"Ok, you're turn Gwen"

The soft afternoon sunlight flooded the room from an open window. Gwen and her brother Zack sat in the middle of the carpet with crossed legs, the TV mumbling in the background.

"Ok, dare." Gwen's voice came out in laboured breaths. She was still struggling to keep down giggles after her brother admitted to liking Melissa, the girl who lived next door. A smile tugged at her teal lips. Zack blushed.

"Shut up Gwen!" he yelled, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"I didn't say anything," she replied smugly, her words still shuffled with laughs.

"You know what I mean! Can you stop it! She's really pretty!" With every sentence the hilarity of the situation seemed to escalate for Gwen. Melissa was not only the girl next door, but also Gwen's year 10 class president, the "it" girl. The one all the boys wanted (and apparently Zack,) and the one all girls wanted to be. Well, everyone except Gwen. She definitely wasn't "all girls".

"Ok, whatever you say Zachary," Gwen replied, humour dripping off every word. Zack looked uncomfortable. Gwen decided to change the subject, he was her brother after all.

"Well? I picked dare. Do your worst!" Gwen challenged. A grin crawled across Zack's face, the previous quarrel forgotten.

"I dare you to…" Zack rested his head on his hand, contemplating what dish he'll serve to Gwen as revenge. His eyes darted around the room. He needed something so terrible, so embarrassing, so bad that it would reduce Gwen to beg, something like-

"Hey you! Yeah you over there! Are you 16 years of age?" Zack's ears perked up at the TV, as he caught sight of a man with black hair, wearing a blue shirt and light brown pants address the viewing world in a commercial. Gwen followed Zack's stare and found herself looking at the TV too.

"Do you wanna be on TV? Are you kooky, obnoxious, stuck-up, dense, loud, annoying, filthy, or anywhere remotely in between?" A malicious grin crept across Zack's youthful face as Gwen's heart slowly started to beat faster.

"Well here's you're chance! Join me, you're fabulous host Christ McLean and my compadre Chef Hatchet!" A large intimidating man came into the shot, wearing a grim expression on his hardened face. "On the hottest new reality show "I Wanna Be Famous" Just send us a 1-2 minute clip about why you deserve to be on the show, and you could be shipped of to a big old islan- uh mansion! A big old mansion and compete for $100,000! Get your entries in now at 123 Famous Boulevard ,Startown, Canada and we'll see you on the small screen!"

A light bulb went off in Zack's head.

That was it.

Zack turned his head slowly, facing Gwen with a sly grin etched on his face. Gwen was a smart girl. She pieced together her dare almost immediately.

"No way!"

"Aww come on Gwen. Don't be a party pooper. I dare you," he pointed one of his thin fingers at his sister's face, "to audition for I Wanna be Famous!" Zack was now laughing at his genius dare. Gwen's face twisted.

"No! There is no way in the world I am going to go on that stupid show! I'd rather put pins in my eyes then find my way out of a maze!" Zack's grin was plastered on his face. He wasn't giving up.

"Come on! I dared you! That means you have to do it! Pleaaseeee?" He mustered up the cutest puppy dogface he could manage, widening his eyes and staring deep into Gwen's. She sighed.

"Well, when you put it that way, I mean you are my brother after all… so, no." Gwen shoved her brother out of her face and stood up to leave. As she reached the doorframe Zack spoke again.

"Yeah you're right. You'd never make it anyway." Gwen stopped in her tracks. She smiled softly.

" I know you're using reverse phycology. I use it on you all the time." She replied, her back still turned on her brother.

"When?" Zack enquired, clearly intrigued about wether her sister has outwitted him before. Gwen spun around to face him.

"That's not important. What is important is that I've got an appointment in my room, and my schedule's pretty packed. Call my secretary if you want to book another 30 minutes of truth or dare. I think I'm free next week." Gwen giggled as she ruffled her brother's hair and made her way to her room.

Gwen sat on her bed and leaned against the wall. She opened her top draw and took out her sketchbook and resumed to draw her brother's guitar. It leaned against the wall opposite her. She still can't believe he hasn't noticed it's gone. She swiped it over a week ago. She smiled at the thought as her pencil moved across the paper so gracefully, so perfectly, so flawlessly until an exact replica of the guitar was sketched upon the sheet. It was marvellous.

Zack slowly tiptoed to Gwen's room, with a cocky grin on his face, and an old video camera in his right hand. She was going to do the dare, wether she liked it or not.

The door creaked slightly as Zack entered his sister's lair, as he liked to call it. The noise from the door shattered the calming silence, and he was noticed almost immediately.

"Zack what the hell are you doing? Get out!" Gwen turned around to see her brother standing behind her and she screwed up her face. Zack looked around, he hasn't been in Gwen's room for ages.

"Hey! There's my guitar! But you said-" Zack started angrily.

"I say a lot of things. What matters now is that you get out of my room before you get a vitamin D deficiency!" Gwen yelled back. Zack always respected her privacy.

"No. Not until I tape your audition for "I Wanna Be Famous,"" Zack persisted.

"Uh, that again? Look, you have a better chance of getting a date with Melissa than getting me to audition for that show. You're just wasting your time."

"Oh am I?" Zack's grin expanded as he backed to the door, and turned the lock discreetly, pressing his back against the knob.

"You do know I can unlock it right?" Gwen stated with a giggle.

"Yes, but not while I'm standing in front of it." Zack lifted up the camera to his eye level, getting a perfect snapshot of his sister.

"And, Action!" Zack exclaimed as a bright red light pierced through the room's elegant darkness and the recording began.

"Zack! Turn that camera off or I swear-" Gwen demanded, but the words had no effect on Zack.

"Fine. If you won't audition, I'll have to do it for you," Zack cleared his throat, and in a high voice that sounded nothing like Gwen he said:

"Hi. I'm Gwen. I'm auditioning for this amazing show so I can finally step out of my brother Zack's shadow. He's just so awesome that I can't compete with him. He's my inspiration even though he's four years younger than me and-" Gwen couldn't take it any longer.

"Ok enough! You win. If I have to do it I might as well do it myself." Gwen cleared her own throat, and stared deep into the barrel of the camera.

"Hey. I'm Gwendolyn, but you have to call me Gwen, my full name is too weird. I'm auditioning for this stupid show because my moronic brother has shoved a camera in my face, and if its one thing I hate, it's publicity. Just in case you brainless reality-show executives haven't noticed, I'm not one of those mindless sheep that's auditioning for this show to get recognised and my "name out there"" Gwen paused as she raised her fingers to make quotations." I'm auditioning to get my annoying kid brother off my back, and hey if I win the money, I can send him to China for good and make sure he never comes back. Ok, I'm done. Now get that camera out of my face."

Gwen's hand filled the lens, as Zack stopped recording. He couldn't stop smiling.

"I hate you, just so you know." Gwen stated as she went back to sketching.

"Oh you don't have to tell me, big sis." Zack replied smugly as he turned to leave.

Gwen lied on her bed and wiped her face with her palms.

What had she gotten herself into?

Stupid dare.