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“Losers have to wear it,” Braden said

“Yeah, yeah, come on already I want to run before dark” I took a closer whiff I shouldn’t have It se’s closet

“She’s not going to do it Charlie’s chickening out,” Nathan said, pointing at me

“No, you’re stalling” He was right I wasn’t going to drink it But neither were they That was the whole game here We had done this before Well, not this particular one, but various versions over the years On the count of three, everyone jump in the pool On the count of three, everyone yell, “I’m a loser,” in the middle of the mall On the count of three, everyone lick the person to your right It was a game of bluff If one person did it, the rest had to do so stupid as a punishment If nobody did it, everyone was safe

The only person I ary of in that ht, I knew they weren’t going to drink it the minute I’d walked into the kitchen—it ritten all over their faces, twisted in disgust But Braden, even after all these years, was still the wild card I eyed him and he smiled at me

Scared? he mouthed

I shook my head and studied his eyes They were hazel, soreen and soreen at that ure out what thatto drink it?

“Okay, close your eyes,” Jerom said “Glasses ready”

I closed my eyes I did not want to wear this and have to take two showers tonight—before and after the run

“One”

Braden cleared his throat next to me That was a bluffto drink it

“Two”

He bu to trickto drink it

“Three”

Better to drink it than to wear it I downed the glass in three big gulps, gagging only slightly

“Charlie!” Nathan whined “Seriously?”

They all held a full glass in front of them “Ha! Wear it All of you” I looked at Braden, who had a sh technically he’d lost I had to learn his tell so in the future I could avoid the horrid taste that coated ue My stomach wasn’t very happy either “Mmm, tastes like V8”

“Ew, Charlie, never date a guy who likes V8,” Gage said

I rolled eban officially lifted—ht uy undateable I was convinced that if I cos they had rattled off in the last six months, there would be no one in the world left for me to date “Why not?” I asked

“Because you can’t trust a guy who drinks his vegetables Plus tomato-juice breath is raunchy”

My entire ot a punch of pepper that uys put in that?” I turned around and gave h-pressure wash under the kitchen tap “There is no pouring going on,” I said, spitting water everywhere I listened as they duroans and coled and spit out one more mouthful of water “Okay, that was fun Football to down” I shoved Braden onhe was the only reason I ended up downing the drink

“Wait,” Jerom called “I want to run with you”