Had every intention of posting this earlier in the week but my sister has been really sick, so I've been looking after her. Anyway, she's doing better, so I finally got to do a read through of this chapter.
Ana's POV
Once we're all back inside, we head to the table they were all at before, thankfully no one else has sat there in the time we've been outside, which on a busy Friday night is nothing short of a miracle. Everyone starts to sip at their drinks again and there are a few moments of awkward silence before Kate pipes up.
"Crap, you two haven't got a drink, let me go get you some. What would you like Ana?"
"Uh just a lemonade please."
"Sure, you want vodka or something in that?" Fuck. I knew someone was going to ask because it's not like you can go to a pub and not expect people to drink, but the problem is I don't, and I never will. It's just trying to explain that to someone you just met without giving them the real reason why is hard. It's kind of just implied that every twenty something drinks, unless there is some sort of concrete reason, like religion or health. My reasons for drinking are no less valid but the problem is telling someone why means letting them get a glimpse into a life I'd like to keep hidden and forget ever existed.
"Erm, no thanks I… uh don't drink." Why was that so damn hard? It's not unreasonable not to drink, so why am I making it such a big deal?
"You don't?" She says giving me a funny look like she can't quite believe me, I know it's not just her that's looking at me like that because I can feel the rest of the group's eyes burning into me. So, I opt to give part of the reason, so they aren't as confused but its more for me than it is for them.
"I have a family history of alcohol abuse, so I choose not to, I don't have a problem with other people drinking, I just don't." I lower my gaze unable to look her in the eye before rushing through the words, so I don't have a chance to second guess myself.
"That makes sense, no judgement here. A lemonade for Ana and an IPA for Christian." Kate says not even asking Christian, but he nods in response before Kate disappears off to the bar to get out drinks.
"She meant what she said Ana, no one here gives a crap if you drink or not just so long as you enjoy yourself. I don't tend to drink all that much anyway, plus drunk people are so much fun to hang around with, especially when they lose their filter, the amount of dirt I have on this lot would astound you." Gail says from beside me before throwing a side eye at Elliot, which makes his eyes harden and his easy-going smile dips for a second but by the time I've blinked it's been replaced with a shrug of indifference. I have no idea what that was about but now I'm curious as to what Gail has on Elliot.
"That's my woman, the masterminding genius." Taylor says before pull Gail into his side and kissing her head. "Hi, I'm Taylor by the way."
"Hi." I say reaching my hand down the table to shake his proffered hand.
"Alright, an IPA for Christian and a lemonade for Ana. You don't mind being called Ana, do you?" Kate asks as she returns to the table with what looks like a bottle of tequila, a bottle of lemonade and six shot glasses on a tray along with mine and Christian's drinks.
"Not at all, I don't think anyone actually calls me Anastasia, at least not on a regular basis. Thank you, how much do I owe you?" I reach for the drink and place it in front of me before reaching into my lap for my wallet.
"Nothing, my dad owns the place so we all drink for free and you're with us tonight so you do to and I pointed you out to the bartenders so if you ever come here without us you can drink for free then as well."
"Oh, that's really not necessary but I appreciate it none the less."
"The girl just told you she doesn't drink, and you bring back six shots. For a maths genius you sure do struggle with counting, Kavanaugh." Elliot huffs.
"Fuck off, Grey. That's why I have a bottle of lemonade as well. We're going to play truth or drink." She explains before turning to me and explaining the game because I'm obviously the only one who hasn't played it before. "It's basically truth or dare but without the dares because we found out the hard way, that some us don't know when to quit."
"Yeah like the time Elliot had to get his stomach pumped because he swallowed an entire roll of quarters." Taylor laughs.
"Or when Kate went to her interview at Harvard without any eyebrows because Elliot dared her to shave them off and she failed to realise they wouldn't be grown back a week later for the interview." Christian chuckles from across the table.
"I still think that's the reasons she didn't get in." Elliot huffs before getting an elbow from Kate.
"Ooh what about the time I dared Eliot to jump down the last half of the staircase?" Taylor chuckles from the end of the table with Gail still tucked under his arm.
