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“This party is boring!” Jakob complains.
“We can play truth or dare?” Axel suggests.
“What are we? 12?” Jakob asks.
“Go on then!” Kevin says. Jakob looks over at him and he shrugs, “What? It’s worth trying to have some fun, right?”
“Okay,” Jakob gives in, “Dare me to do something!”
Kevin looks like he’s thinking. Jakob tries not to roll his eyes. “Axel,” he says, “I dare you to ask Greta out!”
“Ew, no!”
“Axel! Play the game!” Jakob says, “It was your idea after all…”
Axel stands, and walks over to a group of girls that Kevin notes, verbally to Jakob, Greta is not part of.
“He’s not going to do it you know?"
“I know! Because it’s a ridiculous game, and Axel’s not as brave or as cool as he likes to pretend he is,” Jakob half laughs.
“So, you’re not playing?” Kevin asks, an undertone of disappointment in his voice.
“Actually!” Jakob says, “Yeah, why not?”
“Okay,” Kevin says, “Go kiss your crush,”
“What?” Jakob asks, largely in confusion at how quick Kevin’s response was.
“You can’t complain at Axel if you’re not brave or cool enough to do it either!”
“Alright, alright” Jakob says, but he makes no effort to move.
Kevin laughs, “Before the party’s over, tough boy!” he says, patting Jakob on the back. Then he goes to join Axel.
Jakob sighs. He is cool, and tough. And Kevin knows this. He’s got nothing to prove. It’s a stupid game anyway.
It’s not that Jakob isn’t brave.
And it’s absolutely not because his crush is the person who’s asked him.
He watches as Kevin kisses a girl he doesn’t recognise, then drinks a mixture of different coloured liquids. Jakob could drink unidentified cocktails: he’s tough, and cool, and brave.
He catches Kevin’s eye and looks down. But he’s not that brave. Sighing again, he stands and joins their group.
Kevin leans in, “Have you done it, yet?”
“No,” Jakob starts and then realises that he could have just lied. He could have pointed to any random girl stood across the other side of the room and pretended that was his crush. He curses himself.
“Ah,” Kevin says, “Just kiss anyone,” like Jakob literally wasn’t just thinking that. “And quickly! Axel’s on like four wins already.”
“Wait! He asked Greta out?”
“Yeah, she bit him!” Kevin laughs.
“And you?” Jakob asks, “How many wins do you have?”
“I’ve not been counting” Kevin says.
“Liar!” Jakob laughs. Then he looks down, “I can’t…”
Kevin looks confused, “You can’t-?”
“I can’t kiss my crush,” Jakob starts, stuttering.
“Because…?”
“It’s you, Kevin!” Jakob says. He looks down as he feels his cheeks warming.
“Oh Jakob,” Kevin says, his voice sounds full of love, “You can always kiss me!” He puts a finger under Jakob’s chin, and lift his head, before closing the small gap between them.
Their kiss is sweet, gentle and soft, and Jakob thinks, despite only completing a single dare, he’s won this stupid game.