Phil dumped a large dirty log onto the roaring fire he successfully built. It raised high as pieces of red hot paper and a burst of smoke flew out towards Lil and Kimi relaxing in their fold up chairs.
"Awe Phil, careful!" Kimi said only just slightly annoyed. She thought it was funny he was trying to impress them with the size of his fire. Lil swiped away the pieces floating in the air.
"C'mon, look at this beautiful baby!" Phil said, grinning big from his pride.
"You're making it too hot, Phillip!" Lil said, picking up her chair and scooting it back. Kimi followed.
Tommy and Chuckie climbed out of their tent in their sleeping clothes, but were carrying the comforters for the girls.
"Nice fire, man," Tommy said, tossing the thick blanket to Lil, who was beginning to shiver. Kimi smiled and rolled her eyes at Phil who looked way too proud nodding his head and gloating.
The three boys plopped down in their chairs until the five of them halted to a pause of a soundless surrounding, only of the crackling fire and some distant birds. The dark of the night engulfed them into an exciting atmosphere they hardly got to experience. Chuckie spoke.
"You know what's great about being here?" He asked. Nobody responded but just waited.
"No Angelica."
Phil laughed, and Tommy nodded his head along with the girls in solid agreement.
"God yeah, she's been terrible lately," Tommy said. He exposed to his friends the incident where Angelica told Harold a lie that Tommy was gay, which spread like wild fire to Harold's church where Tommy had recently volunteered to make videos for fundraiser projects.
"All because you refused to lend her your camera?" Kimi said, shaking her head.
"Tell me about it," he said. Lil changed the subject.
"I think we should play truth or dare," she began to smile, raising a brow. She was hoping everyone would want to play, since usually it gets very entertaining and exciting.
"No way! Remember what Phil dared me last time?" Chuckie exclaimed. Bursts of laughter erupted, the loudest coming from Phil.
"Geez Chuck, I'd thought you would've chickened, considering that's the ongoing pattern of your life!" Phil said, chortling. Chuckie smacked his arm.
"Shut up Phil, I'll still get you back."
"Then play, Chuckie! We'll all get Phil back," Kimi said, grinning. Phil raised a brow at Kimi.
"You can never out dare the dare master," Phil attempted to reassured her. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Rules! Only one chicken! And you can't choose either truth or dare more than two times in a row," Tommy ordered.
"Fair," Lil responded, "Tommy, how about you go first?"
Tommy's eyes scanned each player, but he made his way back to Lil.
"Lil, truth or dare?"
Tommy asked her who she had regretted dating the most to follow her truth. It's Lil who seems to be the girl a lot of guys want to have, and she had been dating quite a bit this last year. So has Tommy. He knew they had this in common. She looked puzzled at first as she thought about her answer. She shifted her position and sat upright instead of slouching under her blanket like she was.
"Joel Vandervort," was her response.
"Ew, I remember that. He was a slimy garbage bag," Kimi responded, a disgusted look spreading across her face. Phil smiled to her comment.
"I still want to punch that guy," Phil added in.
"Don't blame you Phil, I mean, what did you see in that guy anyway?" Tommy questioned, looking at Lil. She responded with a shoulder shrug, wanting to change the subject. Memories of the way Joel had poorly treated her began to flood her mind. Quite frankly, she was embarrassed that she went out with him.
"Let's move on. Chuckie, truth or dare?"
Chuckie was still reluctant to play, but he wanted to show up everyone, especially to Phil that he can be bold.
"Dare."
As Lil sat and thought about what to dare Chuckie, Phil caught Kimi's shiver from the cold under the comforter she had wrapped around herself. He unzipped his jacket, a perfect opportunity. He made a perfect toss that landed right on Kimi's head. He smirked.
"Phil!" Kimi giggled, patting her hair down. She saw that he was only wearing a t-shirt with his shorts and flip flops.
"I'm fine, take it back. You're crazy," she ordered. She thought it was cute was he was doing, but silly that he was going to be cold himself.
"Wear it! I've got my beautiful fire to keep warm," Phil said back. Of course he wasn't going to admit he was cold, but he liked how it made him look tougher in front of Kimi.
"I got it!" Lil said, interrupting the focus from the Kimi and Phil flirtation show. She paused from explaining the dare to let out a burst of laughter. Tommy smiled in anticipation.
