Playing The Dare

chapter one

Well, I survived my first week of my second year at WSU.

It wasn't any easier, nor better than last year. At least I'm one year closer to graduating, though when I finish my life won't get any easier either. But at least I'll have some form of freedom. When I graduate, I get the access to the trust fund my grandparents left me, and then I can be free of my family and leave.

Thankfully they don't live in Pullman, instead they are still on the lower West Coast in California. Personally, they aren't far enough.

My gaze scans the crowd, everyone is cheering from the bleachers as the quarterback just made another goal, I want to say? Pass? Anyways, WSU are winning at the moment, though there are ten minutes left. I lift up my camera to shoot another shot of the captain of the cougars. Number two, I've never spoken to the guy, nor would I wish to. I prefer to keep myself to myself, I'm not much of an extrovert.

The only reason I'm at this football game on a Saturday night is because it's the first game of the new college season, and the newspaper requires photos. And with myself being in charge of getting the photos, here I am, camera in charge, trying to get good, usable shots of the football team.

Another pass is made but this time they don't score. The crowd are on the edge of their seats as I turn to take photos of the crowd. All are happy to be here, standing and cheering every couple seconds. Even the cheerleaders are more vocal tonight. I try to stay out of people's way, hence why I'm standing just at the end of the bleachers.

Just before I could take a snapshot of the cheerleaders shouting, someone bumps into my shoulder, pushing me forward.

"Do you mind?" I say with slight anger to my words, not only did I miss my shot but I also got shoved. I spin around to lash out at whoever just knocked into me when I lock eyes with a small brunette. "I am so sorry," she says as she tightens her hands on her rucksack. My eyes scan the girl standing in front of me. Long, brown, curly hair, though with the light breeze, her hair doesn't look as perfect as I imagine she would have done it.

Her cheeks are a pinkish color, probably from the heat, though despite it being early August, it's not as warm as it usually is. Her bright eyes find mine before they narrow, "you're staring," she states though I don't look away. She just bumped into me, of course I'm going to be staring. I shrug my shoulders, her shoulders square up slightly as if she's not used to this, "not caring" reaction.

"You bumped into me," I reply, the girl lets out a breath before saying, "and I apologised." I smiled at how easy it is to wind her up, for some odd reason, I find myself wanting to talk to her more. I don't want this conversation to end, and I always want conversations to end.

"Yes, you did," I find myself muttering, my eyes once again scanning over her body. She's small, not tiny or anything, but shorter than myself, though I imagine with heels she would still be shorter. I watch in silence as she extends her hand, "Sage," she says with a small smile. I go to speak before she continues, "like the color." This time I smile, and I notice how it isn't fake either.

"Theo," I grip her hand in mine and slowly shake, not remembering the last time I shook hands with anyone, let alone a woman. "Theo," she repeats softly, quickly I drop her hand before taking a step back. My hand tightens around my camera strap, my task coming back in focus.

We stand there in silence for a minute, though it isn't awkward, "I should," Sage trails off as she points behind me, "yeah," I whisper the single word. With one last smile she walks past me, my eyes trailing after her. Sage makes her way to some blonde, a cheerleader, she grins before pulling Sage into a hug, and without thinking I pull up my camera to take a picture of the embrace.

Sage.

'Sage, like the color.'

She suited the name, her cardigan was a lighter shade of the green. It was like she embodied the color, as if it was made for her.

I shook my head, before glancing at the scoreboard. It was safe to say that WSU was about to win their first home game of the season with the captain taking them to it. Two minutes later, whistles blew out and the game came to a finish. Fireworks set off, reds and whites for the college's colors.

My eyes found Sage again, she was easy to find. A smile found its way onto my face before slowly fading. Just as quick and easy as it came, it vanished. I watched hers widen, like crazy fucking amount as she opened her arms. Two seconds later, a guy twice her size was wrapped around her. He picked her up and spun her around as she let out a laugh, though from where I was standing, I couldn't hear.

Number two, the quarterback and the captain, all in one.

I shouldn't feel irritated by the sight, I didn't even know the girl. And now I know that she's dating the most popular guy on campus. It made sense too, they made sense. Put Sage in a cheerleader outfit and they would be that 'IT' couple, and everyone would know it too.

The quarterback placed Sage back on her feet before hugging her blonde friend. His attention focused on the actual cheerleader for a second too long for a guy to have a girlfriend, but what did I know? I've never had one, barely even interacted with one. This is why I keep myself to myself, it's easier, safer.

Placing my camera back into my bag, I took a deep breath as I watched Sage walk away. The footballer's hand swung around her shoulders as she gripped her blonde friend's hand. A strange feeling built up in my chest but I chose to ignore it. With a small nod, I turned and walked in the other direction.

And for the rest of that Saturday night, even when I was printing the photos, I couldn't take my thoughts off of her. One of the last pictures printed. The one of Sage and the cheerleader, she looked happy. Her eyes closed, and her smile wide.

'Sage, like the color.'

It was a pretty color.

"I bet you think about me."

I Bet You Think About Me, (Taylor's Version)

The sunshine and the social outcast? Sign me up for that.

Theo Crist, my my my, you'll be an interesting character. "It was a pretty color." Ugh, dare I say I love them already? And Caleb in the end, his little spin with Sage? It's giving Hayden and Ele in the best way possible and I'm obsessed already.

And don't you worry, Caleb will get his amazing love story, just like his mom and dad. But humour me, enjoy his and Sage's relationship, they are mini versions of their parents and their relationship and I adore it, I know you do too, (how could you not?).

But for now, I do hope you've liked the opener to Playing The Dare, do tell me your thoughts, I always love to hear them. Also, similar to all my other stories, remember to vote and comment, it shows me that you enjoyed it and want to see more.

"But you know what they say,
you can't help who you fall for."

I Bet You Think About Me, (Taylor's Version)

***

Love you always,

multiverseeditsx.