Say You Mean It
AxLxExX
I stared intensely at Jack Barakat’s front door. I held the blue painted wood in my fervent gaze so long I was decently sure that, with the assistance of the sun shining on it, it would soon catch aflame.
Can’t have that.
Then knock, dummy.
But what if he answers?
Then you go in.
And what then?
Either you get a little crazy with him or you spend time with him. It’s a win/win situation, so stop being a pussy and-
The door squealed reluctantly open suddenly, snapping me out of my self-conflict. Some tall young man stood in front of me, raising an eyebrow. It’s a safe bet that he was Jack’s brother; they shared the same nose, the same laid-back attitude.
“We don’t want any?” he offered, cocking a brow. I gawked like an idiot for a moment, wondering how it was possible for two people to be so alike. Both seem to be bad in dealing with first encounters.
“Um, I’m here for Jack,” I stammer out, staring up at him. He shrugs, not seeming to care anymore and walking out to his mailbox. I poke my head in the opening, realizing it’s probably more uncomfortable to enter Jack’s house for the first time without Jack actually being with me. What if he was planning it like this, and he would make a sneak attack? I crept inside, suddenly feeling like a robber who needed to sneak in.
Well, I thought. Considering the circumstances, he would probably attack from behind! I slammed my ass against the creamy white walls of the house, taking note of how spotless it was for having multiple children in it, let alone Jack. They must have a maid.
I scooted through his house, backside raking against the walls, and ended up in the kitchen. It was lovely, probably the nicest kitchen I’ve seen in my life. It was a large L-shape with sleek black cabinets with a stainless steel oven in the middle of them- one of those ovens with a roof, that kind of look like a partially dismantled toolshed? Yeah, one of those. I glued my butt to the large island in the middle, gripping the cool white marble countertops. There were fresh pineapples and bananas on the countertops, and a yellow teapot on the stove. Someone obviously spent a lot of time planning this out. I certainly wasn’t aware that Jack’s family had any kind of money. Or maybe my mom was just too lazy to color coordinate fruits and appliances.
Next to the sink there were four spoons, and a medium sized jar. Four glasses of milk were lined up as well, and I was beginning to get a little red riding hood feel from this place.
“Alex?” someone said from the doorway, making me jump and almost knock every nice, tall glass of milk clean of the counter.
“Huh?” I grunted like a cave-man in my surprise, flipping my carefully ironed hair towards the door as I looked to see who I had made a fool of myself so completely in front of. My jaw dropped, in surprise and embarrassment and utter confusion at what I saw. It was Jack, leaning against the door frame, all limbs and legs. And eyes, of course- he was giving me the same look that his brother had given me moments ago. He thought I was nuts, not that I can particularly blame him.
But that’s not what had me with my mouth dropped open like a helpless dentist’s patient. No, what confused me to no end were the people standing behind him. Zack and Rian. My teenage brain went into overdrive, trying to explain how all his flirting had lead up to four teenage boys, four spoons, four glasses of milk, and a jar with God-only-knows-what inside.
I guess I let my cock take over when he said it would be crazy. This certainly fit that definition, though.
“Close your mouth, Alex, you’re not out working on the streets right now,” Jack shoots at me with a smirk, brushing past me and handing each of us a spoon. “You should have come up to my earlier instead of molesting my cabinets with your ass. Honestly.”
As if what he’s doing really makes anymore sense. Hmph.
“What the hell is going on?” Zack asks after Jack opens up the jar, revealing a maroon-ish brownish powder that smells suspiciously like Christmas.
Jack looks up, smiling and looking quite pleased with himself. “You mean you haven’t heard of the cinnamon challenge?”
x|-------------------------------|x
JxAxCxK
“Jack, honey,” my mother coos from across the table Sunday evening. “Did you and your friends have a good time?”
I cut my steak calmly, staring at my plate in hopes that my bangs would hide the mischievous smirk that crossed my lips.
X
“The Cinnamon Challenge,” I began, my lips curving in a smile tainted with teenage devilry. “Is taking the dare that you can swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon without water, or in this case milk. The dairy’s there in case you need it.
“BUT,” I continued, my tinted grin standing strong across my cheek bones. “Whoever grabs the milk doesn’t get to go to the party I got us invited to next weekend.”
“That’s just cruel,” Rian interrupts, looking a little nervous.
