Author's Note: A short first chapter, so I decided to upload another one. The night of the prank. I decided to have a little excursion before all went drunk and a little crazy/stupid.
Enough words, have fun.
Rating: Because of blood and some swearwords, I will rate the story with a T.
Disclaimer: I do not own Until Dawn or the characters or the story. All rights go to Supermassive Games.
It was only a joke
Slowly Maya closed the kitchen door. It was pitch dark in the room. Somebody snored, as the door closed. Maya winced, but breathed up, as no more reaction followed. Despite of the silence and the darkness, she thought she could hear the voices, that sounded in a while.
"Go! Go! Go! Go!"
The loud chants goaded the two rivals. Faster and faster they emptied they're bottles. Jerky Conner banged his empty bottle on the bar, jumped from his bar stool and raised triumphantly his arms in the air.
"Yay! Take this, loser!"
Chris, who sat on the opposite site of Conner, set his bottle down and looked disappointed at the rest of the beer on the ground of it. The audience of the contest began to scream. Some of them raised their bottles and glasses. Conner danced a little shaky dance of victory, while Chris only shook his head. With the top of his bottle he pointed at Conner.
"You are a cheater, Sir", he complained.
"The liver grows according to her challenges", Conner answered with a big grin on his face.
Josh, who watched the conversation, took a step between his best friends and gave each of them a shot.
"Here. Get over it, Bros."
Maya watched worried , as the two teens drank to close friends with each other. They banged with their empty glasses at the bar and joined in the loud hooting of their friends. Maya didn't like that. Suddenly somebody hit her with impact between the shoulder blades. She stumbled scared a bit forward, before she managed to turn around. Mike stand behind her, with a huge grin on his face.
"You need a fresh supply. Your level is too low, Sweetie."
He showed her a new bottle of beer. Maya shook her head and raised the bottle of beer she held in her hand.
"Thanks, but I got one."
"Your first?"
Mike's Question sounded a bit disbelieving. Maya decided not to answer. Instead she took a sip from her beer. A little one.
"Doesn't your girlfriend got jealous if you speak too me?", she asked teasing.
Mike looked a bit confused.
"Girlfriend? You mean Em?"
"Yes, you Genius."
Maya sighed and rolled her eyes. If her twin brother Nick and Mike weren't so close friends, maybe she wouldn't speak a word with Mike. Maybe. Mike grinned and leaned against the column on his site. Either to look cool or because he can't stand anymore.
"Don't be afraid of Em. You know, barking dogs… ähm… that thing."
Mike stopped. It seemed like he didn't know the sentence. Now Maya has to laugh.
"Never bite, Mike. Barking dogs never bite."
"Right."
Mike nodded and grinned. His view wandered too the three friends Chris, Conner and Josh. They just laughed loudly about a joke. Worried Maya noticed Chris, who looked like he would fell from his bar stool every second. Finally Mike leave the column and bowed close too Maya.
"You just go to know her."
"Maybe, Mikey. And now, go, Emily miss you."
As he passed her, he gave her a friendly poke against the shoulder. Now she was alone with the three masters of drinking. Josh, who sat on the bar, waved her over.
"Maya, come over her. It's important."
Maya guessed, that her concept of important was a long way away from Josh's. But she went too him and the two others.
"What's so important?", she asked with a strong sarcastic undertone.
Chris giggled like a little girl. Conner poked against his bright arm, laughing himself. Maya tried to ignore the quietly giggling, looked only at Josh.
"So, what?", she asked again.
Josh spread his arms. A bit alcohol slopped out of his glass. Nobody noticed.
"Imagine the world is doomed. Only you and one of us three handsome guys have survived. Witch one do you choose?", he asked with a huge grin on his face.
Now was nothing there to stop them. Chrs and Conner laughed extremely loud. Maya must have missed the joke. She took a sip from her beer. Meanwhile it was warm and tasted a bit strange. Maybe she should have got the new bottle from Mike. She displaced the craving for a new bottle and decided to answer Josh's question.
"Dudes, I like everyone of you. But seriously, in this case, I would leave the world doomed. You know, our children would have to reproduce via incest?"
The three boys looked like she has told them Santa Claus were a invention from Coca Cola. She placed her warm bottle on the bar and took a new, cold one.
"So, nobody?", Conner asked confused.
"If we were the last humans, I didn't care", Maya explained.
"And if not?"
Now Conner grinned triumphantly. After a few seconds Josh and Chris got it and grinned too. They looked expectant at Maya. She took a few moments to think about the question, looked closely at everyone of the three.
"In this case", she answered, took a sip from her new beer and started to walk too the door.
"In this case what?", Chris yelled after her.
Maya raised the bottle as a Goodbye and left the kitchen. She grinned. She wasn't that stupid and would make it the boys so easy. Not with Maya Jones. Now the three idiots should discuss, she would say nothing about this.
