Chapter Circle 1.
"I dare you to play a song on Ethan's guitar."
Olivia gapes at Maddie but then shrugs in resignation. "I've never played before... but I guess there's always a first time for
everything."
The group watches as Olivia tentatively picks up Ethan's guitar, her fingers hesitantly resting on the strings. She strums a few random chords and cringes at the discordant sound. A few off-tune attempts later, she manages a basic melody, the sound raw but filled with promise. The room fills with applause and Olivia blushes, returning Ethan's guitar with an appreciative smile.
"Your turn, Ethan," Maddie prompts. Ethan grins. "Dare."
"I dare you to give Jake a piggyback ride around the room." The group erupts in laughter, their eyes gleaming mischievously. Ethan's muscles tense as he hoists Jake onto his back, the weight of the dare heavy between them. Jake, with a whoop of laughter, wraps his arms tightly around Ethan's neck, nearly choking him as he clambers up onto his back.
Ethan, grunting under Jake's weight, starts to stagger around the room, his normally graceful movements clumsy. "You're heavier than you look," he complains, his voice muffled by Jake's sleeve.
Jake just laughs in response, almost tipping over as he claps Ethan on the back. "Keep going! I'm enjoying the ride!"
Maddie giggles as Liam documents the whole scene with shaky video footage on his phone. Olivia just shakes her head and covers her mouth to suppress her laughter
Seeing them from the side, Ethan and Jake were a whirlwind of laughter and camaraderie, the light from the fireplace reflecting in their eyes as they stumbled around the room. The wooden floorboards creaked under Ethan's steps as he kept his balance, struggling not to drop Jake. His legs were barely able to withstand the jolts of Jake's laughter which were sending him into fits of uncontrollable rocking on his back.
Meanwhile, Liam was making sure to capture every single frame of this priceless spectacle. The blue light from his phone lit up his face, casting long shadows that moved every time he laughed. He held the phone with both hands,
his thumbs tapping against the screen to zoom in and out. The recording was filled with fits of laughter, shaky movements, and the occasional face of Ethan straining to keep Jake afloat. Olivia was next to him, a hand gently placed over her mouth to stifle her laughter. Her other hand clutched her stomach
as wave after wave of laughter threatened to topple her over. Her eyes were watering from the hilarity of it all, and every so often, she'd glance over at Maddie with a look that shared the disbelief of the scene unfolding before them. Maddie was huddled on the floor, clutching her sides as she laughed so hard that tears streamed down her face. Her laughter was infectious, causing everyone else in the room to laugh even harder. She pointed at Ethan and Jake, urging them on with every round they made around the room.
Ethan, starting to feel the strain of Jake's weight, began panting heavily. Sweat pooled at the base of his neck, dampening the collar of his shirt as he made another lap around the room. His glasses slipped down his nose from the effort, and he didn't have the freedom to push them back up.
Jake howled with laughter, patting his friend's shoulders in appreciation. He had no intention of letting Ethan off the hook yet. He tightened his grip around Ethan's neck, his laughter echoing around the room.
Ethan grumbled something inaudible but didn't stop, determined to fulfill the dare. His face was turning a distinct shade of red, matching the warmth radiating from the fireplace. Jake's
weight seemed to grow with each step, but the sound of his friends' laughter fueled him. He had lost count of how many laps they'd made, but he carried on.
Jake tossed his head back, his laughter louder than ever. His eyes were squeezed shut as tears of amusement trickled down his cheeks and landed on Ethan 's shoulders. Just when it seemed like he had exhausted all his energy, he roared with laughter once more, the sound echoing off the walls of the room, causing even Ethan to chuckle beneath his weight.
Ethan's steps were getting slower now, less steady. He was panting heavily, nearly out of breath, but he stubbornly moved forward, feeling every fiber of his being strain with the effort. Suddenly, his foot caught on something and he staggered, nearly dropping Jake in the process. Yet, by a sheer miracle, balance was somehow regained. The room erupted into a new round of laughter, only amplifying Ethan's embarrassment.
Shaking with mirth, Jake finally slid off Ethan's back, landing on the carpeted floor with a thump that made the coffee table rattle. He remained sprawled there for a moment, wiping tears from his eyes and clutching his stomach as he slowly came down from his laughter high.
Ethan, released from his burden at last, dropped to all fours beside Jake, sucking in large gulps of air. His face was flushed an even deeper shade of red. "You... weigh...a ton," he managed to gasp out between breaths. This only caused Jake to laugh harder.
One by one, their friends began to collect themselves too, their laughter fading into soft chuckles and wide grins. Harry eventually unveiled the camera and announced with an impish grin, "That's a wrap! A+ performance everyone!" A collective groan echoed around the room at Harry's pun, even as they all moved closer curiously to watch the playback of their antics. As the screen came alive with their raucous escapade, each tumble and stumble seemed ten times funnier on film than it had in reality. The room filled with fresh peals of laughter as they pointed out the ridiculous faces Ethan made during his laps or how Jake couldn't stop cackling like a hyena.
The fireplace's flickering light cast them all in a warm glow as they collapsed onto the floor, their bodies shaking with laughter. It was indeed a night they would remember fondly in their hearts and now immortalised on film; one filled with camaraderie and ridiculous, irreplaceable moments of unadulterated joy.