Disclaimer: I do not own 39 clues.

Chapter 1: A Little Game

Amy shouldn't have planned a sleepover party. Dan was cool with it, but the games Sinead makes them play always makes him feel as though sleeping would be much better. Last time they had a party. She, or let's say, the game made Dan hold Natalie's hands while blindfolded. And it had absolutely no useful purpose at all. At all.

Dan looked at the others, looking for someone who might be in the same boat as him. The only one he found closest was Natalie, who was looking nervously at Sinead. Sinead clasped her hands together and looked at everyone as if she was some kind of nursery teacher teaching a bunch of interested kids. Dan wasn't interested.

"Do you know the game "Do You Love Me"?" She said.

Dan groaned.

"What kind of game is that now?" Hamilton said, staring at her in the eye.

Sinead blushed and Dan looked at Hamilton, congratulating him through his eyes for somehow defeating Sinead. Hamilton smiled.

"No. I don't think I've heard of that game." Amy said. "How do you play that?"

"I'll try to put it in words." Sinead cleared her throat, as if readying for an opera. "The objective of the game is simple. You must find an empty seat before anyone can occupy it before you. You must be quick, you must be-"

Sinead was interrupted by Ian, who was raising his hands in question. "Excuse me but, I don't see the point why it's called "Do You Love Me?", shouldn't "Trip to Jerusalem" be more accurate?"

"Yeah. It's kind of like that game. I was about to explain about the connection to the title part but you interrupted."

"Okay, continue." Ian said.

"See we would form a circle, and there's an 'it' in the center. It could be anyone. For example." She looked around, but she shrugged. "For example, I'm the 'it'. I'll say to any of you, 'Do you love me?'. Say, I tell it to Amy." She looked at Amy.

"Amy, Do you love me?" Sinead asked her. "Answer yes or no."

"Ah. Yes?" Amy said, not really sure where this is leading.

Sinead looked at everyone. "If the person you asks says yes, then all of you people sitting should stand up and find another chair, and quick. The it would find some place to sit too, so If you wouldn't be quick, you'll have no seat, and you'll be the next 'it'."

"What about if I say no?" Dan said, glancing over at Natalie.

"That's simple." Sinead said. "If you say no, then you'll have to specify who you love."

Dan tensed up. "You mean, tell you guys who it is?"

Amy laughed. "Why are you so nervous, dweeb?"

"Shut up." Dan said.

Sinead was laughing too and it took her seconds before answering Dan. "No, no. You specify the people who will be moving. Say, you tell us, 'I love those who are wearing slippers', and those who are will be the ones who'll find another seat. Understand?"

Nods. But they weren't excited.

"K. Let's start the game." Sinead said happily. "Who will be the 'it' first?"

"Me." A hand raised from the circle of Cahills. It was from Ned.

"Okay." Sinead said.

Ned stood up and let Sinead sit on his chair. He looked around and turned to his brother. "Ted, do you love me?"

Ted smiled, as if they were planning something. "Yes."

Upon hearing the word, all Cahills rioted in search for a new seat. Ian and Amy bumped to each other, Reagan sat on Hamilton's hand, who was fighting over the same chair with Sinead. Dan was happily sitting on an unoccupied seat, and Natalie sat next to him. For a moment they looked at each other and glared, then they turned away. In the end, it was Jonah who became 'it', who was still trying to get the objective of the game.

"Okay fine." He said, as he made his way to the center of the circle.

He looked around and faced Madison. "Madison, do you love me?"

"Yes."

Another riot. This time, the unlucky Cahill was Ian, who was slumping his way towards the center. Without hesitation, he looked at Amy. "Amy," he began. "Do you love me?"

"No." Amy said, staring at him in the eye.

"Really?" Ian said, surprised. "Who do you love, then?" Ian said, as if he was dying to know who it was.

Sinead held up her hands. "Ah, Ian? You do know it's not the objective of the game right?"

"Yeah. Of course." Ian said. "But."

"I love those who are…" Amy quickly said. She thought for a while. "Those who ah. Who has the letter "A" in their names."

Her statement made everyone stop and think if their names have As in them or not. It turns out, Amy was a slick girl, everyone in the group has A in their names, and there was another riot.

This time, Dan was chosen "it". He looked around and stopped at Natalie. He thought for a while, and then turned to Reagan. "Reag, do you love me?"

"Yes." Reagan quickly said.

Disaster.

And Sinead was it. He turned to Dan. "Do you love me, Dan?"

"No." Dan quickly said.

"Who do you love?" She replied. Dan thought.

"I love those who are… ah."

"Natalie?" Amy said.

"One more time Amy, and I swear-"

"Who do you love?" Sinead said, interrupting him.

"Ah. Those who are wearing sandals."

The Cahills looked at their feet, then at other's feet. Natalie stood up, but then there were no other that did.

"Ah." Sinead spoke. "Natalie's the only one who's wearing sandals, Dan."

"Oh. Sorry." Dan said, growing embarrassed. "I didn't mean that. Sorry." He tried not to look at Natalie. "I mean I love those who are wearing red shirts."

Jonah, Madison, Amy, and also, (she's still on it) Natalie stood up and the five of them, including Dan, searched for an empty seat. Natalie was the victim this time.

She looked around, then faced Dan. "Daniel."

"Geez don't call me that, Cobra." Dan quickly countered.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Fine. DAN, do you lo-"

"Yes." Dan quickly said, and he was the first to stand up since the others were still thinking on how he didn't let Natalie complete her question.