truth or dare - game on series #1

Cameron

As I wait for Stella to return from grabbing water, I can't shake the feeling that something's off. It's weird how she went to look for it by herself, like she knew the house. But it's her first time, and she doesn't even know where the kitchen is. I should've shown her, but she ran out of my room so fast that I was left in shock.

Maybe it's because of what she said before. About not feeling like she's really living. It hit me harder than I expected. I hate the thought that she could be feeling like Will in that book, like she's stuck in some unchangeable situation that robs her of everything. I didn't know what to say, but I wanted to tell her that she wasn't alone. That whatever she was feeling, she didn't have to carry it on her own. But I wasn't sure how to say it, or if she even wanted to hear it.

When she comes back into the room, she's empty-handed. No water. She looks at me apologetically, like she knows I was expecting it.

"I... couldn't find it," she admits, her voice quiet.

I just nod, not really bothered by it. I was lost in my thoughts anyway. But then I grab my jacket, throwing it over my shoulders, and I see her face scrunch in confusion.

"We're going out," I say, surprising even myself.

She stares at me, unsure of what I mean. I can see the hesitation in her eyes, but I push forward anyway. Sometimes, you have to live a little. Sometimes, you have to do what the girl in the book did—grab life by the reins, even if it doesn't make sense.

"Wait, what? Where are we going?" she asks, clearly caught off guard.

I grab her hand before she can protest, and though she seems a little taken aback, she follows. She doesn't ask any more questions as I lead her downstairs and out to my car.

It doesn't take long before we're at a McDonald's drive-thru.

"So, what do you want?" I ask, turning to her with a smile, but she shakes her head.

"I don't have money with me," she says, a little embarrassed.

"Doesn't matter," I reply, but she clearly isn't telling me what she wants so I just order for her. "Everybody loves fries with chicken nuggets, right?"

She looks at me, half-smiling, half-laughing, and just nods. It's the first time she's really relaxed around me since we've started working together. And I'm not about to ruin it by letting her sit there all stiff and uncomfortable.

Once we have our food, I drive to a nearby children's playground, pulling into the empty lot. It's dark by now, and there's no one around, which makes it perfect for what I have in mind.

"Wait, what is this place?" Stella asks, her confusion clear in her voice as she looks around at the playground.

I smile. "We need to live a little. You know who enjoys life the most? Kids. So let's be kids for one night."

She looks at me, clearly still unsure of what's happening, but there's a spark of curiosity behind her eyes. Then, with a teasing smile, I step out of the car and make my way toward the trampoline.

"Come on, join me!" I call over my shoulder.

She hesitates at first, and I see her trying to decide if this is something she should be doing. So, I make it easy for her.

"Truth or dare?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

She laughs, rolling her eyes. "Really? You're going with that?"

"Trust me," I say, "Either way, you're ending up on the trampoline."

She raises an eyebrow, now fully interested. "How's that going to happen if I pick truth?"

I lean in closer, my grin widening. "I'd ask you the most personal, awful question, and you'd have to change it to dare."

She laughs, shaking her head. "Okay, dare it is."

I smile, "Then come jump."

And she does. She's laughing now, her worries fading into the background as she jumps beside me, her laughter mixing with mine as we start acting like complete children. We bounce on the trampoline, giggling like we're five years old again. From there, we run to the slide, to the swings, to everything else we can find, playing until we're both out of breath.

The world fades away as we do nothing but have fun. No pressures. No worries. Just two people, free for a few moments.

As the night grows darker, we find ourselves lying side by side on the trampoline, staring up at the sky, laughing at nothing and everything. Her smile is wide, and her brown eyes are sparkling with something I've never really noticed before.

I watch her as she laughs again, and I realize something. She's beautiful. I never saw it before—not like this. There's something about her that stands out. Her smile, her eyes, her whole way of being. How did I never notice before?

"This was my favorite place when I was a kid," I say out loud, the words slipping out before I can stop them. "When things weren't great at home, I'd come here. I'd spend hours just running away from everything. It's kind of embarrassing, but... it's still my safe place."

She turns her head to look at me, and I'm not sure what to expect. But she just smiles softly, "It's not stupid at all."

I breathe a little easier, and she continues, "My safe place is anywhere at night under the stars."

Her words catch me off guard. There's something so genuine about it that I can't help but listen intently. "What do you mean?" I ask, curious.

She sits up, and as she looks at the stars, she begins to explain. "Before my grandpa died, he'd always look up at the stars with me. He taught me so many things about them. Like how they're not really stars, but just light from years ago. That they've been there for so long, and they're just waiting for us to notice."

I sit up too, staring at her with more than just curiosity now. "Tell me more," I ask, genuinely interested. There's a part of me that's never felt this way before, listening to someone else talk about something they care about, and actually feeling moved by it.

She talks about constellations, how they tell stories from ancient cultures, and the way the stars have a history that's older than anything we can imagine. And then she says something that makes everything click.

"That's why my name is Stella," she says. "It means 'star' in Latin."

The air around us feels warm, even in the cool night. I can't help but smile at her. She's so full of depth, more than I ever expected. And I'm still thinking about everything she said when her phone suddenly rings.

Stella glances at it and then at the time. "It's late. I should probably get going."

I stand up too, a little reluctant to leave. "I'll drive you home."

She turns to me, giving me a smile that's soft and genuine. "Thank you for today. For everything. I honestly forgot about my problems for a while."

I smile back. "I'm glad."

As we walk to the car, I feel something shift between us. Something I can't explain. Maybe it's the way she looked at me when she said thanks, or maybe it's the way she looked at the stars. But something's different. Something's changed. I don't think she hates me anymore, which is a good sign.

I open the door for her, and before she gets in, I say, "Let's get you home, Star."

It's just a nickname that came out of nowhere, but it fits her somehow. She smiles, but doesn't say anything.