"Who's in for a truth or dare?!" a student slurred, shouting to grab everyone's attention.
Screams of agreement erupted immediately. Soon, everyone gathered, sitting cross-legged in a circle.
Melanie settled close to Noah, while Tiffany plopped down next to Drexter, earning a sharp glare from Charlotte. Melanie knew exactly what that look meant. She rolled her eyes and snuggled against Noah's chest, tuning out the silent tension.
"Stacy, truth or dare?" Jordan asked, grinning like he already knew the answer.
"Dare," Stacy replied, narrowing her eyes.
Jordan's eyes lit up. "Do a lap dance on me!"
Melanie's jaw practically dropped. Her eyes widened, and she buried her face into Noah's chest.
No, no, no. This is insane.
Stacy, however, didn't hesitate. She got up and strutted over to Jordan as if this were the most normal thing in the world. Music thumped through the speakers, and the circle of students leaned in, eagerly watching. Stacy moved with surprising confidence, giving Jordan a full lap dance right there in the middle of the circle.
Melanie let out a soft gasp, pressing herself tighter into Noah's chest. Why are these students so morally bankrupt?! She screamed inwardly.
The guys erupted with cheers and whistles. "Woahhh! That's it, Jordan!" one yelled, slapping his knee. Another hooted, leaning forward.
Jordan smirked, clearly reveling in the attention. Melanie's stomach twisted. She didn't want to watch, but somehow she couldn't look away. She curled her hands into fists on Noah's chest, willing herself not to vomit from the sheer audacity of it all.
Once Stacy finished, she casually returned to her spot, as if nothing had happened. Jordan leaned back, arms crossed, smirking like a proud cat. The circle of students erupted in laughter and teasing comments, their voices overlapping with the bass from the speakers.
"Woah, Jordan! Lucky man!" someone hollered. "You really caught a wild one!"
"Seriously, man," another added, laughing, "she's got moves! Who taught her that?"
The chaos continued, the circle buzzing with anticipation for the next dare.
Jordan turned to Eve. "Your turn, babe!"
Eve gave him a flat stare. Before he could ask "Truth or Dare," she spoke up.
"Truth."
"What's the wildest thing you've done drunk?" a girl asked, grinning.
"Oh my!" Susan exclaimed, wide-eyed. "That's a question I would never answer."
Eve rolled her eyes. "Karen, can you change that?"
"Nah-uh, can't change it," Karen shook her head. "Rules of the game, girl."
Eve exhaled sharply. "Fine… I danced on a table in just my underwear."
Some students gasped, bewildered, while others burst out laughing. Eve tried to hide her flustered expression.
"You did? Where?" Matthew asked, amused.
Eve's eyes narrowed into slits. "I don't think that's part of the game, Matthew," she said sharply.
That only made Matthew laugh harder.
"Enough, everyone! Melanie, you're next!" Eve said, quickly redirecting the attention.
Melanie's cheeks flushed under all the staring eyes.
"Truth or dare?" Eve asked.
"Uh… t-truth?" Melanie stammered.
"Have you ever cheated on Noah?"
Melanie exhaled deeply, releasing a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. That's easy, she thought.
"No," she smiled, but soon her skin prickled oddly. It felt like someone was watching her… intently, keenly.
She knew it was strange to think that, given that everyone's eyes were on her, but there was something different about this gaze.
Her gaze shifted slightly to the left, and she froze. Drexter's sharp brown eyes were fixed on her. Even when she noticed, he didn't look away. His stare felt like he was scanning her soul, evaluating her.
Melanie quickly tore her eyes away, mind racing. What is his deal? Why is he staring at me like that?
The game continued, but Melanie barely paid attention. Her mind kept drifting back to Drexter's dark, calculating gaze. His eyes lingered in her thoughts, leaving her unsettled.
What's up with that dude?!
"Noah! You're next!" Jordan's voice snapped her back.
"Noah," he grinned. "Dare!"
"Yo, dude! Sing 'Let it Go' from Frozen, like DaBaby!" a guy shouted, laughing.
"Woahhh!" everyone chorused.
Noah shook his head. "Come on, Luke, I cannot do that."
Luke smirked wickedly. "Well, then your penalty is to clean the boys' dorm toilets for a week."
"A week?!" Noah gasped, wrinkling his nose. "Yo man, that's not fair."
"Come on, dude. Pick fast! Others are waiting," Jordan said, crossing his arms.
