Wallflower

by Cookie O'Gorman

  Dare smiled at that. "And they didn't ask any questions? Maybe they're more like my parents than I thought."

  "No, they had a few. But it's all good," I said.

  I thought back to the conversation I'd had with my parents after returning Snape and Hermione to the shelter. Paris had given us and our wet clothes a strange look, but she hadn't said anything. After drying Hermione off with a towel and grabbing my cello, I'd driven Dare to his house and immediately called my mom.

  "Which friend?" My father was the one who spoke after I gave my initial explanation. That was when I discovered Mom had put me on speakerphone. "Have we met her?"

  I'd hesitated and heard my father sigh.

  "It's Dare isn't it," he'd said.

  "Yeah," I'd said. "But he is my friend, Dad. You were the one who encouraged me to make more friends, remember?"

  "I did…but honey, I just don't know about you hanging out with him. At his house."

  "I'm sure his parents will be there," I'd said, though I really had no way of knowing.

  He was silent a beat, and Mom came on the line a second later.

  "We trust you, Viola," she'd said. "Right, Becks?"

  "Yeah," Dad had said, sounding reluctant. "Call if you need anything, and don't stay out past curfew."

  "I won't, Dad."

  "And tell Dare I'll tear his limbs off one by one if he touches you," he added.

  I'd laughed, but he didn't.

  "I'm serious, Viola."

  "I absolutely will not tell him that," I'd said. "He's your best player, and I want DHS to win state. A limbless Dare may endanger that possibility."

  Dad had grunted.

  And now, here I was following Dare into his frankly humongous house, walking past all of the fine furnishings and into the backyard where there was, indeed, a pool.

  "Okay, Viola, swimming is a very important skill," he said. His brow arched as he added, "Especially if you go jumping into bodies of water all the time."

  I rolled my eyes. "This was a first. Like I told you, I was worried for Hermione."

  Dare nodded and walked down some steps into the shallow end.

  In the next second, he'd pulled his shirt off and threw it to the pool deck. Oh my, I thought. I didn't think I'd ever get over the sight of a shirtless Dare Frost. I wondered if he could see the hearts in my eyes as I gazed at him. My still damp t-shirt felt warmer than it had only moments ago.

  "Well, don’t keep me waiting, flower," he said. "This is for your benefit after all."

  Was he referring to his half-nakedness?

  Because I definitely felt blessed by the sight in front of me.

  Toeing off my shoes (that were soggy anyway from my impromptu swan dive), I made my way hesitantly to the steps. I used the rail to walk down them, feeling the cool water getting higher and higher. The water only came to Dare's hips. But since he was taller, it hit me at waist-level.

  I looked up at Dare and crossed my arms.

  "Okay, I'm in," I said.

  "Yeah, I can see that," he said.

  When he kept staring, I added, "I hope you don't think I'm taking off my shirt."

  Dare gave me a half-smile. "You can if you want."

  "No thanks," I said, gesturing to his body. "Not all of us look that amazing under our clothes."

  "I'd love to be the judge of that," he said.

  I frowned. "You're not funny."

  "Who said I was joking?" He went on before I could form a response. "Anyway, since we've established, you're going to be boring and keep all your clothes on—"

  "Hey, I removed my shoes and socks." I sniffed. "Those count."

  Dare shook his head. "We'll work on floating first just to get you used to the water."

  "You don't have to do this," I said as he took a step closer.

  "Yeah, I do." Placing his hand in the middle of my back, he said, "Just lean back, Vi. I've got you."

  I huffed but did as he asked.

  There was a moment of panic when my feet began to slide up from underneath me, my whole body feeling off-balance.

  "Relax," Dare said again. "I'm here."

  With a deep inhale, I allowed him and the water to take my weight, my legs bobbing up and down ever so slightly. The sky was so blue, the cotton-candy white clouds shifting overhead, and there was Dare. His face gazing down at me as he kept his palm on my back.

  "You okay?" he asked after a minute.

  "Yeah," I said in surprise. "I'm good."

