Down The Hall

Chapter Nine

I sat up in bed quickly, wincing at the sudden movement mixed with the sunlight filling my room. Putting my palm on my forehead, I squinted, scanning my room. My clothes were on the ground, along with a cup of water that sat next to a pill on my nightstand.

Feeling the sheets on my bare ass, I yanked the covers off to reveal just my underwear and bra covering me. I rubbed my drowsy, hungover eyes, hoping to recall what happened last night. My contacts came out onto my hands, and I reached over to the nightstand, throwing them next to the water.

"What the fuck," I gasped, slapping a hand onto my back.

A water droplet had run down my back, soaking into my skin from my damp hair. Did I swim back here or something last night? I was half naked, my hair was wet, and I somehow walked back home while drunk.

I rolled out of bed and put on my black-rimmed glasses, making sure to take the ibuprofen and down the water afterward. Grabbing my jacket off the vanity chair, I walked to the balcony doors. My room felt stuffy with damp air that made my skin clammy. I tripped out, catching myself on the railing.

When I finally looked into the sea, that's when everything from last night came rushing back to me like a movie set to replay.

***

"Truth or Dare."

Shifting in his seat, Henry tried shaking her hand off of his but she wasn't letting go.

I weighed out my two options. If I picked truth, she would ask me something about sex, which I embarrassingly had no experience in compared to everyone else in the circle. If I chose dare, she would probably make me perform something sexual with someone else in the circle.

Maybe it was the alcohol talking or just shock from her choosing me but I ended up losing the 50/50 in the end.

"Dare."

Everyone clapped their hands in excitement, ready for something spicy to happen. Sarah threw her arm around me and said, "Yeah, that's my friend! Ain't afraid of nothing."

Victoria got up, still not letting go of Henry's hand. She was almost showing it off at this point like a trophy.

"Since you keep making eyes at someone," she smirked, looping behind Henry, and continued, "I think you should cool off a little."

Victoria points over towards the ocean. The circle gasped at the dare and started to pull out their phones, no one making an issue to protest.

"Victoria, don't." Henry finally jerked his hand out of her grip.

"All she has to do is go all the way in and then she's done. Easy."

"It's like 40 degrees out here, imagine how cold that water is," Sarah said, speaking up against Victoria.

"If she doesn't want to do it she doesn't have to, but everyone is already ready to see it and it is just a game, but I mean." Victoria ran her hands over Henry's shoulders and shrugged.

I shot daggers through her, to which she replied with an evil smile. She knew what I was doing, and I knew what she was doing. She was trying to make me look weak in front of Henry, testing to see if I would actually do something so crazy.

"Victoria, can't you just-," Cameron said before I cut him off.

"That's nothinggg," I slurred, downing the rest of my drink and tossing it on the ground.

I sluggishly got out of my seat and started to stumble to the ocean, making sure to bump into Victoria's arm on the way. Everyone else followed behind recording and cheering me on, besides Cameron, Sarah, and Henry.