Truth or Dare

Negotiations, Surprises and the Hill

                                                                                                                 Lydia

We arrived at the head's place just as Casey's watch read midnight. They boys were waiting for us, they'd even already started a fire in the pit. Wes stood in the middle of their small group, wearing a backpack and holding my stuffed dog. All the boys stood with their arms behind their back and feet shoulder length apart, like how we stood when we said the pledge in the morning.

"Before anything, show me your hands and arms." I said skeptically. This was their plan, to get me to call a negotiation. What else did they have planned for tonight?

"You don't trust us?" Keith asked.

"Not between the hours of nine and eight." Hayley quipped.

"Now show them." I demanded. The boys all slowly raised their arms and held their hands out, showing they had nothing. None of them wore sweatshirts, which was odd because it was a chilly night. But nothing was concealed up their nonexistent sleeves, so I was satisfied. "Alright. They're clean."

"You didn’t bring the bandana's." Alexi observed.

"Well, you're all accounted for, so I don't feel like I made a poor decision." I said. "Besides, we're just here to discuss. Who says you're getting anything back tonight?"

"Let's skip the flirting and teasing, shall we? I'm tired." Keith complained.

"I'm good with that," Allie said. "Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?"

"Agreed," I looked at Wes. "Who's your negotiator?"

"That would be me," Jack stepped forward. "If we used Wes then you'd just throw him your puppy dog eyes and he'd bend to your every will."

"We all know who wears the pants in the relationship there," Keith laughed, receiving a shove from Wes.

"Fine," I smirked and crossed my arms. They weren’t wrong, after all. "State your starting terms."

"All bandana's back for the dog."

"Oh hell no. You're starting way to high there, Jackie boy." I laughed and took a seat on one of the logs by the fire pit. "Two bandana's back for the dog."

"All or nothing," Jack demanded.

"You're really making the mistake of thinking that I am not fully capable of stealing back my own stuffed animal? I am doing you a favor right now, boys. I'm giving you a chance to get some of your bandana's back with little of your pride being bruised. You are in no position to make an all or nothing deal."

"Really, am I not?" Jack asked.

"I have been doing this longer then you have, Jack. In fact, the only person on your team who has been doing this as long as I have is Wes, who you say will bend to my every whim with just a batting of my big brown eyes. So really, I don't think you're in the all or nothing position. You are lucky to be in the two bandana's position."

"Four bandana's and we'll throw in a can of silly string." Wes stepped forward. "Final offer."

"Or you could just give me the dog and I could give you nothing."

"Our final offer stands. Take it or leave it." Wes said.

"Done, taken." I crossed my arms and looked back at Janie. "Run and get four bandana's."

"What about the other ones?"

"Leave them up." Janie nodded and ran into the darkness that led to Backwood.