#gvgn

                                (  welcome  to  nerve.  )

           a  game  like  truth  or  dare,  minus  the  truth.  watchers  pay  to  watch.  players  play  to  win  cash  and  glory.  are  you  a  watcher  or  a  player?

                              ( you  have  chosen  player. )

            hello, welcome  to  nerve.  you  have  chosen  player.  nerve  is  a  direct  democracy.  watchers  decide  your  dares.  the  two  players  with  the  most  watchers  at  the  end  of  regulations  will  advance  to  the  final  round  where  winner  takes  all.  all  dares  must  be  filmed  on  the  players  phone.  there  are  only  two  ways  to  be  eliminated,  fail  or  bail.  snitches  get  stitches.

            ❝  —  GROOVY ,  you’re here .  ❞   &&  there’s no time wasted before she tugs him in by the collar of his shirt .  how many minutes did she have left ,  or was it nearing the sixty - second mark already ??  the redhead couldn’t be sure ,  but she certainly had tried her best ;  calling dean with the excuse of having an emergency fit like a glove !!  her phone had been carefully positioned onto one of her hotel room’s shelves ,   in a way that would hopefully give a good angle  —  after all ,  it was a rather specific dare .

             turning her complete focus to the taller figure ,  the redhead raised both eyebrows ;     ❝  don’t ask .  ❞  &&  after two simple words ,  hands were quickly moved to his hair  &&  cheek ,  glossy lips crashing against his in a matter of seconds .

    he had already booked a room  (  with two queen sized beds  ), and he was headed to the nearest bar.  he hadn’t thought through his game plan, but they were easy steps        or so he thought.  there were plenty of people at the bar, but none of them appeared to be the perfect target, until he caught glimpse of her.  talk about a challenge.  despite how the night would turn out, dean needed a female candidate to succeed the first part of the dare.  he observed her for a while, making sure she was alone before deciding to approach her.  the last thing he needed was hitting on someone who was taken.  the camera was hidden under his sleeve, and with his hand remaining to his side, it wouldn’t be easy for her to notice it        at least, not for the time being. 

a screen flashes bright -- words of neon he has learned well to beware. boyish grin born of the invincibility of YOUTH spreads across his face, eyes dark in hue lighting up at the dare.

STAND ON TOP OF A MOVING TRAIN FOR 10 MINUTES - $15,000

this is it. adrenaline pumps through veins like FIRE, as his thumbprint confirms his acceptance. he turns to the girl next to him -- his newest partner in the dares this latest round - and the agreement is MADE. they mount the train together in secret, laying flat on the top of the car until speed is mounted. palms kiss metal as he braces - RISES. camera captures the brilliant grin as wind tousles brown hair, and an exultant WHOOP escapes him. the timer flashes at ten minutes, begins to count downward. words are lost to the wind as he shouts to the woman by his side -- anna is yet another THRILL SEEKER. apart, they are reckless, together -- they are suicidal.

in the end -- it is simple.

the timer hits four minutes, and seconds later, the train hits a bump. the viewers do not get their BLOODY SHOW -- the camera hits the train -- a flash of black leather tumbles over the side -- a piercing scream is heard from the player still standing on the train.

JACK WILDER IS NOT THE LAST.

the game has claimed lives before. the game will claim lives again.

                                                                    REJECT     /      ACCEPT

                 ❛ I know you play the stupid game too. I can make you a new motorcycle - I still feel bad. I just --- need the cash. ❜ and with that he showed the phone to the other. He didn’t see WHY he would reject. He got to cause MORE pain to the teenager after all. 

it isn’t the idea of a TATTOO that causes anna to hesitate; no, she’s never had feelings one way or the other on body modification. what has her head shaking, eyes falling closed in exasperation, is the name. LYDIA. she’s never had the pleasure of meeting a lydia, nor does she have the slightest idea as to who it is the watchers were now insisting she become PERMANENTLY connected to.

tattoo shops are a dime a dozen in this city, so it doesn’t take long to locate one with an available artist and within minutes, she’s in the chair with one hand in the stranger’s grip. the story told is one of her DEAD MOTHER and while her name had not been the one now being [ painfully ] engraved into her skin, it’s one that sounds better than the truth.   

the design is small, a cursive word along the curves of her smallest finger and before long, she’s looking into the camera with a, now decorated, hand within the frame.  

❝ HERE’S TO YOU lydia. whoever you may be. ❞

For $120 dollars, you have been dared to make Adrian Rosenthal believe you are in love with him for 2 hours.

Honestly - it should have been the easiest dare, one that would get him the money without much struggle. This was his best friend, Noah knew how to make him feel loved, and in the end, after those two hours, they would laugh about it.

If Noah hadn’t actually been in love with the man for years, and once he had confessed to his feelings? There was no going back. For all Noah knew, it would change their dynamic forever, and shit - he hadn’t thought that Nerve would make him feel so scared so early on.

His jaw was still aching as he knocked on his best friend’s door - Jack surely knew how to throw a punch, and maybe the pain wasn’t such a bad thing right now. At least it distracted him somewhat from fidgeting. One hand in his pocket, he turned a small cube in his fingers, trying to brace himself for what was to come.

As soon as Adrian opened the door, Noah forced a smile to his face. He was happy to see him, after all - he was simply terrified of ruining a friendship that had lasted a lifetime.