Snowed In

/ 11:45 P.M. - Bristle's Dorm Room /

"Bristle, truth or dare?"

He said it like we were kids in middle school. We weren't, though, we were kids in college. We weren't even really kids, but under the circumstances of tonight, I got up.

"Let me make some hot chocolate first."

❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄

I sipped on the hot goodness, and sat back down, handing him his mug. I looked at the snow outside, sighing a bit. Unlike his dorm, mine was barren and void of any Christmas decorations. We didn't even have a tree. Coral didn't think holidays deserved decorations, I guess to her they're just another day or something.

As I took another sip of my drink, James had already guzzled his down. Just then did I notice how different in size we were. I was short, not even over five foot. On the other hand, James is a giant. Not that he's fat or anything, he's not. He's just really tall, and that's not just because I'm really short. He's easily six-six, if not taller. He's also really skinny, it's astounding. He's a pink-haired Flat Stanley.

He clapped his hands together. "Okay!" He shouted, a smile on his face. "As I was saying, truth or dare?" He re-positioned himself to face me, but I looked away as I thought.

"Truth." I said, glancing at the snow again.

James groaned. "Really?" he whined.

I narrowed my eyes. "Take it or go back to your dorm, Wright."

He put his hands up in a way that mocked surrender. "Okay, okay. Why did you feel that way back there?"

I laughed humorlessly, "Not gonna happen."

He cursed under his breath, muttering something about it being worth a shot. Then he looked at me again. "Why do you dislike Coral so much?"

I felt my cheeks heat up for the ump-teenth time this night. I was going to cut off my cheeks if they didn't stop, seriously. "I don't hate Co-"

He leaned in, "Yes you do, I can tell, just by the way you talk about her."

James should be a major in crime analysis or something, Jesus.

I just shrugged. "I don't know, she's so. . . Perfect, I guess."

James nodded. "Fair enough, your turn."

"Truth or Dare?" I asked, taking a bigger sip of my drink.

"Truth."

I glared playfully. "Hypocrite," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" James asked, a little too loudly, a smile on his face.

"Nothing," I rushed out quickly, then cleared my throat, "Why do you like Coral so much?"

Jame's face went kind of blank, his eyes dulling out. "Coral-" He then did the last thing I thought he would do.

He laughed. He laughed like when we were at the pool table.

I felt my cheeks- those damn cheeks- heat up again. "What's so funny?" I asked over his roaring laughter.

He stopped and looked at me with a goofy smile on his face. "I don't like Coral," he said, shaking his head. "Coral's a bitch, yeah we had something at the beginning of the year, but she's a tease, and I'm not like that, now, truth or dare?" He asked.

I had to process what he said. It sounded so bad, but it felt good to know he thought she was a bitch. It felt comforting, for some odd reason.

"Truth, again."

James glared at me, but he couldn't hold it for more than three seconds, because he smiled that signature smile of his. "Now, why did you dislike me so much?"

And the mic drops, ladies and gentlemen, it dropped right through the floor, to the center of the Earth, and even through there.

I frowned, picking at my shirt. "It's not that I disliked you, it was that I was scared of you. I like you, obviously- not like that- you know? Shit, that sounds bad. Anyways, I heard around, that you were mean and cold and closed off, so it's not like I was all for being your friend, I was scared you would do something mean."

He tilted his head oh-so slightly. "Like what?" he asked, his stature really still.

I shrugged again. "Make me cry, I don't know, what scary guys do," I said laughing slightly.

James looked slightly guilty as his cheeks reddened. "Looks like I did," he mumbled, sighing. I then laughed.

"What? No you didn't, the drawing just brought up some bad stuff is all," I leaned forward and patted his cheeks, which was as hot as it looked. "Now, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

I glanced at the snow one last time. "I dare you to go out in the snow."

"Easy," he said with confidence, but I cut him off.

"In nothing but your boxers."