Updated 9/23/2022

~Sophomore Year~

My knee bounces at the speed of light, the bottom of my shoe tapping against the hardwood floor of the kitchen belonging to someone I don't even know. The rational part of my mind is telling me no one can hear it over the bass-thumping music but the other side of my brain, the one that's nervous and freaking out, doesn't believe it.

"You sure you don't want a drink?" I ask for the billionth fucking time in the last ten minutes.

The girl beside me shakes her head, making long chocolate brown hair slide back and forth over her exposed back.

If this were any other girl, I wouldn't care. I'd take my loss and move on for the night, look for someone else to spend my time with. But Millie isn't just any girl, she's my best friend. To some that might not mean much, but to me it means everything. She means everything. Even if she doesn't know it.

For a best friend, she sure didn't take your advice about wearing that damn dress.

A heavy sigh fills my lungs as my eyes rake over the back of her dress, the one with practically no back to it, the red material only starting from the top of her ass on down. I told her she shouldn't wear it, call it selfish, but whatever. Of course, it's not like she asked for my opinion anyway. Not when she's barely fucking talking to me.

"Mill—"

"I'm gonna go see what Elsie and Tally are doing," she quickly announces, jumping down from the kitchen bar stool beside me.

I nod, not that she notices as she runs out of the room and into the more crowded sections of the party.

It's been like this all night; her avoiding me, running from me, barely speaking a word to me. It's maddening. Especially when I've got no fucking clue what I did wrong.

"Any luck?" a familiar voice asks from behind.

I spin in my chair to meet the faces of my two cousins, Jun and Eric. Our moms' are sisters. The super close kind that plans their entire lives together, even down to having kids at the same time. Well, roughly the same time. I'm the oldest, Jun's two months after me, and Eric's three months after him.

Shaking my head, I run my hand through my hair, pushing the dark strands out of my face. "Nope. No fucking luck at all."

"What did you do?" Eric asks, pushing himself up to sit on the kitchen island, ignoring the death glares sent his way for taking up valuable drink space.

"I don't know. We were fine last week when we talked about coming here but ever since I picked her up from Andrea's, she's been giving me the cold shoulder."

Jun's dark eyes narrow. "Why was she at Andrea's?"

I shrug. "'Cause they're friends?"

"Not that close of friends though," Eric adds.

"I don't know what to tell you guys. She said she was getting ready at Andrea's so I took an Uber there to meet up. When they came out, she told Andrea to sit in the back with me and she sat up front."

"That's not that weird," Jun says, grabbing a random cup from the counter, sniffing it, and then taking a sip. "You and Andrea have been talking for a while now."

My stomach sinks at his words.

It's not that he's lying, I have been talking with Andrea for a few months now. But Millie is... everything to me. If I thought for even a second there was a possibility of losing her, I'd drop anything and anyone to keep that from happening. Maybe that's weak or stupid but it's how it is.

When my parents are arguing through the night, she's the one I go to, and she does the same when her parents are going at it. But when things are going good, like I win a game on the court or one of her photos gets put in the school magazine, we're both right there too. Always ready to celebrate each other's victories. That's just how it's been since I moved next door to her in the first grade.

"Sean!"

Every muscle in my body tenses at hearing my name called. Even Jun and Eric cringe from across the island before not so subtly turning away as if they can hide behind their drinks.

Damn it, not right now.

"Sean," the same high-pitched voice says as a hand taps me on the shoulder.

Taking a sip of my drink for courage, I turn to face the one girl I don't feel like dealing with tonight. "Andrea, hey."

Andrea's bright green eyes light up as she flips a strand of red hair over her shoulder. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Well... you found me."

Unfortunately.

Maybe it's the week-long silent treatment I've been getting from Millie but I don't have the time or the energy for Andrea right now. There's a reason we've only been talking and I haven't asked her out. Despite her, admittedly, good looks, her kindness—when it's just the two of us—and how smart she is, there's just no... spark.

God, listen to yourself, Sean. You sound like a wuss.

My teammates on the basketball team say I'm crazy not to seal the deal. She's a shoo-in for head cheerleader next year, and the spot as team captain is practically mine. Stereotypical high school bullshit dictates we should be a perfect match.

If only it were that easy.

"Have you been hiding in here all night?" Andrea asks with a wide smile, her hand lightly skimming down my arm.

I nod, trying not to pull away from her touch. "Yeah, I was in here with Millie."

Andrea's hand pauses and for a second, I almost think her smile dims a fraction. But in the blink of an eye, her usual pep is back in full force, her hand wrapping around mine.

