Page 40 of Truth Or Dare
I was terrible at first, of course, but even back then, I knew this was my calling. It’s the only thing I’ve ever felt truly skilled at, and the one thing I’ve worked my ass off for.
Which is why I’m rushing to get to class, ten minutes late. It’s not entirely my fault, but Cassie won’t care about excuses. She’s relentless when it comes to being on time. My hand reaches out, grabbing the door handle, and I slip inside just as I hear a frustrated sigh.
“Gabriella, what did I say?” Cassie sighs, shaking her head in disappointment.
“I know.” My chest pounds as I catch a moment to breathe. “But it wasn’t my fault this time. There was a massive traffic jam from an accident, and I was stuck in traffic forever.”
“She always has excuses.”
My eyes narrow at Tiffany who whispers loudly at the girls around her. I don’t hate people often. There’s only a few people on that list, but Tiffany is definitely one of them.
She was Leila’s roommate back in freshman year, and when we became friends, we tried to befriend Tiffany too, but there’s no befriending a witch.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but it’s not an excuse. It’s the truth,” I shoot back, feeling my blood boil.
She scoffs, screwing up her face at me. “Are you sure you weren’t late because you were with a guy?” She blinks, tilting her head. “Or was it a girl this time?”
Tiffany’s the kind of person who thinks she’s better than everyone else. She’s been a jerk since day one. She shamed Leila for having casual sex, like it was a crime to be single. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tiffany was just jealous, since her boyfriend was all over every girl but her. But since they’ve broken up, she’s still the same vile, awful girl I can’t stand to be around.
But it doesn’t end there. When she found out I was bi, she made it her mission to let me know how much it bothered her. I never understood why. It’s not like it has anything to do with her. Unless...
“Do you want to fuck me?” I ask her, closing the distance between us. “Is that the problem?”
She widens her eyes, blinking a few times. “What?”
I shrug, stepping closer once more. “You love talking about my sex life, and calling me every name under the sun.” The memories of her calling me a slut and hitting on Chris in the same breath come flooding back. I curl my fists beside me, narrowing my eyes at her. “Do youwantme, Tiffany?”
“Ew.” She steps back, her shoulders hitting the mirror. “Get away from me. I have zero interest in you.”
I shake my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. Am I seriously still dealing with people like this? I thought I’d left this crap behind in high school. Apparently not. “Then stay away from me and my friends, and we won’t have a problem,” I grit out, closing the gap between us.
“Alright,” Cassie calls out, her voice tinged with frustration. “Let’s all cool down. This isn’t a boxing ring.” I can’t help but chuckle under my breath, the image of putting Tiffany in her place in an actual boxing ring bringing a fleeting sense of satisfaction. But deep down, I know it’s wishful thinking. People like her don’t change.
I’ve been hiding my whole life. I knew I liked both girls and guys from a very young age, but I kept pushing it away,convincing myself it was wrong. But it was undeniable. The same attraction I felt for guys, I felt for girls too. It wasn’t until I opened up to Chris and confided in him that it finally clicked for me. Still, I never dared to act on it, not while I was in high school, not while anyone could have told my father.
When I came to college, I thought I would finally be able to stop hiding. Being with a girl for the first time was nerve-wracking as hell. It was scary, new, and amazing. I was so excited to finally be myself and not have to deal with people’s unnecessary opinions. But what I didn’t realize then was that there are always going to be people like Tiffany and my dad who hate me for just existing.
“Alright, everyone, work on your stretches, and we’ll start soon,” Cassie announces to the class. Then she turns her head toward me, curling a finger, signaling for me to come over to her.
“I didn’t touch her,” I say, holding my hands up. “I wanted to. God, I wanted to punch her so bad, but I didn’t.”
Cassie smirks for a second, but then her expression softens, her authoritative demeanor slipping back into place as she sighs. “You can’t let her get to you, Gabriella.”
No one calls me Gabriella. At least not anymore. So hearing it makes me stiffen a little, my dad yelling my name in the back of my head.
“Easier said than done,” I reply with a scoff. Leaning in closer, I continue, “If you’d just let me hit her. Just once…” I trail off, letting out a deep breath. Probably wouldn’t change anything, but I’m sure it’d make me feel a whole lot better.
“I can’t condone violence,” she says, her tone serious, but then the corner of her lips lift slightly. “At least not in this room. If it was anywhere else…” Her shoulder lifts in a shrug.
My expression relaxes, and I chuckle. “I’m going to miss you when I graduate.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” She sighs. “I know. I’m the best.” Another laugh bubbles out of me. “And so are you.”
“I know,” I say with a nod.
She smiles warmly. “Good. I just wanted to make sure you knew. You’re amazingly talented, Gabriella.”
“Yeah, I know,” I repeat, a smirk playing on my lips. “Tiffany can say whatever she wants about me, but we both know she’ll never be better than me when it comes to dancing.”
