[Not The Brother prologue? *renamed*]

{Two years earlier}

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“Callie, truth or dare?”

I scoff.

“Me? Hazel, you have the wrong idea,” I mutter, crossing my arms to look the blonde in the eyes.

Hazel glares at me, along with Heather.

“Calliope Millie Summers, have fun for the first time in your life,” Heather demands, “now, Hazel. Ask again.”

“Callie, truth or dare?”

I grumble a protest before deciding to risk it.

“Dare.”

The rest of the girls squeal, Hazel turning to Heather and whispering an idea. Finally, the “council of H&H” turns back towards me.

Hazel, taking the lead, smirks and starts talking. “I dare you…”

As if coordinating this, which they probably did, Heather takes up the rest of the sentence, “to kiss Asher.”

_Asher?_

_Her brother, Asher? _

_My crush, Asher?_

_They’ll know for sure then! _

I take a deep breath.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes.” They all answer simultaneously, their expressions falling in a devious expression. Gabby, the only kid in my grade and not in the grade above, turns to the archway between the kitchen and dining room, and shouts.

“Asher!”

A few seconds later, the blonde twin of the girl I call my best friend appears, leaning against the archway. _Why is he so tall and cute and…_

“What is it?”

_His voice got deeper…_

The girls grin again, all rubbing their hands together maniacally. I send him an apologetic look, making sure he catches it before the girls speak once more.

“We kind of dared Calliope to kiss you,” Hazel points out, a fake smile stretching across her tan face.

Asher shoots another look my way.

“Did you now?”

His blue eyes capture me entirely. Opening my mouth to protest, I am the first to look away.

“They— I…”

He laughs and the sound sends shivers down my back.

“Cal, it’s no big deal,” Asher explains, waving his hand like it’s something he does every day.

He called me _Cal. _Only Heather calls me that.

I try to muster up a smile, looking back to his beautiful face.

“Do you want to do it in front of a crowd?” Heather asks, a look of concern flashing in her eyes.

“I don’t think so,” Asher says, his blue eyes still on me. Pushing my stool out, I walk over as non-awkwardly as possible, taking a mental picture of the grin on his face as I stand in front of him.

He looks me up and down. Asher’s voice drawls out, for once taking his eyes off of me, “I promise to finish the dare, but, considering this is her first kiss…”

A blush spreads along my pale, pale skin.

“Okay, but I’m trusting you, Ash,” Heather shouts as Asher’s hand envelopes mine. The next moment, we arrive in the hallway, away from all peeping eyes.

Although, I’m not entirely sure where Heather and Asher’s parents are.

“Okay. Once we do this—“ Asher points between the two of us. “you can never go back. You understand?”

I laugh, the nerves building up inside of me. “It’s just a kiss,” I say, although my tone betrays me.

Asher’s eyes falter.

“What?”

“It’s not just a kiss. It’s your first,” he explains, looking down to his shoes after shoving his hands into his pockets. “I wish I saved mine…”

Before I realize what I’m doing, I pull his face down to mine, our lips meeting in a soft kiss.

I pull away, refusing to meet his eyes.

“I am so, so, so sor—”

Asher grabs my face gently, descending his lips on mine ever-so-lightly. The blush that spreads across my face must be beet red, along with those butterflies fully awake in my stomach.

When he pulls away, I swear his eyes light up in an intense light.

I’m too stunned to call him out, though, lifting my hand to touch my lips. _Asher just kissed me!_

Awkwardly, we both just stand there. Asher just walks backwards a bit, throwing his hand in the air as to wave a strange goodbye.

“I’ll… see you later, I guess…?”

I nod, watching him turn around and walk away.

_Does he regret it?_

__

__

I walk back into the dining room, biting back a grin as the girls volley at me with questions.

“How was the kiss?”

“Is Asher a good kisser?”

“Where is he?”

The grin grows into a wide smile, which I attempt to hide from Heather. She catches it and pulls me aside.

“Do you have a crush on my brother? Does _he_ have a crush on you?”

I just smile, but a thought drills into my head.

**_Does he wish he didn’t kiss me?_**