“Time to have fun!” exclaimed Ajax, and the whole group of people began to disperse, occupying the grand hall.
Some headed to the dance floor with their partners, while others went to the lounge area to chat and drink alcohol.
Luke and Wednesday also made their way to that area, but not to drink. They sat on a couch in the corner, away from everyone, to have a quiet conversation.
“Why are you looking at the dance floor? Have you suddenly developed a love for dancing after being captivated by my performance?” Wednesday asked, noticing Luke’s gaze fixed on
the ornate dance floor.
“Bragging about yourself… That’s new,” Luke said, eyeing Wednesday with curiosity. Today, she was behaving rather oddly.
“I learned it from you. You should feel proud,” Wednesday replied.
“Very proud… I was looking at the dance floor, wondering how everyone would react to the perfection of Galadriel if she were to appear at the party,” Luke said with a faint smile.
It was now his turn to tease Wednesday, who had been mocking him since the start of the day. Wednesday frowned slightly. Luke had struck a nerve, as she would put it.
“Do you want to wear a dress? It seems like drinking that potion is draining your testosterone,” Wednesday retorted, going on the offensive. This time, it was Luke’s turn to frown, clearly displeased with the jab at his masculinity.
“Two nights ago, you seemed satisfied with my testosterone levels,” Luke countered, locking eyes with Wednesday, who returned his gaze unflinchingly.
Wednesday recalled what had happened two nights ago. They had slept together, and Luke dominated that time, as hard as it was for her to admit. A minor slip had caused her to let out some enticing moans-a rare occurrence for someone like her who always had perfect control over her body.
“One victory, and you think you’ve won the war. How naive,” Wednesday replied with a disdainful smile.
“It’s not the only vict-“
Before Luke could finish his strange argument, someone interrupted him.
“What war are you talking about?” asked a boy with curly black hair, brown eyes, black glasses, and braces.
It was Eugene Ottinger, Wednesday’s self-proclaimed little brother and her only friend, though she’d never admit it.
Luke and Wednesday turned their heads to look at him. How were they supposed to answer his question? They couldn’t exactly tell him they were using the term “war” to refer to their sex life.
“It’s none of your business, Eugene,” Wednesday finally replied.
“I’m surprised you’d attend such an irrelevant party,” she added. She knew her only friend at Nevermore well enough to conclude he wasn’t the type to attend parties.
“I don’t know… Since I was invited, I thought it would be rude not to come,” Eugene replied, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, unsure of what else to say.
He certainly wouldn’t admit he came to try and make friends, considering Wednesday was his only friend at Nevermore.
Wednesday nodded slightly, not particularly interested in Eugene’s reasons for being at the party. The three of them fell silent-Luke and Wednesday sitting, while Eugene stood there looking at them.
“Can I sit down?” Eugene asked after a few seconds.
“Sure,” Luke replied, filling the silence left by Wednesday, who hadn’t bothered to respond to her only friend.
Eugene sat down next to Luke, sensing that Wednesday wasn’t in the best mood and deciding it was best not to invade her personal space.
“How were your holidays?” Luke asked after a few moments of silence.
He had never tried to befriend Eugene-not out of rejection but simply because the opportunity hadn’t arisen. He figured he might as well try now. If Eugene was friends with Wednesday, it shouldn’t be impossible to become friends with him too.
Eugene started answering a bit timidly but gradually began to lose his shyness. His enthusiasm grew as he talked about his vacation and all the time he’d spent on beekeeping. He told Luke everything about beekeeping and shared his experiences working with bees.
‘I only asked to make some small talk, not to hear a detailed account of your entire vacation…’ Luke thought, unable to believe it.
He wasn’t sure what was worse: engaging in a sharp and biting argument with Wednesday or listening to Eugene drone on about beekeeping.
Fortunately, Ajax came to his rescue.
“Hey, Luke, come play Truth or Dare!”
Without hesitation, Luke got up. He noticed a group of about twenty people sitting in a sort of circle on the central couches, not far from where they were.
“I’m coming. Do you want to play?” Luke asked, looking at Wednesday and Eugene.
Eugene stood up nervously, nodding repeatedly. Finally, he would have a chance to socialize with his classmates-especially with some of the girls, as he was desperately hoping to find a girlfriend.
He had never considered Wednesday a romantic interest; he knew it was impossible, even before she started dating Luke.
