"Okay, Sasha, truth or dare?" Sebastian asked once the bottle stopped on her.
I sat among Tara, Sebastian, Austin, Caleb, and Sasha. We were all sitting in a circle on the floor, ready to play a drunken game of Truth or Dare. It was coming to the end of the party, so most of the guests were gone and it was mainly just us left.
"Dare" Sasha shrugged with a mischievous smirk on her face. Throughout the night, I had a chance to talk to her and get to know her a little. To my surprise, she wasn't as harsh and aggressive as she appeared to be. She was funny, friendly, and definitely beautiful. Austin did, however, tell me that she took me and Tara pretty well compared to how she usually takes on new faces in their friend group. Whatever that means...
She leaned back into Caleb, both of them slouched on the floor. I smiled at her as she winked at me. I really liked her. She gave off powerful 'I don't give a fuck' vibes and I loved it. Confidence was something I always lacked but admired in other people.
Austin whispered something to Sebastian and his eyes gleamed with excitement at whatever Austin had suggested."I dare you to French kiss any girl you want in this circle" He spoke.
Sasha's eyes widened and Caleb wiggled his eyebrows, only to earn a smack on the arm from her."This was Austin's idea, wasn't it?" She rolled her eyes, playfully annoyed at the boys.
Austin raised his hands in defense and everyone had a little laugh about him being his usual self- a pervert. The more you know...
"Fine, I'll give the poor action-hungry guy what he wants then..." She smirked with a knowing look in her eyes. Austin gave her a challenging glare and it seemed as though they were somehow having a secret conversation."Tina" She picked me and I gawked.
Me?!
My first kiss is going to be...
...with a girl?!
Tara pipped up with a sheepish look on her face."That's not a good idea, Sash" She winced awkwardly. I groaned, my face burning up. Does she get a kick out of embarrassing me or something?
Every male in the circle stared at us with confusion. Only Sasha had a look of realization flash through her eyes."Oh," She nodded, understanding what Tara meant."Just a peck then?" She asked me, smiling.
I nodded awkwardly, my cheeks burning.
"The dare was to French kiss, are y'all deaf?" Caleb scoffed, not having it.
"Boy, if you don't shut up right now.." Sasha threatened Caleb with a look of death on her face. Suddenly, a mischievous smirk appeared on Caleb's face.
"Tina's a Virgin Mary!" He announced.
Great.
I squirmed, uncomfortably. Austin's eyes met mine and he smirked, a bone-crushing amount of darkness in his stare. Yeah, yeah...he already figured that mystery out.
"That's it, you're not getting any for three weeks!" Sasha smacked Caleb and he fell backward dramatically. He rolled over, whining and groaning before he pretended to have an exaggerated seizure. I chuckled as Sasha smacked his butt hard.
"What an idiot" Austin shook his head as he stared at Caleb, who was now discreetly singing the anthem as if it were his funeral.
"Not surprised at this point..." Sebastian took a swig of his beer.
"Right, so..." Sasha pushed Caleb to the side, ignoring his cries for help.'' Let's do this'' She kneeled in front of me with an awkward smile."Just a peck!"
I nodded getting up on my knees as well. I've given people a peck on their lips before so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, right?
I felt slightly uncomfortable and it had nothing to do with the dare. I had a feeling it had something to do with a certain someone's eyes on me.
Just before Sasha's lips pecked mine, I spotted Austin staring me down with the corner of my eye. He looked tense and despite the discomfort, I smiled to myself.
"There! That wasn't so bad, was it?" Sasha gave my butt a little slap, pulling away.
I laughed it off and we sat back down. As the bottle spun again, I tried to ignore Austin's burning gaze. That was not easy in any way. All I could think of was the look in his eyes when Caleb shouted out that I was a Virgin Mary.
What was he thinking about?
Ugh, I wish I could read minds like Edward Cullen...
"Tina!" I was pulled out of my thoughts by a smack on the head. What is it with all these people being so abusive...
"Ow!" I hissed, glaring at Tara.
"It's your turn" She groaned, smacking my arm this time. I reached out and slapped her ass with as much strength as I could muster. She winced, flashing me a murderous glare.
"Okay," Sasha laughs at our mini fight."Truth or dare?"
I didn't have to think about that one. I never ever did dares."Truth" I sighed, already waiting for the collective disappointment from the group.
Everyone booed and I rolled my eyes. As expected...
