"I never mooned people through a tour bus window."
Six shot glasses lined the table a person situated in front of each and a bottle in the middle already a quarter empty. Three people took the amber opaque liquid and laughter could be heard from all around.
"Fill 'em up boys cause this next one's mine and I'm curious to see if any of you swing that way. I never kissed a pretty boy."
Sadly enough only the other two females in the room downed their shots, much to Patsy's dismay. Sadie refilled both Jude's and her own glasses as her already drunk sister began, "I've never gotten with someone at the rehearsal space."
It seemed as the night went by she had abandoned the idea of only intoxicating her competitors. As it burned down the throats of four more people and was refilled yet again Sadie felt it was her turn, "I never wrote a song."
Everyone but Sadie felt the burn. Jamie was in the mood for revenge considering he couldn't hold his liquor. "I never used my powers for evil," he drunkenly proclaimed. The clanking of glasses couldn't be heard above the sound of laughter.
Shaking his head Kwest offered some advice in addition to his turn, "Man be specific when you attack, like I never have been compared to a doll."
After the Harrison sisters emptied their shots Jude put her two cents in. "Or like I never had Liam play dress up with me. Right Sades?"
Shooting her little sister a glare she gulped her 3rd shot in a row. Staring directly at her little sis once more Sadie sneered out, "I never kissed two G Major employees in one day." "Oh yeah I heard about D's office," Kwest said on a chuckle.
Watching Jude down her shot no longer became important as the shocked faces of many turned to him. "Who'd she kiss in Darius' office?" Sadie demanded.
"Do you have to take two if you've done it twice, even if both times had a common person? Oh well why not?"
Sadie's shrill voice started yelling, "You kissed Tommy twice! Who was the cheater you or him!" The only response was Jude's laughter, "Oh please Sades drink up your shot Ms. Kwest Fennway."
Kwest gaped at Sadie, before anything could be said the door bell rang. He hastily excused himself, his purpose was to not only answer the door but to get away from his conniving girlfriend. An outraged Sadie screamed, "What the fuck Jude!"
None of it mattered, Jude had long since left the realms of happily buzzed. "I'm only speaking the truth cheater cheater pumpkin eater."
"You know what! I never fucked my producer!"
The attention of the room went directly to Jude. Once she lifted up the shot glass, time stood still. Her laughter was hollow and bitter, "Well sadly no I didn't get to fuck little Tommy Q. But hell . . . I never lusted after him." Her arm swung out then came back in a grand gesture before swallowing her glass' contents.
"Never got my heartbroken by him constantly."
Speed's glass emptied.
"Never kissed him."
Patsy's shot disappeared.
Reaching for Kwest's abandoned tequila she began, "Never l -" only to be cut off.
"It's my turn."
Chills ran down her spine as she turned her head towards the voice. Their eyes connected as she finished the shot.
As he approached her she gathered all the glasses and began to refill them. She worked without looking at him. However his eyes couldn't leave her body and everyone else became merely spectators at the show before them.
Finishing her task she ground out between a clenched smile, "So sorry that your homecoming isn't more up to par Quincy. Do forgive me, when I didn't hear from you for three months I had hoped you were dead. But by all means take your turn."
Moving directly in front of her he grabbed a shot. "I never broke a guy's heart chasing after his car." When Jude stayed still Tommy forced his glass into her hand. "Drink up girl."
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't think you actually had a heart." She replied before removing the glass from his hand.
"I never told someone to take back a kiss." With a blank face he took responsibility.
The reality of the situation sobered up all the onlookers fast. It was like watching a high stakes game of chance, sooner or later someone was bound to break. But the consequences were unknown.
"I never was born a few years too late," he whimsically responded though it came off only bittersweet, much like the liquid that then coursed down Jude's throat.
"I never pretended my jealousy was brotherly love."
"I never initiated the first kiss."
"I never initiated the other two kisses."
"I never wrote song after song about the same person."
"I never asked a girl out and then physically ran away before I could emotionally."
There was rapid fire after rapid fire. Truth filled accusations flew through the room, revealing the sordid history of one artist and her producer. Patsy had taken it upon herself to become the couple's bartender as they resurfaced past wounds.
"I never emotionally cheated on everyone of my boyfriends with the same guy," he boldly stated. Her eyes seemed to lick with flames as she shove her glass into his empty hand. After throwing back her own punishment she started, "Drink up Tom, you may have said boyfriend but it's the same idea."
Whether it was because of his obstinate nature of because his own words were on the verge of hurting him, he didn't raise his glass. Instead he quirked his brow. Her hollow laugh sounded before she snidely answered, "You know exactly why."
After swallowing his own words he slammed the glass down on the table. A few in the audience shuddered, but Jude didn't even bat an eye lash. If he was angry then she was enraged.
"I never used the same excuse time after time to avoid my feelings."
"I never withheld the information that my sister's ex-boyfriend didn't cheat on her."
"I never begged for my ex-girlfriend's little sister's forgiveness instead of my ex-girlfriend's."
"I never made cold showers a daily regiment for a guy."
"I never led a girl on only to leave with her sister for Europe!"
"I never went after another guy after I had a guy tell me in so many words he liked me while giving me romantic advice I forced him to give."
As he reached for a new glass Jude began to speak, but Tommy cut her off, loudly.
"Screw it!" he yelled, "I never loved you!"
He had shocked her, but it only made her angrier. She stood fiercely gaping in disquieting silence as he raised the shot to his lips. Then he stopped himself, "Who am I kidding? I never love you!"
And he took his mandatory shot. Glaring at him Jude screamed, "Yeah well I never love you too!"
Breathing heavily Tommy handed her the last full glass, "Are you gunna take your shot?"
Staring into his blue eyes she nodded and downed it right before grabbing Tommy's head and attaching her lip to his with a vengeance.
As they pulled apart, their foreheads still connected he muttered, "Tequila's never tasted so good."
Jude laughed heartily and reconnected their lips. The rest of the group stared in disbelief while Patsy slapped the table and whistled, "Now that's what I call one hell of a game of I Never!"