Chapter 14: TRUTH OR DARE

I steadied myself as he walked into the balcony, a glass of whiskey in his hands and his steps a bit wobbled. I gazed at his eyes and they were bit unfocused so I figured he was well on his way to drunkenness.

“I didn’t know you were looking for me” I said back, a tad bit timid and holding tightly to the beer can in my hand. A soft wind swept by, blowing my hair in my face and causing goosebumps on my exposed laps and arms, but apart from all that it was the soft glow on light shining on Aiden’s face, there was this distant sad look in his eyes as he kept his gaze on me, I could almost read his mind. I knew what he was thinking about, the shocking revelation that had been thrown on our faces.

“Are you okay?” I said immediately after “I mean drinking is cool to forget, but you’re just going to wake up with a wicked hangover and reality slapping you in the face”

He chuckled, leaning with his back on the railings while I kept my back on the wall, a few inches away from him. I didn’t think I could stand the heat emanating from his body if I stood close to him.

He took a large gulp from his cup nearly downing all of its content, a slight grimace on his face but he didn’t say a word yet “Are you going to find them?” I said yet again, I didn’t know what I was trying to do but I know I had been in this situation before, trying to avoid reality for a just a second, drowning myself in liquor to no ends but I knew the outcome, it never ended well and all I got was the shocking reality right at my face exactly the way I left it.

“Find who?”

“Molly and Evelyn, they’re both somewhere and you know it – probably waiting for you to find them”

He chuckled again, but this time it had no humor laced on its sharp edge “I think I’ll pass”

“You’re not even a tiny bit curious about what might have happened?”

“Why should I be? I’d very much prefer to be in the dark the way I have been all these years and it’s a pretty cozy place up in here” there was a flash of pain in his eyes but it disappeared just as quickly as it reappeared and I knew he wasn’t being truthful.

“You’re lying” I countered

“What are you trying to do tiny?” he flared “This is none of your concern, it has nothing to do with you. Just because you happened to be there by chance doesn’t mean you get to have a say in what I want to do. She abandoned me, and probably had her reasons, I’m not going to interfere with that”

“Aiden – “ I called, stopping him before he left the room and he turned so quickly that my back hit the wall with a dull thud.

“Stay out of this” he pointed darkly at me, his eyes wild and nearly angry. His face was close to mine, I could nearly feel his breath on my face, but there was this tension warping its confusing wings around us. Even with the anger in his eyes, the confusion that settled on his face, nearly breaking his resolve.

“You stay out of this Tiny” he said again, his voice as low and vicious and his eyes as dark as the midnight sky, and it felt like if I said one more word, his hands would find my neck and he wouldn’t let go, so I gulped instead and just before he pulled away, the door flung open and someone walked in – it was Anika.

“There you are” she said to Aiden with suspicion in her voice while she shot me her usual nasty look just as Aiden pulled away from, then she latched on to Aiden’s arm

“We want to play truth or dare, come on” she pulled him, they were already half way away when she turned and looked at me.

“You can come along too, we don’t want you feeling left out. After all, we’re not in high school anymore. Right Aiden?”

Aiden looked at me, but his eyes didn’t meet mine “Right” a slight murmur left his lips and then she pulled him away.

After they left, I let out a deep breath that I hadn’t even realized I had been holding. Before I left the balcony, my eyes found Aiden’s drink that he had dropped. I eyed it for a bit before I picked it up, a bit indecisive. Then I decided, if I was going to play this silly game with them, then I needed to be a bit drunker than I was already. With that thought, I gulped it all in one go and my head swam afterwards.

My head was already swimming in the clouds by the time I settled down for the game. The game took place in one of the rooms hidden from the rest of the venue. The walls were a velvet red, gold chandeliers hung above them and a queen sized bed – in which Anika had to kick out a couple about to get it on. But for some reason, it felt like I was inculcated into a special secret cult and the little fifteen year old girl inside me was squealing, an added plus that I was now drunk too.

Everyone had gathered on the floor, surrounding a gold champagne bottle. The players consisted of Mickey, Tobias who were seated to my left, Pearl to my right and then Anika who was still latched unto Aiden just after her, and till then I had forced myself not to look at him

“So guys, here are the rules” Anika started off in her annoying high pitched voice “There are only dares, no truth, so if you don’t choose dare you have to drink” she fished out an unopened vodka literally out of thin air.

“So drink or dare?” I muttered drunkenly and she shot her gaze to me.

“Right Cheryl, drink or dare”

“What if we drink so much we throw up” Pearl said this time.

“Well then Pearl, there’s one way to avoid that which is by doing your dare”

“I’m going first, it’s my party” Mickey slurred

Then Mickey gave a lazy smile before pointing at Aiden “Drink or Dare”

Aiden let out an exasperated sigh “I knew you were going to choose me but I’m looking for any opportunity out there to drink so I’m going to drink” he grabbed the bottle from Anika and uncorked it, taking a large gulp.

“You’re no fun” Anika pouted, a slight slur to her words that I hadn’t noticed before.

“Drink or Dare” Aiden eyes finally met mine and my heart sped up a bit.

I bit my lips wryly, not wanting to back out from this self proclaimed challenge “Dare”

He smirked “I dare you to – “

“Flash your boobs” Anika cut in before he could finish his statement, startling almost everyone, me especially

A slight blush crept up my cheeks “I think I’m going to drink then” there was no way I was going to flash my boobs.

“Ugh such a prude” Anika slurred from her end.

“She doesn’t have to do it, if she doesn’t want to” Aiden spoke up on my behalf, and my heart would have melted if I wasn’t quite mad at him. But I took the bottle from him, helping myself to a generous amount and feeling the hot liquid burn my throat but I forced it down.

“Now drink or dare Anika”

Anika shrugged “I’m choosing dare because I’m a bad bitch”

“Good for you” I drunkenly said “I dare you to give me your phone and let us go through your hidden folder”

Everyone erupted in laughter except Anika of course who was throwing me spiteful looks, then she grabbed the bottle forcefully from me and took a sip “I would rather die”

“Tobias” she called next “Drink or dare”

“Dare” he said back

“I dare you to make out with any of the girls in this room”

The room fell silent as Tobias ran his eyes through the three girls in his room but his settled on me finally

“I pick Cheryl”