'We're going to a party tonight.' Rafe texts me. 'You're telling me this now? Besides, I think I've seen you enough this week.' I text him back. 'It's Caden birthday today.' He replies, completely ignoring my answer. 'Oh, okay.' 'Wear something nice. I'll pick you up at 9 PM.' I look at the clock. I have four hours to get ready. 'See you then.' I reply. He leaves me on read.
I grab my dresses out of my closet. I can choose between a light pink, black, or dark red dress. I grab the dark red dress, holding it in front of me as I face the mirror. I do this for every dress. The dark red dress it is. After eating dinner and getting ready, I grab a birthday card I have lying around. I put a 20-dollar bill inside the card and sit on my couch, waiting for Rafe to pick me up.
After several minutes, I hear a loud engine. I get up from the couch and open the front door. Rafe gets off his motorcycle and takes his helmet off. He quickly scans me from head to toe as I walk towards him. 'Hey.' I say he doesn't say anything back. He gives his helmet to me. 'Where's your helmet?' I ask him. 'Don't need it.' He states. I nod slowly.
After he gets on the motorbike, I struggle to sit behind him because of my dress. Eventually, after some struggle, I comfortably sit behind him. 'Where do you want me to hold onto?' I ask. He takes hold of both my wrists, putting them around his waist. 'Right.' I mumble. We take off at a speed that kicks up dust behind us. I quickly hold Rafe tighter while I cringe at the same time. 'Rafe, you're going too fast. Slow down.' I yell, hoping he can hear me. A weak "fine" escapes his lips. He slows down, we are still going too fast for my liking, but I'll have to deal with it.
We finally arrive at Caden's house. Behind the open gate, I see his house, massive and luxurious. The well-kept garden is decorated with statues and one big fountain, adding a special touch to the neat surroundings. The elegant entry makes me feel like I'm in a movie. After Rafe parks the motorbike, we both step off. After taking off my helmet, I fix my hair. I give the helmet to Rafe, and he puts it in the seat storage.
walk towards the front door. Rafe slides his arm around my waist once we get inside. The house is crowded and decorated with colored lights. When we walk around, Rafe greets his other friends. While Rafe talks with his friends, I see Caden. I walk over to him, leaving Rafe with his friends. 'Happy birthday Caden.' I say. 'Thank you, I'm glad you came.' My mouth curves into a smile. 'Your house is gorgeous, it's so elegant.' I compliment. 'Yeah, I love it too. Thanks.' He says. I reach into my small purse. 'Here.' I say while giving him the birthday card. He opens the card and smiles. 'Thank you, you didn't have to.'
I shrug while smiling. 'It's my pleasure.' I respond. Rafe walks over to us and daps Caden up. 'Happy birthday, man.' He says while smiling widely. 'Thank you.' Caden replies. 'Sunday, I'll pay for your drinks at the bar, alright?' Caden nods while grinning, 'Yeah thanks, mate.'
Caden offers us some snacks and drinks. Rafe takes a beer from Caden while I get some water. When we sit down, I subtly hit Rafe's elbow to get his attention. He looks at me. 'This is your first and last beer, this isn't going to be like last time.' I demand. He chuckles, 'Don't worry, love. I'll be fine.' He says. My eyebrows raise a little. 'No, you're going to listen to me. I'm not going to drive your fucking motorbike because you can't control yourself.' I say while trying to keep my voice down. Rafe stares at me before replying to me, 'Okay, fine.' He says while nodding slowly, clearly, he is going to drink more. I sigh and say nothing.
☆'We should play truth or dare.' I hear someone say. After everyone has agreed, they all sit in a circle. 'Aubrey, truth or dare?' Kelce asks. She thinks for a second and answers, 'Truth.' Kelce nods, 'I see, playing it safe. Who do you think is the most attractive person in this room.' She looks around the room. Her gaze lands on Caden. 'The birthday boy.' Aubrey grins.
The boys next to Caden playfully give him a pat on the back. Caden laughs it off. While he does, he shoots me small glances. 'Okay, it isn't that big of a deal guys.' Aubrey says. 'Malik, truth or dare.' He doesn't contemplate and answers immediately. 'Dare, I'm in for some fun.' Malik says. 'I dare you to switch a clothing piece with Topper.' She says. He looks at Topper. 'You're on your own. I'm not doing that.' Topper says. Malik tilts his head a little bit to the right. 'C'mon man, it's just one clothing piece. We can switch shirts.'
