DREAM POV:
I shoulder my bag. I walk up the drive and knock on the door. A second later, Karl answers.
"Hey,"
"Hi," I say, walking in. Sapnap and Quackity are slung on the couch, and I snort. I drop my stuff in a corner, and sit on the couch opppsite them.
"Nice ring Karl. Is it new?" I say, gesturing to the silver band on his finger.
"Oh, yeah. Quackity and Sapnap gave it to me," he says looking down, and blushing slightly.
I nod. We chat for a bit, and then there's another knock at the door. When Karl comes back, he's brought Bad with him too.
"Hey Bad! Haven't seen you in a while," I say.
"Yeah, had bad headaches for a few days," he says, shuffling around. He sits on the ground near me, and we again, make idle chatter. When there's another knock, Karl's mom opens the door. I hear two other people outside. Skeppy and George walk in, and place their stuff in the pile. George comes and sits next to me while Skeppy hovers near the door. Aria pokes her head in.
"Ok, you boys are free for now, Carol and I are going out for dinner, so you guys can order a takeout. The numbers and menus are on the fridge," she says. She waves, and Carol does too, before they leave.
Karl claps. "So, home alone. What we gonna do?"
"Let's play truth or dare," Sapnap says, a glint in his eyes that makes me suspicious.
"Ok," we agree.
"Me first. Bad, truth or dare?" Sapnap says.
"Truth," he responds confidently.
"Ooh, confidence. Where were you actually on Thursday and Friday?"
He laughs nervously. "I had massive headaches, I already said,"
"C'mon, Bad, you picked truth, tell the truth," Sapnap wheedles.
"Fine, I was horribly heartbroken, and so depressed I didn't want to get out of bed," he snaps.
We all laugh, except Skeppy, who looks at the ground.
"It's ok dude, chill you don't need to say," Sapnap says, hands in mock surrender.
Bad rolls his eyes. "My turn. Sapnap, truth or dare,"
"Aw, you picked me. Dare," Sapnap replies.
"I dare you to call your mom and tell her about Karl and Quackity,"
"What? Bad, that's totally unfair dude!" I exclaim, but Sapnap laughs.
"Sure, why not," He pulls his phone out and calls his mom. We all hold our breath.
"Hey mom," he says.
"Sapnap! Finally, you called,"
"Yeah, I have something to tell you... I'm gay and I have two boyfriends,"
"Young man! You come home this instant. It was bad enough you humiliated our family this morning, and then you pull this! You b-"
Sapnap hangs up and bursts out laughing. Karl and Quackity join him, and I cock my head.
"Ok- ok, ok. So essentially this morning, Mom got mad I was here, marched over and walked straight in. She started insulting Karl and his mom's, so I told her I was gay, and she got so mad, but-" he starts laughing again. George and I laugh too, now seeing the humour. Bad pouts and crosses his arms.
"Well done though! Sorry I was rude earlier... I shouldn't have dared you to do that regardless," Bad says, genuinely looking ashamed.
"Dude, it's chill. I shouldn't have asked you that, it was fair," he shrugs it off.
"Still, my turn again. Dream,"
He turns to me.
Nonononono.
"Um," this is lose lose.
"Truth? No, dare. No, scratch that, truth," I say, feeling slightly sick.
He grins. "Who do you have a crush on?" There it is.
I panic. I feel a blush start rising and open my mouth.
"A person. At school,"
"Well duh. Who? Even just what they look like," He looks pointedly at me. I read his look. This is your chance. Do I take it?
"In our grade,"
"I would hope so," Skeppy jokes.
"Uh, I have classes with them. A lot,"
"Ooh," George laughs.
I cough. "Cute, I guess? He- damn," I cut myself off.
"Ooh, a boy," Quackity teases.
"Shut up," I mumble. This is hell.
"He's funny. Uh, 50% he's in our form group, so that's something you have to figure out. Oh and the bombshell. He's straight,"
They all start laughing. I take a breath shakily.
"Skeppy. Truth or dare?"
"Dare," he responds on the spot.
"I dare you... to not talk to one of the people in the room for an hour. And I get to choose who," I smirk.
"Ok, who?" He says, and I hear uncertainty under the fake boredom.
"Bad," I grin. That would be fun.
"That won't make much of a difference," he mumbles under his breath.
"Timer is set," Karl declares, turning his phone off.
"Ok. Karl, truth or dare," he says.
"Dare," he says.
"Fun! I dare you... uh, I need ideas,"
George leans over and whispers something in his ear.
"Oh God, yes! Ok, this is George's idea, and a collective dare too, so it can be dismissed. I dare you three to share Karl's bed,"
I laugh in disbelief. George has some nerve.
"Sure, if they're fine with it," Karl shrugs.
"Uh, ok," Sapnap says.
Quackity blinks. "Sure," he says.
"Ok, Quackity, love you but truth or dare,"
"Truth," he answers.
"Are you going back to the therapist?"
"What? I... I wasn't going too, but why'd you ask now?" Quackity says confused.
"I'd get the truth," Karl says blatantly.
Quackity sighs. "Dream, truth or dare?"
