Shivley: A Now United Story

Ch 26: Out Loud

"Wait." 

Shivani didn't have to look to know that it was Noah.

"What's up Noah?" Bailey asked while taking his seat next to Noah.

"If the person sitting where you're about to sit is asking me questions, I want it to be someone who I can actually trust."

What? No no no. This was so not the plan. 

Bailey thankfully seemed unfazed and as rude as ever. "Well Noah... the game is called paranoia not trust, okay?"

Noah rolled his eyes. Things were already awkward and everyone else was staring between them wondering why there was so much tension.

"Shivani?" She finally managed to make eye contact with Noah, but his expression was unreadable. "Can you switch places with Bailey?"

Bailey looked at Shivani with a strange expression on his face. "You really trust Shivani more than me?"

"Yes." Noah said this without breaking eye contact.

"Uh sure...yeah." Well this would be more awkward than she wanted it to be, but at least she would still be asking Noah questions and Bailey would ask Sina questions.

"Should I be concerned?" Alex laughed as Bailey sat down next to him. Shivani appreciated his effort alleviate the situation, and other people joined in with awkward laughter.

Shivani was glad that AC was next to her on the other side. She sat down and Noah refused to look at her. Well considering he made such a show of having her sit next to him, this was weird. 

Bailey, clearly annoyed at Noah but excited to be the man of the hour, clapped his hands together. "Well now that we have all that sorted...who has a coin?"

"I have a coin app?" Kenneth offered. "It basically just simulates a coin because who really has change anymore?"

"Great! Okay so Kenneth you want to start us off? Also the category is romance. All your questions have to be about romance." 

Everyone looked a little startled about that, but then they nodded. 

Kenneth thought about it for a second and then whispered to Ylona. 

"Hina." Hina smiled sheepishly at her as they all waited for Kenneth to flip the coin. It was heads.

Kenneth laughed. "Okay so I asked Ylona who she would like to take on a date and she said Hina." 

A collective "aw" went around the room and Hina and Ylona blushed. This game would be so much easier if Shivani was dating someone. But then she realized she technically was...all she had to do was say Bailey's name for every question Noah asked her. Wait. Why were they going counterclockwise around the circle? This meant that Noah was going to ask her questions not. Hina apparently noticed this as well because she gave Shivani the most subtle nod before asking Noah her question. Hopefully Hina would still be able to carry out the plan.

He seemed uncomfortable. 

"Shivani."

Well maybe it was a friendship question? Hina's expression was unreadable and the coin simulator came up tails. Great. Well at least now Noah would be forced to look at Shivani because he had to ask her a question. She was wrong. 

He went straight to whispering in her ear. "Hi Shivani." Uhm what was happening. "I just wanted to say sorry and well... my question is who in this room do you think respects you most? And please... answer honestly." He turned away from her a second after asking her and Shivani was super confused.