I Dare You

• Natasha Luu, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2011

It is my 12th birthday. I am sitting between my parents, wearing my silver party dress for the first time. My parents are laughing at a joke that Amanda’s dad has just told. Amanda is meant to be my friend, but she’s not. Mum and Dad want me to be friends with her, since we live next door to her family, but we have hated each other since kindergarten.

Amanda herself is sitting primly on a chair right now, in a pink and white dress. I glare at her and she sticks her tongue out at me. I roll my eyes and turn to mum. “Mum. Please. I need to go outside. With the rest of my friends.”

Mum frowns at me. “Why don’t you want to play with Amanda?” she says sharply.
“Because… um… Amanda is coming outside, too. Right, Amanda?” I say.

Amanda nods and says brightly, “Of course, Mrs Richmount.”
I sigh and go over to the screen door, then wait for Amanda to come over.
“Why did you do that?” she hisses when she finally comes over.
I shrug, and open the door slowly. “What’s so bad about playing with my friends? Anyway, it’s not such a treat to play with you, either.” I answer.

It’s a relief to be outside, away from all the adult voices, the same things to look at. My best friend Tania trots over. “Why’d you bring her?” she says quietly, her eyes flicking over to Amanda, who has somehow grown very interested in a rose bush. “She was the only excuse I had.” I said, shrugging.

“Fine, then!” Amanda cries.
Uh, oh. Amanda heard me! She is already turning to leave. “Look, Mum and Dad will kill me!” I shout.
Amanda turns around and stares at me. “On one condition.” she growls. “You do a dare.”
I gulp. “Fine. I’m not chicken.”

Amanda looks like a child at Christmas. She looks around the garden, then up at the sky, then finally at me. “You see that fence there?” she says, pointing. It is green and really high. “Yeah? What about it?” I ask. I am nervous on the inside, but I try to remain calm. “Climb onto it, and walk it.” Amanda says.

I don’t want to do it, but I don’t want Amanda to tell mum and dad everything, either.
I shake my head and grab some chairs. Some of my friends, Andrew, Jessica and Tania, help. Amanda just stands on the grass, her arms folded, smiling. I finally manage to make a tall enough tower of chairs.

My fingers curl around the arm of the first chair. I feel my heart beating nonstop inside my chest. I manage to make it to the third chair. I look down, and see Amanda. She has moved closer to the pile of chairs. She still has her arms folded, but her leg moves slowly towards the chair at the very bottom of the pile. I suddenly realise what she is doing.

“Amanda Jedda! Don’t you dare kick it!” I scream down. But it is no use. Amanda’s foot swings at the leg of the chair. I feel the chair under me falling down. Then everything goes black.

* * *

It is 5 years later. I am at the airport, waiting for someone. My eyes shine as I see an aeroplane touching down on the runway. Minutes later, a girl my age comes towards me, grinning. “You’ll never guess what I did in Egypt, Amy!” she calls.
I smile at her and shake my head. “I bet it wasn’t as memorable as my 12th birthday party. Remember how you kicked the chairs out from under me and I fell, and the whole pile crashed onto your legs? Now that was memorable, Amanda!”
Amanda and I both look down at our wheelchairs and remember…