Chapter One: Truth, Dare, Kiss, or Promise "Truth, dare, kiss, or promise?" asked Mac as he attempted to light the fire for the third time.
Becca leaned back against a rock and nuzzled her feet into the sand. "Truth," she said.
"Okay, you have to tell us who you fancy."
"Easy," said Becca. "Brad Pitt."
"No, I mean, in the village."
"Easy again," said Becca. "Ollie Axford."
Mac's face dropped as at last the fire took hold. Although he says he's not into relationships, I reckon he's got a thing for Bec. I saw him staring at her before, when she was combing out her hair. Her hair's her best asset, although she doesn't think so. She wants blond straight hair like Gwyneth Paltrow, but she looks more like a Pre-Raphaelite princess with her long Titian colored mane and perfect alabaster skin.
"Are you honestly telling the absolute truth?" he asked.
I couldn't help but laugh. Typical boy. Just because Becca didn't say she fancied him, he thinks she must be lying.
"Yeah, the absolute real, double-honest truth," said Becca. "Ollie Axford."
Mac shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know what you see in him. He's a right flash git."
"Exactly," said Becca. "That's why I like him. He's different."
I handed round the Cokes and gave Squidge the sausages to cook. I was thankful I hadn't been asked. I'd have had to say Ollie as well and Squidge wouldn't have liked that, never mind Becca. Squidge has been my boyfriend since junior school, but lately it's all felt flat; I want a bit more excitement. Squidge is so familiar; we grew up together. And it's not that I don't like him. I do, but he's become more of a mate, like family, a brother even. And who wants to snog their brother? Ewww. There has to be more. Becca's not the only one who's seen Ollie. Full name Orlando Axford. Son of Zac Axford, famous American rock star who lives out at Barton Hall. Everyone in the village is always on about them; they're soooo glamorous. They live in this fab house, more like a mansion, in acres of land with horses and dogs and they've even got a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. I saw it once by the gate when I went out there with my dad to deliver their groceries. Mrs. Axford is totally gorgeous. She used to be a model and Ollie is the best-looking boy I've ever seen. I haven't ever spoken to him, but I've seen him around when he's been down from school in the holidays.
"Okay, your turn, Cat," said Squidge, putting a sausage on a fork and holding it over the fire. "Truth, dare, kiss, or promise."
I stared out at the ocean in front of us while I considered which to choose. It was the beginning of September and term started on Monday. Another summer in Cornwall gone and here we all were, the gang, having a beach party before the sun went down. Nothing wrong with any of it, I thought. It is beautiful here and we do have a laugh, it's just, is this it? Me and Squidge going together until we leave school? No. I want more. And I want it soon.
"Dare," I said.
Squidge grinned. "Er, let me think of a good one. Now who we can get you to moon at...?"
Typical. Even the dares are predictable: Show your bum to some unsuspecting person.
"No, no," said Becca. "I have a much better dare."
"You butted in," I said. "Show your bum. Butted in. Bum, butt, geddit?"
Mac, Squidge, and Becca stared at me as though I was mad. Maybe I am. I have been feeling a bit strange lately. Probably hormones. Mrs. Jeffries, our form teacher, puts everything down to that, like when anyone goes off on a wobbly, "Oh hormones," she says. We all have a laugh about it, like if anyone acts even slightly weird, we all go, "It's me hormones playing me up something rotten."
"Butthead," said Becca, "but I do have a brill dare."
"Go on then."
"I dare that the next time you see Ollie Axford, you have to go and talk to him."
"Talk to him? Why?" I asked, fearing for a moment that Becca had sussed my secret.
Becca looked to the heavens. "For me of course. Oh go on, Cat, pleeease. You know how good you are at chatting up boys. And they always like you. Talk to him. Find out if he's noticed me. Find out if he has a girlfriend. That sort of thing, and maybe mention, kind of casually, that you have a friend who'd like to meet him."
"No way," I said. "No, no way."
I looked to Squidge for support.
"Oh go on, Cat. If Becca has such a crush, the least you can do as a mate is help her out."
Astounding. He's not even jealous, threatened. He's so sure of our relationship that he would send me out to chat up the most divine boy in Cornwall, if not the country, and I have his full go ahead.
"No, forget it. I'm not doing dare," I said. "I'll choose another one instead."
"You can't change your mind because you don't like the dare," objected Becca. "That's against the rules."
"Yeah, but what you want me to do is a dare that you should do yourself," I said, looking round at everyone, hoping that one of them would back me up. I could see that Mac had gone into a sulk. Shame, as I really like him. He's been living down here a year now and still hasn't quite landed. He's always going on about London and how he misses his old school and his mates. His mum and dad are divorced, and he lives for the times when he gets to go back to visit his dad who still lives up there in a flat in Islington. Having Becca as a girlfriend might help him settle, and I'm sure she would have been interested if it wasn't for Ollie Axford.
