Safety is Relative

Chapter Eighteen- Truth or Dare

'I know, I know!’ cries Jessica excitedly, ‘Let’s play truth or dare!’

Nina and I crack up.

‘We’re not three, Jess,’ I say.

Jessica rolls her eyes. ‘Oh come on! What juicy truths do you have when you’re three years old? It’s so much more fun now.’

Nina laughs. ‘Oh let’s do it, Rue. She’ll strop all night if we don’t.’

Jessica produces a box of Lindt. ‘If you play, you can have chocolate!’

‘Oh all right then,’ I say, laughing.

It’s late evening on my birthday, and the promised sleepover arranged by my mother is in full swing. Jessica and Nina came over, and I feel happy, the events of the last two days right at the back of my mind. Right now, the most worrying thing is that we have school tomorrow.

That’s what being with Jess feels like. Like I shove all slayer life away and become normal for a while.

Jess produces a pack of cards. ‘If you get a heart, you have to spill, okay?’

‘Or do a dare,’ I say, sitting down on a cushion next to her.

She goes first, picking straight off the Ace of Hearts.

I look at Nina, who taps her lips. ‘What shall we go for, Rue?’

‘You have to ask me the question first!’

‘Oh,’ I say, giggling at her inane enthusiasm. ‘Truth or Dare, Jess?’

‘Truth,’ says Jess.

Nina smiles. ‘Okay, um… let’s go for an old classic. First kiss? All the juicy details please,’

Jessica grins. ‘Ooh, okay. It was…Pierre.’

I burst out laughing. ‘Pierre?’

‘Yeah, we went camping in France three years ago, and there was this hot French boy next to us…’

Nina snorts. ‘Don’t tell me, it was a French kiss?’

We all collapse at her pathetic joke, and it’s about five minutes later before we can pull ourselves together enough for Jessica to have a chocolate and for Nina to pick her card.

‘Jack of hearts,’ she says. ‘Have you rigged this, Jess?’

‘No!’ cries Jessica, giggling. ‘Go on, then.’

‘Truth,’

‘First kiss!’

Nina grins. ‘Ew, I know this is really gross now, but you have to remember he used to be pretty fit as a twelve-year-old.’

‘Who?’

‘Jake Kewley,’ she says, screwing her face up.

‘Jake Kewley?’ repeats Jessica incredulously. ‘Oh, well I guess you did date him for a few weeks in Year Eight.’

I just laugh helplessly at how stupid this conversation is.

Nina seems keen to move on from this topic, so picks a chocolate and shoves the card pack at me.

I pick up a card, wishing it isn’t a heart. I don’t really want to talk about my first kiss.

‘Yes! Eight of clubs!’

The other two groan with disappointment.

I choose a chocolate as Jessica picks her card, which is the two of Diamonds. Nina pulls a face, sure she’s going to get another heart, but instead gets the Queen of Diamonds.