Dares

CH.10

Jack came out of the restaurant and walked towards the car. Immediately Gabe put on a fake smile.

"Why aren't you waiting in the car?" he laughed, but the steam didn't make his heart speed up, it made it break.

"It was warmer outside." he shrugged, and Jack's smile quickly faded.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Gabe looked surprised, for years Amelie hadn't even been able to tell when he was sad, but Jack knew in a second.

"Nothing." he said, he got in the car. Jack hesitated, but got in with him.

"Seriously, what's up with you? You're not acting like yourself."

"Seriously, It's nothing to worry about." Jack frowned, and Gabe started driving.

It felt suffocating. Neither of them said a word and suddenly Gabe had wished he'd just picked a more expensive place closer to the dorm. He wondered what Jack was thinking. Did he think he was going to break up with him? That he was sick? That he was upset about the check? Maybe he thought it was Jesse. But Jack wasn't thinking about any of that, he was thinking something bad had happened in his family.

He wasn't blind, he saw the phone and he had seen how he looked talking on it through the window. Just then it dawned on him he didn't really know much about Gabe's family, or if he even had any.

Finally the long car ride ended, and Gabe immediately got out without thinking about it. Jack got out and grabbed his wrist.

"Tell me what's wrong."

Gabe turned to face him, there was no hiding from him. He sighed, Amelie had said the longer he waited the harder. He slipped his hands into Jacks. "I have to be honest with you." He looked into Jack's eyes, blue as the sky but as nervous as Gabe was sure he looked. "The reason I started to be...uh...forward with you was because of a dare." Everything crashed down in the blue eyes. The anxiety turned to sadness before Gabe could blink and the guilt weld up before he even knew it was their.

Jacks hands slipped out of his. "What?"

"Me and Amelie started this thing at the beginning of the year where we gave each other dares, and she dared me to kiss you-"

"Oh god."Jack put his hands over his face, "That kiss was because of Amelie?"

"No-Well yes-but-"

"So this dare thing started way back then? How many dares have been about me?"

"Uh, all of them...but Jack you have to listen to me-"

"Jesus all of them? So what, I was just like a game to you two?"

"No-"

Jack groaned, "Save it Gabe, I'm going to someone else's place." He turned and walked away.

"Wait, Jack." he grabbed his wrist, "go to the dorm. You can sleep there. I can stay somewhere else." he jerked his hand away and walked away without another word.

Gabe didn't know where he was going to go, but he made his way to Amelie's dorm.