit & Kongpop ✔️

Truth or Dare

"My legs are so smooth," Oak said in awe.

The girls who shaved his legs laughed and touched his legs too. He preened when they complimented him on how soft they were.

Meanwhile, Oaujun, who had to put ice cubes in his pants ' pointed an accusatory finger at me and said, "Your turn."

I shrugged. "Okay. Dare."

He grinned, then pointed to his right. "I dare you to kiss him for a minute."

Him  was Kongpop Suthilak.

There's a lot of things I knew about Kongpop Suthilak and even more I didn't know.

What I knew was this: Kongpop Suthilak moved here when I was ten.

He had tried to carry too many boxes from the car  had tripped and fell on the concrete. I had looked out of my window, curious because of the loud crying, and had seen how Kongpop's parents had started arguing instead of calming down their small child.

Kongpop Suthilak wasn't small now. Yet I had failed to see him when he sat down for truth or dare. Perhaps he'd joined our group while we were debating what to play.

What I also knew: People had to be mildly afraid of Kongpop Suthilak.

It's mostly because of his size. He looked like he's supposed to be in college on a football scholarship.

But it's the cuts and bruises that really sealed the deal.

I didn't pay too much attention, but I'd heard the rumors.

People thought he's in a secret underground fight club, bashing people's faces in for extra money.

But what I knew about Kongpop Suthilak didn't matter now. Not when there's an entire group of teenagers watching me with grinning faces, waiting for me to object the dare.

But why should I?

"Sure," I said.

I crawled to Kongpop, who watched me with a frown.

"Someone get a timer!" May called, and Namtan scrambled for her phone.

On our knees on the artificial grass, Kongpop Suthilak was still bigger than me.

"Are you okay with this?" I asked.

"Uh, I guess?" Kongpop said, but it sounded like a question.

"I won't do tongue."

Kongpop seemes to choke on his spit. "Uh, okay."

Without another word - because why procrastinate? - I closed my eyes and pressed my lips against Kongpop Suthilak's mouth.

May whooped loudly, and the others immediately joined in.

Why, I didn't know.

It's a very boring feeling, just skin on skin. Almost like a handshake.

Until Kongpop pressed forward a little and I suddenly remembered I was kissing Kongpop Suthilak.

A chilly wind blew through the backyard, and I wanted to blame it for the goosebumps breaking out on my skin, but it didn't work because I knew it's not true.

The goosebumps arrived before the wind

The feeling quickly subsided, but the minute lasted very long.

Long enough that I wandered if I should also move my mouth. Would that make it better?

Experimentally, I tilted my head a little, and Kongpop made a little gasp-y sound like he's surprised.