Everlance Academy

Chapter 4

I had expected Nikolai to protest after Noah's question. He doesn't seem like the party-game type of person. But when Noah grabbed his hand along with mine and pulled us through the crowd to a group of sofas, where I spotted Nora and Olivia, he did not say a single word.

If I'm honest, I'm not the biggest sucker for these kinds of pastimes either, but I decide to stride along anyway. I don't plan on playing, but listening to drunk people tell their deepest, darkest secrets is always fun.

So I sit down on a couch next to Noah, Nikolai taking the chair opposite me.

"So what are we playing?", Nora asks, sipping on her drink.

"How about the good old classic Truth or Dare?", Noah replies, rubbing his hands while grinning mischievously.

Someone whose name I don't know snorts. "What are we, five?"

"Nah," his friend next to him answers, "but I'm drunk as fuck. That comes down to the same thing."
He exes the beer in his hand and places the bottle on the table, giving it a big spin. When it slows down, it points at someone else I don't know.

"Mia, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Where's the weirdest place you've hooked up with someone?"

Mia takes a moment to think about that. "On a skiing lift? I don't know, I guess that's kinda weird. I'm boring, okay?", she says, twirling the bottle once again. It spins and spins and spins... and then stops, the neck pointing at me.

"Oh. I'm not playing," I say.

Noah pinches my arm, and I jerk back. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Of course you're playing, you chicken! What did we say about being prude?"

Defensively, I raise my hands. "Jesus, okay. Truth, I guess."

Mia leans forward, studying me. "What's something you're glad your mom doesn't know about you?"

I croak my head, scattering my brain for something to say. My mom doesn't know the very first thing about me, so the possibilities are endless. But I don't want to say something boring either.

"I once flashed a security guard at a concert so he'd let me into the VIP section."

Loud laughter erupts, and I'm receiving pats on the shoulder. I grin. It feels good to be in the spotlight with only positive attention. My gaze flickers toward Nikolai when I find him already looking at me. A slight smile is deforming his other times so expressionless face.

After spinning the bottle, I dare Noah to show us his best twerk (very impressive, I must admit). The game goes on for quite some time. Then the bottle points at Nikolai.

His body tenses, and he raises an eyebrow at the boy who spun the bottle. "Dare," he says.

The boy points at the candle in the middle of the table. "Hold your hand into the flame for five seconds."

As I've already said, I take great pride in my ability to read people's faces. However, Nikolai has been a book with seven seals for me. Until now. Because when he was dared to touch fire, for the briefest moment, his face was light in utter fear. But just as quickly as that look appeared, it disappeared again, leaving his usual calm expression.

So Nikolai Coleman is scared of fire. Interesting...

"Really? That's what you're wasting your dare on?", he asks, sounding nothing but mocking.

"He's right," Noah agrees. His back is straighter than I've ever seen. "Thats boring. Pick something else."

Red dots appear on the face of the dude who initiated the dare, but his embarrassment only causes him to want to prove himself. "Y'all want exciting? Okay then. Nikolai, I dare you to spin the bottle once again. Whoever it lands on, say something dirty to them."