The groom looks back at his wedding day. A girl cries as she dreams of being somewhere else. A happy couple looks at their brand new house and reminisces about their job promotions.
They each can look back and say "Yeah, that was the moment that changed everything."
Phst. What a stupid cliché. Every moment changes something in your life.
That's what I used to believe.
But I believe in that moment now. I can pinpoint exactly what moment changed my life forever.
Two words: Dare. Night.
BD
I hate Rachel! And I have every right to! She tried to steal Lucas, and sure, she's with Nathan now, but that's not the point. She's even co-captain of my squad now!
Unbelievable.
Now I'm sitting in a car with her and Peyton. Tonight's dare night. Nate, Luke, and Jake thought it'd be great to do girls versus boys so now I'm stuck with her all night.
I pull out a bottle of vodka and take a mouthful. Ick. I look over at Rachel and laugh.
"Pretty pathetic. We have to drink just to stand each other for a night."
Rachel smirked and showed me her empty bottle. "Trust me, I'm long gone."
"Screw the drama. I don't want this night to suck. Let's just have fun. Deal?"
Rachel stole my bottle and put it to her lips. "Deal."
Finally, we're here. The three of us get out of the car and walk up to the River Court's bleachers. Felix (what a scumbag) set the whole night up for us and told us that we'd find our first dare here.
Peyton finds the envelope and rips it open.
"Read it! Read it!" Rachel and I chant excitedly.
Peyton rolls her eyes and reads the card. "Catch a fish from the river."
Rachel and I stop chanting and immediately start to giggle.
I push Rachel to the ground. "I'll beat you!"
She shouts out to me from her position on the ground. "Bitch!"
"Slut!" I call out over my shoulder. I can feel her catching up to me.
"Whore." She whispers it now because we are both standing at the edge of the river.
We both look at the dirty river. "On second thought, I think Peyton should do it."
Rachel looks at me and puts her fingertip to her nose. "Nose game!"
I quickly react and put my finger to my nose. Peyton catches up and swears. "That's not fair I wasn't here!"
"To bad, P. Sawyer. Get your ass into the river."
Peyton swears some more and mumbles something about being emo. Okay, I'm lying to you, she probably didn't say that, but I'm feeling tipsy so let's just imagine she did.
She rolls up her jeans and takes off her converses and gets into the river.
I lean over to Rachel and whisper in her ear. "She's never going to catch one."
"I know. But it's gonna be pretty fucking funny to watch her try."
Twenty minutes later we decide that Peyton has been through enough torture. We take a picture of her holding her sneaker but it's a faraway picture. Hopefully the boys won't look closely enough to notice it's not a fish.
"Alright, Fishy. Where to?"
Peyton gives me a dirty look but reads the back of the card. "Drive to a restaurant and convince a worker to give you their nametag."
Rachel scoffs. "Easy. All we have to do is flirt with the counter guy and we're set."
"Says here its double points if it's the same sex."
"Damn Felix. He's such a perv." I cross my arms and pout.
Rachel puts the palm of her hand against my cheek and I slightly shiver. Must be cold out or something.
"Aw, Penelope, don't pout."
I push her away from me. "Don't call me that!"
"If it didn't bother you so much maybe I wouldn't do it. But it does bother you…Penelope."
Rachel runs away to Peyton's car in order to avoid me hitting her. Smart move on her part.
Considering we'd have to drive out of Tree Hill to get to a Burger King, we decide to try Karen's Café. Ha, the BK Lounge. Ever hear that Dane Cook skit?
Never mind, that's off topic.
I decide to saunter up to the female waitress that's sitting at the counter and Rachel tries the male waiter at the other side of the restaurant. It's already eleven at night so there aren't many people here.
I notice it's mousy Haley James. "Hey, Tutor-Girl." She's actually scheduled to tutor me in a couple of weeks if I fail math. Again.
She gulps and returns the greeting. "H-hey, Brooke. What can I get you?"
"Actually, I'm in the middle of a little game and I was wondering if you would let me borrow your name tag."