She found the rest of her friends in the living room. Mike talked too her twin brother Nick. Nick uses his hands munch when he talked, with big gestures. Nick nodded sometimes. A few steps away from the two were Emily, Jessica and Ashley. For Maya it looked like Emily wanted Ashley, who looked a bit drunk, to drink more. Now Maya was alarmed. She looked for Sam, but her friend sat with Hannah on the stairs and talked without noticing anything.
As fast as she could Maya got closer too Emily, Jess and Ashley. She has to stop Emily. She doesn't want to be a ass, but Ashley didn't bore so much alcohol. This could end badly. But to speak directly too Emily, Maya didn't has the courage. 'Barking dogs never bite', Mike has said. 'And if the dog bite, he stops barking', Maya closed in her mind. The closer she came too Emily, the nervous she got. She needed a plan, quickly.
She decked to go towards Matt, who just came downstairs. In doing so she went near Emily, paying attention to look like she didn't notice. Right next too Emily Maya raised her right elbow and pushed it under the glass of alcohol in Emily's Hand. Immediately the alcohol burst out over Emily's nice blouse. Her screaming fulfill the room. Maya took a few steps back.
"Oh, Em, I'm so sorry", she explained immediately, her hand protective rose.
Like a fury Emily turned too Maya. The alcohol has made a big spot on her blouse, just above her chest.
"Are you nuts!", Emily screamed hysterical.
Meanwhile the others stopped the conversation, looked at the two teens. Maya took a few steps back, abutted against the fireplace.
"Watch out, you bumpkin!", Emily shouted.
"I didn't see you, Emily, I promise", Maya pleaded herself. She begged, Emily would be too drunk to recognize her lie.
"Just look at this!", Emily yelled and pointed at the spot on her blouse.
" It's going to be fine", Maya said with a little grin.
Meanwhile Nick and Mike have joined them. Depressant Mike laid his hand on Emily's shoulder.
"Just change you clothes. No big deal, Baby."
"No big deal?"
Appalled Emily looked at Mike. But then, after a last hateful glance towards Maya, she followed him upstairs. Maya took a relieved breath.
"That was close", she said too herself.
She took a few deep drinks of her beer, winced and spit some of it on the ground.
"Ugh! That wasn't just beer."
"You know, Conner and Josh drink they're beer only with shots in the beer", mumbled Nick besides her.
With the back of her hand Maya wiped across her tongue, shook herself and looked toward her brother. His nose was red, his grin crooked. Maya straightened up.
"Enough for you, little brother."
"Party pooper."
"One thing of the standard packet of a big sister."
Nick poked his tongue at her and walked towards Matt, who looked a bit confused. Maya just shook her head. If there wasn't Nick. Or Conner. She didn't want the think about this furthermore. So she walked too the front door. She needed some fresh air.
How long she has been away? Maya looked around in the dark kitchen. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the little bit of light. She recognize Conner, who sat in front of the bar. His head on his chest, a bottle of beer in his hands. He seemed to sleep. At he bar, on the opposite of each other, sat Chris and Josh. Both with their heads on their crossed arms, also asleep. Out of action from the alcohol. Maya began to smile. In a strange way it was sweet.
She crouched down in front of Conner and took his bottle of beer. Immediately he snored. With one finger Maya pushed his glasses up on his nose. Then she pulled his beanie down, before she stood up and placed the bottle of beer at the workplace. Quietly she went too the bar. Carefully she took Chris' crooked glasses from his nose and laid it beside his arms. Josh looked like he was going to fall from his bar stool. Maya packed him at his shoulders and placed him right on his bar stool.
"Thank me later, guys", she mumbled and poked Josh against his shoulder. He moved a little in his sleep.
Maya shook her head and sighed. She heard voices from the other side of the door. There were the others. As quiet as possible Maya left the three boys, opened the door and left the kitchen.
"Mike is my man", she heard Emily saying.
"Em, I'm nobody's man", answered Mike quiet.
Maya closed the door and looked around. The others were a few steps away. As Jess saw her, she waved her arms and came towards her.
"Hey, Maya, do you want to join us? We want to play a little prank on our dear Hannah."
"A little prank?", Maya respond a little disbelieving and looked at Sam. She was Hannah's best friend. She would never allow a little prank.
"It isn't her fault", Sam said in a soft voice.
"If Beth gets you, you're all doomed", Maya joined.
"That's why your lovely brother take care of her", Emily said and grinned.
First Maya was appalled, but then she got angry.
"You drag my little brother into this?", she spit angry, bared her teeth. "You drag Nickie into this?"
Except from Sam everybody laughed about Nick's Nickname. Maya took a deep breath. Seeking for help she looked too Sam. But she looked like helpless like Maya felt. Because nobody said anything, the rest of the group went too a guest room. Sam approached Maya.