"Chuckie, approach that tree like its Angelica. But you have to pretend she's your girlfriend," She laughed. Phil, Kimi, and Tommy grinned.
"Then pretend to make out with her and call her your sweet, hot baby," she finished, folding her hands in her lap all proud.
"And you have to get into it. Actually tongue the tree and touch it!" Phil ordered. Chuckie crossed his arms. Lil nodded her head in agreement to Phil and gave him an air high five.
"That's disgusting! And embarrassing!" He exclaimed, pouting his face.
"Go ahead Chuckie, go to your girlfriend," Tommy pointed to the tree, snickering. The four of them laughed hysterically to Chuckie uncomfortably attempting the dare. He covered his beet red face as he sunk back into his chair once he finished. Phil patted him on back to praise him.
"Chuckie that was hilarious! Glad that wasn't me!" Tommy said.
"This better not leave this circle! Don't even tell Dil!" Chuckie strictly said, putting his arm over his face. Once the group calmed down, Chuckie decided to ask Phil next, hoping he would choose truth. He knew he could get something out of him that would shock the group.
"I'll go with truth this time," Phil answered, leaning forward and resting his arms on his legs. Chuckie gleamed. Phil raised a brow at his expression.
"Is there someone you have kissed in this past year that you have kept secret? If so, who?"
Phil gave Chuckie a dirty look, knowing exactly what he was talking about. Chuckie was the only one who knew, something Lil didn't even know. He knew Lil especially could read him if he lied. Phil rolled his eyes.
"Yes, Chuckie," he said annoyed. But he chose not be ashamed. Who cares if they knew? They would find out sooner or later anyway. Lil frowned and exchanged looks with Kimi. All four of them silently stared at him, anxious for an answer. Phil sighed.
"Okay, okay! I made out with Angelica at the big banquet event thingy in January."
Tommy's mouth gaped open. Chuckie gave one nod.
"What? Phillip! You're kidding, right?" Lil said, her hand covering her mouth.
"Why? How!?" Kimi exclaimed, hiding her face under her blanket.
"It was her idea. She was trying to make Bryan Hilsky jealous," Phil explained, his face burning up. His pulse quickened, and he felt the embarrassment arise. He couldn't help it.
Lil burst out with an obnoxious laugh, snorting and slapping her legs. Tommy smiled, Lil's reaction rubbing off on him.
"Wow, Phil. Umm, he was supposed to be jealous of you!?" Lil responded.
Phil frowned.
"Okay, Lillian, now you're just getting mean," he said, throwing a fir cone at her. Kimi and Chuckie began to snicker as well. Tommy knew Phil was serious though, because Angelica is full of lies. He can believe almost any Angelica story.
"Okay guys, I think we should lay off Phil, I've seen her do that same thing myself with random guys," Tommy interrupted, trying to defend Phil.
"Thanks T, I appreciate it!" He said loudly, directing it at Lil and Kimi were pink in the face.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just so weird! And gross!" Kimi said, throwing him an apologetic smile. Kimi felt disappointed in him, but she also understood because it was Angelica.
"Sorry Phil, but you can't just tell us that you kissed Angelica and expect us to not react," Lil said. Phil turned to Chuckie and glared at him, then immediately looked at Kimi.
"Kimi, truth or dare," Phil asked, raising a brow and rubbing his chin. Phil wanted to move on quickly. He felt more embarrassed than he thought.
Kimi knew he was going to ask her, and honestly, it slightly excited her.
"Dare."
"Crap," Phil muttered, scratching his head.
"Need help, Phillip?" Lil said, smiling.
"What's the dare master got for me?" Kimi asked, shooting Phil a sly smile.
"No, Lillian, I said crap to the fact that she will hate me once I give her the dare," Phil responded.
"Well spit it out, Phillip. And it better not be gross!" Kimi said. Phil raised a brow at her.
Farley Brant was the most immature, annoying, and hygienically challenged kid in school. He was now a sophomore. Kimi had a class with him as a senior this past year, and she would constantly complain to everyone how much of a nuisance he was. He tried to undo her bra during class one time. Kimi was repulsed by this kid, and Phil used this as bait.