"Where'd she go?" she asks, looking around the busy kitchen.

"I don't know."

"Oh well." She shrugs. "She probably found some guy to dance with or something."

A quick zap of pain hits me in the chest and my hand flies to my white t-shirt as if I can grab whatever the hell that was and dig it out.

"You should come with me. They're playing truth or dare upstairs," Andrea suggests, now grabbing my hand with both of hers and tugging.

My face pinches with disbelief. "Truth or dare? Here?"

"Yeah." She nods.

"I thought this was a senior party?" I ask, thinking back on what some of the seniors on the team have mentioned before.

They always brag about how their parties are filled with booze and dancing, people hooking up in spare rooms, or just doing off-the-wall shit. They don't do childish games like truth or dare or spin the bottle.

Andrea laughs. "It is a senior party, but it's also filled with juniors and sophomores like us. Pretty sure I even saw a couple of freshmen sneak in. So, what do you say? Will you come play with me?"

Eric and Jun break their cover, snorting back laughter as they drink from their red solo cups.

"You guys can come too," Andrea invites with less enthusiasm. "As long as Sean does."

My cousins look at me with raised brows and being as close as we are, it's easy to know what those faces are saying. Like me, the idea of playing some game isn't the least bit appealing, but they might also be interested in watching others make fools of themselves. Besides, Eric and Jun have never been ones to back down from any dares, giving them a pretty bad rep at school.

"Fine." I sigh.

Andrea squeals with excitement, already pulling on my arm as Jun and Eric chuckle and follow behind us.

Weaving our way through the party and up the stairs takes too damn long. There are so many people crammed into this house I'm surprised the walls aren't ready to burst. But when we finally reach the second floor, there's a small break in the crowd. People are lined up for the bathroom but for the most part, the halls are clear. The loudest noise up here coming from an open door at the end of the hall.

"This way," Andrea says, leading us toward the door.

Once inside, it's not hard to see what the commotion is all about.

While at least a dozen people are seated around the large bedroom, there's one particular chair placed in the center of the floor. In it is some random guy I don't recognize but in his lap, shaking her ass and rolling her body to the music coming through the floor is a familiar blonde.

"Go, Elsie!" Someone shouts.

My head jerks to find the voice and I instantly spot one of Millie's other friends, Tally. But beside her, sitting against the wall with her knees drawn up, a drink in her hand, and a face that screams "get me out of here" is the girl that's been plaguing my thoughts all night.

Millie's big blue eyes instantly fly up to meet mine as if sensing me in the room. But before I can even think about approaching her, Andrea's hand tightens around mine. Millie's gaze picks up on the small movement as well before flicking back to her friend giving the lap dance.

"Well then," Elsie states, standing up from the rando's lap and clapping her hands. "I'd say I nailed that dare. So, who's next?"

Last time I played this game, we didn't normally take requests for who becomes the next victim. But Elsie's always danced to her own tune, even if there's no music to dance to.

"How 'bout me?" Jun says, stepping out from behind me. "Wanna give me a try, Els?"

The blonde rolls her eyes but there's no missing the smile on her face. "I hope you're asking for a dare 'cause I'm all out of dances."

"Sure, hit me." Jun shrugs.

Elsie's smile widens as she wets her lips and asks, "Truth or—"

"Dare," Jun answers.

I run a hand over my face, already dreading where this is going. Elsie's practically the female version of Jun, only white, pretty, and blonde. But personality-wise, their twins, all the way down to the fearless ability to take on whatevers thrown at them.

Tapping her chin with her finger, Elsie looks around the room. If I had to guess, she's deciding which girl Jun should be forced to kiss. When her eyes land on Tally, I wait for the bomb to drop.

"Jun, I dare you to... switch clothes with Tally."

Wait, what?

"Deal," Jun answers without a second thought.

A couple snickers sound around the room while Tally's face drops.

"Seriously?" She asks her friend, mouth hanging open in shock. "He's gonna stretch out my dress."

Jun places his hands on his hips with mock offense. "Are you calling me fat?"

"Not fat, just big-boned," Eric clarifies with a pat on Jun's back.

Tally gives them a pointed look while Millie giggles from beside her. Several other girls in the room laugh as well, though there's no hiding the way they're looking at Jun, even if he is about to put on a dress.

"Come on, Tally, stand up," Jun instructs.

Tally does as he says but looks around with wide eyes. "We're changing here? In front of everyone?"