"That's not that far." I say not quite sure how that incident was one that lead to them banning dares.
"I was 11 and it was a double height staircase." Elliot grits out but the humour is evident in his voice even as he glares daggers at Taylor.
"Oh shit." I giggle.
"Yeah, my mom was less than pleased I think the only reason she didn't throttle me and Taylor because she was so worried about getting me to the hospital."
"Okay, okay I think Ana gets the point. Seeing as you don't drink, I brought the lemonade because doing a shot of soda burns like a bitch, so you'll only down it if you absolutely don't want to answer and the tequila is for the rest of us because we all can't stand the stuff."
"Alright seems fair enough are there any rules? Anything off limits?" I ask needing to know more before agreeing.
"Nah we all just go for it here if you don't want to answer you have to drink that's about it, but as a group we all have veto power if we decree it to be too far. In that case the person who asks has to do a shot instead." Gail informs me from where she's still tucked into Taylor side with clearly no intention of moving any time soon, but then who would leave someone's arms if they didn't have to. Where did that come from?
"Before we start, I just want to make it clear that this game isn't a way to torment anyone this is so we can all get to know Ana and she can get to know all of us." Kate says causing the rest of the group to all murmur similar agreements.
It takes a few moments but before I know it Kate has everyone's shots poured, the proficiency with which confirms that this is something they clearly do a regular basis and I don't just mean the game.
"Alright who wants to go first?" Kate asks as she's handing out the shots.
"I will. Seeing as we were just on the subject. How'd you get the cast?" Elliot asks, I look to Christian to see if he's happy for me to tell them all knowing they are all going to give him shit for it.
"Oh, fuck we forgot the one damned rule. Any time anyone says 'what' in response to a question everyone has to drink, so don't let that be you or we'll all hate you even before that starts." Kate explains, but I can hear the mirth in her tone telling me she doesn't really mean it which puts me at ease.
"Ok, well I was in the park waiting to pick up Ben from the groomers, and when it was finally time to leave, I stood up. Next thing I know I'm on the floor and my wrist is hurting like a bitch, I look up and there above me is the jackass who ran into me. Low and behold there above me is Christian." I say bracing for their reactions and sure enough not two seconds later they all start.
"Holy fuck, you ran into the girl and you still managed to get her to go out with you?" Elliot chuckles as if breaking a girl's wrist is a pickup line, but then again Christian tried the same thing. Maybe it's a family trait?
"Oh, this isn't a date, this was my prize because I won the bet."
"The bet?" Kate pipes up.
"Yeah, I bet her that it wasn't broken, shocker I was wrong, so in return I had to take her out and teach her how to live. I've decided she's no longer allowed to live the life of hermit, no more nights in when she can be out with all of us doing all thing you can't do hauled up in her apartment."
"No way, you really managed to make breaking her arm into a pickup line. I guess there really is no contest anymore between the rest of you as to who's the best pick up artist." Taylor says gesturing between them. "Christian won that title fair and square today." He doesn't even bother to include himself or Gail but seeing as they've been together since they were high school freshmen, I doubt they've ever needed to pick someone up.
"This isn't a date." I point out but it seems to fall on deaf ears, and I don't think they believe me.
We all go around for a while, the game is pretty simple, you go around in a circle and get to ask a person of your choice anything you want. I learn a lot about them all but it's mainly just mundane stuff, from their first kisses to secrets from their childhood, they ask random things about my life, but mostly take it easy on me as if somehow they know that I'm not comfortable sharing that much of my past, so I'm mostly given questions about my future and would you rather questions which I appreciate. They also answer some would you rather questions but seeing as they all know each other, they add things to the questions to make them specific to the person making the game way more dangerous for them. Everyone usually takes a shot every three or so questions, when someone asks something, they aren't happy answering. Or when someone says what to something ridiculous.
After about an hour everyone is decently tipsy, at least I think they are, I've never really been around anyone drinks like they do so it's kind of hard to tell. I mean I know when someone is drunk but not when they are just tipsy but seeing as no one is slurring their words or struggling to sit up right, and they are just more relaxed and bubblier, I'm going to go with tipsy. Its Gail's turn to ask a question and I'm honestly a little worried for whoever she asks because she wasn't kidding when she has dirt on this lot and she's not afraid to use it, but it's all just superficial stuff and I get the feeling that when it comes to the real stuff she would be a vault.
