Forever Is Now

Look Away

wanye | pov

Like every teenage party, a game that gets people messed up is played at the end of the day. Spin The Bottle. It blurs lines and leaves things in shambles. Every. Single. Time. But do I learn my lesson? Nope.

The party is over and the Squad doesn't look like they are ready to end the night. "Let's go to my crib, y'all know my moms always wants y'all there," Ivan suggests as we stand huddled in front the now empty building.

Everyone instantly says yes and we decide to follow each other in our cars to his house. I remembered that Mackenzie didn't have her car, so before anyone could suggest that she goes with them, I quickly grab her hand and practically drag her to my car.

"Wanye, you don't need to pull me around. I was obviously coming with you," she says as she giggles and waves at her friends who are laughing at us. Opening the door to the passenger seat, I wait for her to finish her little struggle into my truck because I know the look I'll get if I help her, so I do what I can - stare at her.

"Ivan I will leave your ass here," I shout after closing the door. He runs and gets in the back.

"Kenzie, you looked fire today. Right Wanye?" This fool thinks I don't know what he is doing. It's a set up. I look at him through the rear view mirror and I already know Mackenzie is expecting an answer.

"Yeah. Beautiful," I turn my head quickly to glance at her and then turn it back to road. " You guys always go to Ivan's house?" I ask, to move the conversation in a different direction.

"No, we haven't been there for a while. Shawn's house is the most central but Ivan's mom is always the most optimistic to have us over,"  Mackenzie explains.

"My mom loves the girls more than she loves me, like she wishes I was a girl," We laugh at Ivan as he fakes sadness.

The journey to Ivan's house doesn't take too long. We all manage to park in his driveway.

Daphne and Tiffany rode together since they got to the venue in one car, with Monica and Valerie. Luther and Shawn followed behind them. Alliyah and Noel were in one. Noah brought his own.

Ivan's house is empty and he tells us his mom must have left because her car was not in the garage either. We settle into what looks like a games room in the basement. He quickly runs up the stairs and brings drinks and snacks for everyone as we all sit on the floor

"Let's play spin the bottle but with truth or dare rules. There's no backing out," Monica says. Everyone agrees except Mackenzie. She moves from the floor and sits on the couch. Everyone looks at her.

"I'll monitor cheating and unfair plays. I'm not playing. Not at all," There is a sense of finality in her tone and everyone backs off.

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Mackenzie | pov

I've made mistakes before but one mistake I can say that I have never made was playing that game, especially with this group. There are too many couples and unsaid feelings. So I'm just not going to do it. Can't say I'm surprised Wanye chose to play though, just slightly disappointed but choose to not dwell on that. I will put on the biggest smile.

The bottle is on the table and Valerie spins it. It lands on Noah and Daphne,

"Daphne, truth or dare?"

"Truth,"

"There were rumours going around last year that you and Tiff planned to swap boyfriends, is it true your mom got Leslie expelled for starting that rumour?" Daphne's mom is on the school board and her dad is the booster for football at the school.  So I guess it would be a natural assumption to think that if someone made their princess cry, revenge is next train of thought.

"No. Leslie was expelled for drugs. Mack knows, Next," I remember this, I was the only one there when she got busted. Everyone looks at me for confirmation and I nod.

This time it's on Valerie and Monica. And I would have to be blind to not see that things are going to go left very quickly.

"Monica, truth or dare?" Valerie askes

"Dare,"

"Give Wanye a lap dance,"

The room goes silent. I can hear my heart beat in my ears. Ivan and Alliyah are looking right at me and I want the couch to swallow me. Purposely keeping my eyes on Alliyah, she's looking up me and I'm glad she doesn't look sad. Just a little shocked and it's like she's willing me to keep looking at her.

"Ivan! Ivan, we need a chair," I can hear Monica's voice and I glance at him to see that he was staring at me and didn't hear her. He gets up and brings it. I look away from Alliayh and see Wanye slowly get up, he turns to look at me and I quickly look back Alliyah and I can see her get mad. I shake my head as slightly as I can. I know this girl well, she'll do something and the night will end in tears.

Throughout the lap dance, the only people not paying attention to what was going on is me, Ivan and Alliyah. I don't look at Wanye to check if he is enjoying it or not. Myself preservation trumps curiosity. When it's done, the 3 of us quickly join the group laughing and I assume it's to make sure that no one knew our secret; whatever the secret is. Wanye is not mine and I'm not his either.

Monica and Wanye come back to sit in the floor and he looks at me. I fully intend on not looking his way for the rest of the night if I had to.

Its Tiffany and Noah's turn but because Tiffany is who she is, she accepts a dare and Shawn makes her call MacDonalds and ask for pizza. It takes a while to explain to her that the part of the dare is that MacDonalds doesn't serve pizza. She completely screws it up and now there's 11 Kiddies Meals on the way.

Ivan decides he doesn't want to play anymore and comes to sit next to me. Everyone else goes for a bathroom and I kinda want to go home now.

"You good?" Ivan asks me.

"Yeah, I'm great, just getting tired," I know what he is referring to but I'm not going there right now. Wanye moves and sits on the floor against the couch next me and doesn't say anything to Ivan and I. Everyone comes up and arranges themselves on the floor and Ivan stays next to me.

"Okay Wayne, truth or dare?" The game has started again.

"Truth,"

"Do you like Mackenzie?"

And that ladies and gentleman is where I completely tone out his voice, turn my head and say something to Ivan. I don't want to see or hear anything. I don't know what his answer was. I'm starting to wonder...

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