Haley gives me a funny look. "W-well I can't really give it away, Karen would probably get mad and-"
I cut off her rambling and pout. "Aw, come on Tutor-Girl. Can't you help me out? Isn't that what tutors do? I promise I'll give it back by tomorrow."
She knows I'm probably not going to give it back, I can tell by her face. But she agrees anyway.
I smile, thank her, and tell her I like her hair. She smiles and I walk away, mission accomplished.
I meet Rachel at the car. "Ha! Double points for us." I snicker at Rachel's angry expression. "Couldn't get a name tag? I didn't think I could out-slut you."
"Shut up."
We both get in the car and watch as Peyton takes out another envelope.
"Take a picture of two team members doing something dirty behind a parent."
"Now this is a fun dare." Rachel smirks and gives me a wink.
We decide to drive to Lucas's house to find Karen since all of our parents are non-existent.
The three of us walk up and ring the door bell.
"Hi, Karen!" We say in unison.
"Hi girls, Lucas isn't here actually…I think he went to Nathan's." She politely greets us.
"Actually, we wanted to take a picture of you, if you didn't mind. We're part of the newspaper staff at school and we wanted to involve you in the local area section. You know…for your Café."
Heh. I'm kind of impressed with Rachel's lying ability. That was complete bullshit but at least Karen bought it.
She smiles and ushers us into her kitchen.
I hop up onto her counter and Rachel stands on the side of me, her hand lazily sitting on my thigh.
"Where do you want me?" Karen asks Peyton.
"There's fine." Peyton tries to hide her giggles.
Rachel sets herself up in between my legs and leaves her hands on my thighs. I throw my arms around her neck.
We hear Peyton counting down to take the picture. "3…"
Rachel leans in and whispers to me. "This is kinda hot."
"2…"
I smirk and she leans in and kisses me. It's embarrassing to admit but I'm starting to feel a little horny.
"1…"
As soon as Peyton clicks the camera, Rachel bites lightly on my lip.
Oh. My. God.
The moment is over and Rachel pulls away.
"Thanks, Karen."
We all run outside and burst into fits of laughter. "Damn. That was an adrenaline rush. Imagine if Karen had turned around?"
The night continued with random dares like kissing a police officer (Rachel did it and then we ran like hell), going to the park and sliding down the slide in underwear (I did it and I think I may have slid in pee), and dieing our hair pink (Peyton did that one; me and Rachel are just so damn good at the nose game).
We got back to Nathan's at two in the morning so we could tally up the points and see who won.
Of course, we were tied.
Lucas pulled out another envelope. "Felix gave me this just in case there was a tie."
I noticed Rachel raise her eyebrows out of curiosity.
"Make out with someone from your team for thirty seconds."
The guys groaned but I smirked. Another chance to kiss Rachel? I'm weirdly okay with that.
"I am not kissing another dude. Lucas and Jake, go for it."
"Yeah, right man." Jake replied. "Girls?"
Lucas and Jake smiled at the thought of us making out. Typical guys.
"Watcha think, Rachel?" I turned my head towards her.
"Why the hell not?" Without hesitation she grabbed my face and pulled my lips to hers. She pulled me down on to the couch and I could feel her pull me closer.
Peyton coughed and I sighed quietly as Rachel pulled away. "Beat ya." Rachel stuck her tongue out at the guys.
Nathan frowned and took a fifty out of his wallet. "You guys fucking suck. I hate losing."
Peyton and Jake eventually left. They were making those bedroom eyes at each other. It's cute, Jake's a good guy.
"By the way, your asses are stuck down here on the couch. Me and Rachel get your bedroom, Nate."
"What? No fucking way!"
"You lost the bet!"
Rachel and I ran up to his bedroom and locked the door.
I jumped on his bed and finally laid down. Instantly Rachel was leaning over me.
I felt goose bumps run up my arms.
"I, um…I'm basically sober now."
Her eyes looked down at my lips and then they came back to my eyes. "Me too."
She leaned in and kissed me for the third time that night.
Bam. That was the moment that changed everything. That's how me and Rachel's relationship or whatever you want to call it got started.
So it wasn't a fairytale beginning. Sue me.
