Lily snickered. Ryan looked emboldened. Lisa chewed on the inside of her cheek. Obviously, she had run her mouth about what little she knew of my home life from previous summers.Some friend.I felt like the Pringles might repeat on me. I swallowed, afraid of vomiting right there in the water.
“Excuse me?” Matt asked.
“You know.Broke.Like, poor?” Ryan clarified. “Without money? A total charity case?”
Matt looked like a deer in the headlights. “Are you fucking serious?” he asked.
“Hey,” Corn Chip said to Ryan. “Dude, that’s not cool.”
“The answer is no,” Matt went on. “I’ll remind you, I don’thavea girlfriend, asshole. Okay, my turn then.” His face was getting red. “Ryan. Truth or dare.”
“Truth, I guess,” he smirked.
“Is it true that your parents shipped you off to camp so they could iron out the details of their divorce?” he asked, taking a step closer to Ryan so he wouldn’t be heard by the counselors in earshot.
At that, Lisa and I passed a silent look between us. Even Corn Chip seemed uncomfortable. “Is that true?” Lily asked.
“How’s it feel being put on blast?” Matt went on.
“Like I care,” Ryan announced. “Anyway, a real man goes for the dare. So, go on,” he continued. “Dare me to do anything.”
“I’m good,” Matt declared. “How about you just answer the question?”
“How aboutyouaccept a dare then?” Ryan countered. “I’ll answer your question if you do one thing first.”
“What is it?” Matt asked.
“Kiss her.” Ryan nodded at me. “Show us all what it looks like to be ‘just friends’ and I’ll gladly spill every boring detail about my dumb family.”
“Yeah?” Matt shot back. “Okay.” Matt turned to me and without warning, his lips were on mine, his tongue probing between my teeth, moving, searching quickly. It felt like he was convulsing in my mouth. I held my breath for the longest, most excruciating five seconds ofmy life, and when he released me, the look in his eyes was a bizarre combination of savage and apologetic.
“Now. Your turn,” Matt provoked Ryan.
The show was interrupted by the sound of two whistle blasts coming from the lifeguard stand. “Buddy up!” the guard shouted.
Matt side-eyed Ryan while I caught my breath.What the hell just happened? Did he just kiss me? Was it supposed to be like that?I’d always imagined my first kiss would be magical, like in those movies my mom loved starring Meg Ryan. I thought it would be special, at the very least. Now it was gone, over with forever, and all on a stupid dare?Did I even do it right? I taste like Pringles. Ugh! That must have been disgusting for him!I was humiliated.
The numbers were called, but it all sounded muffled to me. When the guard announced, “26!” Matt responded, “Here!” but I remained silent. The count finally ended at 54. Just as the horrible game was about to continue, I turned and swam away from the group, not at all interested in Ryan’s familial dirty laundry or in the idea of enduring another moment of embarrassment in front of Matt.
Despite Ryan’s audible protests, Matt followed me back to the sand.
“I’m sorry,” he began.
I collected my towel and shook it off, wrapping it around my waist. Tears sprung to my eyes, though I wasn’t sure why.Why does Ryan think anything about me and my family’s bank account? Lisa and her stupid big mouth.
“Hey,” he continued. “Talk to me.” He gently grabbed my wrist.
“I need to go,” my voice quivered.
“Stop,” he cooed in a soft voice. “He’s a dick. Don’t let him get to you.”
I shook my head, unable to say the words aloud, unsure even of what the words should be.
“And I’m sorry for kissing you. I swear. I just wanted to shut him up.”
I nodded. “I’m not mad at you. I just need to go,” I repeated. I pulled my arm back and turned from him to go find Callie.I’ll tell her I got my period. She’ll send me to the nurse.
The plan worked. Matt tried to talk me into staying on the beach, but I’d made up my mind. Callie had to accompany me, because campers couldn’t leave the beach alone.