  "Let's see what happens when I take my hand away." My spine stiffened at that, but he laughed. "I'm not going anywhere, Viola. Jeez, have a little faith."

  I nodded slightly.

  "Okay, here we go."

  In the next second, I felt him pull away. The water rushed into the spot where his hand had been, but I tried not to react. A few seconds later, when I knew I wasn't going under, I relaxed.

  "This is actually kind of soothing," I said and threw him a smile.

  Dare winked. "And the view's not bad either."

  His blue eyes were still on me, I realized, and a flush stole up my neck. Gah, why did he have to say things like that?

  "Time to try actual swimming," he said after I'd successfully floated for a while.

  As he helped me stand up again, I felt pumped.

  "Okay, let's do this," I said.

  "It may be more difficult, but you'll get it," he assured.

  I nodded.

  "Bend your knees and extend your arms over the water in front of you. Keep your head up. Think about floating on your front. And remember, flower, try and stay relaxed."

  I did what he said, but nearly gasped as my feet left the pool bottom and one of Dare's arms went beneath my ribs, the other across my hips.

  "Just supporting you," he said, "until you get the hang of it."

  "O-okay," I said, hating that telling stutter.

  "Just move your arms and legs in little strokes like you saw Hermione do today."

  Remembering how happy Hermione was at the pool, I tried to recreate her movements.

  "Good," Dare said. "That's good. Try to smooth it out a bit."

  I did what he said, and soon it felt like I was actually swimming.

  "I think I'm doing it, Dare!" I said. "Oh my gosh!"

  He laughed at my enthusiasm. "Yeah, you're a quick learner. That's for sure."

  "You're a great teacher," I replied still unable to believe it. I mean, yes, Dare was still supporting me, and I'd probably go under if he wasn't. But I was swimming for the first time! "If I get a fur baby who can't swim, maybe I'll be able to save them now."

  Dare sighed. "I think you'll need a few more lessons for that."

  I rolled my eyes.

  "You can come over and practice if you want," he added. "My parents won't mind. They're hardly ever here."

  "I don't anticipate jumping into any pools in the near future."

  He was quiet a moment. Then he said, "You know, you really scared me today."

  "Sorry," I said as he helped me to get vertical. When I saw his face, I said it again. "Dare, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

  He shook his head, ran a hand over his jaw. "I keep picturing your head going under. I had Snape in my arms at that point, had to put him down before I jumped. It was a scary thing, flower. I was afraid I wouldn't get to you in time."

  I put a hand on his forearm.

  "But you did," I said softly. "If I forgot to say it, thank you, Dare."

  "You're welcome, flower."

  After we got out, Dare smiled down at me. We were both dripping wet, but I smiled back.

  "That was fun," I said.

  "It was." He nodded. "But now, I really need you to take your clothes off."

  I choked on air. "Why?"

  His lips formed a half-smile. "So I can put them in the drier before you go home. Did you think I meant something else?"

  I gave him the stank eye. "Couldn't you have led with that?"

  Dare shrugged. "I could've, but
that would be less fun."

  A few minutes later, we were back in the house. Dare had given me some of his clothes to change into. I came out of the bathroom in a shirt that hit me at mid-thigh and a pair of sweats that were fitted around the hips and butt area. But I'd had to roll up the bottoms to account for our height difference. My hair was still mostly wet, though I dried it as best I could, and I'd forgone shoes because they were drying near the front door.

  I was sure Dare would laugh when he saw me. But as I joined him on the couch in the living room, I could've sworn I saw his eyes soften.

  "Thanks again," I said. "For the clothes."

  "No problem." He laid his head back on the couch, closed his eyes. "You look good in them."

  Was he serious?

  Outwardly, I scoffed. But inside, I melted.

  "The drying cycle takes about forty-five minutes," Dare went on. "So I guess you're stuck with me a little longer."

  I shrugged, settling back into the couch.

  "I don't mind," I said.

  His mouth eased into a smile. "You don't?"

  "Nope," I said, hugging one of the pillows to my chest. "This gives us a chance to play one of my favorite games. Truth or truth."

