Truth or Dare

by Haruka

Selphie Tilmitt peeked out the entranceway of the Training Center's secret area and gave a squeal of delight. "They're here!" she cried, jumping up and down.
"Good," replied Irvine Kinneas, tipping his ever-present cowboy hat back with a grin. "This should be interesting."
"You amaze me, Irvine," Rinoa Heartilly said. "You're the only boy I know who would not only agree to this willingly, but would be the one to suggest it."
"Maybe other boys aren't as comfortable with themselves as I am," he said with a wink.
"Can't argue with that, considering Squall," Rinoa sighed.
As if on cue, the young man named Squall came through the door, accompanied by another student of Balamb Garden, Zell Dincht. Zell's eager grin belied his punk haircut and the large black tattoo covering the left half of his face.
"Hey, guys!" he greeted. "We were told there was a party here - any hot dogs?"
"This better be important, we nearly wound up as hot dogs for T-Rexaur on the way here," Squall Leonhart complained.
"Sit down, guys!" Selphie said cheerfully, motioning to the blanket spread out on the balcony. It was filled with enough food and drink to feed an army - or three teenage boys.
"Yay! Hot dogs!" Zell plopped down in front of them and stuffed one in his mouth.
Selphie giggled. "We raided the cafeteria and got those just for you."
Squall looked around with his usual unreadable expression. "So why are we here?"
"Because we're all breaking curfew and this is the safest place to have a party under those circumstances." Irvine said.
"No, I mean _why_ are we here?" Squall repeated, sounding a little annoyed. "Just to watch Zell eat?"
"We're here to get to know each other better and to see how brave you are." Rinoa smiled mischievously.
"I hate the sound of this already," Squall remarked, folding his arms.
"It was Irvine's idea, actually," Selphie said cheerfully. She gestured toward the blanket. "Sit down and be comfy, boys! We're going to play Truth or Dare!"
"I was right - I hate this," Squall said flatly.
"Oh, don't be such a party pooper," Rinoa scolded, tossing some of her dark hair over her shoulder. "Don't you have any curiosity about the rest of us? I mean, this is going to be anything goes, no holds barred, all questions allowed!"
"Not interested." "Too bad, you're playing anyway," she told him. "Unless you want me to tell Seifer you were too chicken to play a little game with us."
"You think I care what that guy thinks?" Squall said incredulously, but took a seat with the others on the blanket. "Anyway, you can't tell him about this or he'll nail you for breaking curfew. He _is_ on the Disciplinary Committee, you know."
"You let me worry about Seifer," Rinoa said firmly. "You're playing. You can even go first."
"No thanks."
"I'll go first! Me! Me!" Selphie jumped up and down, her green eyes bright and eager. "Okay, the way this works, for anyone who doesn't know, is I ask someone a question and they either give a truthful answer or accept my dare, _and_ you don't know what my dare is until after you promise to do it and no backing out! The person I asked can then ask their own question of anyone but me, and so on."
"Sounds like fun," Zell agreed, wiping mustard off his chin. "I'm game!"
"Okay then, Zell, I'll ask you the first question!" Selphie declared. "Which do you love best; fighting, hot dogs, or your mom?"
Squall barely suppressed a snicker while Zell looked thoughtful, then grinned, "Fighting my mom for a hot dog!" He beamed.
"She'd win," Irvine remarked.
"Only because she'd fight dirty," Zell joked.
"Okay, Zell, you get to ask the next question, but you can't ask Selphie," Rinoa said.
"Cool!" Zell replied with a big grin and turned to the boy in the cowboy hat. "Irvine, with all your supposed charm with women, have you ever actually kissed one yet?"
"In the interest of keeping some mystery about myself, I'll take dare," Irvine answered.
"Boooo!" Rinoa catcalled. "I thought you were brave, Irvine! And on such an easy question, too!"
"He probably hasn't," Selphie said mischievously.
"No fair speculating, I took the dare," Irvine retorted and turned to Zell. "So how about it?"
"Okay." Zell grinned evilly. "Your dare is to go out and bring us back Fujin's eyepatch!"
"Ew, Zell!" Selphie cried. "That's gross!"
"Oh, it is not!" Zell countered. "You don't know what's under the patch, either, it may not be gross at all! Anyway, I prefer to think of it as a test of bravery."
Rinoa smirked. "And you're sending Irvine?"
"You're asking for it, girl." Irvine jokingly threw a potato chip at her. "But I'm up for the challenge."
"You'll never make it, Irvine," Squall told him. "She'll kill you first."
"Hey, she's female, isn't she?"
"Sorta," Zell said.
"Then she's subject to my charm." Irvine spread his arms. "Zell only said I had to get the patch - he didn't say I had to fight her for it."
"You think she'll GIVE it to you?!" Selphie gasped. "Okay, someone stop him, he's delirious."
"We'll see." Irvine winked.

End of part 1

Story contents (c) 2000 Tenou Haruka
No characters here are mine.
Comments welcome at: [email protected]
This fanfic is for your private reading enjoyment only. Do not repost it on the internet in any form or otherwise distribute it.