Truth or Dare?

“They won’t do it they’re too scared to do it. They aren’t mature enough to play truth or dare with us they're still a child I don’t even know why Charly even brought them here” The voice on the chair laughed through a scowl. Respectful of my pronouns but disrespectful of my myself. I was sick of being undermined by everyone. I even shocked myself when I said what I said.  

“I’ll do it” Everything stopped around me. My heart could be heard in my ears. My hands became clammy at the thought that I knew what was coming up next. I’d have to do it now that I agreed to it. I couldn’t believe what I had said. I was putting myself up for embarrassment. If this goes horribly wrong (which I know it will because I don’t do spontaneous things like this), they’ll never let me live it down.  

“Come again Mikaela” Ellie, the girl on the chair, looked at me with a shocked and confused expression on her face. She was the one who had no faith in me or would always underestimate my ability to do things. I didn’t bother to even try and do the things they’d do or leave my comfort zone because I know I'd never be able to be like them. I get laughed at mocked for staying in my comfort zone let alone leaving it.  

~~~ 

I’m the type of girl who gets brilliant grades consistently, only has one friend with many connections to the other students in college, never gets invited to parties because I was considered ‘lame’ and ‘uncool’. I’m the type of girl who still has a curfew because I fear the unknown when the beautiful diamond rises at night. Even in college I still get made fun of for my style of clothing, my taste in music and how I present myself. I may be quiet, but I do hear what goes around. These people aren’t exactly quiet about it, the looks and the pointing mostly give it away. I don’t care though I'm proud of who I am and I’m not going to let some silly college students take that away from me. 

I was never seen as ‘cool enough’ to be invited to these parties. Obviously. The only reason I’m here is because of my only best friend, Charly, has connections to people who go here and got us an invite. They had told her to bring me and get me to ‘loosen up a bit’ which I think is absurd. I don’t think I need to ‘loosen up’, my scheduled and my need to do things in a specific way and at a specific time helps me keep control of my life so I can achieve my pathway and grasp the future I want.  

I didn’t really want to be here. Parties aren’t my thing, but I only came for Charly's sake, to make her happy. I hope she knows this has messed up my whole routine for this weekend.  

Charly was nowhere to be seen while we played truth or dare. She joined me in the beginning only because she encouraged me to take part but after her dare she just vanished. Leaving me with Ellie giving everyone explicit dares, a smirk forming on her face as she gets closer to me. Knowing that she has full control over me in the moment as I'm alone and completely vulnerable.  

Her eyes approached me, and she sat up properly, as if she was getting herself ready to give me something she knows I won’t do. I swallowed thickly not wanting to make eye contact with her. “Ah sweet little intelligent innocent, routine obsessed Mikaela. Truth or dare?” She patronised me. I despise it when people do that. I’m not a damn child.  

I weighed out all my options of what I’d choose. If I choose truth, I'd get made fun of and I'll always be known as the girl who always chooses truth in a game of truth or dare because I haven’t grown up yet. If I choose dare and it goes wrong, I've created myself a hole of embarrassment for the whole time I'm at college but if it goes well, I have opened my chances of having more people communicate with me and reduce people talking about me because I managed to fulfil a ‘Ellie dare without fail”. Neither of the options tickled my fancy but I really don’t want to have the reputation of the girl who always chooses truth.  

The small crowd of people that are participating with me all start to snigger and chant ‘dare’. “They won’t do it they’re too scared to do it. They aren’t mature enough to play truth or dare with us they're still a child I don’t even know why Charly even brought them here” Ellie laughed through a scowl. Respectful of my pronouns but disrespectful of my myself. I was sick of being undermined by everyone. I even shocked myself when I said what I said.  

“I’ll do it” Everything stopped around me. My heart could be heard in my ears. My hands became clammy at the thought that I knew what was coming up next. I’d have to do it now that I agreed to it. I couldn’t believe what I had said. I was putting myself up for embarrassment. If this goes horribly wrong (which I know it will because I don’t do spontaneous things like this), they’ll never let me live it down.  

“Come again Mikaela” Ellie, the girl on the chair, looked at me with a shocked and confused expression on her face. “I’ll do it.” I mumbled still refusing to look at her, but I know exactly what expression was on her face. “A little bit louder babe I didn’t quite catch that” She mocked me.  

“I SAID I’LL DO IT” I screamed looking up at the many faces that flinched at my tone. A sound of cheer began to erupt from behind me almost startling me. They were treating me accepting dare as some achievement. At that Ellie stood up from the chair and brought her face to my ear and whispered the dare in my ear. My blood ran cold. I knew she’d do this, and she knew I knew she’d do this. I shouldn’t have said yes to Charly if I knew beforehand, she was going to do this.  

“You got that Mikaela?” She smiled sweetly at me but only I saw the venom behind it. She was setting me up for fail rather than myself. She’s a wicked person but I wasn’t going to let her stop me from proving people not to undermine me because I'm a lot more than what I show. I wasn’t going to let Ellie stop it. I wasn’t going to let Charly stop it (if she knew). I certainly wasn’t going to let a dare do it.  

“Loud and clear. I take on your dare and I'll prove to you that I'm not just a truther”. 

I do what I do best. I take control of the situation. Ellie and her dares no longer have control over me.