Jack hadn't had much to do the rest of the week. Most teachers took pity on the students and didn't want to make them do too much when it was just the start of the school year. It was now the weekend, and he made plans with his friends to go to the park. He wanted to introduce Davey to his other friends since they hadn't met him yet, minus a few who had him in their classes.
After saying that she would pick them up when she was finished at the theater, Medda dropped Jack and Crutchie off at the park earlier than the agreed time to meet up, so they went and set up the snacks and drinks they had on a community table at the park while they waited for the others.
"So, who'd you invite?" Crutchie asked. "Cute boy who hit you in the face with a basketball?"
"Ay, I know that sound in your voice," Jack said. "I'm with Amelia, don't be tryin' to set me up with anyone else."
"He is cute though," Crutchie said, wiggling his eyebrows at Jack.
"Yeah, sure." Jack sighed and checked his phone. It was about fifteen minutes until the other boys were supposed to be there.
"Ay, is that David over there?" Crutchie asked, pointing to a figure on the other side of the park. As Crutchie pointed him out, David noticed them and started walking their direction.
"Must be," Jack said.
"You look a bit overdressed for the occasion," Jack said, noticing David's nicer clothing. "Do you want me to ask one of the boys to bring you a pair of clothes that we won't stress about gettin' dirty?"
"Oh, uh…" Davey paused for a bit. "Yeah, please. I wasn't sure what we were doing here." He blushed. "Sorry."
"It's all good," Crutchie said. "I'm Crutchie. We have English together."
"David," He held out his hand to Crutchie, getting a bit of a confused shake back.
Jack texted the other boys to see if anyone who hadn't left already could bring some shorts and a T-shirt for David. He got a text back from Albert saying he could, with a few of the other guys cracking jokes.
"Albie's bringin' you some clothes," Jack let David know.
"Thank you," David said. "Again, I'm sorry about that."
"It's all good!" Jack said. "Wouldn't want your stuff gettin' messy."
They all waited for the rest of the time for the rest of the boys to get there. In true Albert fashion, he showed up about 15 minutes late, but handed David the extra pair of clothes once he got there.
"Uh, where're the bathrooms here?" David asked.
"I'll walk ya there, they're kinda hidden," Jack said, earning a whistle from a few of the boys.
"Don't get up to any funny business in them bathrooms!" Race shouted, laughing. Jack rolled his eyes and lead David to the bathrooms.
"So where you from?" Jack asked him as they walked.
"Ohio," he said. "Columbus. My dad got a job offer here, though, so we picked up and moved."
"What's it like in Ohio?" Jack asked.
"Less busy, that's for sure." He laughed a bit. "It's really weird here, in Manhattan."
"How so?" Jack asked. "Is it the accent?"
"Well, that too, I guess. But it's just so... Much." He said. "I mean, I lived in the capital of Ohio. But this is a lot for me."
"I guess," Jack said. "I've lived here my whole life, and don't really travel."
"Really?"
"Yeah. But I like it here. It's home."
The two stopped as they got to the bathrooms. "I'll wait out here for you," Jack said.
"Thanks."
David went in and changed as quickly as he could. As he exited, he said, with a hint of fear, "There's a spider in there."
"Want me to kill it for ya?" Jack joked.
"Maybe?"
Jack stood still a second. "Oh, uh, I was jokin'," He said with a nervous laugh.
"You scared of spiders too?" David asked.
"Very," Jack said. "Uh, anyway, lets head back to the guys. You can stick your other clothes in my bag."
"Thanks, Jack." David smiled at him. "Not just for that, but thanks for including me."
Jack mirrored his smile. "Anytime, bud."
They walked back to the other boys. It was about seven thirty, and the sun was already starting to set.
The boys made it back to the others, who, of course, were already beginning the games. They sat in a misshapen circle, with one of the boy's flip-flops in the center.
"Ey, Jack! David! We playin' a- hey what's the name of this game?" Mike asked.
"Paranoia," Mush said. "Basically, ya sit in the circle, and whoever starts it whispers a question in the person to their right's ear. The questions are limited to the people in the circle, you can't answer with anyone who isn't here. Whoever was asked the question says the answer out loud, then tossed the flip-flop in the center. If it lands face up, the question is said out loud. If it lands face down, you don't say the question, rinse and repeat."
Jack and David sat down in the openings in the circle, a fair distance apart. "Alright, who starts?" Jack asked.
"We was gonna have Romeo boy start us off," Albert said.
Romeo thought a moment, then leaned and asked Crutchie a question in his ear. Crutchie, without skipping a beat said Race's name. Romeo moved to grab the flip-flop to let Crutchie toss it in the air. It landed face up.
"Question was, 'who do you feel is most likely to be a murderer in his future?'" Romeo said, snickering.
"Gee, I'm touched," Race said.
Next, it was Crutchie's turn to ask Elmer. Elmer paused. "Probably Buttons?" He threw the sandal in the air, but it landed face down.
"That's why it's called Paranoia," Mush said. "Now we don't getta know the question."
They continued playing the game for a while. On David's first question from Sniper, he answered with an "I don't know", and though it was against the rules, they allowed it seeing as he didn't really know many of the other boys very well. It was Sniper's second turn asking him a question. He held his hand in front of David's ear as he asked the question. David blushed after hearing the question, but then said Jack's name. David tossed the flip-flop in the air, and it landed face down. David avoided Jack's eyes for the rest of the game.
