Fate's Demand (Twisted Fate, Book 3)

Chapter Sixteen

Two hours and at least a dozen kisses best left forgotten later, I realized that my main problem was that I was a happy drunk. If the biggest nerd at Royal Academy—Todd-what's-his-face, with the red hair and crimson freckles peppering his nose—had come up to me and asked me to take off my shirt for charity, I wouldn't even have smacked him. Nope. I probably would have asked him if he needed my bra too—charity or not.

My body tingled and my skin felt flushed. Running my tongue against my teeth, I felt fuzzies that I hoped came from the alcohol and not the kissing—so much kissing. Honestly, not all of it was bad, but none of it was David.

"Hurry up, Aly!" Carly yelled as I weaved my way back from in the kitchen where I'd refilled my plastic cup with more beer.

Nobody had called me The Survivor tonight and I was perturbed that I hadn't indulged sooner. Waiting until the end of high school to do what I should've done since it had begun four years ago filled me with regret. One night. That was what I had left to make the most of this. One more night before high school—and pretty much my life amongst humans—was over. There were a lot of things people could do over again, but this wasn't one of them.

"What are we playing now?" I asked as I joined the circle and raised my cup high. The beer sloshed over the rim and I almost fell trying to catch it before it was wasted to the floor. My cheeks felt like little pricks of sunshine, tingly and warm. "No more bottle!"

Four—five? —rounds were enough.

"Truth or Dare?" Carly asked, picking up the bottle, and everyone booed.

"Overdone!" A boy with blue streaks in his blonde hair called out. Had someone dared him to wear eyeliner?

I leaned back and swayed, unable to get a good look. Cradling my cup with both hands, I reached out with my lips to find the edge and darted my gaze around from over the rim, catching Mike, Gabe, and Raffy leaning against the wall. Didn't they know their scowls made this more fun for me? A smile grew as I watched them and nobody else offered a new game. Having them around was a good thing. Even... inspirational.

"Anyone?" Carly asked and then sighed. Left to her, we'd all end up doing sprints with her mother's stopwatch.

I looked away from Mike, Gabe, and Raffy to the rest of the room. "Seven Minutes in Heaven!" I yelled, raising my hand again, and the beer in my cup spilled over the rim to trickle down my arm. Everyone turned to me and I lowered my arm, blushing. Squinting with just one eye, I cocked my head and leaned to the side, looking up to Carly to whisper, "I don't know the rules."

"It's easy," she said. "You just—"

"I go first!" I said and smiled back to the scowling figures against the wall.

"Well, that's one way to say goodbye," a girl said as I stood to stand with Carly.

"Aly," Suzie called from the kitchen door.

"How does it work?" I asked Carly.

"Well..."

"Aly," Suzie called again.

"Ah, screw it," I said, swaying as I waved my hand behind me, hoping she'd understand the universal sign to back off. "First boy to stand gets seven minutes in my closet!" I hiccupped and made a face. "Err... Teigan's closet!"

I covered my mouth as I hiccupped again, shrugging while everyone laughed. Whether it was the alcohol or the fact that I was never going to see them again, I didn't care. Tonight, I was celebrating for the first—and probably last—time of my life. No number of girls giving me the uglies was going to change that.