"Every time you speak to someone for the rest of this trip, you have to start with saying "Farley Brant is my sexy lover. Then you can say what you need to say," Phil said, grinning the biggest grin he could. He looked at Lil, who had her mouth gaped open. It turned into a burst of laughter.
"Oh my God Phil, you jerk," Tommy spoke, shaking his head with a smile. Chuckie was roaring with a fit of laughter. Kimi frowned at Chuckie.
"Perfect, that's so perfect!" Chuckie exclaimed, raising his hand for a high five from Phil. He gave it to him.
Kimi pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. This thoroughly disgusted her to the limit. She absolutely despised that kid, and there are very few people who do.
"I really hate you guys right now," she puffed under her breath.
"Uh uh! What do you have to say?" Chuckie corrected her, shaking his finger at her. Chuckie took pleasure in teasing his sister. Phil stomped his feet while laughing, pleased at his dare.
"Kimi, I'm so sorry," Lil said through a giggle, patting her on the leg. Kimi let out a sharp sigh.
"Okay, you know what? Chicken! I'm sure I won't have to do anything worse!" She said, crossing her arms.
"Awe what? No! Chickens should not be a part of this game!" Phil exclaimed, slapping his knees.
"Hey, we agreed to those rules! We all get one chicken. I'm not doing it!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms.
"What if someone dares you to suck on Tommy's toes? Then you would have to do it," Phil told her. Kimi grimaced and looked at Tommy, shaking her head.
"You are the only one who would make her do that," Tommy said to Phil. Phil knew he was right. He really gets into this game.
"C'mon, let Kimi have her chicken. Then that means she would be submitting to you anyway," Chuckie said, sneering at Kimi. She growled at hid under her blanket, avoiding eye contact with Phil and Chuckie. Lil patted Kimi's back.
"See what I deal with everyday of my life? I have to live with that guy," Lil said, throwing a teasing look at her brother. Phil gave her a look back. Kimi smiled at that fact. Before Phil and her brother could say anything else, she pulled the blanket off of her head.
"Tommy, truth or dare?"
Unexpectedly, Tommy got up and ran quickly to the tent.
"Tommy, where are you going?" Chuckie asked. He didn't answer, but the four of them heard him rummaging through his bag. Lil stoked the fire. It was beginning to be the perfect size. Kimi noticed Phil staring quietly into the fire, his hands folded across his lap. Half his face was lit up, flashing from the flickering flames.
Tommy came back out, interrupting her phase. Phil knew she was staring at him, and he flashed Kimi a half smile to let her know. Kimi's face turned red, and she tried to hide her smile from Phil. She failed. His smile was infectious.
"K, so I was thinking we could use the truth or dare app on my ipod. It has some pretty good ones," Tommy explained, his eyes fixated on the ipod screen, his fingers scrolling.
"Has some bad ones too," Chuckie added.
Lil shrugged, "We can skip the stupid ones."
The five of them played truth or dare with the ipod for four turns, all dares and questions minor ones without having to do something repulsing, embarrassing, or over the top. That is until Tommy received a question for himself on the screen that made him uncomfortable. He stared at the screen, debating on whether he should skip it. He figured they would notice. Lil noticed his hesitation.
"You going to read it?" Lil asked, curious.
Tommy looked at Lil, knowing she was a big part of this truth. He felt it was just a stupid ipod, why does he have to do it? But Chuckie humped a tree. He couldn't escape now. He heaved a sigh.
"Kiss the person on the lips to your left," he read. Lil was to his left.
He could feel his body heating up. He knew Lil since they were tiny. It wasn't until these past couple of years where he felt himself developing a strong attraction to her. Of course, he never told anybody. He told himself early on it would be too awkward to date Phil and Chuckie's sisters and his own close friends, but that had faded sophomore year when he and Kimi went out for three months. It ended when Kimi fell for Ricky Hughs, but mutually, Tommy and Kimi both felt it never really was over once time went by. Tommy, however, felt Kimi had moved on. Therefore, he dated a girl two years older, Valerie. That ended quickly.
With Lil however, he felt it would be best to set the feelings he had for her aside all that time. He had been secretly wanting to kiss her for a while to see how it would feel, but he had no idea if she felt the same.
