A Heart Unbroken [Book One]

Truth or...Truth? ~ Louis

I breathed a sigh of relief at hearing Cameron's voice. When the bush moved, all I could do was replay the scene with the mountain lion. Not something I wanted to relive.

The three stepped out of the bushes carrying a basket of food each. We opened what we were hungry for and set the things that needed to be cooked on the fire. Settling back down on our logs, I saw Meghan smile.

"Do you guys know what 'Truth or Dare' is?" she asked. Everyone shook their head, causing a frown to form upon her face. "No one?"

"My cousins and I grew up in caves for the past ten years," Hanan said.

"Yeah, and I-" Cameron cut himself off, saying dryly instead, "I've never heard of it either."

"Fine," Meghan sighed. "It's just a game where you have to do what a person instructs, or answer a question with complete honesty. Since we don't really know anything about each other, I thought we could just do the 'truth' part and ask each other questions."

"So, it would be called 'Truth or...Truth'?" I asked. She giggled, simultaneously nodding her head. There was a positive response from everyone except Lilly, who was still.

"I suppose," she said slowly, "that it shall not hinder our mission in any way, since we are stationed here for the night. But I warn you that any questions I am to produce shall be in no way creative."

"That's okay!" Meghan chirped. "Why don't you start us up?"

"If you wish." Lilly thought for a minute before asking, "What is one ambition you have held since childhood, and wish to fulfill before you die?"

Cameron was closest to her in the circle, so she looked to him to begin answering. He smiled broadly and replied, "Ever since I was little, I've wanted to see Disneyland." Then he looked to Marshall, who blushed when we all looked at him.

"Mine's silly."

"Come on, and Disneyland wasn't? Nobody's going to judge you, Dude," Cameron said smiling. He gave Marshall a nudge on the shoulder as an encouragement to continue.

Unmistakably, his bright blue eyes flashed to Lilly, then came back to the fire. "I've...always wanted to kiss a girl." I looked at my sister as I realized what he said.

She was wearing her blank look, as always, but it was focused on him. I doubted she realized that the poor guy wanted to kiss, specifically, her. The silence between us all seemed to be killing him, and I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what.

"Hey, that's not silly, Marshall. I've had the same wish for years," Hanan said. I could practically see the wind leaving Marshall's lungs, his sigh of relief was so heavy. He seemed even more relieved when Cameron and I voiced our agreement.

He smiled gratefully and looked around the circle, briefly stopping at Lilly. I could tell he liked her, but I knew he could tell that Cam liked her too. It seemed like that registered in his mind, so he looked to Hanan to answer the question next.

In response, Hanan got up from the ground and started moving the log that Marshall was sitting on closer to the fire. Cameron helped him, and together they were able to move him. The shivering that had initiated this move, became much more obvious, so my cousin took off his jacket and wrapped it around him. He sat down again as Marshall said:

"Since I assume kissing a girl isn't your wish too, it's your turn, Hanan."

Hanan chuckled, and smiled as he replied, "Well, no, but it's one of them. I guess my biggest ambition in life would be to become a leader like my dad. Someone that can be looked up to by others; a good leader."