You & I

4. Vodka Shots & Stomach Knots

Natalie could hear a mix of muffled gasps and snorted laughs the moment the agreement left her lips. Her own eyes even widened in shock at the words.

Harry covered his mouth with the back of his hand to keep himself from throwing his head back in mirth. If the room was dead silent―no music pouring from each boxy speaker, no bickering between students whose words were slurred from over intoxication―he still would not have let himself believe he had heard her correctly. Her? he thought. That girl―the priest’s goddamn daughter―is going to play a game with us? He watched as she awkwardly shifted her weight and adjusted the hem of her dress. This will be fun.

As Natalie silently prayed that her cheeks weren’t as red as Melissa’s claw-like crimson acrylic nails, Lily approached the small group with a handsome brunette by her side.

“What are we doing?” she asked, snaking her arm through the boy’s.

“Natalie agreed to play Truth or Dare with us,” Jesse quipped, a menacing smirk playing on her maroon-painted lips. Her black hair shone under the fluorescent lighting, causing a hideous glare that Natalie had to look away from.

Lily jaw fell slightly. “Um…” She looked quickly to Natalie, and it was obvious she was trying to find a way to dismiss the situation Natalie had so dumbly caught herself up in. “Well, first let me introduce her to someone,” Lily said to the group, then turned to Natalie. “Liam, meet Natalie, my roommate.” She made small hand gestures between Natalie and the seemingly charming boy to her side.

Liam stuck his hand out in front of him for Natalie to shake, which she sheepishly did. “Nice to meet you, Natalie.” His smile was warm and gentle, and Natalie felt her shoulders relax at the probability that he was positively different than the others. “I’m Liam,” he smiled, “Lil’s boyfriend.” Natalie could visibly see the small gleam in his soft brown eyes as he spoke his girlfriend’s name.

“You too,” she quietly stated, smiling shyly.

“So, are we playing a game or not?” Harry rudely interrupted. He wanted to embarrass this priss before the night was over.

Lily looked at Natalie with wary eyes. She slightly raised her left eyebrow, as if to say, you really want to do this?

Natalie wanted to vigorously shake her head and scream No! But when she looked back to the intimating stare of the group, she couldn’t bring herself to take back her promise. She swallowed, and slowly nodded her head.

“Okay,” Lily sighed, taking Liam’s hand and sitting down cross-legged to join the circle of friends. Natalie followed and sat next to her.

“Alright then, who’s first?” Niall rubbed his hands together, positioning himself on the floor next to Liam, leaving Melissa, Zayn, Jesse, and Harry on the full couch.

“I’ll go.” Jesse’s hand shot up in the air. Natalie felt her heart race even quicker. “Zayn” as his name fell from her lips, Natalie sighed in fleeting relief, “Truth or Dare?”

“Dare,” Zayn assertively stated, as if his answer was obvious.

“I dare you to...” She looked around the room before her eyes settled on a bottle of Smirnoff set on the coffee table. “Take three shots of vodka.”

Natalie practically choked at the audacious challenge, but Zayn, evidently already drunk, only scoffed and leaned forward to grab the handle of the bottle. “Easy,” he said. “Hey, man, get me a glass,” he called to Niall, who was already halfway to the kitchen.

Niall soon returned with four shot glasses in hand, and handed one to Zayn. The raven-haired boy quickly downed the drinks in a mere thirty seconds. Natalie cringed. Didn’t that sting? She had only had alcohol a few times, but enough to know the strength and consequences of the beverage. She would never trust herself with liquor.