“Those are my rules,” I say, shrugging. “I thought it would give us a little more motivation so no one pussies out. Zack.”
“Uncalled for,” Zack protests.
“Cry me a river.”
“I’m lactose intolerant,” Alex inserts, frowning uneasily at the glasses of whole milk.
“Well you’re not supposed to use it anyway. If you need to so bad, use the sink.”
“So,” I asked after a pause. “Who’s first?”
X
AxLxExX
I stared down the spoonful of cinnamon like an Olympic competitor whose moment had come at last. I sneered at him. It’s my own stupid mistake, choosing to go first. I need to make it to this party, and if someone else here dies then I might not even be able to talk myself into swallowing this - or trying to. I don’t know why this is so important to me, but what if everyone ends up going but me? No, no. I can do this. I’m going with Jack to that party, and we’re going to get drunk, and it’s going to be awesome.
But first comes first.
I take a deep breath and a gulp of milk (I can feel the indigestion on it’s way) and then put the spoon in my mouth, sliding it out to get all of the cinnamon in my mouth. My first reaction was an outward breath. It looked like a fog of breath, if your town was that polluted. A puffy brown cloud of Christmas-y doom.
My second reaction was my first mistake. I inhaled, and immediately felt a sharp burn in my abdomen. My eyes watered and my face scrunched as much as it could with a mouthful of cinnamon.
Don’t cough, don’t cough, don’t cough, was all I could think. I didn’t even remember what I was supposed to be doing until Jack leaned over and whispered in my ear.
“Swallow, Aly,” he breathed, and I gulped on reflex. That was it. One sexual comment from Jack and I was going to that party. Whodathunk?
I proceeded to lean over the sink and cough my lungs out. Oh, and the others? Yeah, they were snickering their asses off while I had a disco inferno in my respiratory system.
Zack drank his milk, and my milk, proving Jack’s earlier comments to have held groundage after all.
Rian vomited, which, after some discussion, did not count. So, not only was I going to a party with Jack. I was going to a party WITH Jack. ONLY with Jack.
X
JxAxCxK
“Yeah, mom,” I responded finally, giving her the good-boy smile she wanted to see. “We had a great time.”
.
I stared intensely at Jack Barakat’s front door. I held the blue painted wood in my fervent gaze so long I was decently sure that, with the assistance of the sun shining on it, it would soon catch aflame.
Can’t have that.
Then knock, dummy.
But what if he answers?
Then you go in.
And what then?
Either you get a little crazy with him or you spend time with him. It’s a win/win situation, so stop being a pussy and-
The door squealed reluctantly open suddenly, snapping me out of my self-conflict. Some tall young man stood in front of me, raising an eyebrow. It’s a safe bet that he was Jack’s brother; they shared the same nose, the same laid-back attitude.
“We don’t want any?” he offered, cocking a brow. I gawked like an idiot for a moment, wondering how it was possible for two people to be so alike. Both seem to be bad in dealing with first encounters.
“Um, I’m here for Jack,” I stammer out, staring up at him. He shrugs, not seeming to care anymore and walking out to his mailbox. I poke my head in the opening, realizing it’s probably more uncomfortable to enter Jack’s house for the first time without Jack actually being with me. What if he was planning it like this, and he would make a sneak attack? I crept inside, suddenly feeling like a robber who needed to sneak in.
Well, I thought. Considering the circumstances, he would probably attack from behind! I slammed my ass against the creamy white walls of the house, taking note of how spotless it was for having multiple children in it, let alone Jack. They must have a maid.
I scooted through his house, backside raking against the walls, and ended up in the kitchen. It was lovely, probably the nicest kitchen I’ve seen in my life. It was a large L-shape with sleek black cabinets with a stainless steel oven in the middle of them- one of those ovens with a roof, that kind of look like a partially dismantled toolshed? Yeah, one of those. I glued my butt to the large island in the middle, gripping the cool white marble countertops. There were fresh pineapples and bananas on the countertops, and a yellow teapot on the stove. Someone obviously spent a lot of time planning this out. I certainly wasn’t aware that Jack’s family had any kind of money. Or maybe my mom was just too lazy to color coordinate fruits and appliances.
Next to the sink there were four spoons, and a medium sized jar. Four glasses of milk were lined up as well, and I was beginning to get a little red riding hood feel from this place.
