Freaks and Fortune

"Now that we're all really here... We can begin!" he belted. "We have gathered here today to carry on the sacred tradition of... Truth or Dare!"

Everyone cheered. Except for Ravi, that is, who groaned and covered his face. Anthony flicked on the lights and we were bathed in a dim, golden glow. Everyone blinked and looked around.

Anthony made Aqua scoot over so that he could be seated next to Nina. Next to Nina was Ravi, who kept darting dirty looks at her; clearly wanting to trade places. I was between Ravi and Cal, who was next to Savannah. We were silent, waiting for Anthony to make his next move.

He brought out a water-damaged Twister spinner and laid it in the middle of the circle. He gave it a good flick and held his breath as it spun, blurring into a black circle before our eyes.

It landed on Aqua.

"No!" he cried.
"Okay," Anthony began, pretending to think. "Go steal-"
"The Fat Lady's pink underwear," Aqua finished for him. "I know."

He got up from the circle, red faced, and trudged out of the tent to a chorus of laughter.

"We always make him do that," Anthony told me. "It never gets old!"
"What should me make him steal next?" Nina asked him, a glint in her eye.
"I don't know... My dad's top hat?"
I gasped. "Anthony Piccadilly, you dog!"
He smiled wide.

About a minute later, Aqua was back. In his hand, he had the biggest pair of underwear I've ever seen. He threw them down in the middle of the circle and collapsed in his spot, out of breath.

Everyone started clapping and patting him on the back, congratulating him on a Dare well done. The lacy pair of underwear had enough material to upholster a couch. We couldn't help laughing at them.

After Aqua caught his breath and told the story of how Greta, The Fat Lady, almost caught him, we were ready to move on with the game.

"Can we get on with this?" Cal whined.
Anthony spun the Twister spinner again and it landed on me.
"Does that mean it's my turn?" I asked.
"No, it means you get to tell someone what to do," Nina said. "Spin it."
I did. It stopped in front of Ravi.

He rolled his eyes and sighed, "I don't know. Dare."

Suddenly, something very evil and cunning slipped into my mind. I wasn't going to use it... Thinking that it would be a bit too mean. But, before I knew it, the words were falling through my lips and into the middle of the circle.

"Kiss Anthony."

Everyone started laughing and clapping their hands, thinking me clever. Anthony was laughing the hardest. It was clear to see that he didn't mind this dare at all. He was the one who wanted their relationship out.

Ravi, on the other hand, looked embarrassed.

"Okay, okay, I changed my mind," he insisted. "Truth. I pick Truth instead."
"No way!" Aqua yelled. "Mine was so much worse than this! Greta almost woke up!"
Cal stuck his fingers in his mouth and wolf-whistled.
Savannah was clapping and chanting, "Do it, do it, do it!"
Even Nina was laughing and nudging the two boys on either side of her.

"Okay, okay," Anthony yelled. "Everyone calm down!"

We fell silent. Neither boy moved. It was unclear, for a second, whether or not they were going to do it. Then, Anthony broke out into a reluctant smile and rolled his eyes.

"Come here, Ravi," he laughed.
Ravi awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.
"What's one kiss between best friends, yeah?" Anthony muttered.

Ravi gave me this look that clearly said: "I'm so going to get you for this."

We started screeching, "Ow, ow!" as the boys leaned over Nina for a quick kiss. To the unknowing eye, it would have seemed like a small peck... Maybe held a bit too long on Anthony's part, but everyone knew he was crazy and would try anything.

But the body language spoke volumes. Anthony was so clearly interested in Ravi, it wasn't even funny. It was written where his mouth was open slightly, where he was leaning towards his friend, and the little look he gave him before they kissed.

Ravi, however, moved like he was waging a war within himself. He leaned back, hardly moving to meet Anthony's lips... But his hands were clenched into fists.

Ravi moved backwards, intending to break the kiss. Anthony moved with him, just a little, prolonging it. It was the smallest movements, but I was able to catch it.

They sat back in their spots. Even Ravi laughed a bit at the cat-calls we were making. He drew his knees up to his chest and tried to close himself off from the group.

Next, Cal dared Savannah to kiss him and she, predictably, refused.

"That's cheating! You can't Dare the Dare-ee to kiss the Dare-er! It doesn't work like that!"
"Sure it does!" he protested, leaning towards her.
"Kiss Nina or something!" she ordered, pushing the drunken boy away from her.
"No!" Nina and Anthony called at the same time.

"Hey, Ivy," Ravi said. "Why don't you kiss Cal?"

I stared at him in horror.

"Payback!" he mouthed at me, grinning.

"Hell no!" I yelled. "Can't we quit with the kissing stuff? What, are we in Kindergarten or something?"
"Not fair!" Ravi accused. "She's being a coward!"

Suddenly, the girls ganged up on me. I was the scapegoat... Nobody else wanted to kiss Cal.

"Yeah!" Savannah agreed. "You made Ravi kiss Anthony!"
"That's right!" Nina added. "I think you should have to accept any Dare that you give out!"
"Since when is that a rule?" I whined, knowing that I was defeated.

"Why the hell doesn't anyone want to kiss me?" Cal huffed.
"I want to change to Truth!" I screeched. "Truth, truth, tru-"

Cal leaned forwards, catching my lips in mid "Truth!"

He kissed me a bit harder than he would have if he were sober. I could hear people yelling, but I thought that it might just be more cat-calls. I broke the kiss, grumpily pushing Cal off of me.

"There!" I muttered. "I did it, jeez."

But they weren't yelling at me and Cal. The Fat Lady's pink underwear had burst into flames under Cal's fingers. Savannah pulled Cal away from the frilly mile of lace and smacked his shoulder.

"Cal!" she cried hysterically. "Where are your gloves?!"

He looked down at his hands.

"Shit!"

We began stomping on the flames, beating them down. A deep, rumbling voice was heard over our frantic panicking.

"Gregory Home, I know you were in my cabin!"

Aqua looked sick to his stomach. The panties had been reduced to a pile of smoldering fabric. We heard The Fat Lady cursing, and just ran for it. The terror of being caught was sharp. It made us run fast and blind.

Anthony and Nina tore off to their cabin and I could see Ravi racing to the elephant quarters. Aqua, Cal, Savannah, and I had our sights set on the Freak Cabin. Cal was running the slowest, probably because of his blatant drunkenness.

We stomped up onto our wooden porch and flung the door open. Aqua and Cal were laughing their heads off as they scurried inside, but Savannah caught my arm before I was able to follow them.

"Hey... Ivy..." she panted, holding on to the railing in an attempt to catch her breath. "I need to talk to you."

We collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily.

"Cal hasn't... Well, he hasn't mentioned anything about his hands to you... Has he?"
"What... are you... talking about?" I asked, clutching a stitch in my side.
"His gloves? He hasn't said anything about... his gloves?"

Savannah caught her breath before me. She was in much better shape from her training as a Contortionist.

I shook my head.

"Well, I just want you to know that... Me and Cal... We're just... You know, whatever. I don't like him. I humor him sometimes, when he's drunk."
"Okay...? Why are you telling me this?"

She shook her head. "Just letting you know."

I nodded. She helped me up and we went inside, ready to collapse into our beds and discuss the Truth or Dare game... Which had ended all too early.