After a small discussion, they switch their shirt, exposing both of their six-packs. Girls cheer for them drunkenly. People just got here an hour ago and are already drunk. I stay silent. Malik notices, 'You can cheer, this stuff is real madness.' He says jokingly. My eyes widen and I awkwardly smile. 'She does not feel the need to cheer since she has seen this a dozen times already.' Rafe claps back in a cocky manner while he lifts his shirt for a quick second.
Malik puts on Toppers shirt. 'Touché. He sits back down on the couch. 'Truth or dare, Rafe? I expect a dare from you.' Malik says. 'Alright, dare it is then.' Malik discusses his dare with the people next to him. 'Kiss your girlfriend for 20 seconds.' He dares. It takes a heartbeat for the realization to sink in— I'm the girlfriend. My eyes widen once again and I shake my head no. 'I'm not kissing him in front of so many people.' My heart begins to race as I say this. 'You have to.' A girl insists. 'It isn't my dare, plus, it's awkward kissing in front of people.' I reply. 'We'll turn up the music.' A boy proposes. 'Nope, I said what I said.' I look at Rafe, hoping he will help me win this discussion. But he keeps quiet as he leans back on the couch. 'Seems like you don't even want to kiss him.' Aubrey chuckles.
It catches me off guard. 'What- no, that's not true.' I state. 'Then just kiss him.' She says. 'If he was my boyfriend, I'd do everything he asked me to.' A besides me girl mumbles, and I cringe. Everyone cheers me on, and the pressure mounts, suffocating me until I can barely think straight. I give in, 'Fine, I'll do it.' I say while throwing my hands in the air.
I settle onto Rafe's lap, unsure if it's the right move or if I'm just making a fool of myself. Someone turns the music up, as they said they would. Rafe's touch is surprisingly gentle as he pulls me closer, his hands resting lightly on my waist. I get closer to his face. 'I haven't kissed before, Rafe.' I whisper. 'Just follow what I do, you'll be alright.' He reassures.
'Alright, now let's get this party started for real.' Kelce calls out. The girl next to me shows us the timer, twenty seconds. 'Alright, and...' She presses the 'start' button. I adjust my dress quickly. 'Begin.' She says with excitement. Rafe pulls me in by my waist, and we kiss. As our lips meet, I try to lose myself in the moment, to ignore the uncomfortable feeling. I hear a few people who cheer us on. His other hand moves to my neck, pulling me in more.
People start counting down, 'Ten, nine, eight...' they cheer together in harmony. As the timer goes off, I break the kiss. I steal a glance at Rafe, breathless and my heart racing, I find a playful glint in his eyes and a slight grin tugging at the corners of his lips. I can feel the heat of Rafe's gaze as I slowly get off his lap. 'It wasn't that of a big deal, was it?' Aubrey asks. I nod, 'No, it wasn't that big of a deal.' It was.
As the game goes on, I zone out. 'You alright, Valerie?' Rafe says, his voice is a low murmur close to my ear. I snap back into reality, 'I'm going for some fresh air.' I say to the group as I stand up, ignoring Rafe's question. I slip past the seated people and head outside. The back garden is even prettier than the garden in the front. It has a gorgeous view of the sea, the moon casting a beautiful glow, making the water sparkle. I lean on the fence and admire the stunning view.
'Is everything okay?' I hear a familiar voice say behind me, Rafe. Rafe walks up to me and stands next to me. I roll my eyes and sigh, 'Yeah, of course, everything is going great.' I answer with a hint of sarcasm. He looks at me, 'I never promised we wouldn't kiss, and you know that.' He says sternly.
'You didn't even try to defend me.' I state. 'What was I supposed to do?' He throws his hands in the air for a few seconds. 'Maybe skip the dare? Or ask for a different one?' I snap. He nods slowly, 'Yeah, maybe you're right. But everyone would've been suspicious, Valerie.' He admits. 'Gosh, you're so selfish.' I look him directly in the face as I speak. He chuckles and looks away for a second. 'Right.' He says and walks away.