truth or dare - game on series #1

Stella

I can't believe Bree actually got me to agree to come to another party. After the last one, with all the embarrassing stuff that happened, I swore I'd never step foot in a party again. But here I am, standing in the middle of a crowded house, with loud music and people doing everything they shouldn't be. And, of course, Bree's here, all excited, as if she's going to make this the best night ever.

"You know why you're here," Bree says with a grin, nudging me as we walk through the crowd. "It's not for me. It's for a certain boy."

I roll my eyes, trying to hide my smile. "I don't even know if he'll be here."

Bree just laughs, a knowing glint in her eyes. "When has there ever been a party where Cameron Clark wasn't here?"

I can't help but shake my head. She's right. The guy is everywhere, including my mind and for some strange reason, I can't stop thinking about him. But that doesn't mean I'm here to look for him, okay? I'm just trying to survive the night.

The music blares around us as we walk through the house, and Bree stops suddenly. I almost bump into her. She's staring across the room, eyes wide.

"Hold on, I see him," she whispers.

I glance in the direction she's looking, and I realize she's spotted the guy from her class she's been crushing on. She turns to me. "How do I look? You'll be okay, right? I'll just go say hi."

Before I can even open my mouth to say something, I hear a voice behind me.

"Hey, Star."

I freeze.

It's Cameron.

I can't help the smile that forms on my face when I hear him call me that. Star. I didn't expect him to keep using that. I thought it was just a one-time thing, a nickname that'd fade like all the others. But no. He's still calling me that.

Bree's eyes widen in shock, and she mouths, "Star?" I can barely stop myself from laughing.

Cameron looks at me with that easy smile of his, his posture relaxed as he glances over at Bree and me. "How are you both doing?"

I smile back. "We're good."

"I didn't expect to see you tonight, but I'm glad I did." he says, looking straight to my eyes. "Are you guys thirsty? I'll grab you something."

Before I can even answer, Bree, who's standing next to me, speaks up. "No, I'm good, but Stella's been saying she's thirsty. Right, Stell?"

I look at Bree, wide-eyed. That's a lie, I think, but I just nod along.

"Alright, I'll get you something," Cameron says, grinning before heading off to the kitchen.

As he walks away, Bree turns to me, barely able to contain her excitement. "What the hell was that? You didn't tell me he called you Star!" she hisses, eyes practically sparkling. "He definitely likes you, you know."

I roll my eyes, half embarrassed. "He doesn't like me. It's just a nickname."

She's not buying it. "Go to him! He clearly wants to spent time with you. I'm going to talk to my guy, but you should definitely talk to Cameron. Trust me."

I'm still not sure about it. But I watch Bree walk away, and I take a deep breath. She's right—I can't just stay here by myself.

I give Bree a thumbs-up as she walks off, then head towards the kitchen to find Cameron. When I get there, though, I see him talking to a stunning girl with black hair. She's leaning in, touching his arm, and he's smiling at her. Something in my chest tightens, and before I can stop myself, I quickly turn around, wanting to run away but I bump into someone.

"Oh! I'm sorry," I say, looking up.

"No problem," the guy replies with a friendly smile. "I didn't see you."

He introduces himself as Nick, and we end up talking for a bit.

"Are you new here?" He asked curiously, furrowing his eyebrows as if trying to remember who I am. "I don't think I've seen you before."

"No," I answer with a small smile, shaking my head. "but I don't normally go to parties. I'm more of the type of person who stays home in bed and watches a movie."

He laughs, saying he didn't go to parties either, until he joined the basketball team, and now his teammates drag him along. I smile at his story, but before I can say anything else, I see Cameron standing behind Nick, watching us with a slight frown on his face.

Nick greets him with a nod, but Cameron just smiles, handing me a cup.

"Your drink," he says, his voice casual, but there's something possessive in the way he hands it to me.

Nick looks at Cameron, then at me, and I can feel the tension rising. Cameron glances at him for a moment before giving me that signature half-smile. "You ready to go?"

I hesitate. "Uh, yeah. It was nice meeting you, Nick."

Nick waves me off. "Yeah, you too."

Then, with Cameron leading the way, I follow him through the house and out into the backyard, feeling a strange mix of nervousness and excitement. "Where are we going?"

"I figured parties aren't exactly your scene and I want you to be comfortable so we're going to a quiet place to talk."

That made me incredibly happy. The fact that he understands me and cares.

We sit down on a bench out there, the cool air making me shiver a little. Cameron looks at me, his expression suddenly serious.

"So, what were you talking about with Nick?" His tone is a little sharper than usual.

I can't help but laugh, not knowing what to say. "We just bumped into each other and introduced ourselves. Why?"

He crosses his arms, clearly not amused. "You looked... too comfortable talking to him. And you just met the guy so..."

I raise an eyebrow. "Are you jealous?"

His lips curve into a playful smirk as he leans a little closer. "And what if I am?"

I roll my eyes, trying to suppress a smile. "That would be kind of hypocritical, wouldn't it? Especially since you were enjoying your time with that girl in the kitchen."

He grins, his eyes twinkling. "Look who's jealous now."

I try to hide it, but I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks. "I'm not jealous," I mutter, even though I kind of am.

He laughs, his gaze softening. "That girl, the one in the kitchen? She's been flirting with me for ages, hoping for a hook-up or something, but I'm not interested."

I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. "Why? She's gorgeous."

He looks at me, and the air between us seems to shift. "You are, too."

I blink, caught off guard. My heart races as I look away, suddenly flustered.

He just laughs, leaning back and looking up at the sky.

"Tell me another fact about stars," he says, his voice surprisingly soft.

I blink, a little taken aback. "Wait, you want to hear more?"

He nods, his expression sincere. "Yeah, you talk about them with so much passion, and I could listen to you talk about them all night."

I smile, feeling a warmth spread through me at the thought. I look up at the sky, pointing at a star. "You see that one?" I ask, my voice filled with excitement. "That's Vega. It's one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It's part of the Lyra constellation. It's about 25 light-years away from Earth, and it's actually one of the most studied stars because of how bright it is."

Cameron smiles as he listens intently, his eyes following the path of my finger. I can feel the connection between us, stronger than ever.

"Tell me more," he says, his voice full of admiration.

I just smile, contentin the moment, knowing that for the first time in a long time, I feel like I'mtruly being seen.