The "Kiss" Dare

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The other day a colleague and I were talking about the dares we used to challenge our friends ( or our friends challenged us) when we were kids and it reminded me of a rather funny story.

Ok, so maybe this is just going to be a complete ramble to most of you. In fact, this story might bore you to tears! It's just so funny to me  how clearly I remember this day! (maybe because I would end up being scarred for life? ha ha!) 

I was around 8 or 9 years old. I lived in a fairly large subdivision ( that's what Daddy called it, I thought it was such a cool sounding word for the neighborhood we lived in!) and I knew that place like the back of my hand. I was a headstrong, somewhat wild,  tomboy of a girl.  In fact I really disliked being a girl at the time and if someone were to ask me what I wanted to be I would have said "a boy, they have more fun!"
I spent practically every day riding my bike around the subdivision, exploring the back retention ponds with the boys or catching lizards around my house. The boys in my neighborhood were my top competition. I would wrestle with them, attempt to get more air time than them on our homemade bike ramps, and I was always the fastest one around when it came to tag or races.  


I had two best friends at the time, Kelly-Ann and Chandler. They both live on my street, the one that separated the "Big Block" from the "Little Block" ( my Daddy hardly ever allowed me to  ride my bike around the "Big Block"). Kelly-Ann was a bit of a tomboy like me, and we spent practically every day playing together and helping each other beat the boys at their games. Chandler was my cool boy friend. He was the one that had the coolest bikes and best homemade bike ramps. We spent a lot of time trying out new tricks on our bikes, shaking soda cans up and then watching them explode, and Chandler's mom always had Capri Suns for us to drink. I thought he was rich because in my opinion rich kids always had 3 things: Capri Suns, Lunchables, and awesome bikes. 

One day Kelly-Ann and I were walking down the sidewalk towards her house and she started talking about Chandler.  "I like Chandler,"  whoa, what did she just say?! We were TOMBOYS. We were not supposed to like boys. It was not in the tomboy code. Boys were our competition not something we liked! That kinda stuff was for the silly girly girls who had pink everywhere and all over them, squealed over bugs and  lizards, played with Barbies and screamed all. the. time. They wore lace fringed socks and watched Powder Puff Girls. THOSE were the ones that "liked" boys. This was not normal for my friend Kelly-Ann. " and Chandler said he likes me too, I bet he likes me more than you!" Oh no she didn't. I get it now, she is just making up a competition, that must be what's going.....she couldn't be turning into a girly girl. I knew I could beat her at this. " I like Chandlier too, " I blurted out. "I bet he likes ME more, he plays with me more ya know," Kelly-Ann's eye narrowed at me while the wheels in her head started turning. " Fine, there is only one way to find out. Chandlier has to kiss both of us, and that's how we will know who he likes more, I dare you!"  I gulped. This was the worst dare I had EVER been challenged. I would eat the roley poley bugs that  Johnny  who lived down the street was always daring me to eat before I would ever think of kissing a boy. On the mouth. That was totally against the tomboy code, not to mention ultra gross. But I, always the competitive one, HAD to beat Kelly-Ann at this. " Fine," I said. Kelly-Ann's eyes widened, she knew I despised the thought of kissing boys.  Without saying another word we both marched to Chandler's house.

Poor unsuspecting Chandler.....he was outside trying to put air in one of his bike tires but his hands were not strong enough to unscrew the air cap. "Hey Chandler!" Kelly-Ann said in her most girly voice ever. I practically gagged. Chandler looks up at us, " HEY! As soon as I fix my tire lets go to the pond!" sweeeet. I would much rather do that, but Kelly-Ann crossed her arms. "Chandler, Rachel and I need to know who you like more. So you have to kiss us, behind the bush fort, one at a time, and then tell us who you like the most".  Poor curly headed Chandler, he had the most confused look on his face. "Uhh, I like you both you're my friends!" At this point I just wanted to get the dare over with and go bike riding, ( us kids have short attention spans ya know) so I cleared my throat and said " Come on Chandler, lets just do it, and then we can go bike riding and explore the bridge!"  Chandler and I LOVED exploring the plank bridge next to the pond. His face lit up. "Ok!"  With that said Kelly-Ann grabbed Chandler by the arm and drug him into the bush fort we had made next to his house. I waited by the garage and started to panic, I didn't even know HOW to kiss a boy, what was Kelly-Ann doing??? A few minutes later Kelly-Ann came marching out with a triumphant look on her face. "We KISSED! He likes me more!!!!" Chandler stood behind her rolling his eyes. "Now it's your turn Rachel!" with that she shoved me into the bush fort with Chandler stumbling in behind me. I turned around to face Chandler. I did NOT want to kiss him. I just wanted to ride bikes with him and explore plank bridge. Chandler stared back at me, probably thinking the same thing. I finally cleared my throat and said " I don't want to kiss you. In fact I NEVER want to kiss you... but I have to beat Kelly-Ann, so lets just pull our lips in, ya know like when we pretend like we have no teeth so we can look like your grandpa, and then it'll look like we kissed, " Chandler let out a huge sigh of relief. "I don't want to kiss you, or any girl it's soooooo gross!!!! Kelly-Ann freaked me out, but I want you to win!" I always knew Chandler was my best boy friend, and not just because he is a rich kid with the best bikes.  "Ok" I said "On the count of three we'll do it. ONE. TWO.....THREE!" we both scrunched up our faces, closed our eyes, stepped towards each other, sucked in our lips, and touched our jaws together. Then we both backed  up so quickly that we both fell over. "ew,"  I muttered  wiping my mouth with my shirt. I could not believe I had put my face so close to a boy's. Even though we hadn't really kissed it was still super mega gross. Chandler stood up furiously wiping his jaw with his hands and said, "ok you win! Lets go ride bikes!" we both ran out of the bush fort  and Chandler announced to Kelly-Ann that I had won. She was so mad that she huffed, blew out her cheeks, and stormed off to her house. I knew by tomorrow she would be my best girl friend again. 

With that being done, I hopped on my bike and rode off to the pond with Chandler.


The End.