Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update. Between midterms and the SAT, I just haven't had enough time to write. This chapter also ended up giving me a slight case of writer's block to top it off. But at least I finally have an update for you. Hope you like it –I'm a bit drained at the moment so I didn't re-read it as much as I usually do… So, enjoy and, as usual, comments would be greatly appreciated.

Chapter 3: Truth-or-Dare

July, 2003

Ring, ring.

Ruby tapped her foot on the carpet impatiently as she held the phone receiver up to her ear. Huffing, she focused her eyes on the small, pale girl sitting on her best friend's lap on the couch.

Ring, ring.

The redhead glared at Tawny, causing a shiver to pass through the younger girl's body. She squirmed uncomfortably on Ren's lap and tried to ignore the evil eye Ruby was giving her. She'd become all too familiar with the redhead's dirty looks in the past year.

Ring, ring.

Why'd she have to move here? Ruby thought with scorn as she continued to glare at Tawny. She huffed twice more and tapped her foot on the carpet at least several dozen times before the ringing stopped.

Bobby had answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Bobby? Hi, uh, this is Ruby," the redhead said, letting out a nervous giggle. "I just wanted to, like, tell you a few things about myself. You know, so we know each other a little better."

Thoroughly confused, Bobby simply said, "Uh… okay…"

"Okay, so…" Ruby paused for a moment to take a deep breath in. "I just wanted you to know that…" She took another deep breath in. "I own every single episode of Star Trek ever made, I wet the bed until I was 12, and in the third grade I had a major crush on Nelson Minkler," she said quickly, hoping Bobby Deaver –the hottest guy in school- wouldn't be able to understand what she had said.

"Um…" was Bobby's only response.

"Okay, well, that sure was a great little chat," she said, again laughing nervously. "See you around. Bye!"

As soon as she uttered her last word she hung up, tossing the receiver down like it was a hot coal.

Although she tried hard not to, Tawny couldn't help but laugh. Ren, too, let out a few chuckles –trying desperately not to be amused by her friend's misfortune. The other girls in the room, all dressed in their pajamas, were also laughing.

"Okay, sweetie pie, ya'll get ta dare someone now," one of the girls, Monique, said to the now very red Ruby.

"Great," Ruby said, her face hot from both embarrassment and irritation. She scanned her eyes around the room for show, but she already knew exactly who she was going to choose. "Tawny," she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

The younger girl rolled her eyes –it's not like she hadn't seen this coming. After all, it was Tawny's (genius) idea to dare Ruby to divulge three secrets to Bobby Deaver. Tawny smiled inwardly, still basking in the pleasure of having come up with such a good dare.

"Tawny, truth or dare?" Ruby asked the younger girl.

Tawny weighed her options for only a few moments before she felt Ren's arm snake around her waist, pulling the two girls slightly closer together. "Don't pick dare," Ren whispered into Tawny's ear in warning. Trusting the older girl, and not really having any preference herself, Tawny stated firmly, "Truth." She knew that she had made the right choice when she saw Ruby's face fall.

"Damn," Ruby whispered under her breath. For being as good as she was at finding out people's deep dark secrets, she was horrible at making good truths. Still, she was determined to get revenge. She went over a list of questions in her mind, trying to find the one that would cause Tawny the most embarrassment. "Um…"

Monique yawned out of boredom. "Ya'll gotta ask a question sometime tonight, Ruby," she said with slight impatience as she rolled her sleeping bag onto the floor and slipped inside it. She was bored… but she might have been ever so slightly tired as well.

Ruby went over a few more questions in her head, none of them being embarrassing enough. Sighing, she settled on a classic, hoping that she could at least get a little bit of gossip out of asking it. "Do you have a crush on anyone?"

The small girl eyed Ruby suspiciously. "That's it? Do I have a crush on anyone?" she asked skeptically. She'd expected the truth to be more…

More…

Well, just more.

The redheaded Gossip Queen grinned. She'd dealt with this many times before –Tawny was trying to cover something up, definitely. Why else would she take so long to answer? "Why are you avoiding the question?" Ruby asked, eyeing Tawny.

Tawny just rolled her eyes. "I'm not avoiding the question," she stated flatly.

"Yes, you are," Ruby argued.

"No, I'm not," Tawny argued back.

"Yes, you are," Ruby repeated.

"No," Tawny stated firmly, "I really am not."

"Yes," Ruby pressed, "You really are."

Tawny was about to continue the argument when she stopped to think about how stupid it was… and about how Ruby might actually be slightly right… Slightly. Tawny shifted uncomfortably in Ren's lap. There was someone who she could see her self having a crush on… Tawny siged. "Well-"

"I knew it! You totally have a crush on someone!" Ruby exclaimed, interrupting Tawny. "Who is it?" she asked, excited. She wasn't particularly eager to know who the younger girl had a crush on. She was excited simply because it was new gossip –and to her any newgossip was good gossip.

