"The way we play or the way you play?" Allia asks.
"You play." I respond, thinking of how it went last time.
"Okay, sure. Dylan, go get a bottle." Piper says, pushing him away. He stands up, heading into the house to retrieve an empty beer bottle. He returns a minute later, putting it down. "You can go first blondie, since it was your idea."
I take the bottle from Piper and put it down. I spin the bottle, watching as it goes round and round until it stops, pointing at Caleb. Julia and I look at each other, and without her having to say anything, I shake my head.
"I'll take a shot." I say.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to mix weed and alcohol?" Shawn asks me quietly.
"It's fine, dad." I say with an eye roll. "It's just one shot."
Someone hands me a shot glass full of vodka- I'm too stoned to remember who by the time they leave- and I down it. My face scrunches up at the taste and everyone laughs. I slide the beer bottle over to Caleb, being it's now his turn to spin. The bottle spins and lands on Hazel, and I stop paying attention after that.
"Shawn." I say, tapping him on the arm.
"What?"
"Why didn't you answer any of my texts?" I ask.
"Because I'm mad at you." he replies, and I frown.
"But you aren't anymore, right?"
He shakes his head.
"Yes, I am Helaina. I'm still mad at you."
"Why?" I ask, taking my arms and wrapping them around his neck.
"You can't just go around doing shit behind my back and expect for me to not get mad." he responds, taking my arms off of him.
"I was trying to be nice!" I exclaim, but he still shakes his head.
"Hey, stop talking and pay attention to the game." Piper snaps. I frown, but face forward again. Piper has the bottle in her hand now, and when she spins it, it lands on Skylar. "Give me the vodka."
Someone passes her the vodka bottle and the shot glass, filling it up. Piper tilts her head back and swallows the alcohol. Skylar takes the beer bottle from Piper and spins it. After s few seconds, it starts to slow until it comes to a stop and points at Shawn and I. The three of us all look to Piper, the unofficial rule maker for the game.
"What do we do?" Skylar asks.
"You kiss whoever it landed on, dumbass." Allia pipes up, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, but Helaina and Shawn are both sitting there. So who do I have to kiss?" Skylar asks.
"You two are dating, right?" Allia asks, suddenly looking at me and Shawn. I nod.
"Kiss him." Piper says, pointing to Shawn. My heart sinks in my chest and I shake my head.
"No, she can't do that." I say, sitting up straight. "Skylar, you can't do that."
"Why not? You kissed Sebastian before and we weren't even playing anything!" Skylar shouts, her face contorting in anger. Beneath me, I can feel Shawn tense up.
"You kissed Sebastian?" Shawn asks through gritted teeth. His grip on me tightens, his fingers digging into my skin.
"It was a friendly kiss! I kissed everyone here!" I yell, panic bubbling up in my throat.
Wordlessly, Shawn takes me off of his lap and stands up, walking over to Skylar. I sit down and stare at the ground, not wanting to watch what happens next. Still, I can hear the sound of them kissing; I can feel the bile rising in my throat. It must only last a few seconds, but to me, it feels like it lasts a lifetime. I look back up, making eye contact with Skylar as she sits back down.
"Don't worry Helaina; it was just a friendly kiss." she says, mocking me. Shawn walks past me, not stopping. I grab onto his hand, stopping him.
"Where are you going?" I ask him.
"To get a drink." he mumbles, pulling away and walking towards the house.
"Who's supposed to go next if Shawn left?" Skylar asks, looking to Piper for guidance.
"Use your own fucking brain and decide." I spit, my buzz now gone and replaced by pure anger.
"Excuse me?" Skylar asks, and I roll my eyes.
"Really? You think kissing my boyfriend is a good idea with me right here?" I yell, standing up.
"You kissed Sebastian!" she yells back.
"I was fucking high!" I scream, moving closer towards her.
"Okay, Helaina, I think it's time for you to sit back down." Sebastian says, standing up and putting his hands on my shoulders.
"I'm not sitting down until she leaves." I say, staring at Skylar.
"I'm not going anywhere. These are my friends!" Skylar laughs in disbelief.
"Sky, just get the fuck out." Allia says, annoyed with her little sister.
"What?" she screeches.
"You heard me! Get out! You're always starting shit and ruining all of the fun by being a little bitch." Allia snaps, standing up. "Now get out before I call mom and tell her you're drinking underage!"
"Fuck you Allia." Skylar spits, picking her bag up and storming out. The second she disappears into the house and the door closes shut behind her, I feel myself relax. I gently shake Sebastian's hands off of me and sit back down.
"Can I have your drink?" I ask Sebastian, eyeing his red solo cup. He nods, handing it to me. I immediately start drinking the contents of the nearly-full cup, desperately needing the alcohol to enter into my system so that I can relax again.
"I'll spin next since my sister is a little bitch." Allia says, grabbing the beer bottle from where Skylar was sitting.
She spins it, and it lands on Sebastian. Without hesitating, she stands up and starts to walk over to Sebastian. Sebastian stands up as well, and when they meet, they immediately start kissing. I watch uncomfortably for a few seconds before looking down. When they pull away, Sebastian grabs the beer bottle and sits back down.
"Guess it's my turn now." he says, and spins the bottle. It lands on Julia, and he immediately reaches for the vodka and shot glass. "I'd rather not piss off the drug dealer, even if we are friends."
Everyone laughs, and even I crack a smile. Sebastian takes the shot and puts the glass back down. He passes the bottle to Julia, who takes it and spins it. It lands on Alex, and they both stare at each other for a few seconds before Julia sighs and stands up.
"What the hell, why not?" she says, going over to Alex. "It's not like I haven't done kissed a girl for a dare before."
"Yeah, you kissed me last time." I speak up, and she laughs, nodding.
"Yeah, thanks to Carson's nasty ass who got off on that." Julia laughs.
Alex stands up, and Julia clears her throat. They hesitate for a second before Julia leans in and their lips touch. As they kiss, I can't help but think about the last two times I kissed Alex. I can imagine exactly how it would feel to be Julia right now...
I shake my head a little, pushing the thoughts away. Julia and Alex pull away, and I can see Alex blushing. She quickly looks down and sits in her chair, wiping her mouth on her arm. Julia gives her the bottle and sits back down with Caleb. Alex takes the bottle, staring at it for a moment before setting it down. Slowly, she puts her hand on the bottle and twists it. She lets go, and we all watch as it spins in a circle. It spins and spins and spins until it comes to a stop, pointing at Dylan. Inhaling, Alex reaches out and grabs the bottle, turning it so that it points directly at me.
"Whoops." she says, smiling sheepishly at me.
A few people gasp, but the rest erupts into laughter. I see Julia's jaw dropped, and my eyes widen as I begin to fully process what's going on. I'm about to open my mouth and protest what's going on, when I see movement from the house. I see the backdoor open, and out steps Shawn. I bite my lip, thinking before getting up and heading towards Alex.
I sit down on her lap, sliding my hand up to rest on her neck. I glance over at Shawn, making sure he's watching me. We make eye contact, and I gulp.
This has worked once before, so let's hope it does again.
I turn my head and lean in, my lips crashing against Alex's.