Chapter 9- Truths

Tecna's pov

My face flushes a deep red and I hide behind my hands. Stella's laughing at her own dare like it was the cleverest thing imagined.

"Don't you think that would be harmful to Timmy. If he found out it was a dare. Wonouldn't he be hurt," Flora interrupts Stella's cackling.

"I agree remember when Andy got dared to ask me out. When I found out I was devastated," Bloom says.

I nod agreeing with both of them.

"No this will be different because Tecna and Timmy have had the biggest crushes on each other for years now and they're both too shy to do it by themselves. They need a little push. It's different when they actually like each other," Stel explans.

"Tecna you don't have to do it if you really don't want to," Bloom says to me.

"What did you guys forget how to play? Of course she has to do it, she was dared," Musa exclaims gesturing with her hands.

I shoot her a look of betrayal.

She shrugs. "Hey I'm just trying to follow the rules."

"Since when do you ever try to follow the rules?" Layla asks, a smirk on her face.

"Hey, what can I say? There a first time for everything. Besides I agree with Stel we've all noticed how sad Tec been whenever it seems like somethings going to happen between her and Timmy then it doesn't. " Musa says.

"You guys don't understand how hard I try to get him to notice me. How hard I try to be like other girls. But it hurts when you really like someone and they never seem to even look at you." My voice breaks when I speak and they all give me sad understanding looks.

Stella holds my phone out to me. "Look I'm sorry Tecna. If you really don't want to do it you don't have to. Though I'm not doing this for the sake of the game or for entertainment. I'm doing this for you, so pick up the damn phone."

I take my phone and unlock it. It takes forever to remember my password. I go to my contacts and scroll until I find Timmy's name. I look up and their watching me closely.

I look back down at my phone and press my finger over the small green button. The phone rings three times before Timmy's voice sounds on. "Hello?"

I sigh but I can't tell if it's because I'm happy her picked up or if I was hoping he wouldn't.
"Hey Timmy."

"Hey Tecna. What's up?"

Stella giggles and Layla shoves a pillow in her face to shut her up.

"Uh.. I was..um wondering if you wanted to see a movie monday night?"

Timmy pause. I can practically hear him thinking. I glance up a the winx, they all seem to be holding their breath just as I am. I close my eyes and try to imagine that it's just me and Timmy.

"Uh. Yeah Monday sounds good. I had to think but I'm free Monday. What's showing? And who else is going?" Timmy finally says and his genuine question pisses me off.

"You're kidding right?" I ask angrily. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Wh-what?"

"No Timmy no one else is going. I'm asking you on a date."
The line goes quiet and so does the room around me.

Suddenly laughter fills my ears and my face burns. I feel tears spike in the corner of my eye. There is no way in hell I am going to cry.

Timmy takes a deep breath before he says. "I would love to go out with you. How does six sound?"

Flora's pov

As soon as Tecna hangs up the phone the room fills with applause and fits of laughter. Tecna reaches towards the sky then falls down on her back. I look a triumph on her face.

"Ok Tec your turn." Layla says having been the first one to stop laughing.

"Ok...um Flora.." Tecna says as the focus in the room turns to me. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," I say. There is no way I'm going to make a fool out of myself.

Tecna opens her mouth to ask her question but before she can speak Stella is whispering in her ear. "Ok…. Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

This is definitely not a Tecna question and most obviously and Stella question.

"Yeah," I say and Stella looks genuinely surprised.

"Yes!" Bloom yells. She looks at Stella with her hand out.

Stella pushes a crumpled ten dollar bill at Bloom.

"You placed a bet on whether or not Flora has had a boyfriend?" Musa accuses.

Stella and Bloom both look sheepishly at me.

"I would have wanted in if you would have told me!" Musa shouts in fake anger.

I gawk at her. "I thought you were on my side."

She shrugs.

"And you Stella. Why did you think I haven't had a boyfriend?"

"Well most of the time it seems like you're not really interested in boys," Stella explains.

"I could be gay,"I say jokingly."

Layla leans forward. "Are you?"

"Nope. I'm not."

"So tell us about him." Bloom says making a show of getting comfortable like she ready for a long story.

"You really want to hear me talk about an ex boyfriend?" I've never talked about him with anyone.

Stella rolls her eyes. "Obviously."

"His name was James. He had dirty blond hair, brown eyes and the highest prescription glasses imaginable. He couldn't see a thing without them."

"He sounds cute," Stella says thoughtfully. "Why did you guys break up?"

"We'll I had to come back home."

"Oh so you met him when you guys were in school in England then?" Musa asks.

"Yeah he lives in Baltimore. But I came home before him, so I thought we shouldn't date anymore. We still talk all the time though." I explain.

Bloom nods. "Oh so you're still friends?"

"Yeah."

Musa pulls another slice of pepperoni pizza from the box. "I didn't know that ever worked out. What did Riven think of him?"

I rub my forearm awkwardly. "I never really told him. Or my parents."

Stella chokes on her soda. "WHAT? You never told them. Would they have not liked him?"

"No it's not that it's just that they wouldn't have liked me running around with some boy while I was in a boarding school in an another country."

Really don't think they would have liked me having a boyfriend in the mental state I was in or in one that James was in.

The rest of the game goes by somewhat smoothly. Layla is dared to walk down Stella incredibly long driveway and ask one of the neighbors if they have a tampon. She came back with a whole box.

~;;;;~

When it's about 2:30 in the morning Tecna's eyes are drooping and her head is using Bloom's leg like a pillow.

"Now that the chaos that is the first month of school is over we need to have real talk," Stella declares looking at us seriously.

I look at Musa confused.

"Since we haven't had a chance to hang out all together we haven't had the opportunity to tell each other the really serious things that are happening in our lives," she whispers to me.

"I'll go first," Stella tells us. Her eyes are glassy and unfocused.

We all nod and wait for her to go on.

Stella takes a deep breath. "My parents are getting divorced."

"I'm sorry Stel." Bloom says softly taking Stella's hand.

"Haven't they been fighting since forever though?" Tecna asks still sleepy but more alert now.

"Yeah but I never expected them to get separated. I was naive to think that they would keep coming back to each other forever," Stella says shedding a tear which we wipes quickly.

Musa reaches for Stella's other hand. "If it ever gets to be too much you can crash at my place."

Stella nods gives shaky laugh and wipes the rest of the tears.

"Oh damn." she says looking at her mascara stained hands.

We laugh because now she looks like a clown. But my laugh feels empty and hollow.

"Ok ok enough of this. Who's next?" Stella challenges.

Musa pulls her knees to her chest and we all see this as her volunteering to go next.

"This morning before Flora and Riven came my dad told me he lost his job. I don't know how were gonna make it. His drinking is what lost him his job and I feel like without it he might get worse."

As the group tries to comfort Musa my eyes mist.

This reminds me of my dad if I can even call him that.

After Musa tells her story Layla,Tecna and Bloom talk. Their stories and not even close to as heavy as the first two. Most are about their worries with school work and strict parents.

"What's going on with you?" Bloom asks when it finally seems like it's my turn.

My throat closes tightly and breathing suddenly seems impossible. I close my eyes to prevent myself from looking at my forearms and possibly seeing bleeding scars.

"Nothing much," I say and the lie tastes like soot and blood.

Wow it's been awhile but as been hectic but I finally had some spare time that wasn't devoted to homework, sports or my quite small social life. Lol

I'm not going to promise that I'm going to update soon because life is crazy and unexpected but I will definitely try. I really missed writing and this story. Have a good night, day and Halloween if you celebrate.

~Rebel's Secret