Starting Off Wrong [𝐠𝐱𝐠]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞

TW: Use of alcohol and mention of nudity and sex.

I'm settled in between Aurelia and Suri, feeling very cozy with the setup. Everyone is now sitting on the couches, preparing for our game. My mental setup is not in a good place, however. I keep playing with my fingers, feeling jittery and timid.

On the couch are some unknown people, along with Suri's mystery man, who I am assuming is Keanu.

I still don't know who the others are, but I'm sure I'll get to know them at some point, possibly through the game.

"I'll start," William says, leaning forward. "Never have I ever," he begins, looking at each and every person in the room. He stops at me and I start to feel nervous. "Lost a bet," he finishes.

The statement makes me nervous for some reason. Why did he have to look right at me while he was speaking? Everyone makes their move, displaying their result.

I try to clear my mind to answer the question. Has Odette ever lost a bet? I don't think so. She always, and I mean always, knows how to get her way. Obviously, I am on the opposite side of the spectrum. Clearly, that's how I'm stuck in this predicament in the first place.

Aurelia looks at my hands, where all my fingers are still up. "Wow, I can't imagine always winning," she laughs. I nervously laugh along with her. Right.

"Clockwise!" Newport shouts, indicating his turn is next. "Hold on a minute!" A boy I don't know yells. "Where are the drinks?" "We're not playing with drinks," Newport says, rolling his eyes.

"What's the fun in that?" William asks, standing up. "Well go get your drinks and don't be taking your sweet time either," Newport scolds him.

William asks, "Who wants a drink?" Much of the group stands up, eager to make the game more interesting.

I notice Magnolia standing up. "You're going to drink tonight?" Karina asks. Magnolia nods and explains. "This week has been a heartache for me. I'm looking for a good time tonight." Karina thinks for a second and says, "Yeah, I think I will too." She stands up too.

Odette would be the first one up if she were here. I stand up, hesitant with my decision. I have drunk before, mostly at the parties I've attended. Underage drinking is wrong, and even though I think this, I do it anyways. I used to do it a lot more during my freshman year of high school. I was just nervous about the new environment and wanted to fit in.

If I do drink, which is rarely now, I'm a responsible drinker.

Odette is even worse when she's drunk. I can't even count the times I've had to make sure she gets home safe after her wild nights. I feel more like her caretaker at parties than her sister.

"Do you drink, Odette?" Suri asks. I open my mouth to tell her no, but that's what Calista would say. This might be a lot tougher than I imagined. "Yeah," I say, producing a horrible lie.