Page 23 of Truth or Dare

He was fourteen, hanging out with seniors who had four years on him. Too impressionable, too eager to fit in. Neil was the only freshman on the varsity football team, and though he rode the bench most games, he was still proud of it. At least when I was a cheerleader, I could keep an eye on him, but now? I worried. Seniors like Evan and his crew—guys who thrived on picking on the younger kids—were trouble.

Neil, though? He idolized them.

My gut told me it was only a matter of time before the hazing started, or maybe it already had, and he just wasn’t telling me.

A bang on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"Mom said to get out of bed before you’re late!" Neil’s voice cut through the quiet.

“I’m up,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

I glanced at the clock. Maybe I had enough time for a quick shower. If I didn’t dry my hair, I could make it. A few minutes later, I came downstairs with my hair tied in a messy ponytail. Neil was already in the kitchen, munching on a chocolate Pop-Tart, his backpack slung over one shoulder.

“About time,” he said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Sorry, I was tired," I muttered, heading for the fridge.

Mom, sipping her coffee at the table, gave me a curious look. “Were you up talking to Reagan again last night?”

“No. I just couldn’t sleep. Tossing and turning.”

Truth was, what happened with Evan had my mind spiraling. I dropped him off after everything, barely speaking, still processing. Then, I spent the entire weekend avoiding people. Saturday, I dodged the victory party at Randy’s house. Instead, I binge-watched mindless reality shows. Sunday, I put my phone on silent and ignored Hudson’s texts about the latest round of dares.

“What’s up with you?” Neil asked as we got into the car. He usually joked around during the ride to school, but today, I wasn’t in the mood.

"Nothing," I said, gripping the steering wheel a little too tight.

"Is it Evan?"

I paused, my stomach flipping. Neil had been at the party on Saturday—he came home drunk. I knew because I heard him retching in the bathroom later that night. I should’ve gone. If I had, maybe I could’ve kept an eye on him. But instead, he was hanging with guys like Evan, setting himself up for trouble.

“Did he say something to you?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.

“He said you’ve been acting weird. He asked about Hudson.” Neil’s tone was casual, but the way my heart skipped told me it was anything but.

I shot him a quick glance as we pulled up to a red light. “What did he say?”

“He wanted to know if you were messing with him.”

I frowned. “I’m not.”

"That’s what I told him."

The light changed, and I hit the gas, my mind racing. "Did he say anything else?"

Neil hesitated. "He just said you seem… different. Like you’re hiding something."

A humorless laugh escaped me. “Not really. You ever feel like your life’s going in a direction you didn’t expect?”

Neil shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "What do you mean?"

"Like you imagined things would be different, and now you’re not sure if you even want what you have."

He was quiet for a moment, chewing the inside of his cheek. "You don’t want to be popular?" he asked, finally.

I shrugged. “I think about it.”

Neil glanced out the window, his brow furrowing. "They talk about you, you know. I told them to stop."

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