One of the Boys

Chapter 8

Somehow I’ve found myself in Zac’s basement, sitting on the couch and playing the x-box with Cooper.  I tried looking for Jordan but couldn’t manage to find him.  Although, I do admit, I didn’t try all that hard.  The party’s still going on all around us.  In the basement people are chatting, drinking and doing who knows what.  I’m too busy being engrossed in the game.

My fingers jam into the controls hard as I shoot down another of the grotesque looking zombie-alien monsters on the screen.  Suddenly my character jerks and I’m falling to the ground, my blood pouring everywhere.

“Cooper!?  What the hell?  You were supposed to have my back!” I yell at him over the noise of the basement.

“Sorry!  But it’s not like it matters.  You’ve got a gazillion lives.”

“No.  I had six but now I only have five thanks to you.”  I glare at him.

Finally my character finishes regenerating and I’m repeatedly pressing the buttons all over again, my arms and body fully jerking around the small remote.

“Okay everybody!  Off with the TV.  We’re gonna play a game down here now.” someone shouts.  I ignore them.  There is no way they’re switching off the TV.  I manage to shoot a few more zombie-aliens before the screen goes completely black.

“Hey!” I exclaim, looking down to see Zac kneeling by the power chord.

He shrugs his shoulders.  “Sorry Ally.  It’s time to play spin the bottle.”  Everyone in the basement cheers but my face pales.  There is no way I’m playing spin the bottle.  Sad as it is, I haven’t even had my first kiss, and I’m not about to have it in a juvenile game equivalent in stupidity to truth or dare.  This is why I normally don’t come into the basement during Zac’s parties.

“I think I’m gonna sit this one out.” I say, leaning back on the couch.

“Oh come on!” Lindsey says.  “Ally, you have to play.”  I shake my head and she sits down next to me on the couch.  “This will be good practice for when you kiss Jordan.” she says, winking.  I give her a look.  Need I remind her that I’ve never kissed anybody on the lips before, ever?  “Oh please.  Don’t worry about your first kiss being perfect.  It’s not meant to be.  What’s important is making your first kiss with your boyfriend perfect.  You don’t want him judging you as a bad kisser do you?” This she has the decency to whisper.

I contemplate what Lindsey’s just told me.  “Okay.  I guess I’ll play.” I say finally.

Lindsey claps her hands and smiles.  “Yay!”  We pick ourselves off the couch and join the circle on the floor.  Zac is sitting opposite us and winks at Lindsey.  Ugh.  Although I don’t want to see them making out, I’d rather witness that than have to experience any making out myself.

Zac places a bottle in the middle of the circle of about ten people.  “So who wants to start?” he asks, looking around.  A guy named Dan raises his hand slightly.  “Okay.  You start.  Then everyone will have a turn spinning going clockwise around the circle.”  I groan inwardly.  This means that I’m going to have to end up having a go eventually.  Let’s hope my spin lands on a good kisser that’s a guy.  God how awkward would it be having my first kiss with a girl.  I decide that if it is I won’t do it.

Dan spins the bottle and it goes around too many times to count before landing between Lindsey and the guy next to her.  Dan smiles cheekily at Lindsey.  Well, I guess he’s decided on who he wants the bottle to land on.  Lindsey smiles.  “Let’s do this.”  How is she so casual about kissing people?  Especially when she’s dating Zac at the moment.  I look at Zac.  He looks completely unmoved by this.  I guess he’s okay with it because he knows it’s all a game.