Caught in the friend zone

Truth or Dare AKA Truth or Truth

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
                    Martin Luther King Jr.

DAPHNE

“Jordan this idea of yours is full on crazy!” I say with my eyebrows raised.

“Oh come on Daph it’s not like we are still under aged and want to indulge in the fun and sometimes not so pleasant adventures of alcohol abuse.” He says as he is opening his door.

I pull him back to the seat when he makes an attempt to get up. “No, no, no, no, and another no, you are not going anywhere Jordan. I have sworn off alcohol. Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Wait you have sworn off alcohol. That’s funny Daph, what happened to make you do that?” He looks at me with a glint on mischief in his eyes.

“I’m not telling you anything.” I say nonchalantly.

“Oh really, then I’ll have to find out one way or the other. Wait the question I should be asking here is that: Have you even drunk before...? Champagne at a wedding or any other event does not count.” Now he’s starring at me as if I did something wrong.

Great it’s like he has put a truth spell on me I don’t even realise it when the words begin tumbling out of my mouth. “A couple of times at a party...” I stop myself before I can say more and probably regret because Jordan will never stop teasing me about it.

“Well go on I really want to know what it felt like for you. In fact let’s enter the bar, you don’t have to drink any alcohol, I’ll order a virgin cocktail for you. Just get out and let’s get in there. It will be fun.” I almost didn’t catch all those words, he can really talk fast.

“Jordan the last time I let you coarse me into doing something with the words ‘It will be fun’ I broke my right arm.”

I remember that day like it just happened. We were like 15; it was freshmen year in high school. Jordan suggested after we... actually I went to my first high school party that we should go to a carnival. I agreed willingly but what caused the accident to happen was not the carnival, it was when we started playing truth or dare and Jordan dared me to climb a tree. Sadly the tree I picked to climb didn’t have very strong branches, so when I finally got on it and decided to sit on the branch it broke, I fell and the pain was unbearable for me. Jordan rushed me to the ER and called my parents. It was a long night since then we never played truth or dare... at least I always choose truth and that was not really making the game fun so we stopped altogether. 

“I really remember no need to remind me of it. But even when you broke your arm I was like the best friend ever I used to spoon-feed you at home and in school and I got a lot of people to write well-wishes on your cast. Plus anything you couldn’t do I use to do it for you. So pleeeeease, I promise no one will get hurt.” Will he quit looking at me with those eyes, he sort of looks like those cute little puppies who can put you under their spell by just looking at you.

“Fine, I’ll go. One last question: Why are you so bent on going with me?” I ask.

“Because all the times I ever dreamt of coming to this place I imagined being with you so that we can laugh about all the various times we were banned from even starring at it.” He puts on a fake smile.

“Behind that fake smile Jordan Wendell, I can feel the truth. But I’ll go anyway. Remember no alcohol.” I say with a stern look.

“Okay, so let get going now.” He says as he reaches for the door.

I can actually count the number of times I’ve gotten drunk, twice. The first time was my freshmen year in UNI. I think that was my first time trying strong alcohol, I had had the usually champagne’s at weddings before but something was different with the strong ones. Of course they would be. I think that party was my first collage party and I didn’t know the punch had been laced. I just kept taken it. Each drink got me craving for more and my roommate being the wicked one that she was watched me drink so much and when I got to the dorm and tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge. I was just filled so much regret for drinking that I started crying and they thought I was so drunk that my door didn’t open and I let the waterworks begin. I’m glad no one caught me on camera. The second time was at a graduation party that one of my friends organised. With that one I just threw caution to the wind because I thought that I had been so careful all the collage days and now was time for my reward. The thing about me getting drunk is that I am conscious of the fact that I might be doing something completely stupid that I’ll probably regret but then the carefree side of me just yells inside ‘What the heck!’ and I give up on restricting myself from doing it. I am glad that all these are in the past though. I am not an alcoholic but seeing people suffering from alcohol and drug addiction is enough for me to say no to them. And my beliefs as a Christian really holds me back from doing it again. From what I think I know drinking alcohol is not bad, but over drinking it is. So for me I think if you can’t handle the alcohol well then run, just don’t even dare go near it.