Chapter Four
I'm kind enough to share the goodies Tate stole on our way back to the abandoned house and when we get back I notice we'd forgotten about the candles, and they've almost burnt out.
"Shit we could have burnt the house down leaving these burning." I go to walk over to the candles intending to blow them out. But Tate stops me by walking into my back and putting his arms around my chest in a hug. Then he whispers in my ear.
"Wonder if they'd find out who it was if it did burn down? Truth or dare?" It's tricky as I really want to know what devilish dares he has up his sleeve but, I don't want to be caught out again. I'll just have to think of some more dares for him then.
"Dare."
"Burn this house down." He whispers in my ear.
"With what?"
He unwraps himself from me and drops his bag to the floor. I turn around and watch him as he takes a bottle of lighter fluid out of his bag handing it and a book of matches to me. I take them and look up at him.
"I've never set fire to anything before."
"First time for everything. Make a trail here." Tate walks in front of me with his flashlight to the floor directing me where to leave the trail of lighter fluid. He rips a piece of cloth, which is covering a piece of old furniture, and gets me to pour the last of the fluid over it then places it at the end of the trail. We walk to the front door and I swallow hard. It feels like my hearts about to leap right out of my chest.
"What now?"
"Light a match and throw it here." He shines the flashlight on the soaking rag at the end of the lighter fluid trail, a few feet from the door.
I take a few deep breaths to steady my hands and strike the match. The sudden flame shocks me and I drop it. Tate stamps on it and breaks another one from the book, handing it to me. I look at him and see that he's completely calm. God what if this is one of his fantasies? Setting things, and maybe even people, alight. I can't believe I'm doing this. But I take another breath, light the match and throw it at the rag. At first I'm just impressed I actually got the match to the rag but then I'm shocked at how bright the fire is and I'm suddenly rooted to the spot watching the flames build and move along the trail I made.
Then I'm being pulled away from the house and down the street, but the flames seem to stay in my vision. I realise I'm not moving anymore and blink a few times to get rid of the flames in my eyes. When I look around I see Tate laughing and staring at the house that now has an orange glow to it, up the street. We stand there and watch as neighbours spill out of their houses and to see what's happening. As the Fire department turn up Tate pulls me away again and we walk to a park. He sits on a bench and I vomit in a bin.
"I told you we'd need these." He says as he hands me the pack of gum he stole earlier. I'm still shocked and don't say anything as I sit down and chew half of the pack.
"It's your turn you know."
"Give me a minute." I say as I go over what I've just done. Could they find out it was us? What would happen if they did? Why did I do it? Why did he dare me to do it? Why did he have an almost giddy look on his face staring at the fire? Why did he have lighter fluid in his bag?
"Come on Vi it's ok they'll never know it was us."
"Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Have you ever set fire to anything before?"
"Yeah."
"What?"
"That's another question."
"No it's not." I shoot him down with a glare, "You have to elaborate or it's not a real truth."
"Fine. Nothing that big before just Constance's drapes and her old car."
"Why?"
"Now that is another question. Truth or dare?"
"Truth." I don't have the energy for another dare right now.
"Have you ever stolen anything?"
"I used to when I was younger. Candy mostly when I was out with my parents and they wouldn't let me have any. Then a few times last year I lifted some jewellery from this crappy store with a friend."
"Oh criminal Violet." Tate laughs, gets off of the bench and walks towards a tree which is bathed in light from a street lamp.
"Truth or dare?"
"Truth." He's walking around the trunk of the tree looking up at the branches.
"Ever purposely physically hurt someone?"
"Yeah a few people. Jerks who fucked with Addie and assholes at school." He reaches his arms up to pull himself into the tree and disappears from site. Tate's disembodied voice comes from the tree, "Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Why do you like me?" I sit on the bench and think about that question for a while. "Um Vi?" He must be feeling self conscious waiting for my answer, or maybe he thinks I've gone.
"Still here just thinking."
"Oh. That hard a question is it?" There's no humour in his voice he actually sounds hurt.
"I like that you understand me. You don't disapprove of the things I do but you care about my wellbeing. I like your taste in music and your sense of humour. Oh and your dimples don't hurt."
He's silent hidden in the tree and I wonder what he's thinking about.
"It's your turn." There's not the slightest hint of hurt in his voice now.
"Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Come out of that tree whilst I think of something horrible for you to do." He drops down from among the branches and walks to stand in front of me with his usual grin plastered on his face. I lick my lips and watch his grin as it, impossibly, becomes bigger.
"Is there somewhere nearby we can go get a coffee?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go, when we get there I'll give you your dare."
I spit the dead gum in a bin and we walk through he park onto a street. After a good fifteen minutes of walking in silence I see a diner coming up. We stop outside it and Tate looks at me.
"Ok go inside and order two coffees to go."
"Is that it? Do you want me to steal those?"
"No I want you to do it in just your boxers." He gives a little laugh.
"You gonna come in and make sure I do it?"
"Nope I'm gonna stay out here and hold your clothes." I hold out my arms ready for his clothes.
"Can I keep my shoes and socks on?" I look down at his black Converse and decide they'd look funny if it was just them and his boxers.
"Yeah I'll be kind." He sighs and pulls his sweater and shirt off dumping them in my outstretched arms. Then he hops about trying to take his jeans off with his shoes still on. Finally he's standing in just his boxers with his arms across his chest and I shoo him off towards the diner.
I stand outside and watch through a window as he walks in the door and over to the counter. I see several people look at him as he walks in and the waitress laughs. Then I see Tate turn and a cop stands up from a booth. Tate runs out of the diner and back to me, his hair whipping in the wind.
"What no coffee?" I manage between fits of laughter. I hand him his clothes and he pulls his jeans on just as the cop come out of the diner.
"Come on let's go." He grabs my hand and we jog back towards the park.
"I really wanted that coffee you know!"