Page 84 of I Don't Need Your Protection

“Truth.”

Clarissa taps her chin. “Were you the one who started that rumor about me last year?”

“Are we really going down that road? You told me you were over it.”

Clarissa lifts her chin. “I just want you to admit it out loud in front of everyone.”

Jemma’s eyes sweep over us, then she folds her arms over her chest and mutters, “Yes, it was me. Okay? But that happened when we were in a fight.”

“Do you know how much trouble I got in with my parents? They thought I was a criminal or something!”

“It was supposed to be a joke,” she shoots back.

“Am I supposed to know what we’re talking about?” I ask.

Clarissa waves her hand. “It doesn’t matter. It’s my turn.And I choose a dare.”

Luna is about to say something, but Clarissa tells her she wants me to choose her dare. They all fasten their gazes on me.

“Uh…I don’t have a lot of experience with this game, so I might pick something lame.”

“Who cares,” Clarissa says.

“Okay. Um…stick your head out of the window and yell, “The world worships the ground I walk on.”

She gawks at the window. “It’s pouring.”

“At least the rain will drown out your voice,” I offer with a sweet smile.

She grumbles about choosing truth next time as she drags herself to the window and opens it. Sticking her head out, she yells as loudly as she can, “The world worships the ground I walk on!” just as the rain gets lighter.

“It certainly does not!” a man, presumably her father, calls back.

We all burst out laughing.

“That was epic!” Luna says.

Clarissa flashes me a smile. “This is so much more fun with Addie. Who’s next?”

We play for a few hours, with me always choosing dares. The girls seem suspicious, but none of them ask any questions. I think they’re hoping to get to know me better through this game. One of the dares Luna orders me to do is to call Javion and tell him that he sounds like a rhino when he snores. He gets mad and starts cursing at me, and I quickly end the call. That has the four of us laughing the hardest we laughed allnight.

Then it’s only truths for the rest of them because there’s no way they can compete with that.

“Okay, one last dare for Addie,” Clarissa says when we start getting tired of the game. “Let’s make it a good one, girls.”

They’re quiet for a few minutes as they contemplate the perfect dare to choose for me. Then Jemma sits up. “I got it. Addie, do you like milkshakes?”

“Of course.”

“So your dare is to go to the ice cream store in town that sells all those odd flavors. Choose three of the worst possible flavors and drink the entire milkshake.”

“Wait, what ice cream shop are you talking about?”

“It opened two years ago,” Jemma tells me. “They’re famous for experimenting with all these weird and unique flavors. Most of them are hits, but some of them…” She makes a thumbs-down gesture.

“But it’s in the middle of the night,” I point out. “And it’s raining.”

“Don’t tell me you’re backing out of a challenge,” Clarissa says. “You know the rules of the game. You need to do every dare you’re given.”