I Dare You ➢ Joshaya [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 18

"Let me get this straight," Farkle says, shifting in his seat slightly. "He kissed you?"

"That's hard to believe," Riley whispers, sitting on her bed across from us. "I thought you guys hated each other."

"We do," I confirm.

"Did you kiss back?" Farkle asks, curiously. I shake my head, looking away, still unable to comprehend the fact that he kissed me. "So he likes you?" Farkle stares into space, probably trying to understand the situation.

"How did you guys end up in that place anyway?" Riley questions.

"It was too dark and I couldn't see anything," I tell her, remembering the events that occurred almost an hour ago, "and then I heard someone call my name."

"And that someone was?" Farkle interrupts. "Josh?"

"Yeah," I say, as I realize it must've been Josh. "And the next I knew, I fell on top of some boxes. I guess I fell through some little window and into the basement of some building," I continue. "And that idiot fell on top of me."

"I'm still confused as to why he kissed you though," I hear Riley say. "What's going on with you two?"

Silence elapses us before Farkle asks the question I had been dreading. "Why do you hate each other so much?"

"You really wanna know why?" I ask quietly, looking down at my hands.

"Of course!" he exclaims. "That'd be nice to know." His voice drips with sarcasm. I take a deep breath.

"I didn't tell you this before," I say, forcing myself to meet their eyes, "because this story confuses me so much. But, I guess I'll tell you so you guys can help me figure it out.

"It was in ninth grade," I begin. I look up to see Riley's eyes wide, most likely wondering I had kept this hidden for two years. "Remember Logan?"

"That baseball player you dated?" Farkle asks, as Riley slowly nods.

"Yeah, him," I confirm. "Anyway, do you...remember why we broke up?"

"Because he thought you were cheating on him," Riley states right away.

"Why did he think that?" Farkle mumbles, staring into space once again.

At this moment, the door opens to Riley's bedroom and Topanga comes into view. "Oh, Maya? You're here too?" she asks, surprised, to which I nod. "I baked cookies," she says, motioning to the tray in her hands. Farkle's eyes immediately light up and his mouth starts watering. I shake my head, slightly amused.

"Thanks, Mom," Riley says, taking a cookie from the tray after it's placed in front of us. Topanga exits the room and the two of them turn to me, expecting me to continue.

"I can't," I say, lamely.

"Maya, please," she begs. "We'll," she pauses to look at Farkle, "tell you something if you finish this story."

"I wanna tell you," I assure, "but I just can't."

"By telling us, you'll feel better about whatever went wrong in ninth grade," Farkle tells me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Josh spread the rumor."

"What?" Riley asks, her expression unidentifiable. Farkle's hand drops from my shoulder.

"Logan broke up with me," I explain, "because he thought I was cheating on him. He thought this because that's what Josh told him."

"Why would he believe Josh?" Farkle questions, after a while. "I thought they hated each other."