Jun doesn't answer right away, instead opting to pull his shirt off and quickly slide it over Tally's head. The white t-shirt looks like a nightgown on her, swallowing her petite frame and hanging down to her knees.

"See," Jun says. "Now you can just slide your dress off underneath and hand it over."

Before anyone knows it, the two of them have switched clothes. Tally, drowning in Jun's t-shirt and jeans, and Jun, just barely fitting into Tally's little black dress, with the zipper in the back completely open of course.

When Elsie gives her approval of the dare being completed, Jun carefully sits on a chair, crossing his legs in the most masculine yet feminine way he possibly can. "Alright then, who should I pick?"

A few raise their hands while others, namely me and even Andrea, try to blend in with the wall.

"Millie," he says, making me tense and straighten up beside Andrea as if it was my name he called. "Truth or dare?"

Millie refuses to lift her eyes from the spot on the floor she's staring at. "Truth."

A few people sigh, and a couple even "boo" with disappointment.

Jun on the other hand simply smiles and straightens out the hemline of his dress, keeping his boxers from flashing anyone. "Okay... if you had to hard-core make out with a guy from this room, who would it be?"

My eyes narrow and flash to Jun who's already watching me with a mischievous grin. He even winks as if he's got my back but I don't know what game he's playing. I don't like the idea of Millie making out with anyone in this room. So what the hell is he trying to do?

From the corner of my eye, I can't help noticing someone watching Millie with hopeful eyes. It's a guy I know well, Jackson, one of my teammates. But we're not exactly friends due to his bad attitude and the need to rub his parents' money in everyone's faces. Plus he's not a fan of mine either, always jealous or pissed off when my stats on the court beat his.

Still, even if we aren't cool, it's no secret he's got a thing for Millie. Especially with the way he's looking at her now as if mentally praying she picks him.

Jackass.

Millie opens her mouth to speak but before she can, Jun quickly adds, "And you can't say no one or pick one of the girls."

Millie huffs, blowing dark hair out of her face. "Fine... then pass."

Several heads perk up around the room.

"Pass means you have to take a dare," Jun explains. "Is that your final choice?"

She chews on the inside of her cheek a moment before finally giving a slow nod.

Jun's smile stretches from ear to ear, giving every girl in the room a perfect show of his dimples. "Kiss Sean."

"What!" Millie nearly screeches.

My eyes narrow on my cousin once again, my hands balling into fists at my sides as I step forward. "What the fuck, man?"

"Oh, come on." Jun rolls his eyes. "It's not like you hate each other. You're best friends. Besides, it's just one kiss."

Andrea's hand squeezes mine, reminding me she's here as she shoots daggers at Jun with her eyes. "That's not fair, Sean's not the one being dared right now."

"And neither was Tally," Eric argues back. "But she still had to switch clothes with Jun, right?

"Get over it, Andy. Sean doesn't have to do a damn thing other than let Millie kiss him," Jun adds.

"Do not call me Andy," Andrea says, huffing and puffing before turning to me. "You don't have to do this."

My eyes jerk back and forth between Millie's apprehensive gaze and Jun's challenging one. He might be my cousin, but this game of his is fucked. He's lucky I don't knock him out for it.

"What if she doesn't do it?" I ask past gritted teeth.

Jun doesn't hesitate to say, "Penalty."

"Like?"

But before he can give me an answer, movement from across the room catches my attention. Jackson and two other guys from the team whispering among themselves. When they're done, one of them, Marcus, spits out, "Then she has to kiss Jackson."

My stomach sinks as if weighed down by rocks.

Even Jun's smile fades but that doesn't keep him from nodding. "Fine. If not Sean then Jackson."

"Dude!" Eric calls, clearly not liking this idea any more than me.

Jun looks at Millie, now nervously nibbling on her bottom lip. "What do you say, Mil? Who's it gonna be?"

Fuck this.

Yanking my hand from Andrea's grip and ignoring her angrily whisper-shout my name, I walk towards Millie. I stop in front of where she's sitting on the floor and hold out a hand.

"Come on, Mill."

Her wide blue eyes cautiously travel from my outstretched hand to my face. "Sean... what are you doing?"

"Making the decision for you. Now come on, Junior, get up."

"Don't call me that."

"I won't stop calling you that until you take my hand and stand the fuck up. Now, Ju—"

Millie cuts me off by clasping her hand with mine and allowing me to pull her to her feet. But once we're standing face to face, Millie's heels giving her the boost needed to meet my eyes, the two of us freeze. The air in the room grows thick with... I don't know. Tension? Anticipation? It's hard to figure out every emotion lacing each of my breaths but no matter the case, I can't take my eyes off of Millie. Her heart-shaped face, those big blue eyes, her tiny nose, and those full... lips.