“Alex?” someone said from the doorway, making me jump and almost knock every nice, tall glass of milk clean of the counter.
“Huh?” I grunted like a cave-man in my surprise, flipping my carefully ironed hair towards the door as I looked to see who I had made a fool of myself so completely in front of. My jaw dropped, in surprise and embarrassment and utter confusion at what I saw. It was Jack, leaning against the door frame, all limbs and legs. And eyes, of course- he was giving me the same look that his brother had given me moments ago. He thought I was nuts, not that I can particularly blame him.
But that’s not what had me with my mouth dropped open like a helpless dentist’s patient. No, what confused me to no end were the people standing behind him. Zack and Rian. My teenage brain went into overdrive, trying to explain how all his flirting had lead up to four teenage boys, four spoons, four glasses of milk, and a jar with God-only-knows-what inside.
I guess I let my cock take over when he said it would be crazy. This certainly fit that definition, though.
“Close your mouth, Alex, you’re not out working on the streets right now,” Jack shoots at me with a smirk, brushing past me and handing each of us a spoon. “You should have come up to my earlier instead of molesting my cabinets with your ass. Honestly.”
As if what he’s doing really makes anymore sense. Hmph.
“What the hell is going on?” Zack asks after Jack opens up the jar, revealing a maroon-ish brownish powder that smells suspiciously like Christmas.
Jack looks up, smiling and looking quite pleased with himself. “You mean you haven’t heard of the cinnamon challenge?”
x|-------------------------------|x
JxAxCxK
“Jack, honey,” my mother coos from across the table Sunday evening. “Did you and your friends have a good time?”
I cut my steak calmly, staring at my plate in hopes that my bangs would hide the mischievous smirk that crossed my lips.
X
“The Cinnamon Challenge,” I began, my lips curving in a smile tainted with teenage devilry. “Is taking the dare that you can swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon without water, or in this case milk. The dairy’s there in case you need it.
“BUT,” I continued, my tinted grin standing strong across my cheek bones. “Whoever grabs the milk doesn’t get to go to the party I got us invited to next weekend.”
“That’s just cruel,” Rian interrupts, looking a little nervous.
“Those are my rules,” I say, shrugging. “I thought it would give us a little more motivation so no one pussies out. Zack.”
“Uncalled for,” Zack protests.
“Cry me a river.”
“I’m lactose intolerant,” Alex inserts, frowning uneasily at the glasses of whole milk.
“Well you’re not supposed to use it anyway. If you need to so bad, use the sink.”
“So,” I asked after a pause. “Who’s first?”
X
AxLxExX
I stared down the spoonful of cinnamon like an Olympic competitor whose moment had come at last. I sneered at him. It’s my own stupid mistake, choosing to go first. I need to make it to this party, and if someone else here dies then I might not even be able to talk myself into swallowing this - or trying to. I don’t know why this is so important to me, but what if everyone ends up going but me? No, no. I can do this. I’m going with Jack to that party, and we’re going to get drunk, and it’s going to be awesome.
But first comes first.
I take a deep breath and a gulp of milk (I can feel the indigestion on it’s way) and then put the spoon in my mouth, sliding it out to get all of the cinnamon in my mouth. My first reaction was an outward breath. It looked like a fog of breath, if your town was that polluted. A puffy brown cloud of Christmas-y doom.
My second reaction was my first mistake. I inhaled, and immediately felt a sharp burn in my abdomen. My eyes watered and my face scrunched as much as it could with a mouthful of cinnamon.
Don’t cough, don’t cough, don’t cough, was all I could think. I didn’t even remember what I was supposed to be doing until Jack leaned over and whispered in my ear.
“Swallow, Aly,” he breathed, and I gulped on reflex. That was it. One sexual comment from Jack and I was going to that party. Whodathunk?
I proceeded to lean over the sink and cough my lungs out. Oh, and the others? Yeah, they were snickering their asses off while I had a disco inferno in my respiratory system.
Zack drank his milk, and my milk, proving Jack’s earlier comments to have held groundage after all.
Rian vomited, which, after some discussion, did not count. So, not only was I going to a party with Jack. I was going to a party WITH Jack. ONLY with Jack.
X
JxAxCxK
“Yeah, mom,” I responded finally, giving her the good-boy smile she wanted to see. “We had a great time.”
.