I Dare You

Micheal Bishop and Erika Waver, are childhood best friends, and they do everything together, everything, even today.

They share the same birthday, June ninth, they share an apartment, share a car, and work at the same designing company. The only thing they don't share are the people they date.

People ask them, if they ever get sick of being together all the time? They just laugh and say no.

They have a game they play every year on their birthday.

I dare you.

It is based on the game Truth or Dare, which is how it all got started, when they were twelve years old. It is coming up on their twenty fifth birthday in a couple of days, and the game is on.

ERIKA

"So what's the dare going to be this year?" Illana asks, leaning against the door frame.

"I don't know yet. We seem to get crazier every year. To be honest, I'm kinda running out of ideas," Erika frowns.

"Sky diving?" Illana suggests.

"Two years ago." Erika says, as she frowns at the task at hand.

"Mountain climbing?" Illana laughs.

"Four years ago," Erika sighs, as she tries to add new ink to the printer.

"Bull riding?" Illana poses.

"Last year, remember?" Erika taps her arm.

"Eeww, yeah, that was nasty," Illana watches as her friend struggles.

"Can you get this thing in here, I'm all thumbs today," she hands Illana the cartridge.

"How about swimming with the sharks? I know that would scare the hell out of me," she laughs, popping the cartridge in.

"That sounds pretty cool, I'll check into it. Thanks," Erika laughs.

MICHEAL

"But Micheal, I wanted to do something special with you for your birthday this year," Donna whines, as they walk down the sidewalk, going back to work.

"Sorry babe, you know Erika and I do this every year. We can do something when I get back, I promise," He stops and brushes her hair out of her face, but the wind blows it back again.

"Sometimes I think you love her more than you love me," she whines again, pouting for emphasis.

They have been dating for two years now, but he doesn't feel that they are at the love stage yet. She's just fun, when she's not whining, which has really been getting on his nerves of late.

"I'm sorry Donna, I have to do this," he turns and starts walking. She catches up with him, grabbing his hand, but stays quiet.

THAT EVENING

"So have you come up with anything yet?" Micheal asks Erika, as they sit on the couch, eating ice cream while watching NCIS.

"No not yet, but I got some pretty wild ideas," she giggles, bumping him with her shoulder.

"Have you?"she asks.

"I got some great ideas, you're going to freak out," he laughs.

"So, tomorrow we have to do the dare, then we have two days to put it into action."

"I know. It's not like we haven't played this game for the last thirteen years," he takes their dishes to the kitchen. He comes back and sits beside her feeling frustrated.

"Let me ask you something? How long do you think we'll play this game." she shrugs.

"I don't know, as long as we want to I guess. Why?" she frowns.

"So say, if I wanted this to be the last one, what would you say?" he winces.

"I'd say fine. I'm not going to force you to play, how could I?" Micheal scans her face closely.

"Why? Are you ready to quit?"

"How do you think it would affect our, relationship?" he asks hesitantly.

"It wouldn't. Why would it? We're friends Micheal, and I think we're mature enough to realize, that we will each go our separate ways, eventually. Besides, I love you, I'll never let you go," she smiles sweetly, batting her eyelashes. He laughs at her.

"I love you too," he wraps his arm around her shoulder, and she snuggles in close to him.

"Donna said something today, that set me to thinking. She wants us to be together on my birthday."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I couldn't, I had to do this," he rubs his cheek on the top of her head.

"We can stop any time we want," Erika is feeling the sadness grip her heart, she knows it will end.

THE NEXT DAY-THURSDAY

"Good morning," he says as she walks into the kitchen, in nothing more than a pair of bikini panties and a form fitting tank top, as usual.

"Yeah, it is," she remarks, with her head in the fridge. For some reason, he looks at her in a new light this morning.

"Happy vacation," Erika offers her fist.

"Happy vacation," Michael gives her a fist bump.

"Okay, we ready to do this?" Erika asks, leaning over the counter, chin propped on her hand.

"Yep. I go first this year." Michael says excitedly.