Lil was feeling a turmoil of emotions. She had been wanting to kiss Tommy for years now. Kimi knew this. She was her best friend, and they told each other everything. She knew he was a good kisser. Kimi knew. But she didn't want to kiss Tommy if he didn't want to kiss her. He probably wouldn't like her back anyway. Tommy was reserved and hard to read.
Lil's heart fluttered in her chest as she held her breath. Tommy's palms got sweaty. The whole group fell silent for a moment. Tommy and Lil could both sense the awkwardness steaming across the fire from Phil. But Phil didn't want to be a nuisance and ruin anything. He knew Lil would be angry if he tried to intervene. Lil was surprised at Phil's silence.
Lil was avoiding eye contact with Tommy, afraid of the situation. She was enlightened with excitement when Tommy got up from his chair and looked at her in the eyes as he knelt close to her. Kimi, Chuckie, and Phil were engrossed in this whole scene. Tommy and Lil were going to kiss, and it felt weird to them.
Tommy was nervous, and he could see Lil was nervous. But he leaned in, and so did she at his mark. They kissed each other, both feeling mutual elation. Lil wrapped her arm around Tommy's neck.
That moment was supreme for the both of them. Lil's lips were so soft, and her arm was hot at the back of his neck. For a second, Lil forgot that Phil was watching. She was in a trance at Tommy's amazing kissing, and she caressed his hair through her fingers.
"Okay, don't you think that's long enough? It didn't say make out!" Phil butted in. Tommy and Lil pulled apart, slightly startled by Phil's interruption. Tommy understood, he knew it was hard for Phil to see him kissing his sister. Lil couldn't help but feel terribly annoyed by her brother. But the kiss went longer than they both expected. Inside, the two of them felt greatly satisfied.
Lil lied awake, the surround sound of frog in the trees outside the tent swelling around what she could hear. Tommy's kiss lingered in all of her senses. It was better than the dreams she had, even if it was kiss around a group under the pressure of truth or dare. All these years passed by, and this happens now, after all this time. She closed her eyes to a satisfying smile.
Chuckie tried to focus on the croaking frogs, hoping maybe they will sooth him to sleep. But no matter what, he couldn't get the thought the game out of his head. It was an exciting amount of fun, but overwhelming. Tommy and Phil were sleeping to his left and right, but had no clue the way Chuckie was feeling as they were lost in their own thoughts. This group was turning into a big, weird love triangle. It was evolving again, adjusting. He was envious that Tommy got to share a kiss like that with Lil, but confused at why he continues to ignore having a relationship with Kimi. He knew he himself shouldn't like Lil, even though she is very attractive. It felt too weird to him. But of course, it's Tommy who gets the girl, and not him. Lil would never like him like that anyways. It felt weird to him that Kimi was showing signs of liking Phil as well. Now that he and Kimi were off to college in the fall, it would change things even more. Right now at this point of his life, he really disliked change.
Tommy was on cloud nine. He couldn't feel happier at how that kissed turned out. She seemed to like it too, and now he felt overwhelmed. With Kimi there watching as well, it made him feel slightly uncomfortable. All those times he had kissed Kimi flashed through his mind as well. Now he was stuck in a swirling pit of confusion. He recognized the feelings he felt for the both of them. What was he supposed to do?
Phil was dozing off to sleep, replaying everything bit by bit that had happened around that fire. The way Kimi was staring at him, her cute smile, and her teasing voice. It all made him adore her.
However, the picture of Tommy and Lil kissing wouldn't leave his mind. It was weird and gross in his eyes. He just wished he had gotten that dare for himself in order to kiss Kimi. He just hoped that Lil kissing Tommy didn't arouse any past emotions in Kimi to cause jealousy. Kimi and Tommy getting back together is his worst nightmare right now. Maybe Tommy and Lil getting together is a good thing for that reason.
Kimi was in a deep state of confusion. It almost made her want to cry. All those times she and Tommy shared those same amazing kisses he just shared with Lil were flashing in her mind. This group was now a crazy love fest. Her worst fear was that it would tear up their friendships. Her growing feelings for Phil were exciting. She wanted Phil. But it only seemed like a flirtationship so far…and the feelings she kept inside for Tommy still lingered.
She momentarily cured her thoughts once she got that picture of Phil tonight staring into the fire, his face half lit. She finally fell asleep, hugging Phil's jacket with his aroma filling her senses until the croaking of the frogs were no longer there.