Not saying a word, Tawny just smiled at Ruby. She just found a new way to torture her.

"Well, who is it? Tell me. You have to. This is a truth, remember?"

Tawny continued to smile. "I actually don't have to tell you. You asked me if I liked someone, not who I liked."

Ruby's face fell for the second time that night. "Damn," she said under her breath.

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By four o'clock the girls had decided to go to sleep. Ruby was lying on her side, snuggling with a large Snoopy pillow. Charlotte was spread out on an armchair, looking rather uncomfortable. Allison was buried under a large stack of blankets. Monique was sprawled on her back, snoring heavily. Tawny was lying practically on top of Ren on the couch.

Everyone was asleep.

Everyone except Ren, that is.

"Are you awake?" Ren whispered to the girl sleeping on her. She was starting to drool, leaving an uncomfortable-feeling damp spot on Ren's shirt. "Tawny?"

No response.

Ren sighed and tried to take her mind off the drool that was starting to seep through her shirt onto her chest. Even if she could do it, she wouldn't want to wake Tawny up and ask her to move. True, she was starting to get uncomfortable with Tawny lying on her. Tawny was drooling, starting to feel a little heavy, and every time she shifted (which was fairly often) she would end up kneeing Ren or jabbing her with her elbow. Still, to Ren it felt right.

I wonder who she has a crush on, Ren thought right before Tawny shifted slightly, and, in the process of doing so, kneed Ren in a very uncomfortable spot. The older girl couldn't help but let out a pained whimper.

"Huh?" Tawny whispered sleepily, raising her head up a little. "Did you say something?"

"No," Ren whispered back, still sounding slightly pained. "I didn't say anything. Just go back to sleep."

Tawny grunted in compliance and rested her head back down –right into the damp spot on Ren's shirt. "Eww," Tawny cringed, once again lifting her head up a little. It only took her a moment after that to register where she was and what the liquid was that she had laid her face in. "Oh God," she whispered apologetically, "I drooled on you." She immediately sat up to let Ren out from under her.

"It's okay," Ren whispered sliding out from under Tawny. She sat Indian style on the couch and Tawny sat in the same way so they were facing each other.

The smaller girl shook her head. "No, it's not okay. I really didn't mean to fall asleep on you. I mean, I drool –it's disgusting."

"Well, you are pretty disgusting," Ren joked, receiving a light slap on the arm from Tawny. She laughed. "But you're also kind of cute, so I guess I'll keep you around."

"Oh, I see how it is. I've got the looks and you've got the brains... Hmm, I guess that could work out." A playful smile played on Tawny's lips.

Ren feigned offense. "So, you're saying I'm ugly?"

In response, Tawny placed her hand on Ren's shoulder reassuringly and said in all seriousness, "At least you have a good personality."

Both girls couldn't help but crack up.

Ren loved times like these. Just her and Tawny. Laughing at nothing. Talking about everything. Sometimes reading each others mind. While they were giggling, Ren took the time to study the smaller girl. Even through the darkness, her bright eyes sparkled and Ren could still make out the girl's pale hands sticking out of her long-sleeved black T-shirt. Ren could also still make out some of the pattern on Tawny's pajama pants. SpongeBob SquarePants. Ren still found the fact that Tawny liked that show amusing.

A few strands of dark hair fell from behind Tawny's ear, blocking part of the girl's pale face, and Ren reached out and brushed them back into place.

"Who is it?" Ren asked out-of-the-blue, surprising even herself with the question. She hadn't really meant to ask it out loud.

"What?" Tawny asked, this time not being able to read Ren's mind. She had no clue what the older girl was talking about.

"Earlier, when Ruby asked you if you liked anyone, your answer was yes." Ren gulped, suddenly feeling nervous for some reason.

"Oh." Tawny looked down at her lap. "Well, um… I don't… um… It's just…" She sighed. "I don't want you to get angry with me."

Ren chuckled nervously. "Wh-why would I get angry?" she asked.

Tawny lifted her head up again, looking Ren in the eyes. "Because of who I like," she said so softly that Ren, sitting only inches away, could barely make out the words.

Ren stared at the other girl for a few moments. What could be so bad about the guy? "Just tell me," Ren whispered, and in that moment something clicked. Maybe it wasn't a guy... Maybe it was a girl... Maybe it was Ren.

And maybe… maybe that's who Ren wanted Tawny to like. "So… who is it?" Ren asked again.

Tawny stared at Ren intensely, clearly debating whether to tell her or not. Part of Tawny wanted Ren to know, but at the same time another part thought it would be best not to tell her. The former part must have been bigger though because, slowly, Tawny opened her mouth. She took a deep breath and leaned in to whisper…

"It's Louis."