"Fine," Noah sighed. "I'll sing 'Let it Go.'"
"Like DaBaby," Donald added, laughing.
"Whatever," Noah rolled his eyes, standing up. Then he began,
"Let it go, let it go!
Can't hold it back anymore,
YEEAH! Now I'm rockin' snow!
I'm lettin' go, BITCH, I'm SICK OF THE ICE!
Cold never bothered me, 'cause I'm NICE
Gonna drive my whip through the winter night
Elsa vibes, but I'm feelin' LIGHT!
Snowflakes fallin', but I'm ballin' hard
Trade my throne for a drop-top, ain't no scar
Arendelle haters wanna see me freeze
But I'm HOTTER than summer, SUGEEEEEEE!
No more hiding, no more shame
Gonna rock this frozen game
Spinnin' circles, like a snowstorm
ELSA GOT THE BABY BLOW, YEEAH FORM!
So let it go, let it go
Now I'm OFFICIAL, DaBaby OG!!"
His voice was rough, croaky, and off-key, like a baby learning to sing. Donald grinned and even pulled out his phone to record.
The students erupted in laughter. Melanie's lips twitched, but she refused to laugh. Not at her boyfriend. Even though part of her wanted to.
"I'm done. Hope y'all are happy embarrassing me," Noah muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh, shut up, dude," Jordan shot back, smirking.
"Man, I even got the video of it. Posted it on Insta. That was legendary, Noah," Donald added, and his words hit Noah like a bombshell.
His face instantly paled. "What?!"
"That wasn't part of the game!" Noah shouted, his voice cracking slightly in frustration.
"It is, Noah! Now, could you shut up and let the next person play?" Aiden said, laughing.
Noah's grin vanished. His forehead creased with a frown, and he sat back, clearly irritated.
"Drexter! Truth or Dare?" Aiden called, shifting attention to him.
"Dare," he spoke calmly.
Before Aiden could respond, Susan piped up quickly, her grin wicked.
"French kiss Tiffany."
Tiffany's eyes went wide, heat rushing to her cheeks. "Uh… um…" She stammered, words stuck in her throat as Susan winked at her. Tiffany couldn't help the small, shy smile that tugged at her lips.
Melanie choked back a gasp. What?! She desperately wanted to say no. Her gaze snapped to Drexter, and froze. He was watching her.
Melanie's frown deepened as she stared at him, but Drexter's response was a slow, deliberate smirk. That smirk, that damn smirk, made her blood boil.
She bit her lower lip, unable to stand watching that idiot kiss her sister after he had locked lips with a girl in the girls' restroom. That guy was an asshole.
Drexter, however, looked at Tiffany with a flat, unreadable expression. Tiffany felt heat rise to her cheeks under his stare, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Before anyone could react, Drexter pulled her onto his lap in a straddling position. She let out a soft gasp as his lips crushed against hers.
Melanie didn't even realize she had been biting her nails. Her glare so fierce it could have bored a hole into Drexter.
As if sensing her anger, he deepened the kiss, hands gripping Tiffany's waist tightly and intimately.
Melanie kept biting her nails harder and faster, her glare so intense that her fingers began to ache. Those hands… the same ones that had touched that brunette in the restroom, and probably many others, were now on Tiffany.
Jerk! Stupid! Asshole! Jackass!
"I think we should get a room for these two," Jordan grinned, ear-to-ear.
Tiffany pulled away abruptly, breathless and flushed, rushing off to the bathroom.
The boys cheered. Drexter smiled, his ego inflated by the reaction, proud of the chaos he had caused. Melanie clenched her teeth, fury burning in her chest. He had made Tiffany look like just another trophy, another conquest.
"Fuck him," she muttered under her breath.
"Melanie, you're next!" Zoey called, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Huh?" Melanie blinked, startled.
Zoey smiled. "Truth or Dare?"
Melanie's heart thumped. Dare was dangerous, these students were wild, unpredictable, and she had no idea what humiliation they could cook up. She swallowed and settled on Truth.
"Truth?" she repeated, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Are you a virgin?"
A deep voice cut in before Zoey could speak. She knew that voice. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes slowly traced to the source… Drexter.
"Why are you looking at me? Answer! Are you a virgin?" he demanded, rude and sharp, the kind of tone that made her want to rip his head off.
Melanie lifted her chin, her eyes blazing with defiance.
"Yes. I'm a virgin," she replied, clear and proud.