"Whatcha got?" she asks quickly. Micheal gets a big smile on his face.

"I dare you, to go swimming with sharks!" he shouts laughing.

"What? No, that's what I was going to say!" she slaps her hand on the counter.

"Sorry babe, I got it first. Do you accept?" he laughs.

"Damn it, I accept." she groans.

"You don't have a back up? You should always have a back up Erika," he's still laughing.

"I do, but it's really lame. I was gonna punk you with it," she frowns.

"What is it?" he chuckles.

"A honeymoon cruise," she says softly.

"A what?"

"A honeymoon cruise!" she says louder.

He looks at her closely. She looks so deflated. She is always so happy about this game and accepts what ever comes.

"I accept." her head pops up to look at him.

"You accept?" he shrugs.

"Sure, we've never been on a cruise, sounds fun," he winks at her.

"Really? You want to go on a honeymoon cruise with me?"

"I said I accept. Tell me about it before I make you find something else," he chuckles at her expression.

"Oh, okay!" she goes to get her laptop and brings up the information on the cruise. She had even made open reservations.

"But, I have to tell you, it only has one bed," she winces.

"That's okay, we've slept together before," he shrugs.

"When we were like twelve!"

"What's this?" he points at a small box with print.

"I don't know, I didn't see it before," she clicks on it.

Room upgrade raffle.

'If your room number is drawn, you will receive a room upgrade to our Deluxe Prime Suite, with all the amenities.' then it gives a list of all the amenities.

"That sounds cool," Erika shrugs.

"Okay, so when is the swimming with the sharks?" she asks.

"Tomorrow morning at nine. When is the cruise?"

"It leaves at one, so that works out great!" she closes the laptop.

"So what are you going to do today?" he asks.

"Illana and I are going to play a couple of rounds of tennis, then spend the day shopping. You?"

"I guess I'll spend it with Donna," he sighs when he says it.

"You don't sound too happy about it."

"I am. It's just...never mind. I have to get ready to go," he stands and leaves.

"Yeah, me too," she says under her breath, as she watches him leave the room.

Micheal sits outside Donna's building, actually dreading spending the day with her. When did things change? They used to have so much fun together just hanging out. But lately she keeps throwing the 'L' word around and he just doesn't feel that he's there right now.

Micheal sighs and gets out of the car, slowly walking to the building.

"Micheal, I want to break up," it was like a huge slap in the face as soon as he sat down. Did she just break up with him?

"Why?" was all he could muster.

"I think you're in love with Erika," she says bluntly.

Micheal starts laughing. She is nuts.

"Are you crazy? Erika is my best friend, it's not like that with us," he continues laughing.

"Think about it Micheal. You live together, do everything together, ride together, cook together, eat together. You're married!" She's serious!

"What the hell have you been smoking? We are friends, that's all," he stands, getting angry.

"I'm done Micheal."

"Sure. I'm tired of your constant whining and pouting! You're just jealous of her, because I have more fun with her, than I have ever had with you," Micheal says with a clenched jaw. Donna opens the door.

"Good bye Micheal," Micheal is more than happy to be out of there.

ERIKA

Erika and Illana are laughing and running around the court in a heated match.

"Game!" Illana shouts, doing a victory dance.

"You look stupid!" Erika laughs at her friend.

"Hey, you're just jealous, that I beat you two games." She laughs as they head to the bench grabbing towels to dry their faces.

"As compared to all my wins?" Erika jabs.

"Ah, that was great. I'm gonna miss you while you're gone," Illana pants out, leaning back on the bench, turning back a bottle of water.

"It's only for a week, you'll live," Erika laughs at her friend.

"So, are you going to set things right with Josh when you get back?"

Erika and Josh had been dating off and on for a couple of years. He always managed to talk her back in, to just turn around and bang the closest thing he saw. She had even begun to doubt her ability to satisfy him in the bedroom.

"No, I'm done with him. If he wants to be a whore, more power to him. I think I'm done with the whole dating thing for a while. I need some time to myself," they grab their bags and head out to do some shopping.