Naya and Vince

53

At first I totally regretted coming upstairs. It had been better downstairs where I could keep myself busy with the fine wine and the performance on stage. Here, I was just moping. My classmates were just playing games and making out. Vincent, who was sitting beside me on one of the desks that had been pushed to the walls to create space in the middle of the classroom, was busy watching cartoon on his phone.

I couldn't let him enjoy himself when he was the one that led me here. I pulled out one of his earbuds and he turned sharply to me with a questioning glare. It did not intimidate me one bit.

"I'm not enjoying this place. And you're busy watching cartoon."

"I'm not watching 'cartoon'". He took the accessory from me and placed back in his ear. I took it out again.

Vincent narrowed his eyes at me and was about to say something when a classmate interrupted.

"Hear ye, hear ye fabulous people. You all are invited to play a game truth or dare. Anything apart from intercourse is allowed," the boy announced with a cocky grin.

"Go and play a game," Vincent told me like he was telling Constance to go and meet her play mates.

I eyed the boy. I got down from my position on the desk to stand in front of his. He paused his action of pulling out his earbuds from their box and looked at me. "What?"

I folded my hands across my chest and I saw Vincent's gaze linger on my chest before looked at me in the eyes.

"You're not saying anything."

I stepped closer, arms still folded on my chest.

"The fu- why are you acting possessed?" He asked, eyes widening.

"How can you bring me to this place and be watching cartoon? Why exactly did you ask me to be your val if you wouldn't spend time with me?"

Somehow my last statement felt like it came out wrong. Jeez, I didn't want Vincent thinking that I wanted to spend time with him. Okay, maybe I wanted to spend a little time with him, get to know him and stuff like that but still yet, that statement sounded wrong. I wasn't desperate to spend time with him.

Of course not.

Vincent wanted to say something but I beat him to it.

"Let's join truth or dare."

Vincent looked confused. "How will that help me spend time with you?"

"You don't want to play?" I quizzed in response.

"Well, if that's your way of spending time then okay," Vincent shrugged. He got down from his desk and went ahead of me to where our mates were forming a big circle with chairs.

"Form a big circle people." The boy from earlier said clapping his hands.

"Like you mother's cooking pot!" Peter drawled from his position beside Amanda. That got my classmates laughing. Amanda hid her face in her hand. I chuckled too. That was what we usually chorused in my former school during sports, which rarely even happened, when we had to form a circle around the P.E teacher. In Regal high, the students arranged themselves in lines, boys and girls, and according to their classes while the sports master stood on a temporary podium on the football field.

I and Vincent joined the circle, sitting side by side. Not everyone had joined the game but then the circle was bigger now. It was after we sat I realised that we were sitting opposite Stephen and Jessica. Jessica wriggled her finger at me excitedly and I smiled at her. Stephen gave me a one-sided smile but I scoffed and looked away only to catch Vincent staring. He didn't even have the decency to look away.