Fall For You

(9)

The rest of the group doesn't complain, and the game of Truth or Dare begins.

The first few rounds include Ava chugging a whole bottle of beer which she detests the taste of, Kiera flashing her chest to the group, much to Harley's dislike, and Cody walking up to a girl on the dance floor and kissing her which he apologised to me for when he got back to the group, like I'm supposed to give a shit.

"Truth or dare, Alex?" Kiera asks.

"Truth." He replies, anxious about the possible dare Kiera could give him, having seen the dares given so far. Little does he know that truths are usually worse. Especially in this group.

I laugh. "Of course, you would pick truth."

Harley shoots me a glare, telling me to shut my mouth. Kiera sits for a moment, thinking, before asking, "Have you ever been in love?"

Wow, that's not what I was expecting Kiera to ask at all. I was expecting something far more humiliating than that, something as thrilling as the worst dares that we've ever come up with. Something that would show these people that Alex isn't one of us. As if that isn't already obvious. 

"No, I haven't." Alex shakes his head.

"So you've never had a girlfriend?" Ava asks, surprised. Alex shakes his head again.

"A boy like you? You must have had the girls at your high school lining up for you." Ava winks at him, and he blushes. To get the attention off of himself, Alex quickly says, "Gemma's turn."

"Hang on, I never agreed to play this stupid game." I protest.

"What's wrong, Gemma?" Nate smirks, devilishly. "Worried that we're going to find out one of your deepest, darkest secrets or make you do something terribly embarrassing?" He teases.

"No." I roll my eyes.

"Then join in." Kiera challenges. "Be brave like the rest of us." She sneers playfully.

"Fine." I turn my attention over to Alex. "Dare," I answer before he can even ask me the question.

An amused smile appears on my face as I watch him struggle to come with a dare challenging enough for me. He knows I'll do any dare he gives me, just because I won't want to back down from a challenge from him or anyone else.

"I dare you to, um, I dare you to..." The boy's struggle continues.

"To take your shirt off and keep it off for the rest of the game," Cody says.. I roll my eyes. How juvenile. It's Cody being typical and predictable. But, I'm not the kind of girl who backs down from a dare. I have nothing to be ashamed of with my body. I shrug and pull the shirt from my body, dropping it down on the arm of the couch. 

I can feel eyes on me. My eyes flick over to Alex. I find his eyes on my stomach, probably noticing the small tattoo of a flower that's just beneath my bra line.

He's probably judging it. Wondering why I have it. He'd probably never get one. He's too clean-cut. Too careful. Maybe he finds them pointless, or thinks that they dirty your skin permanently. 

Harley nudges Alex with his elbow, lightly smirking. Alex's eyes quickly tear away from my body. They flick up and meet mine. There's no disgust there. No superiority. Just... interest. Like he's trying to work something out. 

I quickly look away, turning my attention to Kiera as the game keeps going. Kiera dares Ava to kiss a girl on the dance floor. The girl's face goes as pink as the strands in Ava's hair, and Kiera has to give Harley a lap dance. 

Before I know it, it's back to Alex's turn. 

"Truth or dare, Alex?" Nate asks, a slow grin spreading on his face.

"I'm not sure why you bother asking," I say with a smirk, leaning back on my hands. "We all know that he's just going to pick truth." 

Alex hesitates for a moment, glancing around nervously at the group before his eyes meet mine. I raise my eyebrows at him, silently challenging him to go ahead and prove me wrong. 

"Dare," he says, before he can stop himself, surprising both himself and everyone else. I'm impressed. I didn't think he had it in him. 

I glance at Nate. His dares can be pretty ruthless, and I don't really think Alex knows what he's in for. 

"Right," Nate says, reaching up and fiddling with his lip ring. "I dare you to take a shot of whiskey."

That's it? 

"But, I don't drink," Alex complains, his voice quieter than before. Alex should be glad it's just a shot and not something worse.

"That's the point of a dare, honey," Ava smiles sweetly. "You have to do something that you normally wouldn't."

"Look, kid, if you don't want to do it, we can always come up with--" Harley starts to say, but Alex cuts him off. 

"I'll do it," Alex says, a fierce determination in his voice. "Hand me the whiskey."

He gestures to the bottle sitting on the floor, in between Harley and Cody. Kiera hands it to him. Alex brings the bottle up to his nose. Someone probably should've warned him not to smell it. Too late now. His nose scrunches up in disgust. He grimaces,  then tilts his head back, letting the liquid flow straight from the bottle into his mouth.

Giggles erupt from Kiera and Ava as Alex moves the bottle away from his mouth. He swallows and immediately starts coughing, feeling the burning sensation from the alcohol in his throat.

The rest of the group, except for Cody and me, begin clapping, cheering on Alex for downing what's probably his first ever alcoholic drink. 

"Not bad, kid," Nate grins, clearly impressed.

With each round that Alex chooses dare, the amount of alcohol in his system grows. That's his only dare -- to chug whiskey from the disgusting bottle that has had fuck knows how many mouths on it tonight.

It's not long before Alex breaks into a fit of hysterical laughter. There's nothing funny happening. At all. It's the alcohol in his veins causing his body to sing and his emotions to become heightened. When he laughs, a dimple becomes visible in his cheek, his body shaking. 

Nate, Ava, Harley, and Kiera watch on, amused. Alex reaches for the bottle again, but Harley grabs it. 

"That's enough for you," Harley says. "We're cutting you off."

Alex laughs, tilting his head back. When he leans forward again, his hand moves up to rub his forehead, like the buzz is starting to hit harder. 

"My head feels dizzy." Alex's speech is slowed, slurred. He stumbles around as he gets to his feet. "I'm going back to the dormitory now."

Cody snorts from beside me. "And, how are you going to do that? You're wasted."

"I'll walk back," Alex says confidently. He begins walking away in the wrong direction to the front door. 

"Should we stop him?" Ava asks, a hint of concern flickering in her voice. 

"Nah," Nate shakes his head. "Kid doesn't know where he's going. He'll probably hang around until he sobers up," Nate shrugs and places a kiss on Ava's neck. She turns around on his lap, and the two begin making out. It doesn't take too long before Harley and Kiera disappear.