"Hmm..." Sasha took a few seconds to think about her question."If you had to kiss a guy in this circle, who would it be?" She smirked, giving Austin a knowing look.
Was I missing something?
"Emm.." I could feel my cheeks redden."Why would I have to?" I stammered.
"Shit, I don't know...if your life depended on it, who would you kiss?" She laughed, making up a scenario. Why would my life depend on a kiss? Oh, for crying out loud, Tina! Just answer the question already! Fine!
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to avoid his stare."This is hypothetical though, right? So I can say someone who I would never ever kiss in reality...because of obvious reasons?" I clarified. Wow, so much for just answering the question...
Tara and Sasha burst into fits of laughter and I blushed again. His stare was making me break into a cold sweat and I couldn't help but feel intimidated.
I need to get out of this mess...
"Yes, you can pick someone who's taken too" Sasha laughed, glancing at Austin as she spoke."This is a game!" She smiled at me.
Bingo!
"Okay," I nodded, finally meeting his gaze. He looked at me expectantly and I tried to fight the smile that threatened to appear on my face"Then I have to say...Caleb"
Sasha laughter hysterically once she met eyes with Austin."Omg! I love you, Tina!" She hugged me, still laughing at Austin's face.
Everyone in the circle laughed, except for Austin.
"I'm beyond flattered!" Caleb spoke up, wiping away a fake tear.
"I'm glad!" I chuckled, ignoring Austin's deathly glare.
To my dismay, when I looked at him, his eyes were still glued to me. He stared at me with a visible challenge on his mind. I could see it in his eyes. He was telling me that he wasn't one to back down. Oh no...
I spun the bottle and it landed on Austin. Shoot!
"Truth or dare?" I asked immediately.
He leaned back, a smirk on his face."Dare, babe" He flashed a toothy grin and my heart stopped for a second. He knew what he was doing, judging by the smugness that radiated off him.
Tara's eyes widened but she stayed quiet.
"Oh..umm..." I ran a shaky hand through my red hair yet again, with an awkward chuckle. He stared me down, watching my every move with unbearable intensity. Is he even human?!
"Oh come on!" Caleb groaned, earning another smack from Sasha.
"It's not that easy!" I defended myself, a deep blush on my cheeks. Come on! I couldn't even look Austin in the eyes long enough...
"Let's have a brainstorm" Tara offered, pulling me and Sasha to the side. The guys laughed at this but the girls didn't care.
"Tell him to kiss Caleb" Sasha whispered, desperately trying to keep her evil giggles in.
"He won't do that!" I laughed, shaking my head.
"Then think of a punishment" Tara wiggled her eyebrows.
"What?!" I shrieked.
Sasha laughed loudly, drawing attention to us."Make him do anything you want if he refuses to do the dare" She added, visibly giddy.
I gulped. How was I supposed to do that!?
We came back to the circle on the floor and I blew out a long breath. "So...Austin," I looked up, meeting his cold grey eyes."Kiss Caleb"
His eyes turned to slits as everyone laughed.
Caleb shrieked and attempted to run away. Sasha grabbed his legs, pulling him to the floor with a loud thud. We all toppled over from laughing too hard, yet Austin still stared at me with that furious glare of his.
"No." Austin shook his head.
"Chicken!" Seb laughed, making Tara giggle uncontrollably. Yeah, she's definitely drunk.
Caleb pretended to cry and we couldn't hold back our stupid drunken laughter. I took this moment to look around, to notice the people surrounding me. Everyone looked so happy with each other. And the crazy thing...the really really weird thing, was that I felt it too. I felt happy.
"In that case, you have a punishment to deal with" Sasha wiggled her eyebrows at Austin. He rolled his eyes at all of us but muttered a quick "sure" anyway.
"You have to..." I gulped, trying to think of something on the spot."You have to um- I...you have to, no- I..shoot!" I facepalmed myself, my cheeks going red in an instant.
"You have to be Tina's slave for a week!" Tara sipped her drink and smirked.
I gapped at her. What the hell is she thinking?!
"Yeah, right!" Austin scoffed giving me a look of pure annoyance. Great. Now he probably thinks I'm obsessed with him or something...
"Either that or plant those busted-ass lips on Caleb's chapped-ass ones" Sasha dared with a smirk.
"Excuse me? You do know you'd have to kiss me after that slobbery mouth, right?" Caleb shrieked, giving Sasha a crazy look.
We laughed again, my cheeks hurting from so much laughter. These boys are crazy...
