Chapter 164 The Dare

Chapter 164 The Dare
Kieran's POV

I lunged toward the kitchen doorway, intending to catch Theo before he could vanish into the crowded living room. But the second I stepped out of the hallway, a wall of rowdy seniors blocked the path.

Someone spilled an alcohol down the front of my shirt, and two guys from the track team pushed past me, shouting over the bass of the music. By the time I forced my way to the door leading to the yard, Theo was completely gone.

"Hey! Captain!" Landon's voice shouted near the porch

Before I could turn back to look for Aveline, Landon grabbed the my jacket sleeve. He was soaking wet, his hair plastered to his forehead. Milo was right behind him, kicking off his sneakers while still wearing his full varsity hoodie.

"We're going in!" Landon yelled, laughing as he dragged me toward the edge of the water. "Come on, Hampton! No regrets senior year!"

"Landon, stop, I need to find..."

"No excuses!" Milo shouted, giving me a massive push from behind.

Landon pulled me hard, and before I could lock my boots into the mud, we hit the water. We entered the lake fully clothed, the freezing water splashing up to my chest. I gasped as the chill hit me, turning my shirt wet and soaking my jeans in seconds. My phone was safe on the kitchen counter, but the weight of my wet denim felt like lead as I tried to stand straight in the water.

"You completely ruined my jacket, Landon!" I yelled, wiping the water from my eyes.

"It will dry off, Hampton!" Landon laughed, splashing water at my face. "Besides, look at the crowd. You're the captain. You have to lead the plunge."

Milo was already wading backward, turning toward the dock where a line of seniors was cheering. "Hey, Miller! Get your ass in here! The water is great!"

The whole group started shouting and pushing toward the dock. Within minutes, a huge group of people followed us into the lake, sprinting down the planks and jumping into the water with their flannels and boots still on.

I waded toward the shallower sand, shaking my head as the chaos grew. From the shore, I saw Aveline standing near the edge of the bonfire's light, watching the madness with a small, quiet expression. For a second, our eyes met, but then Milo splashed Landon again, blocking my view.

We waded back onto the sand, our wet clothes steaming in the heat of a massive bonfire. Someone dragged out three large wooden picnic benches, and Landon slammed a fresh box of cups onto the table.

"Game time!" Landon announced, looking around the circle of wet, shivering students. "The lake-house rules. We are playing Never Have I Ever. If you've done it, you drink. If you lie, Milo checks you into the sand."

A huge crowd gathered around the benches, sitting shoulder to shoulder to stay warm in the cold night air. I saw Aveline slide onto the end of the bench next to Daphne. She didn't look at me, but I didn't look away from her. I kept my eyes on her, making sure she was okay with the crowd.

"I'll start," Milo grinned, leaning over the table. "Never have I ever gotten my senior quote rejected by the vice principal three times in one morning."

"That's targeted!" Landon yelled, throwing a cup at Milo while everyone laughed. Landon took a large gulp from his cup. "Fine. My turn. Never have I ever skipped a mandatory team practice to go on a secret date downtown."

A few guys looked straight at Reed. Reed cleared his throat, looking down at his cup before taking a slow drink. The laughter around the table faded. The game was turning toward the lines one could usually avoid.

"My turn," Landon's cousin, a girl from the soccer team, said. "Never have I ever checked someone's phone logs because I didn't trust them."

Landon took a drink, his face tight. Across the table, a few girls whispered, looking at Katty. The circle was growing quieter, each question cutting a little deeper into the cliques.

"Never have I ever," Katty said, her voice turning sweet as she looked across the circle, "applied to a college behind my best friend's back."

The silence stayed heavy. Reed took another slow drink from his cup, as his eyes darting toward Daphne. Cassian noticed it too, his jaw setting tight.

"Never have I ever," Katty continued, her eyes shifting straight toward me, "kissed someone at a party just to make your ex look bad."

Nobody spoke. Daphne looked down at her lap, her fingers twisting. Reed took a quiet drink. The fun senior-trip vibe was entirely gone from the table.

"This is getting boring," Landon said. "Let's change the format. Truth or Dare. Milo, you're up."

"Dare," Milo said instantly.

"I dare you to tell the whole circle who you actually want to take to prom," Landon grinned.

Milo scoffed and glanced toward the cross-country girls. His face turned red as the group started cheering, the girls laughing as Milo muttered a name into his cup.

The game kept moving around the circle, the crowd getting louder until the bottle pointed straight at Landon again. He looked across the table, his eyes fixed on the hockey line.

"Alright," Landon grinned, pointing a finger toward our bench. "Someone gets dared to kiss someone. Let's make it interesting."

"No, no. That's too easy," Landon said, shifting his weight as people started shouting suggestions like pulling a prank on the main house or jumping back into the lake. "We need something that actually makes people nervous."

Katty let out a short laugh, leaning back against the wooden bench. "You wouldn't dare, Landon. You're too chicken."

Landon pointed right at her, his grin widening. "Try me."

The crowd cheered, leaning closer over the table.
"Katty," Landon said, his voice dropping as he looked straight at her, then at Reed. "I dare you to kiss Reed. Right now. In front of everyone."

The entire circle went completely still. The music from the truck bed seemed to fade into the background. Cassian seems to be interested suddenly. Daphne looked up, her eyes wide with shock as Reed froze, he stopped his cup halfway to his mouth. Katty looked at Reed, her eyes wide.

I looked past Katty’s shoulder.
Theo was standing near the porch with his phone pressed to his ear. He had been there for several minutes, pacing between the trees while everyone else crowded around the fire.

He stopped suddenly and turned his back to the party. Whatever the person on the other end was saying, Theo didn't look happy about it. He shook his head, his hand gripping the phone tightly.

Then he glanced toward the house.
For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was happening on that call had nothing to do with the party.