The boys played for another few rounds, taking them to eight o'clock. "Alright, alright," Jack stood up. "As fun as Paranoia is, we got more games, and some of the boys gotta head in two hours. I figured since we don't know Davey here too well, we should play two truths and a lie."
"Alright. Who starts?" Specs asked.
"I can," Henry said. "I was voted funniest in my middle school, I write poetry, and I can hold my breath underwater for two minutes straight." He folded his arms and grinned smugly.
"Definitely the first one, you only know knock-knock jokes," Buttons said, the other boys laughed.
"So what? Knock knock jokes can be funny!" Henry frowned. "Alright, who's next?"
"I'll go," David said. "Ah… I can fit fifty hair ties in my hair, I hate mints, and until I moved, I shared a bedroom with my brother."
"The bedroom?" Race asked.
David shook his head. "Hair ties. I can fit forty eight, though."
"Is that a challenge to get fifty in your hair?" Jack asked.
"Uh, no, it isn't. I prefer not having all my hair pulled out." David said. The group laughed.
"I'll go now," Specs said. "I did singing lessons as soon as I could speak to when I was nine, I won a hot dog eating contest, and I once had to go to the hospital because I shoved something up my nose and we couldn't get it out."
"Hotdog contest, that one was the least specific," David said.
"Ay, using your brain is cheatin'!" Specs said.
"Is that the rule now? You change the rules every time someone guesses your lie," Mike
said.
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do n-"
"Ay, stop fightin'. Gonna scare off the new guy," Crutchie said.
"Yeah, don't scare 'im off, he's got my clothes," Albert joked.
The group kept playing, but it got to a point where they had a hard time coming up with things to say for the game, so they decided to move on to the last game of the night: truth or dare.
"It isn't a group hangout if you don't play some classic truth or dare," Jack said. "Ground rules, no darin' others to do anything sexual, nothing they could end up in the hospital for, yadda yadda yadda. We don't want any more broken bones and angry families, understood?"
Most boys nodded in agreement while the other cracked jokes about the time Elmer was dared to climb up a tree and yell some sort of weird phrase at the top and had fallen.
"I don't think I want to know why there are those rules," David said with a sort of half laugh.
"Well, that's for the best," Jack said. "Anyways, I'll start. Truth or dare, Davey?"
David thought a moment. "Ah... Truth."
"Oh, uh… Someone gimme ideas," Jack said. Elmer moved around and whispered in his ear. "That's borderline sexual, Elmer," Jack said, the others laughed. Elmer whispered again in his ear. Jack sighed. "What's the strangest dream you have ever had?"
"Uh, well," David blushed. "Y'know those dreams where you are in public in your underwear? One of those, but my best friend was Luigi and he-"
"Luigi?"
"Yeah, and he took me to his basement and we played Mario games."
"Still in your underwear?" Mike asked.
"Mmhm." David nodded. "Anyways… Uh... Mush, truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Ah, I dare you to… hop in the garbage."
"That's it?" Mush asked. "Uh… Alright." He popped up from the ground, and jogged to the park dumpster, hopped in, then jumped back out quickly. He ran back, only smelling a little bit worse than before.
"Alrighty, boys... Finch, truth or dare?" Mush asked.
"Dare. Gimme a good one." He said, standing up.
"I dare you to stay sitting, no movin' around for the rest of the game," Mush grinned.
"Ay, that's no fair!" Finch said, but slowly sat down and crossed his arms. "Jack, truth or dare?"
"Well, seein' as it's you askin'," Jack said, "I'm gonna go with truth."
Right as Jack finished the sentence, Medda pulled up in her silver van and honked on the horn. She rolled down the window. "Hey, boys, who needs a ride home?"
Some groaned since they hadn't gotten too far with the game, But a few of the boys raised their hands and stood up.
"Albert?" David asked. "Do you want your clothes back tonight?"
"Just bring 'em tomorrow, it'll be easier that way," Albert said, as he ran to the van with the others who were getting a ride from Medda.
Jack held a finger up, indicating he needed a moment before he hopped in the van. "Hey, Davey?"
"Hm?"
"Thanks for comin'," He said. "I know the boys are kinda a lot sometimes, but they mean well."
"Thanks for inviting me, Jack," David said. "I don't normally get invited out to places with friends, so this was really nice." He smiled.
"You're always welcome to come hang out with us at school, Davey boy," Jack said. "Hey, real quick, I know I shouldn't ask ya since it defeats part of the game, but... When we played Paranoia and you said my name, what was the question?"
David paused. "Uh… Well… Hey, thanks again for inviting me. These games were a lot of fun. Your friends are fun."
"Our friends, Davey," Jack said. "You guys all hit it off really well."
"Thanks, Jack." David smiled. "Um… Is it okay if I hug you?"
Jack nodded and pulled David in for a hug. Jack noticed a soft smell of vanilla on David. After a moment, Medda honked the car horn. "Come on, Jack! Gotta get going!" Medda hollered out the car window.
The two separated. "Guess that's my cue." Jack laughed. "See ya tomorrow, Davey."
"See you tomorrow."