"Don't listen to her, Misha," Samuel warned, his glare fixed on Kellie. But Nellie wasn't bothered in the slightest. She winked at him playfully. This wasn't the first time she'd done this; she knew Samuel would never take her side over Misha's. And it irked her to no end. What did he even see in that tomboy to be friends with her?
Misha opened her mouth to respond, but Kellie cut in before she could speak.
"Yes, Misha, you really shouldn't listen to me. After all, we all know you can't win against me. So, forget about the bet."
Kellie's voice dripped with mockery, and she knew it would only fuel Misha's anger more. This wasn't an opportunity Kellie planned to waste.
"Oh, don't get me started," Misha shot back, her voice sharp. "Everyone knows I never lose a bet. So here's the deal: if I complete your dare, you'll have to come to class tomorrow with no makeup."
Misha's eyes gleamed with determination, her lips curled into an evil smirk. Nellie's eyes widened at the thought. How could Kellie come to school without makeup? Sure, she was beautiful, but everyone was so used to her made-up face that it would be a shock. She couldn't afford to back down now.
"Okay," Kellie said, her tone dripping with satisfaction. "But if you fail, you'll be my slave for the entire day tomorrow."
Misha grimaced at the humiliation of it, but nodded in agreement. Samuel groaned, pulling at his hair in frustration. He knew this would end up in the principal's office, but he couldn't stop it. He knew how Misha was—she'd never back down from a challenge, and Kellie always took advantage of it.
"Mish, at least ask her what the dare is before you agree," Rebecca whispered urgently.
"Don't you think it's a little late to think about that?" Nathan scoffed, but Rebecca shot him a glare.
Ignoring them both, Misha turned to Kellie. "Fine, what's the dare?"
A wicked grin spread across Kellie's face.
"Okay, here it is: you have to slap the first person who walks through that gate after I start the 1-minute timer."
She waited, enjoying the stunned silence that followed. The university gate was a busy entrance, and anyone could walk through. "Simple, right?"
Misha clenched her fists, the risk clear in her mind. She could still back out, but she never backed down from a challenge. Not once.
"Alright," Misha said, voice steady. "But don't forget the punishment you agreed to."
Kellie set the timer on her phone. The group of friends held their breath as they all stared at the entrance, waiting for someone to appear.
The first 30 seconds passed without anyone coming. Misha started to think they might get lucky. But then, just as the last few seconds ticked away, a figure appeared at the gate.
Everyone squinted to get a better look. It was a girl, carrying two bags, who none of them recognized.
Kellie's eyes lit up with delight. "Go on, Misha, your target's coming. Or are you going to back out now?"
Misha ignored her, stepping forward as the girl drew closer.
She stopped in her tracks, letting the stranger approach. Before the girl could say a word, Misha slapped her across the cheek. The sound of the slap echoed through the group, and everyone froze in shock.
Misha stood there, waiting for a reaction, her heart pounding. "Is she going to cry?" Misha wondered. "Why isn't she saying anything? She must be in shock."
Misha was about to apologize when, to her utter surprise, the girl slapped her back. Hard.
For a moment, Misha was speechless. The last thing she expected was for this stranger to retaliate. The group gasped, their eyes wide. No one had ever dared to lay a finger on Misha before.
Kellie, however, grinned. "Now *this* is the show I never expected," she said, her voice full of satisfaction. Samuel, Nathan, and Rebecca glared at her, but she just shrugged. "I'm not complaining."
Everyone stared in disbelief as Misha started to laugh. Julianne, the girl she had slapped, seemed equally confused by the bizarre situation.
"Don't tell me she finally lost it?" Kellie smirked, but no one was paying attention to her.
Misha's laughter died down, and she placed a hand on Julianne's shoulder. The girl jumped in surprise.
"Don't worry," Misha said, still smiling. "I won't hit you again." Julianne narrowed her eyes, clearly unsure what to make of the situation. First, she'd been slapped for no reason, and now this girl was laughing like a maniac.
Misha could see the confusion on her face and decided to clear things up before any professors showed up to drag them to the principal's office. She extended a hand.
"Hi, I'm Misha. I know an apology probably won't change anything, but I'm sorry for... you know, slapping you. Since you slapped me back, though, I don't think you should mind too much."
Julianne hesitated but shook her hand, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Julianne," she said, introducing herself with an awkward smile.
"Nice name," Misha said. "To clear things up, it was a dare."
Julianne's confusion lifted, and she let out a small laugh. "Oh, that makes sense," she said, nodding. "Are you new here?"
"Yeah, first day at university," Julianne replied. "I'm never going to forget it now, thanks to you."
Misha chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I could make your first day memorable."
They both laughed, and Misha grabbed Julianne's hand, pulling her toward her friends.
"Meet my friends: Samuel, Nathan, and Rebecca. Guys, meet my new friend, Julianne."
Julianne waved at them with a small smile, deliberately ignoring Kellie and her two minions.
"And now that Misha's completed the dare," Rebecca said with a mischievous smile, "Kellie, it's time to face your punishment."
Kellie opened her mouth to retort, but Julianne suddenly cursed under her breath.
"What happened?" Misha asked, noticing Julianne's wide eyes.
"I was supposed to meet with the principal before 3 PM," Julianne explained, checking the time. "And it's already 2:34."
Misha grinned. "No problem, I'll take you there."
Julianne smiled at her. "Thanks."
Misha waved goodbye to her friends. "See you tomorrow!" she called out, then turned to Kellie with a final smirk.
"Don't forget your punishment," she reminded her with a wink before heading toward the school building with Julianne.
"So, which year are you in?" Misha asked, breaking the silence.
"Senior year," Julianne answered, her eyes roaming over the campus. The old architecture caught her attention, and she couldn't help but admire the detailed design of the buildings.
"Me too," Misha said, her voice filled with excitement. "But why are you joining so late? The semester's already been going on for three weeks."
Julianne smiled at her curiosity. "I applied late. Even I was surprised when I got the acceptance letter."
"That's strange," Misha mused. "I didn't know they were still accepting students." She grinned. "Anyway, I'm glad you came. Or you would have missed the chance to meet me."
Julianne giggled at Misha's playful confidence.
After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the principal's office on the first floor.
"This is it," Misha said, pausing. "I'll wait for you."
Julianne hesitated, touched by Misha's offer. She hadn't expected someone to offer to wait for her, but it felt comforting. "Thanks," she said, giving Misha a warm smile before pushing open the door.