Truth or dare

I got home that afternoon, climbed up to my room, and just lay in bed. My gaze fixed on the ceiling while my thoughts wandered. I took in two deep breaths with my eyes shut as memories of Jake flooded in.

"Not again," I muttered. I forced my eyes open and picked up my phone, which was lying by my side. No new messages. So I texted Matilda instead.

💌: I just got home. What about you?

I clicked send and stared at my cellphone, patiently waiting, but there was nothing. No reply.

A frustrated sigh escaped my lips as I threw my phone to the side of the bed. Taking out my hairband, I let my hair fall freely and walked towards my bathroom to take a shower.

***

I still couldn't believe it when Matilda told me she had also been invited to Samantha's party. I had been contemplating whether or not to go, as I had a gut feeling that it was all just a setup. I mean, it's Samantha we're talking about, but Matilda seemed pretty excited, and Owen would also be there.

Still feeling unsure, I called Jake instead and told him about it, and to my surprise, he agreed but only if he came along, which I didn't see as a problem. In fact, that kept me more at ease.

"Bye!" I waved at my mom as I walked out the door, and she waved back.

"Come back before curfew," that was all she said with a smile on her face. You could tell she was more excited to see me finally doing things my age. Those were her words, not mine.

As someone who had been too focused on getting good grades, outings like this only happened on rare occasions. Let's not also ignore the part of me not being popular enough to get invited in the first place, not until now, that is.

It was already a few minutes past 7 when I boarded a cab, which dropped me off at a bus stop. Every now and then, I would glance back at my phone, my heart racing as I was feeling tense. Where was Matilda? She should have been here by now. We were supposed to go together.

The moon was out, and the cold air brushed my exposed skin, causing me to shiver.

"F**k! I didn't bring a jacket." All I was wearing was blue-striped jeans and a sleeveless crop top. My phone suddenly buzzed, and relief washed over me when I saw the caller ID was Matilda.

"Where the heck are you?" I questioned, my voice laced with a bit of frustration and annoyance.

"I am sorry, but I would be running a little late," she replied.

I sighed once again. "I am so sorry. Don't wait for me; I will meet you there," she pleaded.

"What's the delay?"

"Mark—," that name caused a frown to settle on my face. "—should be here by now."

"You are going with him?" I asked, trying to keep my words gentle.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you?"

"It's okay; I will see you there, I guess." I said and hung up, placing my phone in my small purse. After a few minutes of waiting, a cab finally passed by for me to get on.

Samantha's mansion was easy to locate; it was one of the biggest in town. But what I didn't realize was how big it was compared to Jake's. I guess that was why she played him like a toy because she knew her worth. I'm not going to lie; I was pretty jealous.

Loud music blasted through my eardrums as I made my way in, but from the inside, it wasn't like any party I had been to. People seemed to be less interactive, forming groups of twos and threes. Some couples made out on the couch, while others rocked each other on the dance floor. It hadn't fully started, and I was already getting the ick.

"You made it?" A voice that caused my stomach to turn said from behind.

I forced a smile on my face as I turned to look at Samantha. "Nice place you have here." My compliment was at least genuine; her place was extremely pretty. Even she looked pretty in a pink mini skirt.

A grin spread across her face, and with a flick of her blonde hair, she responded with that annoying voice that was enough to make me cringe. "Oh please, what do you expect?"

What did I really expect?

Samantha made her way to the kitchen where other guests stood around a table. On the table were red cups arranged in two rows.

Samantha grinned mischievously as she handed me a ping pong ball. "Play with us, do you drink?" she asked, her voice dripping with anticipation.

I hesitated for a moment, knowing that I rarely drank alcohol and had never been much of a party person. But the pressure was mounting, and I didn't want to appear too reserved in front of everyone. "Alcohol, no, but just this once," I replied reluctantly.

Samantha's grin widened. "That's the spirit! Give it a try." She gestured toward the row of red cups neatly arranged on the table.

I took a deep breath, focused on the nearest cup, and with a gentle flick of my wrist, I let the ping pong ball fly. It sailed through the air, missing its target completely. Groans and laughter erupted from the small crowd that had gathered around the table.

"Looks like you've got some catching up to do!" Samantha teased, holding out a cup filled with a brightly colored drink.

I hesitated again, not entirely comfortable with the idea of drinking, but the peer pressure was intense. "Okay," I said, finally giving in.

I stretched my hand forward to take the cup, but just as my fingers brushed against it, another hand swooped in and grabbed it from me. Startled, I turned to see Jake. He had a cold look on his face as he wasted no time gulping down the entire contents of the cup.

"You shouldn't be drinking if you don't drink," he said firmly before dropping the now empty cup on the table.

Samantha looked stunned, and her smile slowly vanished, replaced by a hint of annoyance, which she quickly replaced with another smile. "What are you doing here? I don't remember inviting you," she said.

"And yet I am here anyway," Jake replied. He glanced at the table before picking up a ping pong ball. "My turn," he stated as he walked in front of me. But just as he was about to take his turn with the ping pong ball, Samantha's words interrupted him, her smirk growing wider.

"Wait, now that you're here, why not make it more interesting with a little twist," she said, her voice dripping with intrigue. "A game of truth or dare."

The room fell silent as everyone turned their attention to Samantha. They murmured in support of the idea, anticipation hanging in the air. On the other hand, Jake glanced at me, a questioning look in his eyes, as if seeking my approval.