Arthit & Kongpop ✔️

Truth or Dare

It's Friday night, and there's a party in the neighborhood.

With the neighborhood kids.

Though if they knew I called some of them 'kids' in my mind, they'd probably throw a fit (like a 'kid').

The music was loud, but not absurdly so. The House, however, was weirdly dark. The dim lights gave off the impression that they're going to do improper things, instead of simply playing Just Dance and Mario Kart  all night.

I looked around.

Everyone from Charoenkrung Road was gathered in the Janapat house. It's at the edge of the neighborhood. You'd think it would make more sense for a neighborhood party to be held in a house in the middle of the area, but now they could blast the music as loudly as they wanted.

"Hey, Arthit!" May called out when I walked into the backyard. She's sitting in one of the lounge chairs, her dark hair in two braids and a red cup in her hand.

"Hey, May," I said and walked over to her. "How's it going?"

"Good, good. Just enjoying a night with people who get me, you know."

Not really. I didn't feel like a lot of people get me. But I guessed I was not the only seventeen year old teenager who thought that.

"Yeah," I said. "Nothing lifts the spirits like loud music, alcohol and rebellious teenagers."

"Right?"

She knocked our red cups against each other, reminding me that I hadn't drank a lot from my Bacardi Coke.

I took a sip. It's still not very good.

"Is everything good at school?" I asked her.

Neen pulled a face. "Ugh, don't talk to me about school. For one night, I want to forget about that hell place."

'Hell place' felt too strong a phase, but I knew it's not cool to like school so I just nodded.

"Let's do something fun," she said, moving to her feet. "Truth or dare or something."

Before I could give my opinion on her suggestion, she's already yelling at the other Charoenkrung Road kids gathered in the garden.

Because truth or dare promised gossip and possible embarrassing sexual situations, everyone was interested.

I wasn't.

I wanted to slip back into the living room and join a round of Just Dance , but May turned around, her braids flying through the air, and called out, "Arthit, come on!"
_______

We're sitting in a circle on the Janapat's impeccable and artificial grass.

It's late April, so it's warm enough to sit outside. Not that it would've mattered to me, I had the foresight to bring a cardigan.

After a quick discussion, everyone agreed to play truth and dare. May was clearly the leader in this group, judging by the way everyone looked at her to tell them what to do.

"Okay, well, I'll go first, and then I'll point to the next person, okay?"

She picked dare and when prompted to take off an article of clothing, she immediately took off her shirt. There's appreciative yelling, and she grinned before taking a big gulp of her drink.

I watched her bright blue brassiere and wondered if I should feel excited or aroused.

We played a few more rounds. Namtan told about the time she walked in on her parents doing it, Em admitted he's taken nude photos of himself, Oak had to let the girls shave his legs, and Oaujun had to put ice cubes in his pants; the latter being my idea.