Fuck.

Now that I've noticed them, an urge to dive forward and capture her mouth with mine surges through my veins. It's so strong my hands twitch to reach out and grab her.

As for Millie, her eyes slowly go from me to gazing around the room with anxiety written all over her pretty face. I know she's crumbling under the stares directed at us 'cause I can feel them too, like vultures waiting for a meal.

"Don't worry about them," I whisper. "Eyes up here."

Slowly, she drags her gaze up to meet mine, making it harder for me to breathe. If we don't do this now, one of us is gonna chicken out, and then... then she'll have to kiss Jackson.

Over my dead body.

My body moves on its own, my hand sliding around her neck and pulling her in just as I bend to close the gap. And then...our lips are pressed together. It's such a simple touch, soft and light. But that doesn't last long, something quickly shifting between us.

Still holding the back of her neck, my free hand shoots up to cradle the side of her face. And when she melts into my touch, I swear my pulse kicks into overdrive. Her hands fly to my chest, her fingers lightly gripping the material of my shirt as my heart races against her palms. Our mouths move as one, giving and taking from each other.

I can just barely hear a few hoots and hollers of encouragement, a few noticeably coming from both my cousins and Millie's friends. But when Millie's tongue cautiously swipes along my lower lip, a groan from deep in my chest vibrates through my body. Just that one touch and I can practically taste her, like her favorite candies, the flavor of strawberries washes over my senses and drives me crazy.

I've kissed girls before but... nothing like this. This is like falling and flying at the same time. Like I could crash and burn but still have a smile on my face. It's the most intoxicating thing I've ever experienced. And it's all from... my best friend.

Shit, shit, shit!

We can't do this! We're friends, that's it. Girlfriends come and go but us, our friendship, that's for life. I can't put that at risk. I can't lose her!

Before I know what I'm doing, my hands fall to her shoulders and lightly push her away, our lips breaking apart as I also take a healthy step back.

"Fuck, Millie, I..." My voice trails off. "W-we shouldn't of..."

I can't seem to finish a damn sentence but I'm sure the look of shock and fear is clear as day on my face. Maybe even with a pinch of regret.

Though that mix of emotions is nothing compared to the jolt of pain once I take in the look on Millie's face.

Her eyes water, tears barely kept at bay. I don't understand it. She has to know this was a bad idea. As... amazing as that was, she has to know our friendship is more important.

"Millie," I try again only to stop as she turns away, her gaze on something or someone else. I'm not sure what cause I can't seem to take my eyes off of her. "Mill, you gotta know—"

"Just stop, Sean!" She wipes at her eyes. "Just...stop."

With that, she storms out of the room, pushing past bodies to get free.

Fuck... what did I just do?

Hey, loves! Welcome to the revised first chapter of GGB!

Firstly, thank you so much for checking out my book or re-checking it out after I made some big edits. Rewriting this chapter took me some time but once I figured out how to retell this story, everything flowed so quickly. I believe you all need to see how things started and get glimpses of both Sean and Millie before the two year jump. Originally, this chapter was SUPER long. But I've split it up, making this journey in the past two chapters long. Apologies if you're not a fan of that but I promise we will be jumping into the thick of things come chapter 3. That said, I have also moved Millie's first pov chapter back some. Sean's view of things both before and right after these events felt more vital. Also, I know this first chapter was originally more heart wrenching. If you're missing that emotion right now, I promise it'll come next chapter. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this!

Now, time for some questions!

First off, if you read the original before the rewrite, what do you think of the changes?

What do you think of Sean's feelings toward Millie? Do you think they go deeper than he admits? What did you think of the supporting cast; his cousins, Millie's friends, and Andrea? (I'd ask about Jackson but he had such a small role this chapter) Do you have any guesses to why Millie's been giving him the cold shoulder? What did you think of their game of truth or dare? Did the kiss surprise you? Did you enjoy it? And what did you think of both Millie's and Sean's reactions after it happened?

Leave your thoughts in the comments and if you like what you read, please hit that star button!

I normally post teasers for upcoming chapters on my Twitter and Instagram, so follow me there or here on Wattpad for any announcements. I'll do my best to have a teaser up before the release of chapter 2, but I've also been really bad about posting my teasers so we'll see how it goes.

💜 xoxo