Everyone else was having fun. Why not me? I ask myself, but this is one of those times when no answer comes down to earth, where I am. All the các câu trả lời I want, that I need, are way out there in the coldest hollow of the planet Pluto. I wanted them to be here, I so desperately wanted to have a good time. I should be having a good time, but something came pressing down on me, keeping my lips pressed into a thin line and the sad glow in my eyes kept fading less and less vibrant. I called, but the universe never answered. I cried, but no one ever heard. I wondered; I dreamed, but no các câu trả lời ever came raining down on me.

“Did bạn have fun...?” I asked dully to my Những người bạn as they, one bởi one, formed a line sitting on the long, stretched sofa.
A giggle. “Duh.” Penny laughed again and tossed her short ponytail to the side. “He kissed me!”
“You told us,” I informed her. “Like ten times.”
Sofie stood, then sat back down again. “Well, it was epic.” She blinked. “Ranma’s seriously cute. Like, majorly.”
Shampoo nodded. “Shampoo know,” she uttered in her Chinese accent. “Ranma have cute black hair.” Which was odd, because she’d never mentioned his hair before.
“Listen, Shampoo—” Sofie started to apologize. She knew Shampoo loved Ranma, and she had gone out with him to the dance. She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry for... bạn know.”
“Shampoo forgive you,” she said, shrugging. They were friends. They had never had a problem in the first place. It was weird how they still felt they had to apologize.

Akane spoke up. “Yuri? How was Duncan?”
Duncan! “I—I...” I wouldn’t tell them how I’d enjoyed every một giây of the dance. Every di chuyển he made. The way his arm fit snugly around my waist... the way he spoke to me was touched bởi his heart... the way his blue eyes gazed into mine made me feel like I was floating. In the clouds. “It was... okay.” I tried, but I couldn’t hide my dreamy smile.
“You liked it...!” Sofie gasped, surprised. I’d always made a hiển thị of how much I hated him. And it was true, until now. I only really got to see him... watch him... hear him just today. “I can’t believe you, Yuri Saotome.”
I crossed my arms, and forced myself to glare around at my vòng tròn of Những người bạn who had mysteriously transformed into a triangle. I looked at them each one bởi one, making sure my eyes stayed forceful. “No way.”
Penny gasped. “I... know bạn better than that, Yuri. bạn liked it,” she repeated, whispering the last sentence.
“I—uh...”
Shampoo and Akane were fighting about some dress, and Konata skipped happily into the room. “Hiya!”
“Hey,” everyone chorused. “Kona-chan. What’s up?”
Before Konata could reply, Akane spoke up. “Yuri was forced to dance with this dude Duncan and we all think she liked it.” She shrugged. She had like no idea who Duncan was.
“What?!” Kona-chan wasn’t too familiar with him either, but she knew who he was and how I’d hated him.
“They’re making it up,” I mumbled, blushing.
Sofie rolled her eyes. “We totally are not.”
“Yeah.” Penny chimed in. “I know she liked it.”
I stuck out my bottom lip and refused to admit it.
“C’mon,” Sofie nudged me. “It’s okay. bạn like him, big deal.”
“It’s not a big deal, and I don’t like him,” I đã đưa ý kiến through my teeth.

After awhile, they finally got over the Duncan subject, but we moved to a much thêm intimidating subject. A game of truth hoặc dare.
“Okay,” Sofie began, starting. “Akane. Truth hoặc dare?”
Akane blinked. “Truth.”
“Would bạn rather Kiss Kuno hoặc only be able to say the word [i]cookie for the rest of your life?”
“Cookie.” Akane’s answer was a single word, like the dare said.
“I get what bạn mean,” I said, smiling.
Akane looked around. “Yuri... truth hoặc dare?”
“Dare,” I answered, taking a risk.
She grinned mischievously. “I dare bạn to Kiss Duncan. And bạn have to do it tomorrow.”
What?! “But—I—”
“You have to,” Penny sing-songed, smiling.
Sofie high-fived Akane over the coffee table.
I glowered at them. “Why?”
“Because I đã đưa ý kiến so.” Akane answered me.
“Fine!” I threw up my arms. I kinda wanted to do the dare, anyways. “I’ll do it.”
Akane said, “I’m not done yet. bạn have to Kiss him. He can’t Kiss you. And it has to be lip to lip, for three giây at least. And bạn have to do it suddenly. bạn can’t tell him it’s a dare. And all of us has to be watching. If one of us misses it, bạn have to do it again.”
No—! I screamed inside my head, but against my will, I felt excited. I shrugged, hoping that wouldn’t sound too... yeah.
“She’ll do it!” Sofie let out a little squeal.
I pouted.
“You’ve got to, Yuri, sweetie,” Penny chimed in.

Maybe I’ll do it... I thought, a little smile forming on my face.
And then I imagined myself with Duncan as my boyfriend. That was my wish right now. The wish that I would keep to myself... the kind of wish that no one would ever know. Except my very closest vòng tròn of friends... and maybe even Duncan.

Maybe.