Four Childhood Friends Played a Dare Game With Me. They Lied To Me—All For Her Chapter 01
SAT was over. My four childhood friends pulled me into a game of dare.
When it was my turn, Nina asked something.
Nina—the daughter my parents had just found and brought home.
She asked if anyone dared to reveal their first-choice college.
One by one, they held up UC Berkeley.
Damon pushed his application toward me. Smiled.
“Dare to give up Columbia and come with us? Whoever backs out is a dog.”
That night, I signed the early decision agreement in front of them.
Damon agreed to my confession, with everyone cheering.
Until the acceptance letters came. I went to find them—and saw the projector still on.
On the screen: a group chat called “Protect Nina.”
[Did she sign?]
[She signed. Four fake applications, and she’s off to California. Easy win.]
[Nina’s brilliant. One game and the tag-along is gone.]
[Damon sacrificed the most. Has to fake date her till school starts.]
I stood there. Behind me—the door opened.
They froze.
They were with Nina. Champagne. Celebrating Columbia.
—
Damon recovered first.
“You saw. So I won’t lie.”
“Nina has no family. She can’t handle California.”
“We’re staying in New York for her. You’ve always been tough. You’ll be fine alone.”
Nina tugged his sleeve, eyes welling up.
I didn’t cry.
I pointed at the screen.
“Who made the fake applications?”
“Mine,” Damon said. No hesitation.
“Who wanted the dare game?”
Nina’s eyes flickered.
Roman stepped in front of her, “It was all of us. Don’t pick on Nina.”
I nodded. Looked at Damon.
“Last night. Agreeing to be with me. Was that part of the plan too?”
His throat moved.
“You don’t do long distance.”
“If I didn’t agree, you wouldn’t sign.”
He said it like it was obvious. No guilt.
Nina grabbed Caleb’s phone, “My fault. I’ll change my application.”
“I’ll go to California with Elara. You all stay.”
All four surrounded her.
Julian took the phone, “Columbia’s acceptance is here. Change what?”
“But Elara—” Nina sobbed, “She’ll be alone out there. She’ll be sad.”
Damon wiped her tears.
“She’s independent. She’ll be fine anywhere.”
“You’re fragile. You’ve never left New York. Don’t gamble your future.”
I watched them comfort her.
So that was the answer.
It wasn’t that California didn’t suit Nina.
They just couldn’t bear to let her suffer. But they could throw me away.
Caleb adjusted his glasses. Calm.
“Elara. The method wasn’t pretty. But look at the results.”
“Everyone gets the best outcome. You go where you belong. We stay with Nina.”
“No one’s future is ruined.”
I smiled, “So I should thank you?”
Roman caught the sarcasm. His face darkened.
“You wanted California too. If you didn’t, why didn’t you reject the teacher’s offers?”
“We just helped you decide.”
I did want it.
The aerospace program there was my dream since childhood.
But I’d turned down two invitations. Because I couldn’t leave them.
I’d even considered giving up my dream to stay in New York.
No point saying it now.
I picked up my acceptance letter.
Damon blocked me, “Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“And us?”
I looked at him. “What us?”
His face stiffened. “Elara. Don’t be dramatic.”
“Agreeing to date you was to get you to California. But it wasn’t all fake.”
“I’ll stay with you till school starts. I’ll visit when I can.”
“Isn’t that what you wanted?”
So in his eyes, two months of dating me was already a gift.
Nina whispered, “Elara, Damon really cares about you.”
“Last night, after you fell asleep, he covered you with a blanket.”
I almost laughed.
Tricked me into California. Covered me with a blanket.
So I came out ahead.
“Then you four should stay together forever.”
I picked up my four-leaf clover necklace. Put it in front of Nina.
“Didn’t you want our childhood?”
“This too. It’s yours.”
Nina didn’t dare take it.
Damon frowned, “What’s wrong with you? You always said the five of us would never split.”
“That was then.”
I turned. Walked out.
My phone buzzed.
NASA internship mentor.
[Transport arriving in New York in 48 hours.]
[Elara, confirm early entry?]
I pressed confirm.
The program was classified.
Once inside, my phone and personal devices would be sealed.
No one would find me.
I turned off the screen. Muted the five-person group chat I’d been in for eighteen years.
They thought I’d cry. Get angry. Come back.
But this time—I was done.
