Chapter Three

I'd completely forgotten why we were playing truth or dare. But now, as I'm sat here bored and pushing food around my plate, I remember. It was supposed to be a tool to find out if Tate was dangerous, whether he was really considering shooting up my school. It wasn't supposed to be just a fun game. Not that the game ended in a fun way earlier. God I am so gonna make you pay for earlier Tate. But hopefully tonight I can find out if Tate has any murderous plans and have fun. I especially need to get back at him for giving me a panic attack. What can I do to him? Oh so many things. But first I need to get through this horrific experience; eating dinner with my parents.

I'm sitting at the table with my parents silently glaring at each other. I can only gather their day out didn't go as well as planned. Maybe my Dad saw some pretty young college students and boned one whilst my Mom was looking for baby clothes in a store or something. My Mom looks up from the dry dead bird on her plate and shoots a quick look of disgust at my Dad before turning to me.

"How was your day Violet?"She smiles so brightly at me and I think that maybe telling her how I made Tate lick the floor boards, shouted crazy shit out my window and had a panic attack, wouldn't be the best thing to say.

"It was fine. Just did homework and listened to music. The usual. How was yours?"

"Umm...well..."

"It was great Violet." I look at my Dad through narrowed eyes. Why are you interjecting?

"Yes it was great until you went and ruined it." My Mom drops her cutlery on the table and moves to leave the table.

"Please don't start this again Vivien." He sighs.

"Don't you dare talk to me like it's my fault!" She storms out of the room and my Dad gets up and follows her.

"I'll stay here then." Talking to an empty room, that sounds normal for me.

So now I'm sat reading a book in my room, waiting for my parents to stop shouting abuse at each other and go to sleep so I can leave. I still don't know what happened. I could climb out the window but I think a broken neck would hamper my plans. So I wait and planning how I'm gonna get my own back on Tate.

"Don' stay up too late Vi." My Moms voice says from behind my bedroom door.

"I won't I'm just finishing this chapter." I put my book down and creep over to my door to listen for their bedroom door closing. Finally I can escape. Time to sneak out and get back to our game.

I quietly walk down the stairs and towards the front door.

"Going somewhere this late?"

"Moira? What are you doing here?" I look at my watch, "It's 12:30 why are you working this late?"

"I'm not working." She's stood in the doorway to the living room in that maids outfit with a stern look on her face.

"Look I saw you the other week practically fucking my Dad in his office and I don't know what stupid reason you have for being here this late but leave him alone. Not for his sake but for my Moms, she's been through enough." I turn and walk out of the house. That ancient bitch had better leave him along. I walk next door to find Tate. Maybe I should throw pebbles at his window like he did to mine last week.

"You took your time, thought you weren't coming." He's sat on his porch with a bottle of water in his hands and his bag at his feet.

"My parents were being shit heads and fighting. Difficult to sneak out of any door when they keep wandering all through the house throwing insults at each other."

"Sorry." He looks down at his shoes then swigs from the water bottle. "But at least it wasn't crockery they were throwing."

"Come on let's go." I turn to walk towards the street.

"Where would you like to go?" I stop and look at Tate.

"I don't know you've lived here all your life you should know somewhere we can go." I go to walk away again but then I stop, turn and say, "Not the beach!"

"Ok." Tate laughs and holds his hands up in defence. "I have an idea." He grabs his bag stuffing his water bottle inside and swings it over his shoulder before heading down the steps.

We walk for about ten minutes and I wonder where we'll end up when Tate stops outside a house. It's so small it's dwarfed by the larger houses on the street, and although it doesn't look as old as them, it does look like it hasn't been lived in for as long as I've been alive. Ivy covers the external walls and is creeping into the house through the windows, most of which are either smashed or boarded up.

"This will do us." He looks up at the house and smiles.

"And this is?"