I decided to help him out.
"Truth, dare, kiss, or promise, Mac?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Don't care."
"Then I'll pick for you," I said. "Kiss."
"I'm not kissing you, if that's what you think," he said, and for a moment his face lightened. "Squidge would kill me."
"I never said who you have to kiss yet," I said. "No, you have to kiss Becca."
"Cat!" said Becca looking shocked. Usually when we played the kiss option, it was to kiss someone geeky at school or one of the ancient locals. One time when we couldn't think of anyone, Becca made Squidge go and kiss a dustbin.
"Okay, it has to be at a time when it feels right," I said backtracking fast.
"That'll be never, then," said Mac settling back into his sulk. "And anyway, you haven't really had a proper go, Cat."
"Okay. Truth then," I said.
"Tell us your biggest secret," said Becca.
"Wouldn't be a secret then, would it?" I said, playing for time.
"Rules are rules and you ducked out of the dare I gave you," said Becca. "Come on, spill."
"Okay," I said, "but how about I only tell you? There's nothing in the rules that says I have to tell everyone."
"Fair enough," said Squidge. "I know all your secrets anyway."
Mac shrugged. "Whatever," he said, turning away and looking out to sea. I think he was pleased that I'd opted out of the dare.
Two packs of sausages, burgers, and Cokes later, we set off on the long climb back up the cliff.
"Shouldn't have had that last sausage," panted Becca after we'd been going ten minutes.
"Almost there," I said, coming up behind her on the path. We stopped for a moment to catch our breath and look at the view stretching out in front of us. Miles and miles of coastline as far as Rame Head. Even though I was born here, I still love watching the sea down below as it breaks on the sand, making patterns like white lace.
Squidge and Mac had gone on ahead and had almost reached the top so I decided to tackle Becca while I had her alone.
"Don't you like Mac?" I asked.
Becca pulled her hair up into a ponytail and set off again. "Yeah, course. But not like that. Besides, he's not into having a girlfriend and certainly doesn't fancy me. I could kill you, doing that kiss thing on me. Why would you want to set me up with him?"
"I thought you'd like it. I mean, he's your type. Blond, cute smile, and he's a laugh most of the time."
"Ah, but I've set my sights higher," she said dreamily. "Ollie Axford. He's The One."
"That's this week. Last week Phil was The One."
"Phil Davies? Ew. No way," said Becca. "Phil was a minor blip in my game plan."
I had to laugh. No half measures for Becca. She was always in love. Every new boy she had a crush on was "The One." I wasn't sure how seriously to take this new infatuation with Ollie. Was it one of her whims or was she for real this time?
As I set off again another thought occurred to me. Why was I trying to get her off with Mac? Was it because I wanted the way free, so I could talk to Ollie for me not her?
"Bec."
"What?"
"I'll tell you my secret now."
"What?" said Becca stopping again.
"Promise you won't say anything?"
She nodded.
"I think I want to finish with Squidge." Actually it wasn't my biggest secret. My biggest secret was that I fancied Ollie. But I was careful to omit the word biggest and hoped she wouldn't notice.
Becca turned. "You're kidding. No wonder you didn't want to say in front of the others. But why? I mean you two have been an item since...forever."
"Exactly. Before the dawn of time, et cetera."
"So why now? Has he done something to upset you?"
I laughed. "Nah." Squidge would never do anything to upset anyone. He's the nicest person I know. Kind and considerate. Wouldn't harm a fly. Always the first to offer help. Generous. Cool. Cute even. The perfect boyfriend. "I want a change."
Becca stared at me. "Is that why you cut all your hair off?"
"You don't like it, do you?"
"I love it. It's loads better. You look like Meg Ryan, only with dark hair." We walked on for a bit then Becca turned again. "Do you fancy someone else? Is that why you want to finish with Squidge?"
I really wanted to tell her, yes, yes I do: Ollie. But I couldn't do it. "Nah," I said, "there's nobody else. I just want to move on."
Becca glanced up at the top of the cliff where the boys were waiting.
"He's going to be devastated. He adores you."
I followed Becca's glance and Squidge waved down at us. Squidge, lovely, lovely Squidge. My pal through thick and thin. He's been there for me in all the good and bad times. Times like when my mum died when I was nine. I've known him that long.
"So when are you going to do it?"
"Don't know," I said.
"And how? What on earth are you going to say?"
"Double don't know." I felt awful. I didn't want to hurt him. How was I ever going to find the right words?
Copyright © 2002 by Cathy Hopkins