Wednesday glanced disdainfully at the teenagers sitting in a circle with cups of alcohol, laughing loudly. At first, she was ready to decline immediately, but when she noticed Enid sitting among them, she stood up slowly.
“Are you seriously going to play?” Luke asked, a bit surprised, and Wednesday only gave a
slight nod.
The three followed Ajax and sat on one of the free couches.
“Wait. To play, you need to take a shot of tequila, rum, or whiskey. Your choice,” Bianca said with a faint smile, looking at Wednesday.
“Rules are rules,” Ajax added, and everyone else nodded in agreement. This wasn’t your average game of Truth or Dare-it was Truth or Dare with alcohol.
With no other option, Luke, Wednesday, and Eugene each took a shot of vodka under the watchful gaze of the group.
[I thought we weren’t allowed to drink] Luke said to Wednesday through their telepathic
bond.
[You heard your friend. Rules are rules. I won’t lose to that idiot Bianca] Wednesday replied, her expression unchanged, but Luke could tell her competitive streak had kicked in.
“Remember, if you don’t complete the dare or answer the truth, you’ll have to take a shot! Let the game begin!” Ajax announced. As the birthday boy, he was the first to be targeted.
One of Ajax’s Gorgon friends asked if it was true that he had a fling with a girl named Sara, who was currently sitting in the circle.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Ajax admitted it was true and had to provide some details. Unlike normie games, simply saying something was true wasn’t enough here. You had to give details to prove the truth and avoid being accused of lying.
As Ajax spilled the gossip, adding some juicy specifics, the group started whistling and shouting in a way Wednesday found utterly stupid. She briefly considered conjuring her scythe
and decapitating them all.
The game continued clockwise around the circle.
There were a few dares that were at least somewhat interesting for Luke and Wednesday to
watch. One involved a werewolf daring his fellow packmate to withstand a slap from him. The friend accepted, and a powerful slap landed on his right cheek, knocking out a tooth, drawing blood, and leaving a vivid handprint on his face.
The other truths and dares were the usual fare for hormonally charged teenagers, so neither Luke nor Wednesday was particularly entertained by the game.
Finally, it was Eugene’s turn. He sat nervously next to Luke, clearly anxious about what would
come his way.
A girl whose name Luke didn’t know asked, “Truth or dare?”
Eugene thought as fast as he could and decided to choose dare. It would be too embarrassing
if he had to reveal a truth that made everyone laugh at him. He could always refuse and take a shot instead, but in this group, everyone either answered or completed the dare. Refusing would make you look like a coward.
“Eat one of your boogers,” the girl said with a giggle at the end. Her friends sitting next to her laughed along at the disgusting dare.
Eugene froze, debating whether he should go through with it or not. Eating a booger in front of everyone would be humiliating, but refusing would make him the only one in the circle
who didn’t fulfill a truth or dare.
“Can’t handle something so simple?” the girl added with a disdainful smile.
Under the weight of her provocation and everyone’s eyes on him, Eugene decided to go
through with the dare. When he swallowed the booger, most of the students in the circle burst
out laughing.
“Gross,” said the girl who had dared him.
“Did he really do it?”
“Pathetic.” Luke and Wednesday didn’t join in the laughter. Their expressions remained as stoic as ever,
showing no hint of fun.
Luke glanced at Ajax and Xavier, who weren’t laughing either and instead had their brows furrowed. He realized he had chosen his two only friends well.
Enid, Yoko, Divina, Kent, and even Bianca weren’t laughing. Luke was surprised by the last
one; he had judged her a bit harshly. Although her expression didn’t show anger like Xavier, Enid, or Ajax, she also didn’t seem amused by the situation.
“Next turn,” Ajax said loudly, cutting through the laughter and directing attention away from Eugene, who was staring at the floor in embarrassment.
Though Ajax appeared annoyed, it wasn’t his tone that ended the laughter. It was the fact that the next participant was Luke, and everyone in the room was eager to see what he would choose: truth or dare.
“I’ll do it!” exclaimed a tall, pale boy, raising his hand enthusiastically. His eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and mischief as he leaned forward, eager to be the one to ask Luke. It seemed he was relishing the chance to take the spotlight.
“Alright, Mark gets to ask,” Ajax said, nodding as no one opposed the choice. If more than one
person wanted to ask, they would have to agree or settle it with a simple game of rock-paper-
scissors.
“Truth or dare, great writer Poe?” Mark asked with a grin that revealed his sharp teeth.
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