Beakers and Beanies

Chapter 20

Kevin and Nazz had made their way downstairs. Annoyingly, exiting the room together only made people who saw them whistle. Nazz just rolled her eyes and smiled, refusing to let her chin fall. Kevin was too busy scanning the downstairs area before descending the stairs. Right as they had reached the bottom, a voice came from their left. "Celebratory shOOOTs!" Someone shouted.

Mike pushes tiny red plastic cups into their hands and then down onto the couch in the living room, almost spilling the drinks. Cameras are already out as others join in their chanting. Kevin downs the shot and ignores the burn of straight vodka down his throat. "Fuck." He manages to get out, making the rest of the team that slowly started emerging crack up. Nazz shakes her head after downing hers, a friend of hers offering her a sweet chaser.

"So uh, the rooms free, I'm assuming?" Some guy asks as he nudges Kevin. The redhead could almost wipe the grime off the other guys words. "Uh yeah man." "Cool, thanks." He disappears back into the crowd, Kevin looking back at him for a second, long enough to see him head upstairs with his date.

Kevin is left back in the group of his team and their friends. Even with his long term friend beside him he felt restless. Both in the spotlight as well as not a single eye on him. It was in moments like these when he'd jump onto his motorcycle and go as far as he could and even have the energy to run the way back.

This time though, he rather gulp down what's being handed to him. He was about to take a fourth shot when Nazz puts her hand between him and the cup. "Okay bigboy I think we can slow it down here." Kevin didn't complain, three shots was enough to get him out of his restlessness and into a nice buzz.

He watches Nazz stand up and nod at him to follow, saying they'll be back to a group that is quickly getting themselves too drunk to even notice them anymore.

"Let's see if there's any water bottles left, Kev." Nazz says as she walks to the kitchen, Kevin lazily walking behind her until he hears familiar voices and his pace quickens.

...

"Rules are simple, spin it and whoever it lands on has the privilege of kissing ya a good 10 seconds!" Eddy explains to the group of a dozen that have sat before him to play the iconic, and yet horrifyingly cringy game that is spin the bottle.

"Questions!?" He shouts as he notices a handful of the girls are looking at the tall, brown haired dream boat that was Jay, maybe unaware the guy was a full fledged gay prince. Well, maybe they just wanted a pity peck?

"What if it's not constitutional, Eddy?" Shouts Ed back at him from his right side. Some from the group laugh and Edd corrects him, "Consensual you mean, Ed?" Eddy however, is quick to start shouting again.

"Then why the fuck are you playing in the first-"
"If one person doesn't wanna kiss the other, then you both go in the closet for 5 minutes as punishment," Nazz suddenly interrupts to add. "If anything 'un-constitutional'" she smiles at a open-mouthed Eddy, "happens, you let us know and we'll beat some ass."

The group turn to the slightly pink cheeked Nazz and the tall build beside her that seem to have emerged from thin air. It was a distracted Kevin who's looking at his feet.
He ignores the way he felt like swaying left to right and looks up, instantly locking eyes with Edd right before the raven headed boy looks down. The way he was seated on his knees, back straight, and with his long fingers folded neatly stirred something in Kevin. He also notices the way he's slightly behind the circle, Ed seated beside him but also in front. His eyes narrow and it's enough to make Edd purse his lips and pull down the front of his beanie.

Eddy, caught off guard by the duo's sudden entry, says, "only players can submit suggestions."
"Then we're playing." Nazz doesn't skip a beat in her reply and she notices the Kanker sisters snicker at Eddy, this already being the second time a girl has talked back to him while he was in one of his leader scenarios.

"Yeah, let's go with that, it's much more interesting. And we can tell if y'all wanna just take the closet option to get more action so don't try it." A blue headed Marie declares as she flashes the group a threatening grin.
Eddy just rolls his eyes though, "okay fine whatever now let's get this shit going."

Kevin plops down, more to steady his gaze than anything as he sits down cross legged, resting each elbow on each side for additional balance.
Nazz takes a seat next to him as the circle gets a bit more organized, a few people still drinking from their cups, maybe for the additional courage.

"I'll do the honors," Eddy nearly giggles as he reaches for the glass bottle. But before he can reach it, Lee holds out her (longer) arm and gives it a good hard turn. "Oops, guess ya gotta be quicker pipsqueak." Eddy frowns but sits back down.
The whirling bottle stops on a blonde boy who's eyes widen. Lee chuckles and stands, striding over to him. The circle laughs and prays for his safe return from her grasp as he stands. You can hear him gulp before she grabs his collar and kisses him hard. The group hollers through the kiss and roars in glee until the poor boy is left wobbling back down to his seat.

Edd, still kneeling in stillness, attempts to look at Kevin from his peripheral view. The redhead is sitting to his right, about 5 people down, Edd deduces.

Why is Kevin here? Does- would he? Want to kiss me in front of- no. I'm not playing. But he did say he had no interest in Nazz...

His thoughts are drowned out by the declaration of Marie. "I'm next!" She spins the glass bottle and right as Edd looks over at Kevin, he catches the eyebrow arch of Nazz and notices everyone else is looking at her as well.

"Well, blondie, guess you have the pleasure of my kiss tonight." Marie says as she stands to walk over to Nazz. But before she can even bend to meet Nazz, Nazz sits up on her knees and pulls Marie down to her. She kisses her and a few people actually look directly at Kevin, who's eyes are steady on his knees.

Their kiss becomes more than a peck and Edd blushes. A few girls whisper but Jay is quick to stare them down, as well as the guys who are paying too much attention.

"Alright alright cmon!" Eddy shouts as the group eases and laughs a little. The girls eventually pull apart, Marie visibly out of breath.

Edd only blushes stronger as he sees Nazz lick her bottom tongue and say, "Thank you" and give her signature ditzy cute smile. Marie practically floats back to her seat but the group's already preoccupied with the next person.

More kisses are exchanged, many visibly uncomfortable, some people even taking the closet option, until the group's attention turns to an almost falling asleep Kevin.

"Alright Kev!" Shouts Nazz and he jumps up a little. He hadn't really been thinking about what he'd do but the closet doesn't sound so bad. He can use the closet time to lean against a wall and shut his eyes for a second. He reaches over to turn the bottle and a few girls tuck their hair behind their ears, sitting up just a little straighter than before as he spins it. Regardless, it's not like he'd actually kiss anyone other than-

"Double D! Look a button- is it yours?" Asks Ed who's now bent over, face to the floor inspecting the item. The room, at least to Edd, then almost freezes as he feels the stares and looks up, right into the mouth of the bottle pointing directly at him.