Truth or Dare (Ch. 17: Surprise)

I woke up the next morning refreshed and excited for my surprise and the double date.  The clock next to my bed flashed the in red letters; it was 9:30a.m.  My eyes closed one last time before I pulled myself out of bed so that I could get ready for the day.
A yawn brought extra air into my lungs, sending it to my brain and waking up so that I could get a start on my day.  I got into my bags from the night before and pulled out my new jeans and purple shirt, then got into my dress to get a black tank top to go under my shirt.  After quickly changing, I found a pair of socks and my black Converse shoes and slipped them on.
Once I was dressed, I went into the bathroom that was next door to my room and attempted to brush the knot I called my hair.  Finally, I got it to smooth out, and I slipped it up into a pony tail.  I put on some make-up and did a quick once over in the mirror.
After deciding that I looked presentable, even though not as cute as I would have hoped, I grabbed my new black purse and went down stairs.  It was 10:30, so I decided not to eat anything and just fixed a glass of water.  I took a couple of drinks of water and didn’t notice how thirsty I was until the glass was mostly drained.
I refilled the glass and went into the den.  The room was empty, and I began to look at the pictures on the table across the room.  There were many pictures of my dad and Sarah, some with the two of them and Lauren, some of just Lauren and Sarah, some of just Sarah, and one of my mom, dad, and I.  I was shocked that he still had that picture up, and even more shocked that Sarah hadn’t gotten mad with it there.  A smile came across my lips, and I began to wonder if my dad still loved my mom.  I didn’t doubt that he did; you never stop loving your first true love.  But it was better that my parents were apart; they fought less and it made life a lot less stressful for the both of them.
I moved away from the pictures and over to the brown leather sofa.  In front of the sofa was a wooden table, and in front of that was the television.  After setting my glass down on a coaster on the table, I sat on the couch and curled my legs under me.  My hand grabbed for the remote, and I turned on the T.V., switching through the channels until I came upon a channel playing rock videos.  I placed the remote on the armrest next to me.
Time ended up passing quickly, and before I knew it, the doorbell rang.  I quickly checked my watch and saw that it was 12:00 sharp.  It was Jayden, and just as he said, he wasn’t late.
I hurried to put my glass in the sink and answer the door.  Once I had opened the door, Jayden pulled me into his arms and kissed me.  We kissed for a few minutes before we broke apart and he led me to his car, my legs already weak.  I had closed the door behind me and locked it, leaving the note I wrote right inside.  The note would tell my dad that I was with Jayden.
Jayden opened the passenger side door for me, and I slid in.  Before he closed the door, he leaned down and gave me another quick kiss before he went around the car and got in on the driver’s side.  He started the car, and we were off, but I still had no clue where we were going.  I decided not to ask, though, because I liked the idea of a surprise.  He kept driving until we were out of town limits, and I started to get more curious.  Finally, my curiosity got a hold of me, and I asked.  “Babe, are you going to tell me where we’re going now?”
“Nope,” he simply answered, shooting me a mischievous grin that made my heart melt.
“Why?” I pushed with a giggle.
“Because I want to surprise you, my dear,” he said conclusively.  “We’re almost there.”
I began to look out the windows for any hint of where we could be going.  When I began to think I would find nothing, we pulled into the driveway of a deserted house.  “This is it,” Jayden said, getting out of the car.  He moved to my side of the car and opened my door.  Taking my hand, he said, “Let’s go.”
Without a word, I grabbed Jayden’s hand and got out of the car.  Before I could even stand on both feet, he was off running.  A giggle escaped my lips as I watched my handsome boyfriend sprint through the tall grass, barely visible.  I suddenly lost sight of him as he ran quickly through the plants, and my eyes were straining to find him.  When I thought I saw him off in the distance, behind the house, I felt him wrap his arms tightly around me, and I screamed.  He started to laugh as I looked at him and then back to the house where I saw the object that I thought was him.  It was a tractor with a black hat perched upon it.
Jayden picked me up in his arms and began to carry me through the grass.  I felt weightless, and slightly scared at the distance between me and the ground.  He sensed my uneasiness, and set me back on the ground.  When my feet were firmly on the ground, he reached out and tickled me.  I shrieked and began to run through the tall grass.  He gave me a few seconds for a head start.  I was sprinting, carefully watching my step so that I didn’t trip and fall on my face.  There was plenty of distance between Jayden and I until I made the mistake of looking back.  It slowed me down, and he began to catch up.
Generally I run fast, but Jayden just runs faster.  He caught up and tackled me in the thick grass.  We laid there breathing hard from the running.  I looked up and Jayden, and moved to lay next to him with my head on his chest.  His heart beat was strong and steady, and I found it soothing.
“Hold on, babe,” he said, standing up and leaving me on the ground.
“Where are you going?” I asked him, looking up into his eyes.  He had something else planned, I could tell.
“I have to run to the car real quick.  You wait here, I’ll be back,” he comforted before disappearing again through the tall grass.
I settle back into the grass before I heard a sound coming out of the grass next to me.  A shrill scream left my lungs as I saw one of my worst nightmares appear before me.