"Maybe she just needs a reason to break up with you?" Austin deadpanned, earning a punch to the jaw from Caleb. Sasha laughed and we all did too, yet again.
"So, your choice is?" Tara asks, sobering up as we all waited for Austin's answer.
He glanced from me to Caleb with a grimace on his face whenever he laid eyes on Caleb."Fine, I'll be your slave..." He rolled his eyes, a smirk threatening to appear on his face.
The girls cheered loudly and the guys broke into obnoxious fits of drunken laughter.
"When do work hours begin, Master?" Austin asked me, a full-on smirk on his lips.
Caleb wiggled his eyebrows at this and my cheeks reddened at the speed of light.
"Ugh, tomorrow. We'll uh...start tomorrow" I croaked out, cursing myself for being such an awkward mess. I really am a Virgin Mary, huh?
"Okay, what shall we play next?" Tara asked as she sat up before taking a long sip of her drink. I took a sip of mine too, remembering that I still had some of that weird blue drink left.
"Never have I ever, drinking edition!" Sasha piped up. Everyone agreed and I stayed quiet, unsure if I should participate. I already had too much to drink...
But then again, I was apparently a Virgin Mary so I would probably end up without taking a single sip in this game.
"Okay, I'll start us off!" Caleb held a hand up, smirking at whatever perverted thing he had planned to say. I groaned internally but braced myself anyway."Never have I ever...fucked in the back of a car" He said proudly and sipped his beer.
Sasha rolled her eyes at Caleb but took a small sip anyway. Tara blushed but took a long gulp out of her cup. Oh God, please don't tell me I sat on the seat she did it on...
Seb sipped on his beer, eyeing Tara slightly. Hmm...is that jealousy I see?
Austin gave me the most intense look as he sipped on his drink, daring me to do the same. Haha, jokes on him. I can't even watch a sex scene in a movie without squirming.
I placed my cup on the floor beside my knee, clearing my throat and switching position. My butt was already aching from sitting on it all this time. I kneeled, gently sitting down on the backs of my heels.
Austin watched me, his eyes traveling over my frame darkly.
I gulped.
Caleb gave me a look and everyone realized that I was the only one who didn't drink."So I was right!" He fist-bumped himself, earning a slap on the arm from Sasha.
"Oh, leave the girl alone!" She grumbled, pushing him over with one hand."Okay..." She thought deeply, swinging her cup in her hand in a comforting way."Never have I ever...successfully sneaked out of the house more than two nights in a row"
Oh wow.
It's my lucky day.
I took a long sip, licking my lips as I place the cup back down.
Austin was staring at me again, his jaw clenched. He took a sip, keeping his eyes on me as he drank. I watched his Adam's apple as he swallowed, the palms of my hands growing clammier by the second. What is wrong with me?
Tara didn't drink and I smirked, remembering the time she tried to sneak out and got caught. She could never get away with something like that because her parents actually cared about her.
Sasha didn't drink, giving me a surprised look."With all that freedom, how are you not pregnant?" She gasped in awe.
Tara laughed loudly. Too loudly, I might add.
After flashing Tara a quick glare, I smiled sheepishly at Sasha."I guess I'm not baby mama material" I joked. To my surprise, everyone laughed. My heart fluttered at the feeling. Why was I so content in the company of these people? I only just met most of them, yet I felt so at home around them already. It fascinated me.
"Oh, babe" Sasha shook her head, giving me a knowing look."You're hot mama material!"
Tara agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically. The boys raised their eyebrows at our little convo, yet only one of them caught my attention. Austin. He leaned back against the wall, casually watching my every move.
I raised one eyebrow, the alcohol making me feel brave again. He smirked as his eyes jumped from my chest, to my lips, to my eyes. Ugh!
"Yikes, guys" Tara let out a low whistle, pulling me out of my trance."These two are eye-fucking each other right in front of us"
I gaped, my cheeks burning up.
Austin laughed carelessly as if it wasn't the slightest bit embarrassing. Again- Was he even human?
"Oh, interesting" Sasha smirked at me, then at Austin. Seb wrinkled his nose in distaste and Caleb's eyes widened. Here we go again...
"Public indecency!" Caleb spoke up.
Yep, there it is...
"Not this again..." Austin groaned, letting his head fall back against the wall. His eyes shut and I could see his chest rise and fall with every frustrated breath he took. Why does he have to look so damn good every second of his existence? Why did I have to pay so much attention to this?
