The Grey

Bad decisions

The laughter that came from inside the locked room was not at all discreet, but luckily the room available for the teenagers was in the last pavilion of the chapelry, where no one went during the festival.
They were sitting on the floor, forming a circle, and empty bottles were being left to the side.
— Any of you mind if I smoke?  – Will asked, taking the cigarette pack out of his pocket.
— I was hoping someone would ask.  – Medison also took a cigarette pack out of his pocket.
— Since when do you smoke?  – Nicholas asked, a little shocked.
— I started when I was dating Chris.  – Will and Medison lit their cigarettes and Will threw the wallet to Noah, who caught it in surprise.
— Wait, YOU smoke?  – Noah laughed awkwardly as he lit his cigarette.
— Don't you guys think we should play "truth or dare"?  – Medison suggested, her voice already choked.
— This never ends well.  – Will replied, drinking the alcohol from his glass in one gulp.
— Don't you want to play?
— I didn't say no.  – they laughed.
— Come closer Noah, close the circle.  – asked Charlie.
— I don't know if I want to play...
— Nah, don't be silly!  – Nicholas said, grabbing Noah's wrist, forcing him to get closer. It was automatic when Noah looked up at Will, who was looking at him without much expression.
— Rules?  – Hailey asked.
— No rules.  – Will replied, placing an empty bottle in the middle of the circle.  — Who wants to start?
— You start.
— I don't know any of you, I don't know what to ask.
— Then I will.  – Charlie grabbed the bottle, spinning it.
Anxiety took over all of them, and they looked at each other with evil smiles. The bottle slowed down, stopping with the nozzle pointed at Nicholas who grimaced.
— Shit.
— Truth or Dare?  – Charlie asked and Nicholas thought for a moment.
— True.
— Hm... Okay, are you in love with someone?  – Nicholas's face turned red instantly.
— Damn Charlie.  – she shook her shoulders.
— Come on, you have to answer.
— Yes I am.  – the room was filled with laughter.  — You pay me, bitch.
Charlie blew an air kiss, receiving a middle finger from Nicholas. She clearly knew something.
Nicholas spun the bottle, looking displeased when its spout stopped pointing at Will, who looked at him very seriously.
— Truth or Dare?
— True.
— Are you on drugs?  – Will laughed, looking at him.
— Yes.
— It seemed so to me.  – Will laughed again, holding the bottle to spin it, laughing once again when it stopped pointing to Nicolas.
— Truth or Dare?  – Nicholas sighed, feeling that he would be attacked.
— True.
— Is the person you're in love with here in this room?  – the two continued staring at each other until Nicholas responded.
— Yes...
— What... – Medison laughed, surprised.  — Who is it?
Nicholas shook his head, holding the bottle to spin it, relieved when it stopped pointing at Medison.
— Truth or Dare?
— True.
— Is it true that you and Chris broke up because you hooked up with Mariah?
— Who said that?  – Medison said alarmed.
— Everyone at school.
— Shit. Yes, I hooked up with her but I hadn't been with Chris for over a month.  – Nicholas shrugged and Medison snorted, holding the bottle to spin it, seeing it stop pointing at Hailey.
— Truth or Dare?
— Dare.  – giggles and murmurs came from Charlie and Medison.  — I think it's good for you to think carefully about the dare.
Nicholas rolled his eyes.
— I dare you to kiss the person you're interested in here in this room.
Hailey smiled, looking pleased. The girl got on her knees, hands on the ground, then crawled through the middle of the circle towards Will, who didn't move, but had a half smile on his face when Hailey placed her lips on his.
Noah didn't move, he kept his eyes on the bottle, but the expression on his face was quite clear. He couldn't look, but he could hear, and it took his breath away.
— Hey, that's enough!  – Charlie pulled Hailey, bringing her back to her place. The girl laughed, looking excited. Noah finally managed to lift his head, seeing Will smile as he looked at Hailey.  — Spin it, it's your turn.
And Hailey obeyed, spinning the bottle without much force, waiting until it stopped pointing at Noah, who was still looking at Will with a blank face.
— Truth or Dare?  – Noah didn't respond and didn't take his eyes off Will, who was now looking at him.  — Noah?
— Oh, he's tripping.  – Charlie said.
— Noah, truth or dare?  – Noah looked away at Hailey, who was staring at him without understanding, then laughed, drinking the rest of his drink in one gulp, leaving the glass on the floor to get up.
Nobody said anything, nobody knew what was happening.
— Fuck... – Noah staggered, leaning against the wall, pointing his finger at Will, raising his voice.  — You! Fuck you!  – the girls looked at Noah confused, Will looked at him without any expression on his face and Nicholas kept his gaze fixed on nothing, thoughtful.  — Son of a bitch.
Noah, who still had Will's cigarette pack crumpled between his fingers, searched for a cigarette, lighting it, letting the pack and lighter fall to the floor, then staggered to the door, slamming it hard after leaving.
— What was that...?  – Hailey asked, and Charlie looked from Nicholas to Will.
Nicholas got up after a few seconds, also walking out the door and the eyes of the three girls fell on Will, who was facing the closed door, resting his back against the wall when Hailey crawled back to him, sitting between his legs and cozy in his arms.
