"I bet you won't….." Emmett paused to think. "I bet you won't….."
"Cmon! Make it good this time." Edward responded. "Last time you bet I wouldn't carve 'dead beat' into Principal Greene's car."
"I still think you cheated with that one." Emmett responded.
"You didn't say it had to be somewhere visible!" Edward laughed.
Dennis leaned back in his chair, "You're all amateurs," he said. "If we're doing bets, let's make it interesting."
Edward and Emmett both turned toward him, curiosity gleaming in their eyes.
"What do you mean?" Edward asked.
Dennis leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I bet you won't set off the fire alarm at the hospital."
Jasper, who had been silently observing the conversation from the corner, immediately straightened. "Absolutely not," he said firmly. "That's reckless even for you guys."
Emmett raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "You think we won't do it?"
"No," Jasper said, his voice firm. "Because you shouldn't do it. There's a difference."
Dennis waved a dismissive hand. "Come on, Jasper. Don't ruin the fun. Live a little."
"I prefer living responsibly, thanks," Jasper shot back. "Besides, you know dad forbid us to give or take dares. He let us off way easy last time, and I don't want to risk getting myself in trouble for deliberately disobeying and that ridiculous stunt.
But Emmett was already grinning. "So, what's the wager, Dennis? What do we get if we pull it off?"
Dennis leaned back again, a smug look on his face. "If you do it, I'll take the fall for Principal Greene's car."
Edward whistled low. "That's tempting."
"It's stupid," Jasper snapped. "If you're even thinking about this, I swear I'm telling Carlisle."
Emmett laughed, brushing past Jasper's warning. "Relax, Jazz. We've got this. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Uh, you could be arrested, the whole town could find out, dad would come at you with his belt?" Jasper reminded. Then he thought, hoping Edward was tuned in, "you could be exposed, or lose control, then the volturi would be on our backs.
"That won't happen," Emmett said cheerfully, already heading for the door. "Come on, Eddie boy. Let's make history."
Edward groaned but stood, giving Jasper a sheepish shrug. "Someone's gotta keep him from doing something worse."
Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering, "You're all insane."
At the hospital, the plan unfolded just as Dennis had laid out on the brisk walk over. Emmett strolled through the lobby, his eyes locking onto the fire alarm near the elevators. Edward lingered by the corner, half-heartedly pretending to ask questions at the front desk while stealing glances over his shoulder.
"I'm looking for a Mary Smith, do you have anything by that name here? She's my… uh… neighbors grandma." Edward lied.
"Make it quick," he muttered under his breath.
Emmett smirked, sauntering toward the alarm with an air of confidence. Jasper, who had followed reluctantly, hung back near the entrance, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
"This is a disaster waiting to happen," Jasper hissed.
"Only if you keep looking so suspicious," Dennis whispered, appearing beside him out of nowhere.
Emmett reached the fire alarm. His hand extended toward it, his fingers closing around the handle.
And as his fingers were clasped around the fire alarm pulley, the unthinkable happened…
"I had hoped the phone call I received had been a hoax." Came an all too terrifyingly familiar voice from behind.
Emmett immediately let go of the fire alarm, the device, thankfully, remained un triggered, and slowly turned to meet the unprecedentedly angry scowl of his father.
"Uh hi dad…" He said sheepishly.
The good doctor grabbed him angrily by the upper arm and began a steady stomp towards the front door, his white coat billowing behind him.
Edward stood stalk still hoping, without any disillusion of success, to go unnoticed. His arm too was angrily arrested, and both boys were dragged out to the same bench they had been deposited on after their last daring debacle.
Jasper was waiting, arms crossed, with an "I told you so" expression painted across his face.
Dennis too was nearby, head bowed, shoulders slumped, with another very angry father whispering something in his son's face.
"Thank you for the call." Judge Barcley said when Carlisle was near enough for conversation. "I'm not sure why our boys are so hell bent on causing trouble together, but this is twice now you've saved me from public humiliation over my boy here."
"I cannot take credit here." Carlisle said. "It seems Jasper is the only one on my boys with a lick of sense. He called and gave me a heads up."
The judge shook hands with Jasper before saying a brief 'thank you' and hauling Dennis away toward the courthouse.
"Jasper," Carlisle said.
"Yes sir?"
"Take these two home. Call me when everyone gets there. I have to finish my shift."
"Yes sir."
"And you boys go straight to my office. Find the reports you handed me two weeks ago, and add to it."
Two heads bobbed up and down.
"I see I didn't make it clear enough that dares were not acceptable."
"Well dad," Emmett started "Technically we weren't daring." He laughed nervously.
"Yes" Edward added. "Technically we were betting…."
Carlisle lifted Emmett and immediately began "whooping ass" as the boys so affectionately reffered, illiciting a loud howl and many stares from passers by. Yhe spanking didnt last long before he set Emmett down and grabbed Edward and issuing the same.
With that, he turned and stormed back into the hospitel, leaving two incredibly shocked boys behind.
"Idiots." Jasper muttered.