WELCOME TO THE STREET CREW
Classes were finally over for the day, and as everyone rushed out of the building, Maheen, Zara, Ayan, and Zain surrounded me with excited faces.
"Come on, let's go hang out!" Ayan grinned, dangling his car keys in front of me.
I was about to answer when Raffy walked past, helmet in hand.
"You're coming on my bike, right?" he asked in his usual flat, bossy tone.
I crossed my arms. "Absolutely not. I value my life, thank you very much."
"Suit yourself," he muttered, walking off without a second glance.
So I slid into Ayan's car instead, feeling much safer, while Raffy sped ahead on his bike like he owned the road.
Our destination was a small but cozy rooftop café—apparently *their* hangout place. It had colorful bean bags scattered around, dim string lights hanging above, and a view of the busy street below. Raffy leaned casually against a wall, scrolling on his phone, ignoring the entire world.
Halfway through sipping my iced coffee, Zain suddenly said, "You should join our gang."
I raised an eyebrow. "Gang?"
Ayan smirked. "Yeah… *Street Crew*."
I burst into laughter. "Street Crew? Seriously? What kind of name is that?"
Maheen leaned forward dramatically. "Because we're the most free-spirited ones around."
Everyone burst into laughter—except Raffy, who didn't even look up from his phone.
I glanced at him, wondering, *Why is he always so cold? Is something wrong with him? Is he… suffering?* But before I could think more, Maheen tugged my arm.
"Come on, we're making noodles. You're coming with me and Zara," she said, dragging me toward the café's tiny kitchen.
We cooked two huge bowls of instant noodles and carried them back outside. Ayan clapped his hands. "Truth or Dare! Teams of two!"
I frowned. "Wait—so my partner is… him?" I tilted my head toward Raffy.
Before I could protest, Raffy said flatly, "I'm not playing. You guys go ahead."
"Oh, come on, man," Ayan groaned. "Don't ruin it."
After a few minutes of Zain and Ayan's nonstop convincing, Raffy finally muttered, "Fine. Whatever."
We all sat in a circle on the rooftop, each beside our partner. I sat down next to Raffy with a sigh, muttering under my breath, "Great. This is going to be fun."
The noodles were steaming in their bowls, the smell filling the whole place with a warm, cozy vibe. We all sat in a circle, everyone next to their "partner." I was stuck next to Raffy, who had his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on the wall, as if even breathing the same air as me was an inconvenience.
Ayan grinned mischievously as he set an empty bottle in the middle of the circle. "Alright, people. Truth or dare, classic rules. No backing out once you choose."
The first spin landed on Zara. She chose "dare," and Ayan dared her to text a random number saying, *I'm watching you.* The group burst into laughter while she dramatically rolled her eyes and did it.
Next was Zain. He picked "truth," and Maheen asked, "Have you ever cried because of a movie?" He denied it instantly, but the blush on his face gave him away. Everyone teased him for the next two minutes.
The bottle spun again… and stopped right between me and Raffy. Ayan smirked. "Hmm… let's go with… Raffy."
Raffy raised an eyebrow, his tone flat. "Truth."
Ayan leaned forward, "Is it true you've never had a girlfriend because you're impossible to deal with?"
The room erupted into laughter, except Raffy, who didn't even flinch. "Next," he said, his voice cold.
Maheen nudged me. "Your turn."
The bottle spun and pointed directly at me. Before I could speak, Zain grinned. "Dare. I pick dare for her."
"Excuse me—" I began, but Ayan interrupted, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I dare you… to feed your partner noodles."
"What?!" I glared at him. "No way!"
The group chanted, "Do it! Do it!"
Raffy's jaw tightened. "Don't bother. I can feed myself."
That made it worse. "Fine!" I picked up a forkful of noodles, leaning toward him with exaggerated annoyance. "Here, Mr. Attitude."
He looked at me for a moment, then leaned forward just enough to take the bite. Everyone cheered like it was the most romantic thing they'd ever seen. I wanted to vanish into thin air.
The dares got sillier as the night went on—Maheen had to dance like a chicken, Zara had to sing a lullaby dramatically, and Zain got dared to wear two bowls on his head like a helmet.
But every time the bottle landed on Raffy, he somehow managed to keep his dares boring or his truths vague. It was like he'd built a wall no one could climb over.
"Okay, truth or dare?" Ayan grinned, shuffling an empty bottle to spin in the middle. The glass caught the dim yellow light, whirling until it stopped—pointing directly at Raffy.
Everyone exchanged mischievous glances before Ayan leaned forward, the spark of trouble in his eyes. "Alright, Raffy… I dare you to—" He paused for dramatic effect. "—hold Wateen's hand for one whole minute."
I froze. "What?! No—"
But it was too late. All eyes turned to us. Raffy raised an eyebrow, looking more annoyed than embarrassed. "Seriously?" he muttered.
"Rules are rules," Zain said with a grin. "And no cheating. You let go, you lose."
Before I could protest again, Raffy reached over and took my hand, his grip firm but not too tight. My heart skipped—then stumbled—completely unprepared for the sudden closeness. His palm was warm, and despite his blank expression, there was something steady and grounding about the way he held it.
The group immediately erupted into teasing whistles and laughter.
"Ooooh, look at that!" Maheen teased. "They look like a real couple."
"Shut up," Raffy said, but he didn't let go. His thumb brushed slightly against my skin—probably unintentionally—but it sent a wave of unfamiliar heat rushing to my cheeks.
I stared at the floor, trying to focus on the ticking seconds in my head. Was it my imagination, or was he holding on tighter than necessary?
Finally, Ayan's voice broke the tension. "Time's up!"
Raffy instantly released my hand and leaned back, his expression unreadable. My fingers still tingled, and I hated that I couldn't shake the feeling. Everyone laughed and moved on to the next spin, but my thoughts were stuck on the strange flutter in my chest.
Why did something so simple feel like it just turned my world upside down? maybe it's because i'm starting to hate him!
I tied to forget it anyhow.