— So...?  – said Medison.  — What was that?
— Is there something going on between you and Noah?  – Charlie was direct, capturing the attention of Will and also Hailey and Medison.
— No.
— Sure? Look... I know Nicholas will kill me if he finds out I told you this, so please pretend you don't know... but he's super into Noah and has been for a while.
— What?  – Hailey's eyes widened.  — Is Nicholas gay?
— Yes.
— What about Noah? He's gay?  – Medison asked and Charlie shrugged.
— I don't know, honestly. You know as much as I do that he's super introverted and that if we don't encourage him, he barely talks to us. But Deanna was upset for a while because he rejected her. Have you ever seen someone reject Deanna?
— No...
— So it is. I've never seen Noah act like that. Okay, I never saw him drunk, I didn't even know he drank or smoked, but it was super weird. And I saw you guys arguing earlier, I can see the tension between you, him and Nicholas, it's really fucked up.  – Charlie said looking at Will.
— We hooked up but there's nothing going on.
— So he's really gay? From his reaction, it doesn't seem like there's nothing going on.
Will looked at the cigarette pack lying on the floor, thinking for a moment, then grabbed Hailey, pushing gently, making her move away. He didn't say anything as he got up, nor did any of the girls, and still silently he left the room, closing the door behind him.
At the end of the corridor, almost leaving the pavilion, Will saw Nicholas trying to hold Noah by the arm, but the taller avoided him.
— You're drunk, Noah, you can't go outside like that. Your grandparents will kill you.
— Let them do it. It's a favor they're doing to me.  – Noah stammered with half a cigarette stuck between his lips.
— Don't say that...
— Let me take care of him.  – Nicholas turned to face Will, frowning, and Noah finally stopped moving, staring at Will without noticing that Nicholas was holding his wrist. Nicholas didn't move, so Will moved closer, bringing his face very close to Nicholas'.  — I won't ask again, idiot, nor will I be so kind. Get the fuck out of here.
— What do you think you're doing?  – Noah stuck his arm between the other two, pushing Will by the chest.  — Let go of me, Nicholas.
— You don't go out there like that.
Will approached once again, grabbing Noah's arm, the same one Nicholas was holding. He also grabbed Nicholas' arm, pushing him, making him let go of Noah. Nicholas took a few steps back, staggering, looking at Will with hatred.
— You're crazy? Son of a bitch.  – Nicholas tried to get closer again, but Will placed both hands on his chest, pushing him with much more force and Nicholas fell back, sitting on the floor.
— Will, stop... – asked Noah, scared.
— I said I wouldn't ask again. Get the fuck out of here or I'll smash your face.
— Are you together?  – Nicholas asked, still sitting.
— No. – said Noah.
— Yes. – Will replied at the same time, causing Noah to look at him with raised eyebrows.
Nicholas laughed, shaking his head.
— You still let Hailey kiss you?  – Will also laughed.
—That's not your problem, idiot.  – Nicholas was about to respond, but his gaze shifted to Noah, who was starting to look a little pale.
— Noah?  – Will also turned to look at him, holding him by the waist when Noah felt like vomiting.
— Come on. Hold on until you get to the bathroom.  – Will pulled Noah's arm, passing it around his neck, still holding him around his waist.  — Can you walk?
Noah nodded, following Will, who began to walk slowly back down the hallway. Nicholas watched them enter the bathroom door, and only then did he stand up.
It wouldn't be an easy fight. Noah liked that guy.
Nicholas returned to the living room, where the three girls were still talking quietly but fell silent as soon as he entered.
— What happened? Where are they?  – Medison asked and Nicholas shook his head, sitting down, filling another glass with drink.  — They left?
— No. They're in the bathroom. Noah is feeling bad.
— Yes, they have something.  – confirmed Charlie.  — Will may deny it but something is going on between them.
— You said you saw them argue earlier.  – began Medison.  — What happened?
— I don't really know. The two stayed behind without me noticing, when I realized I was alone I came back and the atmosphere between the two was very tense. I'm pretty sure I saw Will hit Noah in the face. Like, not an actual slap but Noah's cheek was red and he was like REALLY shocked. I grabbed Will's arm and asked what was going on but he laughed, threw his arm over my shoulder and said it was nothing, and that Noah was just afraid of someone finding out and that they had stayed behind because they were talking about it.
— After you got the drinks, Noah got really weird.  – Nicholas said softly.  — He sat here and just drank and smoked. He seemed so excited before and suddenly he was so grey.
The four were thoughtful for a moment.
— Will seems like a nice guy, but... – Medison said. — I don't know... it seems a little abusive, doesn't it? And if they are together, why did he let Hailey kiss him?
— They are together.  – Nicholas said firmly.
— Will said they already hooked up but they're not together.  – Charlie replied.
— He just told me they're together, threatened me, knocked me down and if Noah hadn't felt bad he would have hit me, I'm sure.
— Shit.  – Charlie grumbled.
— And is it okay to leave them alone?  – Medison asked.  — I mean... if Will is like this...
— And what could we do if Noah wants to be with him?  – Nicholas replied harshly, swallowing hard immediately afterwards, hurrying to dry the first tear that tried to escape from his eye.