"So this is it, after this week, they'll only be ten of us." Cindy sighs, looking around at the ten people surrounding her. She felt very out of place, like she didn't fit in.
Come on Cind, you never fitted in.
Cindy turns her gaze to the floor, trying to shake the negative thought out of her head. Her eyes fell on West who sat beside her, and she couldn't help but think about what he'd said a few hours before:
Why don't you believe that you're perfect?
Just his... certainty, his passion, it all made Cindy actually feel special for once. She smiles slightly, as her hands met West's and interlocked. He gave her a satisfied look, yet it still told her that it was their little secret. Cindy simply nods, and turns her attention back to the rest of the group, butterflies flapping around manically in her belly.
"Yeah, it's crazy." Emily replies, her voice small as he watches her hands which sit on her lap.
"Who actually thinks they're going home?" Penny asks, and the majority of the group raise their hands.
"I know it sounds really awful, but I don't think I'll be in the bottom three. I don't think I could have done anything else this week." Ace admits, shrugging his shoulders.
"You were really good this week" West reassures him, patting his friend on the shoulder. Ace gives him a slight smile, knowing that West was dying behind his cool eyes. Not only did he have conflicting feelings about Cindy, but he was really scared of being in the bottom. It made Ace's heart wrench, seeing his friend in this position.
"Right, pity party over, I don't want to think about this anymore" Jaia announced, getting to her feet and grabbing some snacks and drinks from the kitchen before coming back inside, arms full of fatty foods. She dumps them in the centre of the floor, a smile spreading across her face.
"Let's play truth or dare"
"Ollie, truth or dare?" Chesney questions, still giggling every time she looks in the direction of Pierce who wears Jaia's skimpy pink bikini, paired 'perfectly' with his hairy legs and toned abs. He sits next to Jaia, who lies on the back of the sofa in Pierce's speedos and a crop top. The blonde then turns back to Ollie, who pinches his chin softly as he ponders over what to choose.
"You know what, F**k it, Dare. It can't be much worse than," Ollie turns to look at Pierce in all his 'glory', before crumpling his face in disgust at him, "That," he spits out, sounding on the verge of retching. The group let out carefree laughs, pushing the prospect of leaving their best friends to the back of their minds.
"Right... I dare you..." Chesney looks up to the ceiling, trying to think of something to top the last dare. Her eyes light up as if a lightbulb clicks on in her head, and she turns back to face the brunette. "to let the girls take off your shoes and socks and paint your toenails." Ollie groans and began tugging at his sock. "And you can only put them back on when the game's over" She adds, grinning. Ollie mumbles something under his breath as he reluctantly throws his socks into the corner.
"Unless they just, I don't know, disappear" Jenna whispers in Jaia's ear, who nods subtly and watches as the other girls swarm in.
"How ya doin' in those speedos Jae Jae, a bit uncomfortable, are we?" Ace teases, one hand resting on a crossed leg. Jaia growled and stuck her tongue out at him, making him grin cheekily, looking very proud of himself.
"I may have a wicked wedgie, but I'm doing okay thank you very much Mister PB and J armpit sandwich." She shoots back, and Ace stops smiling, glancing quickly at his armpits, trying not to think about his earlier dare, given to him by Jaia, where he had to wipe Peanut Butter and Jelly on his armpits and scrape it off with bread, to make a sandwich. Even thinking about it made him feel naucious.
"Oh god, your pits have more hair than It from the Adams family!" Chesney cried, her hand flying to her mouth. From the corner of his eye, Ace could see West supressing a laugh, while Pierce, Jack and Ollie were almost rolling on the floor with hysterical laughter. Then his gaze fell on Jaia, a smug look on her face, hands crossed over her chest.
"You told me to give you my best shot, and I'm not even sorry!" She cackled, and even Ace then smiled. Even when he was covered in PB and J on telly, surrounded by a group of lunatics, he'd never felt so at home.
"The time has come" Jack mimicked over-dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. Pierce speeded into the other room to grab the bread slices, and the rest of the group watched, words caught in their throat, completely paralysed. Slowly, the slices made contact with his skin, and the bread slid down his sides, catching the drips of lumpy substances. Ace scrunched up his face, trying do something that wasn't thinking about how this sandwich would taste or what the aftermath of it would be.
"Now take a bite Ace" Jack cooed, giggling
"Here comes the choo choo train!" Ollie continued, rolling up the sandwich and moving it ever closer to his mouth.
"Chuga chuga chuga choo choo!" Pierce called from the kitchen, as he peered round the door to see the spectacle. Ace squeezed his eyes shut, pinched his nose, and took a bite out of the revolting, sweaty sandwich. And as West hugged him in congratulations, Jason Damon Westvil swore he would puke down his back.
"Truth" Emily decided as Pierce came back from making out with a teddy bear for two minutes while making inappropriate sex noises. As Penny wipes a tear from her eye, she turns to look at Jack who is trying to decide upon a truth.
"Rate all the guys in this room one to ten on a scale of hotness." Emily bit her lip, giving Jenna a sorrowful look.
"I'd rather no-" Emily began to protest, but Jack hushed her.
"You have to! It's the rules" Emily sighed, feeling sick as her tummy did flips and she felt red flush her cheeks.
"Umm..." She says, her voice wavering. "Ace 7.5, Ollie 6, West 7.8, Pierce 7, Jack 9.8" She lists quickly, before getting up and rushing out the room, quickly followed by Cindy, Chesney and Penny.
"What have I done?" Jack said, standing up to follow the girl, but Ollie got there first, putting a hand out to his chest to stop him. Pierce turned his brown eyes to him.
"Don't."
Emily locked the bathroom door and slid down it helplessly, head held in her hands as choked up sobs escaped her lips. Her body shook, her make up ran, and everything was falling to pieces in her hands.
"I never meant to hurt anybody!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, crying uncontrollably. She crawled to the sink and pulled herself up, staring at her face in the mirror. Her hair was tossled messily, matted. Her black mascara had left trails on her face, her eyeliner smudged and ruined. She rubbed a red eye as there was a cautious knock at the door. Emily stumbled towards it, her vision blurred with tears, a shaky hand unbolting the door. Then she fell into Jenna's embrace, and the girl held her tightly, never wanting to let go.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" She wailed over and over, clinging on to Jenna for dear life.
"It's okay, I forgive you." She replied simply.
A while later, the two girls return downstairs, leaving their real, overdramatic emotions behind them. By this time, the group had given up with truth or dare, as it wasn't long until they had to be back on camera. They were filled in with the antics: According to Jaia, after kissing everyone as a dare, Penny was the worst kisser and Ollie was by far the best, Also Cindy had to get a penny round the whole toilet bowl with her tongue, and it fell in the water six times, Ollie had run around the house in drag singing 'Man! I feel like a woman' and Pierce had admitted his feelings for Jaia, although she wasn't there to witness it. There were also numerous truths, but Cindy thought they were insignificant and boring, so she left them out. When they finally got into the main room, they were met by the group, as Ollie wandered around the floor aimlessly. Jenna looked at Jaia and smiled. Jaia looked at Jenna and smiled back.
"Hey, have any of you guys seen my shoes?"