"Hey, I haven't been asked yet!" George whines.
"That's because no one likes you George," Sapnap says.
"Awh, it's ok, I'll pick you Georgie," I tease. Wait. Is his face pink? I ignore the thought and answer Quackity.
"I said truth last time didn't I?" I check.
"Yeah, but say it anyway," Quackity says hurriedly.
"Hmm, I wanna pick dare now. Fine, truth,"
"Yeah! Ok, how long have you liked this person? Wait, no that's terrible... what are your crushes initals?"
"Wow, it's normal, then it gets to me and all of a sudden we're 7th graders at Jessie's sleepover," I joke.
"Uh... can I pick dare?"
"No! Ooh, will we know?" Quackity says.
"Big Q, chill. Uh, first name G. Surname is double barrel so you'll have to live with G,"
"That's not how it works," Whines Bad.
"Boohoo cracker. George, your turn," I smirk.
"Yes! Uh, dare!" He says, flustered and excited at the same time. Cute.
"I dare you..."
GEORGE POV:
I take a breath. Dream pauses as he considers.
"I dare you to kiss someone here," he smirks, but I see his neck is a bright red.
Everyone turns to look at me. I blush.
"Like... how? Like on the cheek?" I clarify.
"Wherever," he shrugs coolly. I clear my throat and get up. I walk across the room and bend down in front of him. I grab his chin and kiss him. I step back before he reacts and sit back down.
"Wha-" he splutters, bright red.
I fight the similar blush spreading across my face.
"Bad, back to you,"
"Truth," he answers, gawping at me.
"Why are you currently matching the facial expressions of a fish," I say, deadfaced. I laugh. "No, ignore that. Have you met your soulmate?"
Bad blinks. Skeppy glances at him cautiously.
"I- can I do dare?" Bad asks, looking at the floor. Skeppy's shoulders sink.
"Sure," I say sympathetically. "What's the worst thing you've ever done at school,"
"I, uh, told Quackity I'd f-ing break both his knees, and a teacher was right there. I got a week of detention and extra homework from him,"
I burst out laughing.
"Oh yeah! And, and you had to apologise and write me a letter," Quackity says, laughing.
Bad chuckles.
"Dream, your turn,"
He coughs, turning around.
"Uh, truth," he says, before going back to rapidly whispering to Sapnap.
Bad smiles strangely. Oh god. It was the plotting smile. Dream, I pity you.
"Did you like that?"
Dream stops, frozen. He looks at Bad, and then stares out the window.
"Dream," teases Quackity.
Dream shoots up, and walks out. A second later the front door opens and slams shut again.
We all look at each other.
"Karl, did he drive here?" I ask urgently.
"No," Karl says, getting up.
"I'm gonna go talk to him. You guys continue with the game,"
Before they can argue, I rush out the house, and stop on the curb. I see Dream's figure rapidly disappearing up the road. I run after him, calling his name.
He stops and turns around just as I catch up.
"Dream, look, I'm sorry, I didn't think, I shouldn't have done that," I pant.
"Don't apologise," he says, not meeting my gaze.
"No, I was stupid," I finally catch my breath, and am about to speak when Dream looks at me. In the setting sun, the flecks in his eyes stand out, and his eyelashes look like they were spun out of gold.
"George,"
Something in his voice stops me.
"I need to think. I-," he takes a deep breath.
"I'll go back, let you think. But you have to come back ok?" I say.
He nods and turns around.
I turn on my heel. God, why is loving this man so hard?
~~timeskip~~
The front door opens. We all fall quiet. The 6 of us had moved to sit around the kitchen table. No one really felt like playing now.
Footsteps stop at the door frame.
"Hi," Dream says, staring at the floor.
"Hi," I say. "We're picking a takeout, wanna help?"
He nods and pulls a chair up next to me.
We all discuss which to get, before settling on pizza, and then the muffins Bad made after.
"Ok, so write your orders down and I'll call. You guys can wait in the lounge or my room. Wait, take your stuff up, and we'll wait up there," Karl says, picking up the house phone.
We traipse out and into the lounge. I take my stuff and wait for the others to go up before heading up myself.
When I open Karl's bedroom door, chaos greets me. Bad and Skeppy are next to each other, but not talking, and Dream, Sapnap and Quackity are talking in hushed voices.
"Whose murder we planning?" I joke, dropping my stuff down. A heavy atmosphere lingers over the room, everyone contributing.
"George, can we talk?" Dream asks.
"Sure," I say, butterflies filling my stomach.
We walk into the hall as Karl comes up. He waves, and rushes by, sending me a look. I sigh.
"So, um, I take it you thought?" I say, trying to break the silence. Here I am, on my best friends birthday, struggling to talk to one of my other best friends since we were kids.
"Yeah. And I realized, I was so, so, so stupid," he says. He exhales heavily and looks me in the eye.
"I like you," he says. I stare at him, my face red.
I swallow down the fear and manage a few words.
"I like you too,"
His face goes blank.
"You- you do?"
I nod. He takes a deep breath.
"What happened to being straight then?" He laughs, and I join him, the air between us clear.
When we stop, I answer his question.
"You,"