"We have too look for Hannah", she whispered.
Maya nodded. "And Beth."
Maybe because she was a twin herself, but Maya has a feeling about a strong connection towards the sisters. A deeper friendship. Beth has take a look after Nick, Maya has done the same about Hannah. Hannah and Nick were both a bit naive and trustful. Maya disallowed this prank at the expense of Hannah.
"The last time I saw her, she was upstairs", Sam said and went upstairs.
Maya followed her.
"What's going on?", she asked.
"You know, Hannah has a huge crush…"
"On Mike, I know."
Maya sighed and looked a bit sad. Sam went a bit faster.
"It's just about this. The whole prank. We have to warn her."
Finally they reached the upper floor. Sam pushed the door open.
"Hannah?", Sam yelled.
"Hannah, where are you?", Maya yelled.
No answer. Sam and Maya exchange looks. That didn't look good. So they went back too the stairs, approached the handrail. In this moment they saw how Hannah disappeared in one of the rooms.
"Shit", mumbled Sam and ran upstairs. Maya followed immediately. That didn't have to happened, that wasn't right. They heard laughing as they approached the door. Sam opened the door. Maya ducked underneath the stretched out arm. In front of her lay one of the guest room. Hannah stood towards Mike. In front of the wardrobe stood Matt, his smartphone raised. Ashley besides him. Left and right beside a big bed stood Jess and Emily, both laughing. Hannah stumbled a few steps back, then stormed between Maya and Sam outside.
"You're all idiots!" Sam spit against the pranksters.
Maya followed Hannah, just saw how she ran outside.
"Hannah, wait!", Maya yelled and followed her.
The cold wind knock towards her. To defend herself, she rose her arms and stayed.
"Hannah!"
Slowly she lowered her arms. But Hannah were nowhere to see. The others appeared outside.
"Hannah!", Sam yelled against the wind.
"Come on Han, it was just a joke!", yelled Emily.
Maya rolled her eyes. Again steps were to hear. Beth appeared in the middle of the group, looked a bit confuses. Other than the rest of the group she wore her thick red jacket.
"What happened? Where is my sister going?"
Jess waved aside.
"She doesn't can take a joke."
"What did you do?", Beth asked and looked indignant at her friends.
"It's just a joke, it wasn't serious", Mike tried to calm her down.
Beth shook her head.
"Did you know something about this?", she asked Nick, who stood in the door.
"Well…", he started, went silent and looked down.
"You're all jerks! All of you!", yelled Beth and ran after her sister.
"Should we go after her?", Mike asked.
Sam shook her head.
"I think you're the last one she wants to see."
One after the other the friends went back into the lodge. Maya stopped beside her brother, who fled into the shadow of the door. Accusingly she looked up too him. He doesn't hold the eye contact very long. His shoes got more attractive any minute.
"I didn't know", he mumbled finally.
Maya took a deep breath, decide to didn't answer. She just turned her back against her brother and went back too the living room. There she sits down beside Sam at the couch.
"They come back", her friend tried to calm her down.
Maya just nodded. She hoped, that the twins would came back. The others stood a few steps away and talked quietly with each other.
"Are you happy now?", Maya shouted.
"It was only a joke", Jess protected herself and her friends.
"No, it wasn't! After a joke, everybody is laughing! And, you hear anybody laughing?"
Maya was beside herself with rage. She jumped up. It was normal, the friends play pranks on each other. In the end everybody laughed about it. But this was different. It wasn't a joke. Maya quaked, kneaded her hands. Finally Sam grabbed her at her jeans and pulled her down on the couch. For a second the friends exchanged looks, than nodded to each other. Maya leaned forward and looked at her hands. She just heard how the group dissolved bit by bit. The stairs cracked under the steps, every time somebody walked upstairs. After a time it went quiet. The couch dropped a bit between Maya and Sam, so Maya looked up. Nick sat between the teens. Nervously he picked with his thumbnail at the label of his bottle of beer.
"I didn't know about it", he mumbled again. "I just wanted to talk too Beth. If I know…"
"Nick, just shut up", whispered Sam.
Nick went silent, picking again at the label. It's getting later, but the twins didn't showed up. After the finished to pick at the label, Nick stood up again and went back and fourth between couch and door. Trough the window he looked outside. Maya and Sam exchanged looks, they're getting more and more nervous. And more and more tired.
After a while, Nick just wanted to stand up, Maya grabbed her brother by his arm and pulled him down. So he sat and leaned back. His sister rested her head at his lap, her view at the door. Nick put one hand on her shoulder, the other one in his neck. For a few seconds his view wandered towards Sam. She slid at his side, leaned against him. So Nick has to stop his traveling between couch and door.
On the next morning the three woke up by the sound of a helicopter.