"Mr Gray's old house, Constance knew him. He died about five years ago and no one's lived here since. Apparently he left it to some distant relatives who have never sold it so it just sits here, empty and kind of spooky." He grins and walks up the driveway to the front door. I look at the dark house and wonder how much trouble we could get in for breaking and entering. Then I follow Tate up the driveway. He's walking around the porch and tugging at windows trying to open one when I arrive at the front door and twist the handle, it opens and I walk inside.

"Oh. Didn't think of that." Tate slips in the door behind me and pulls his bag off of his shoulder. He reaches inside his bag, pulls out two flashlights and hands one to me. I flick mine on and sweep the room with the light. I can see the outlines of couches in the room and doors leading from it. Tate turns his own flashlight on and closes the front door. He walks to the middle of the room and sits down on the floor, looking through his bag again. I walk over to him and watch as he takes out a selection of candles and sets them down in front of him.

"How romantic." I flop down in front of Tate as he sniggers and lights the candles.

"Truth or dare?" I ask watching the candle light flicker over his face.

"But it's my turn."

"No you made me throw up, I get this turn."

"Ok. Truth."

"What are you afraid of?" He pulls his bottom lip in between his teeth and tilts his head to the side.

"Umm...not much."

"That's not a proper answer."

"I'm afraid of being alone." He looks at me and it's like his eyes bore holes into mine. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What's your favourite word?" I grin at him and laugh.

"You know that! Bullshit!" He laughs too. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"How often do you think about me?"

"All the time. When I'm awake and asleep." He inches closer to me and the flames are nearly licking his clothes. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What's the worst lie you've ever told?" I pause and think about it but I already know the answer.

"I love you too."

"To a guy?"

"Yeah...my Dad. He broke down crying at me apologising for fucking that girl and he wanted me to forgive him and shit. He said he loved me and I said it back but all I felt was hate and a small amount of pity."

"Do you think he's really sorry?" I look him in the eyes and I can see he hates it that I'm hurt.

"My turn. Truth-"

"Dare." Good choice now I can start to get my own back.

"I'm thirsty go get me a drink." He reaches into his bag pulls out his bottle of water and shoves it at me.

"No I don't want that. I want you to go to a store and get me something else."

"Is that my dare? Cos it doesn't make sense as a dare."

"Yeah it's your dare. You have to steal it and I'm coming with to make sure you do."

I jump up, grab my flashlight and use it to find my way towards the door of the house.

"Is this my punishment for earlier?"

"Maybe."

We walk out of the empty house and head down the street towards a small row of stores. We stop outside a one and Tate looks at me. His fingers are drumming on his thighs and he's biting his lip. Good he's nervous.

"What do you want?"

"Coke. Oh and chips." I grin up at him and walk in the store.

I walk over to the magazine rack and flick through some shitty girly mag whilst Tate wanders around the store. An article in the magazine grabs my attention 'How to get him to do what you really want'. Already got that down, well nearly just need to deal with the sex thing. Oh and the, are you planning on shooting people thing. Why do I keep forgetting to ask the right questions? Like; do you own a gun? Do you have a hit list? Why the hell didn't you want to go all the way on the beach last week? No that one will need to wait, I've got more pressing things to think about. Just then a hand grabs my arm and pulls me round.

"Are you going to pay for that or just stand here and read the whole thing?" It's the owner of the store holding my arm and standing in front of me. Behind him I see Tate slip out of the store looking at me with wide eyes.

"Actually no I'm leaving now." I pull my arm out of the guys grasp and drop the magazine on the floor before walking to the door.

"Fucking kids." The guy says as I leave.

I find Tate on the corner grinning. I collect myself and ask, "Where's my stuff?"

He reaches into his bag and pulls out a can of coke, a bag of chips and a pack of gum.

"Just incase you get scared and vomit again after I give you your dare." He winks at me. I punch his arm and take my stuff walking back towards the empty house.

"By the way I'm not finished with you." I shout over my shoulder.