  "Ugh, seriously?"

  "Yeah," I said, my tone defensive, "it's a good way to pass the time. Plus, we'll get to know each other better. Plus, plus, I have so many questions."

  He cracked an eye open. "You know this means I get to ask you, too, right?"

  I swallowed but gave him a nod.

  "Okay," he sighed. "Go ahead."

  I nearly whooped out loud but managed to control myself.

  "What's your real name?" I asked.

  Dare groaned. "Pass."

  "You can't do that! It's only the first question."

  "And when I play this game, each person gets a pass," he said. "That one's mine."

  My brow furrowed. "It can't be that bad, Dare. Won't you just tell me? Please?"

  Dare watched me flutter my eyelashes at him and then muttered, "Alright, I'll tell you at the end of the game, flower. But for now, it's a pass."

  "I'll take that," I said. "But can you give me a hint?"

  He stared at me a moment. "Why do you want to know so bad?"

  I shrugged. "I'm dying of curiosity. Plus, I love names. Real ones, fictional ones. I just love them."

  "Speaking of, what's up with your name?" Dare asked. "Why is it so long?"

  I tilted my head. "Is that your first question for me?"

  He nodded, and I bit back a smile. Dare had given me an easy one, and he didn't even know it.

  I listed them off on my fingers. "Viola is the name my mom and dad came up with. They liked it because it's pretty and unique, has letters that almost spell "I love you" as well as two of the same letters in my mom's name. Martha and Carole are my grandmothers' names. Rogue, of course, is from X-Men."

  Dare blinked. "Your parents literally named you after a mutant superhero?"

  I nodded. "She's my mom's favorite."

  "That is so badass," he said.

  "And then, of course, Kent is our last name," I finished.

  Dare nodded. "That's still a lot of names."

  A shrug. "My dad has nearly as many, and those are all family names, too. Okay, time for my second question."

  "Who's asking?" he joked. "Viola, Martha, Carole or Rogue?"

  "All of us." I dismissed that with a wave. "Now, why do you call me flower all the time?"

  "Because you remind me of one." A small smile appeared on his lips. "You're soft and pretty but strong, too, like one of those flowers you find in a field."

  "Did you just compare me to a weed?"

  "More like a daisy," Dare said. "My turn. Favorite movie?"

  "The ones with happy endings," I replied. "Why don't you believe in love?"

  He shook his head slowly. "Because it doesn't exist."

  "How can you think that?"

  "Okay, flower, since you asked." Dare laid his head back against the couch again. "I guess the answer is my parents. They met young, got married, had me, and they were in love. Like the most in love you could be—until they weren't."

  I waited for him to go on.

  "After fifteen years of marriage, they just quit on each other. Just like that." He snapped his fingers. "Dad was hardly home because of his job, and Mom found out he was sleeping with his secretary."

  Without meaning to I gasped, and he nodded.

  "I know, what a cliché, right?" he said. "But then he found out she was cheating with her therapist, the one she'd gone to see because of my father's neglect. It got real ugly. It was like they kept trying to see who could hurt the other one more. My mom and dad went from love to hate and finally to indifference. They separated the summer between eighth and ninth grade, and I couldn't have been happier."

  "Was that why you started acting out?" I said.

  "Yeah," Dare said. "They were never around, so I figured why not? Why not party, drink and hook up? There was no one who cared enough to stop me." He took a deep breath. "Not until I met your dad."

  I started at his words.

  "Coach Kent took me under his wing," Dare said. "I was good before, but he saw something in me and made me great. He also told me that I owed it to myself to stop it with all the wild, immature crap I was pulling and try and reach my potential. Coach showed me I had value, even if my own parents couldn't see it."

  "God, Dare." I wanted so badly to reach out and hug him, grab his hand, something. But I stopped myself, unsure if he'd allow it. "I'm so sorry."

  Dare shrugged. "It's not your fault my parents suck, flower."

  "Well, I'm sorry for asking in the first place," I said.

  "You didn't know," he said. "But that's why I know love is a lie. I've seen how twisted it can get, how it disappears over time."

