Kiss Me, I Dare You

Chapter 1: The Dare

Skylar Reyes hated mornings. Not because she was a morning person — far from it — but because mornings meant stepping into the chaos of Westbrook High all over again. The halls flooded with noise, lockers slamming shut, and the endless sea of faces trying to outdo each other in popularity. None of which interested her.

She kept her head down as she slipped past clusters of chatting students, clutching her books tight. Her backpack was worn at the edges, but she didn't care. It was just a shield, like her sketchbook tucked inside—her only escape from this overwhelming world.

"Skylar! Wait up!"

Her best friend, Lena, bounced up beside her, practically humming with excitement. "You're not gonna believe what happened yesterday."

Skylar sighed but smiled anyway. Lena had this way of dragging her into the whirlwind of school life, whether she wanted it or not.

"Jaxon Carter got suspended."

Skylar blinked, caught off guard. Jaxon Carter was the golden boy of Westbrook — star soccer player, top of the social ladder, and trouble magnet all rolled into one. Suspended? That was big news.

"Yeah," Lena grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Apparently, he got into a fight after school. You know how he is. Guess the principal finally had enough."

Skylar tried to stay neutral. She didn't hate Jaxon, but she didn't like how he made her feel—like everything she valued was invisible to him.

"You don't have to get all serious," Lena teased. "But listen, the tutoring program just posted the sign-ups. And guess who they want you to tutor?"

Skylar's heart sank before she even asked.

"Jaxon Carter."

She stopped walking and stared at Lena. "No way."

"Way," Lena said, smirking. "He probably needs help keeping his grades up. Or maybe it's a punishment."

Skylar groaned. She had enough on her plate without babysitting the school's biggest heartbreaker.

The next afternoon, Skylar found herself standing outside the school library, clutching her notebook like armor. The old clock above the entrance ticked loudly, reminding her this was happening right now.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and scanned the quiet room. There, by the big window, sat Jaxon Carter—slouched in his chair, feet kicked up on the table, looking like he owned the place.

He looked up and grinned, that infuriating cocky smile. "Well, well. Tutor girl finally showed up."

Skylar folded her arms, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "Don't call me that."

Jaxon waved a hand lazily. "Suit yourself. So, what's the plan? You gonna lecture me, or is this gonna be fun?"

Skylar sat down across from him, opening her notebook to the math section. "Let's start with something simple. Algebra. You ready?"

Jaxon smirked. "Born ready."

Minutes passed, and Skylar tried to focus on equations and formulas, but Jaxon kept interrupting with jokes or sideways comments. When she corrected him, he'd flash that grin and say, "You're a tough tutor."

After a particularly tricky problem, Jaxon threw down his pencil. "Okay, I admit, this is harder than I thought."

Skylar smiled despite herself. "Told you."

Suddenly, Jaxon leaned forward, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I have a dare for you."

Skylar frowned. "What now?"