Page 53 of Finding My Charming

Ari scrunched her nose and shuddered. My smile grew, and I waited for her to meet my stare. “Ari, we dare you to drink a cup of pickle juice.”

Her shoulders relaxed, and she left out a huge sigh. “Fine.”

Vincent nudged me and leaned over to whisper. “What are you doing? I said he was the one that hates pickles.”

I winked. “I know.”

The other two were looking a little too comfortable. “After you each down those, you have to kiss.”

Ari’s eyes shot to me, and I swore she was trying to murder me in her mind.

Calvin gaped while his eyes darted from me to Vincent and back.

Vincent barked out a laugh then doubled over in a hysterical fit. “You are an evil genius!”

I felt pretty smug in that moment. I’d just given Calvin a golden opportunity, if they could each get past their most hated food.

Ari shook her head and grabbed Calvin by the hand and tugged him out of the room. Vincent and I followed behind with the small crowd that had gathered during our game. She led the procession into the kitchen and threw open the fridge doors. She turned toward us with a ketchup bottle in one hand and a pickle jar in the other.

“You’ll pay for this.” At first, I assumed she was only talking to me, but she looked away from me and stared down Vincent. At least we’d go down together.

Someone handed her two glasses, and she silently filled them up. The crowd in the kitchen grew as people whispered what was happening to those around them. When she gave the ketchup-filled cup to Calvin, the room was waiting in silent anticipation. The pair clicked glasses then raised them to their lips.

I almost started gagging. I couldn’t imagine drinking either of those. “I’m slightly terrified right now.”

Vincent remained frozen next to me but nodded once. “We’ve got to watch our backs.”

At the same moment, they slammed their glasses on the counter and looked at each other. I could see a tiny smile in Calvin’s eyes and knew maybe he wouldn’t be too hard on us.

Their kiss was quick and chaste, but they both gagged after. Probably not the best first kiss in history, but at least we’d given them a fun story to tell their grandchildren!

Vincent slid his hand into mine as they turned to face us, each looking like they were out for blood. “We should probably run.”

I considered staying and arguing that they set the conditions of the game, but I doubted they were in a rational mindset. “Yes, let’s go!”

We turned and pushed through the crowd at the same moment Ari called out my name.

Vincent squeezed my hand and guided me through the crowded hallway and to the back door. “I think I know a safe place.”

He didn’t give me a chance to argue before opening the door and pulling me through with him. We took off running past the crowded patio and into the pitch-black night.

“This way!” I followed his voice, and he led me to the farthest corner of the yard to the small treehouse in the huge oak tree where Ari and I had played as little girls. Little boards had been nailed into the trunk as a ladder, and Vincent gestured to them. “Ladies first.”

Half of his face was shadowed, but I could see the hint of a smile on his lips.

“Are you sacrificing me to see if it’s safe?” We hadn’t been up here since elementary school. The wood was probably completely rotted.

He chuckled while placing his hand on my lower back and pushing me forward. “I saw some people climb up at the last party. It’s safe.”

I wanted to ask him what they’d been doing in a treehouse in the dark, but the crowd on the patio were yelling our names.

They were giving us away. Traitors.

I kicked off my shoes and climbed up the ladder as fast as I could without slipping and falling to my death, or spraining my ankle since we were about ten feet above the ground.

I pushed open the small door and crawled on all fours. It was surprisingly spacious inside. I’d thought it would seem smaller now that I was grown, but it still felt the same.

Vincent was immediately behind me, so I scooted to the far side and peered out the window to check if I could see Ari or Calvin. It was too dark to see anything between us and the patio, so we had no way of knowing if we were safe.