"My turn. Kate who did you go home with last Friday?" Gail asks with a wicked glint in her eye, although it's a mundane and pretty simple question for Kate given what I know about her promiscuous tendencies, it causes her to choke on the beers she's sipping and surprisingly blush.
"Jesus fucking Christ." Kate gasps once she gets her breath back.
"Jeez Gaily try not to kill Kate." Taylor says pinching Gail's side making her squeak.
"Holy fucking shit, you're going to drink instead of answer?" Christian pretty much gasps the shock evident in his voice, I look over to see Kate finishing off her shot.
"No fucking way. You're never quiet about a conquest and you're going to drink and not tell us this time? Holy crap babe, you broke Kate." Taylor chuckles and Gail sits there still plastered to his side looking very pleased with herself, she clearly knows who Kate went home with.
"Oh my god. You know, don't you? You know who she went home with last Friday?" I ask even though I already know the answer.
Gail goes to shrug but then rethinks it and answers instead. "Of course, I know. I ran into him in the hall when he was making a break for it, but when I questioned her the next morning, she was adamant that he didn't leave in the middle of the night to hide anything. But clearly she is hiding it." She says before raising her eyebrows at Kate as if daring her to disagree.
"What's wrong Kavanaugh? Was he bad in bed? Did he have a small dick and you're trying to protect his ego?" Elliot says making me realise he's been suspiciously quiet through this whole line of questioning.
"Fuck off, Grey! He wasn't bad in bed, but his dick was a little on the small side." Kate answer throwing Elliot the same glare she gave Christian earlier, and I swear I hear Elliot growl but when I search his face it gives nothing away and I wonder if I imagined it.
"Ok my turn. Elliot who'd you go home with last Friday night?" I ask testing my theory.
I don't expect him to answer, I expect him to drink and not answer just like Kate but then he starts to speak.
"This smoking hot blonde, okay in bed can't remember her name now."
"You're such a slut." Christian chuckles from beside me.
"Decent rack even if it was a little bit on the small side." Elliot chuckles and throws a very subtle side eye to Kate that I very nearly miss.
"You remember her breasts but not her name?" Taylor snickers which just makes Elliot shrug and sip his beer. "Christian's right you are a slut."
Eventually we all let it go, though I think that's more because Taylor and Christian are oblivious to what is going on. I know Gail knows but she lets it go when it's clear Kate is not budging, and she clearly doesn't want to completely piss of her best friend. Honestly given how close Gail and Taylor are I'm surprised he doesn't know, well at least I assume he doesn't know but then again maybe he just has a really good poker face. But the longer the game goes on, the more I start to notice the looks between them. I don't know if it's just because I now know and I'm looking for it or if because they've been reminded, they are doing it more. Kate and Elliot continually exchange glances and whenever I seem to be looking up one is looking at the other, and they seem to be going for each other with the truths they are asking. But maybe I'm just reading into it because for what I'm seeing neither of the other two guys seem to be picking up on it. The more the evening wears on the more the glances change from far off stares to hateful glares, but they do say there is a fine line between love and hate.
It's not until I get up to go to the toilet that I realise that Ben is still there, I've been so relaxed that I haven't needed him at all this evening. Don't worry I haven't ignored him I've been petting him all night as has Christian from where he's been sat across from me. I also notice the water bowl on the floor beside me when I stand up and knock it lightly with my foot, I realise Kate must have brought back when she went for drinks and I'm thankful because it's a hot night and I don't want Ben to dehydrate.
I leave Ben at the table while I go to the toilet, with the group who all take the opportunity to love on Ben some more. When I get out of the bathroom, I go to head towards the table again when someone grabs my elbow and pulls me into what seems like a storage room.
Thanks, as always for reading. (If there are any mistakes please excuse them because once again this is self-edited.)
Please leave a review if you get a chance.
FearfullyBrave.
Next chapter should be up next week.