Ava's dare

Ethan raised an eyebrow, shooting Noah a look. "How do you even know that?"

Noah chuckled, shaking the soda cans in his hands. "Chemistry class, man. Guess I was actually paying attention while you were napping."

Everyone stared at him, mouths hanging open like he had just revealed he could read minds.

"What? Seriously, don't you guys ever listen in class?" Noah teased, grinning despite the tension hanging over them.

Lily, wiping her tear-streaked face, managed a weak smile. "Well, Mr. Class Topper, I'll trust you this time. Not really in the mood to die, though."

"Thanks for trusting me," Noah smirked, clearly enjoying his rare moment in the spotlight.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't get cocky. Save your 'thank you' for when we're all still breathing."

Noah handed out the soda cans, his expression turning serious. "Alright, let's get this over with. Drink up first."

Ava shot him a look that could kill him. "So, drink the soda first, then what? We just casually sip poison?"

"Pretty much," Noah said with a shrug like it was no big deal.

Lily nodded, though her hands were trembling. She took a swig of the soda, the cold liquid sliding down her throat, offering zero comfort. After a few seconds, Noah gave the signal. "Okay, grab your poison glass. Let's do this."

Lily's hand shook as she reached for the glass. Her eyes darted to the others—Noah, Ethan, Ava. The ones still alive, at least.

"You sure this is gonna work?" Lily asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Noah nodded, "We don't really have a choice. But hey, worst case scenario, we can rush to the hospital. I heard the poison doesn't kill instantly—only once it hits the bloodstream."

Lily shot him a doubtful look but lifted the glass to her lips and drank the green liquid in one go. The taste was vile, and almost immediately, her body rejected it. She dropped to her knees, vomiting, her stomach twisting in agony.

After what felt like an eternity, the group sat there, gasping for air but still alive.

Lily wiped her mouth, her face pale but her eyes wide with disbelief. "It… it worked."

Ethan, still catching his breath, grinned and slapped Noah on the back. "Dude, you're a genius."

Noah shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, I guess I have my moments."

Ava, who still looked like she might pass out, sighed heavily. "Okay, whose turn is it next?"

"Whoever gets hit with the next dare, I guess," Ethan replied, his face serious again. "And from the looks of it, only you and Noah are left."

Noah grimaced. "Let's hope the next one isn't worse than this. I'm not ready for something insane."

Lily gave him a sharp look. "Don't jinx it, Noah."

As they were talking, Ava's ears perked up. She heard a strange noise coming from the dining room. Her heart raced as she cautiously walked over, the others following close behind. When she reached the table, her eyes widened in horror. Another card.

Her hands shook as she picked it up and read the contents. "No… NO!"

Her scream echoed through the house, and within seconds, the others were by her side.

Lily's eyes darted to the card. "What's wrong? What does it say?"

Ava couldn't even speak; she just handed the card to Noah, her face pale as a ghost.

Noah grabbed the card and read it aloud. "What the hell is this?"

Before anyone could respond, a drawer behind them slid open on its own, revealing… pliers.

Ethan, Noah, Lily, and Ava exchanged horrified glances, the dread settling deep in their bones.

"It says we need to… pull out two teeth," Noah muttered, his voice shaking now.

Ava took a deep breath, her entire body trembling. "I'll do it."

Noah's head snapped toward her. "Wait, what?! No, you can't—"

"Could you do it?" Ava asked, her voice soft and shaky, tears forming in her eyes.

Noah hesitated, his heart racing. "I—yeah, of course. I won't let anyone else hurt you."

Ava managed a small smile, pulling Noah into a tight hug. "Thank you."

Ethan and Lily stood there in shock, unsure whether to intervene or just let it play out.

"Wait a second," Lily blurted. "Are you two… like, a thing now?"

Noah glanced at Ava and smiled sheepishly. "Uh, yeah. I guess we are."

Ava blushed, biting her lip.

"Finally!" Lily groaned, rolling her eyes. "So when did this happen? Did you kiss yet? Or did you already do, you know, THAT? How many times? which position was the best?? Spill the details!"

Ava's face turned bright red. "Lily! Not the time for this! I'll tell you everything after we survive."

"Fine, fine," Lily grinned, holding her hands up in surrender. "Just checking."

Noah cleared his throat, getting back to the task at hand. "Alright, let's get serious. Ava, I'll go first."

"I trust you," Ava whispered, nodding.

Noah grabbed the pliers and moved closer to her. Ava opened her mouth, bracing for what was about to come. He gently positioned the pliers around her tooth. "You ready?" he asked.

"No," Ava whimpered, her whole body shaking.

Noah rubbed her arm. "It's okay, I'm right here. You're safe."

Ava nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. "Okay… do it."

"One… Two…" Without counting to three, Noah yanked the tooth hard, twisting and pulling with all his strength.

Ava's scream echoed through the room, tears streaming down her face as the pain shot through her entire body. "AGHHHH! IT HURTS!"

"It's okay, it's almost out!" Noah said, his jaw clenched in concentration.

With one final twist, the tooth came out. Blood poured from Ava's mouth, and she clutched her cheek, crying. "It… it hurts so much."

Noah pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair. "Shh, I know. It's over now. I'm so sorry, baby."

After a few moments, Ava's sobs quieted down. "One more," she whispered, though her voice wavered.

But just as Noah got ready for round two, he lost his balance and slipped, landing hard on the ground. "AHHHH!"