  He cocked his head.

  "My question is why do you think it's real?"

  "How do you know I think that?" I asked.

  Dare laughed which eased something inside of me. He was obviously coming out of those dark memories of his parents, and I was glad for it.

  "For one, you're a girl," he said.

  I rolled my eyes. "What a sexist thing to say."

  "And for two, you're you." I went to object, but he held up a hand. "There's a video of you confessing your undying love to my best friend, remember?"

  My mouth snapped shut at that.

  "Well, you're right," I said, deciding to give him my truth since he'd just given me his. "I do believe in love."

  Dare grinned. "I'm shocked."

  "Anyway," I said and narrowed my gaze at him, " I confess I'm a hopeless romantic. I've always thought it had a lot to do with being raised on romance. Books, TV, movies, you name it. All of my life, I've been told love exists, that it's out there and that everyone has a chance at it."

  He didn't say anything, so I went on.

  "But I think what proved it to me is my mom and dad," I said. "They were meant to be together, Dare. They're soulmates. I know love exists because I've seen it."

  "Maybe for some people," Dare allowed. "But I don't think it's out there for everyone."

  It made me achingly sad to hear him say that, to know he felt that way.

  "What was the stuff with Ty about?"

  "Not this again," I said. "Also, I thought it was my turn to ask a question."

  "I'll give you two after you answer," he said.

  Ugh. "Okay, okay," I said. "So, I thought I had a crush on Tyson. So what? I've had crushes on tons of people."

  "Oh really? Name one, besides Ty."

  "Well…you. At one point. But that was a long time ago," I hastily added.

  Dare grinned. "Oh flower, please tell me more."

  "Don't look so smug," I said, wishing I'd never brought it up at all. "It was in the fifth grade. I was young and impressionable. I barely even knew you then."

  "But what you knew you obviously liked."

  There was no way I cou
ld tell him that I liked him even more now. That in knowing him better, it had only increased my affection for him.

  Dare was still looking at me, and I turned my face away. "Can you please stop staring? You're making me even more embarrassed."

  "It's okay," he said. "If it helps, I used to have a crush on you, too."

  My eyes snapped to his. "No way," I said. "When?"

  "Hmm, let's see," Dare said. "Well, there was the time in elementary when I first moved here. I thought you were nice and liked your hair. That was all it took back then."

  I could hardly breathe.

  "The second time was in the seventh grade when you saved that puppy they found outside the art room. I couldn't stop thinking about how amazing you were."

  "Second?" I breathed.

  "And I think the third was between ninth and tenth when I learned you were Coach's daughter," he said and shot me a smile. "Though I think that had more to do with him than you if I'm being honest."

  I shoved him for that, and he laughed.

  "What? There was just something about you being off-limits."

  My brow furrowed. "Because you're one of my dad's players?"

  "Yeah," he said with a shrug. "But it's cool. Just saying we both had crushes, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

  "Oh yeah, sure," I said.

  But inside, I was reeling. Dare freaking Frost had liked me. He'd had a crush—no, multiple crushes on me. Me! Viola loner-dog-girl-awkward-nerdy-hopeless-romantic Kent! I just couldn't believe it. And I hadn't told Dare this, because I'd probably die if I did, but…my crush on him? It had actually been a reoccurring thing over the years. It hadn't ended in the fifth grade. I'd actually always liked him—except for when he was a jerk in the ninth grade. But in my head, Tyson had been the better match because he'd seemed more…safe.

  Speaking of which, this conversation was getting dangerous.

  Time to steer us back on track.

  "So, dogs or cats?" I asked.

  "Going for the easy stuff now." Dare laughed but said, "Dogs. Definitely."

  I brought up Dare possibly adopting Snape one day, and he got this odd look on his face.

  "You think he'd want to live with me?" he said.

  "Of course!" I threw him a smile. "He loves you."

  "Hm, I wouldn't go that far."

  "I would," I said. "I've never seen that dog get attached to anyone. Before you, he liked me best."

  His eyes shined. "Oh yeah? So, I stole his affection? Sorry about that, flower."