Jasper kneads Melody’s hand. “We crushed them so bad.”
I don’t think they’ve hooked up yet, but I think it’s a matter of minutes before it happens.
While Harrison fiddles with a vintage iPod plugged into an equally vintage stereo, Rae opens a cupboard and whips out a bottle of vodka. A rhythmic beat vibrates against the glass walls. The singer’s voice sounds hoarse, and her words don’t make much sense, but it’s better than the sound of Brad and Laney sucking each other’s faces like leeches.
I still don’t get what she sees in Brad, but hey, who am I to judge?
“Who wants to play ‘Never Have I Ever’?” Rae asks.
Jasper whoops. The others alternate between nervous chuckling and excited head-bobbing.
“What’s ‘Never Have I Ever’?” I ask.
Brad pulls away long enough from Laney to guffaw at me. “Who wants to explain the rules to Conrad?”
The decorative green stripes Melody smeared over her cheeks forteam spirit are smudged, giving the impression she’s wearing an avocado mud mask. I don’t think she cares, considering Jasper is still rubbing her hand. “One person says, ‘Never have I ever gone swimming.’ If youhavegone swimming, you drink. If you haven’t, you pass.”
“I found the vodka and suggested the game. I get to start,” Rae says as Harrison sits next to her.
He sets multicolored plastic cups on the glass coffee table, then pushes his longish black hair off his forehead. I eye him and then I eye Rae. Like humidity thickening the air before a storm, something’s brewing between them.
Talk about being a fifth wheel. Or seventh in this case.
Rae pours a finger of alcohol in all the glasses. “So this one’s for Jasper.” She winks at him. “Never have I ever read an entire book.”
Jasper sucks air through his teeth. “That’s harsh, RaeRae.”
She grins, then shoots down the contents of her glass. Everyone drinks, except for Jasper and me.
“Angie, you’ve read tons of books. Bottoms up, hon,” Rae says, already pouring a second round.
Right… I drink if I’ve done it.
I shoot it down, and it leaves a trail of fire on my tongue and throat. I cough and my eyes water. I wipe them on the sleeve of my green hoodie.
“You’ve seriously never read an entire book, man?” Brad asks Jasper.
“Nope.”
“My turn,” Laney says. “Never have I ever kissed a girl.”
The boys and Melody drink. We all stare at Melody, who raises a brazen smile. “What?”
“Any chance we can get a repeat performance?” he asks her.
She leans over and pecks Laney’s lips. Jasper whistles.
“You have to drink now,” Brad tells Laney.
She laughs. “Fine.” She shoots her vodka down, after which he kisses her with wet, slurpy noises.
“Never have I ever had a crush on someone younger,” Melody says.
The boys and Laney drink. As Brad asks who, Rae says, “Never have I ever gotten a C.”
Everyone but Rae drinks. The vodka goes down like hot lava.
“Your turn, Angie,” she says, filling up all the empty glasses.
