“Nothing the doctors gave me worked, so I take over-the-counter pain medication and suck it up. But hot tubs are heavenly.” She took a sip of the sangria. “Ooh, this is delicious.”
“Before you drink it all,” Jen said from the seat across the hot tub, “Britt suggested to me last night that we should play ‘Never Have I Ever,’ but the high school edition.”
There was a collective chuckle.
“Aren’t we a little old for drinking games?” Mike asked, even though he was laughing.
“You’re never too old for drinking games. Or so my dad says,” Britney said with a giggle.
“The cards would get destroyed in the water,” Aurora pointed out. She really didn’t want to do this.
“No, it’s on my phone. It’s in a waterproof case, so it’s fine. We’ll pass it around.” Britt held up her phone. “Is everyone okay with that? They’re more like suggestions, so if you have something else you want to say when it’s your turn, you can do that too.”
“So, if the event would apply after high school, it doesn’t work for the game?” Mike asked.
“Right. If this is something you did in high school, then take a drink. If you didn’t do it in high school but did it in college, you don’t drink. Is everyone in?” Jen looked around the tub.
“I’m in.” Duncan raised his hand.
“I’ll play.” Dave elbowed Mike in the ribs. “Come on, Mike.”
“Okay, fine.”
So much for that idea. “I suspect I’m going to be the sober one,” Aurora said to a chorus of laughter, her mask firmly in place again. “Let’s do this.”
“Okay, I’ll start. Never have I ever failed a class.” No one drank. “Good, got that one out of the way.” Britney passed the phone to Jen on her right.
“Never have I ever cheated on a test.”
Britt took a drink, and there were shocked faces all around.
“Britney!” Mike’s jaw about touched the water.
“It was Caldwell’s geometry class. You all know she couldn’t teach her way out of a paper bag. Take your turn, Mike.” Britt motioned at Jen to pass the phone.
“Okay. Never have I ever—oh, I did that one. Crap.”
The group laughed.
“Now what?”
“I’ll read it.” Dave took the phone from him. “You made out with someone in a stairwell?”
“Dave!” Jen exclaimed. “Say it right!”
“Sorry. Never have I ever made out with someone in a stairwell.” He stared at Mike. “With who?”
“Gina, in freshman year. Remember when we dated for like, a week?” Mike’s face was turning red.
“Hey, Roar took a drink too!”
“Thanks, Duncan.” Aurora’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Why don’t you grillheron who she was making out with in a stairwell, huh?”
“It was James while we were dating in sophomore year,” Aurora responded, her voice calm. “Now take your turn, Dave, since Mike didn’t want his.”
“I get two, huh? Okay, never have I ever faked being sick.”