As everyone bickered about Law&Order, I excused myself and quickly made it out of the game room to take a breather.
I walked down the hallway, in search of a bathroom."Who even needs a house this big?" I muttered to myself, annoyed with the endless amount of bedrooms behind every door I opened. Who were Seb's parents to afford this place?
"A family of ten, I guess" A familiar voice boomed from behind and I jumped, my heart almost stopping from the fright. I caught my breath, coming face to face with Austin.
Without a second thought, I aimed to slap him across the chest. Unfortunately, he was one step ahead of me. He grabbed my arm, pulling me into his chest.
"Nice try..." He whispered, looking into my eyes as he smirked.
I gulped, trying my best to look away.
He let go of my arm, his grip quickly sliding down to hold the small of my back."What you did that night...wasn't nice" He spoke daringly, making my knees wobble a little."I don't forgive and forget, White" He whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
I tilted my head, our lips almost meeting as I did so. His gaze raced down to look at my lips and my heart skipped a beat."What exactly d-did I do?" I let out a shaky breath, stuttering.
"You gave me a killer boner, White" He said bluntly, his tone hoarse.
My eyes widened as I choked on nothing but air. He smirked at my reaction, clearly succeeding at whatever game he was playing. I quickly sobered up, escaping his arms.
"That..." I patted my dress down, desperately trying to ignore the fact that my cheeks were on fire."...sounds like a personal problem!" I finished my sentence, finally looking up at him again. I was surprised to see him already staring into my eyes. How the hell is this guy so smooth?!
"Oh, it is" He nodded, taking a cautious step towards me. I backed away, gulping."But you know what?" He whispered, holding me in place with his gaze. I looked away and cursed myself when my back hit the wall.
He smirked down at me.
"I think you're in way above your head" He continued, still coming closer. I squirmed a little, making a fool out of myself as I tried to disappear into the wall. Damn you, Platform 9 3/4. And damn you, Harry Potter!
"What makes you think that?" I let out another nervous breath, coming out shakier than I expected. I am so not drunk enough for this.
His eyes fell to my lips, holding an intense amount of mischief in them."I just think that you're trying to act like someone you're not...someone bold, someone willing to get themselves into a...sticky situation" He breathed, sneaking an arm around the small of my back.
"What am I then?" I asked, staring up at him. The proximity made it way harder than usual, making me struggle to see him through my eyelashes.
"I think you're just a little sheep" He pulled me into some sort of a hug, setting his chin on my shoulder. His arm wrapped tightly around me as he let his other hand rest on my tailbone."You're innocent, fragile, a complete saint. You crave to be cared for, I'm sure of that one. You prance around as if you haven't got a care in the world, thinking you're actually fooling someone..." He whispered, making chills run down my spine.
"You've got me confused with someone else" I dared myself to talk back to him.
His chin rose from my shoulder, a smirk on his lips."So you're a wolf then?" He asked. I looked away for a brief second, questioning my sanity. Is this conversation actually happening or am I dreaming? Austin hunt, acting like a damn poet? This can't be real...
"Why a wolf? Why can't I be something else" I rolled my eyes at his twisted mind games.
He shook his head, looking deep into my eyes."There are only three options. You're either a wolf, a sheep, or a Shepard" He explained his strange theory. Who would've known Austin Black is a frickin' philosopher at heart...
I scrunched my eyebrows up at him.
He raised one of his, waiting for a reply.
"Hear me out" I began, already doubting my theory."What if I'm...Shepard's pie"
He burst into loud fits of laughter, probably drawing our friends' attention to our disappearance."A fucking Shepard's pie? Are you okay?!" He asked through laughter."Wow, Tina White. You're one for a deep talk, huh?" He slowly sobered up.
I huffed, slipping out of his grip."Yeah, yeah...whatever! I guess I'm a sheep then" I rolled my eyes, giving in to his weird way of seeing things.
He smiled at me with the most genuine smile I've ever seen.
"What are you then?" I challenged, crossing my arm."Let me guess, a big baaaad wolf" I mocked in a deep scary voice, making him chuckle.
"I'm a Shepard" He winked, smirking.
"Oh wow!" I scoffed, rolling my eyes at his unbelievable ego.
"Believe it or not, White. But that theory of mine is pretty accurate. Think about it sometime, you'll see it makes sense" He gave me a light smack on the butt before he headed down the stairs. Ugh, he is so full of himself! And how dare he touch my butt?! Ugh!
Anyways, where the hell is the bathroom?