Chapter 1
I slam my foot on the gas of Noah’s white Camaro and grin to myself as Rivers’ body is thrown back against the chair of the backseat, his legs flying up before he starts desperately scrambling around for something to hold onto.
“Shit,” he grunts as Noah latches onto the ‘holy shit’ bar beside me, probably as panicked as Rivers, though he’d never show it.
All I can do is laugh.
This is going to be so much fun. I still can’t believe Noah’s letting me do this, but a dare is a dare and the second he claimed I was a pussy, I had no other choice but to go through with it.
Noah gave me a crash course on how to actually do this, and here we are, about to do the stupidest thing Rivers could have possibly come up with. I knew getting involved in ‘Ultimate Truth or Dare’ with Tully, Noah, and Rivers was just asking for trouble, but who would have ever known this was going to happen?
The Camaro shoots past the student parking lot and onto the back football field which hasn’t been used in years. I fly past the old burned bleachers and head towards my target – the very center of the football field.
Dread fills me the closer I get, but I hardly have a chance to think about it. The car is moving too fast and before I know it, Noah is calling out, making sure I don’t miss my shot, “Now!”
I don’t hesitate.
I turn the steering wheel hard to the left and scream out as the back of the car spins out in a donut.
Rivers is thrown across the back seat as I try to remember the importance of keeping my eyes open. I don’t let up on the gas and my knuckles on the steering wheel quickly turn bone white.
“Fuck me,” Noah booms out as the feel of the car going around in circles starts to make me feel sick. “You’re actually doing it.”
I scream out again, but this time it’s not filled with fear or panic, it’s downright heart racing, excitement. I glance up in the rear view mirror and take in the grass and mud being ripped up under the tires. “Shit, we’re going to get in so much trouble for this,” I laugh.
“No, you’re going to get in so much trouble for this,” Rivers corrects me. “You’re the one behind the wheel.”
“You’re the one who dared me,” I shoot back as I look across at Noah. “How do I make it stop?” I demand over the sound of Rivers’ howling laughter, the deafening music, and the sound of my pulse thumping in my ears.
“Come off the gas and steer out of it,” Noah instructs, bracing himself against the dash as the wind whips through the window and splays my hair across my face.
My eyes widen in fear. “What?” I demand. “Won’t it roll?”
“No,” he laughs. “You’ll be fine.”
I don’t move a muscle.
“Just hit the brake,” Rivers calls out.
“She’ll get stuck in all the mud.”
“So?”
“So?” Noah grunts with a scoff. “Who the hell is going to pull it out? Tully?”
“Too fucking late,” I call over their bickering, finding a pair of balls. “I’m doing it.”
With that, I come off the gas and turn the wheel the other way. It puts up a little resistance from the divots I’ve made in the grass, but nonetheless, the car steers out of the donut without rolling, giving my racing heart a chance to finally calm down.
I drive across the football field for a few moments until the car is out of ‘getting stuck’ territory and bring the Camaro to a stop with both my hands resting on the steering wheel. “Holy shit,” I gasp, still trying to calm my heart, “that was insane.”
Rivers laughs and throws himself back against the chair. “That was fucking awesome. I can’t believe you just did that.”
Noah turns to me with a wicked grin. “I bet you won’t do it again.”
I shake my head. “Don’t even think about it. I completed my dare and besides, Tully is up.”
At the mention of her name, I can’t help but glance back towards the student parking lot where she’s currently running from. She insisted on not being in the car with us in case it all went south, and the boys were quick to agree. I would never have been able to forgive myself if something had happened and she’d been hurt.
Tully heads our way with a shitload of students right behind her, all laughing, in complete disbelief that I just went through with it. It doesn’t go unnoticed that the students aren’t the only ones coming this way; our principal Mr. Evans is on his way too and he looks less than impressed.
My hands shake as I release the steering wheel and cut the engine. Noah can put his car back in the lot himself. I think I’ve had just about enough driving for one day.