College Chronicles Ep. 14

"Aurora."

"Of course. I guess I deserve it."

Aurora gamely took a swig from her drink, then placed it down on the table. Her shot. Not as clean as Cindy's bouncing around inside the shot glass, but a make.

"Sami."

I raised my cup to my lips, took a small sip, while pretending to take a long drink. Aurora's smile held the smallest hint of Jaxx's infuriating smirk, as if she'd learned it, somehow.

My turn.

I picked up the quarter, confident for once. It looked so easy, I didn't think I was going to have any problem.

But I just flat out missed. Overshot the glass entirely. Cindy sighed, Aurora snorted, and Jaxx didn't make any sound at all, just grabbed the coin where it was spinning and gestured to my cup.

"Drink."

Without waiting for me, he was taking his shot. A clean hit, obviously.

"Cyn-thia."

Jaxx said the given name with one of his trademark smirks, and I knew it was intended to needle before she responded.

"Ugh, don't!"

Cindy groaned as she grabbed the glass and quarter, drinking from the cup in her other hand. She took another shot, casually making it.

"Aurora."

"Again? "

Cindy offered nothing but a simpering, fake smile.

"Shit, alright."

She drank, grabbed the glass and quarter, made her shot.

"Sami."

I was a little surprised, but shouldn't have been. What goes around comes around; it seemed I was going to pay for Cindy's vendetta. I exaggerated another drink, made another attempt. Another shameful miss.

"Drink!"

This time Cindy reminded me, and I sighed in frustration, at the miss and the drinking in quick succession, mouth still burning from the previous repetition. The game moved on without me.

Jaxx's shot. Bull's-eye.

"'Ror."

Her shot. Dead on.

"Sami."

I rolled my eyes, looked at Cindy, but she just rolled hers in sympathy. Lifting my cup to my lips again, I was glad I'd been faking my drinks from the start. At the rate Aurora was going I would be lucky to make out of the room.

When I took the next shot, I was patient, lining up my shot, practicing my hand movement before releasing.

It paid off, the quarter wobbled inside the glass, and I almost shouted, couldn't keep my hands from flying up in astonished celebration. Cindy whooped loudly on one side, and Jaxx on the other spoke softly.

"Good."

Just the one word, but it felt like he'd given me a hug, and I blushed crimson as if he had.

"So who's drinking?"

Cindy gave a gentle prompt to continue the game

"Uhm... Aurora."

"Finally! Took you long enough!"

Drink. Shot. Hit.

"Sami."

Her shit-eating grin said everything. I took another drink, then tried to go slow and patiently, like with the shot I had made.

No luck, another miss. Aurora gave an exaggerated sigh, followed with a bright reminder.

"Drink, bitch!"

It went on like that. Jaxx never missed a single shot with the quarter, and Cindy and Aurora hit very regularly. Cindy always picked Aurora to drink, Aurora always chose me. My shots were much less reliable; saying I hit a one in four might be overly charitable. Even with my sips, I quickly began to feel the effects of all the drinks I was taking, which led to my aim getting worse, which led to more drinks, a vicious cycle.

Luckily, the others weren't far behind me, and as they began to get buzzed, the pace and focus on the game lessened. Conversation wandered on strange drunken asides, and turned back at cul-de-sacs of forgotten words.

Then I caught Aurora watching me with deadly eyes, and they sparked when she saw my recognition. Without looking away from me, she pushed Jaxx for his attention, and brought up a memory I preferred lost for good.

"Oh my god, Jaxx, Sami and I were JUST talking about the FUNNIEST story."

She smiled like a shark, showing all her teeth. Then her head turned to Jaxx, and it was a prettier, less predatory expression.

"When we were in high school, and Sami was Sam, she got stuffed in a locker!"

She burst out a little ringing laughter, and I could feel Cindy tense, her hand coming to rest on my thigh. Jaxx took a drink, but didn't react otherwise, so Aurora went on.

"It was fucking ridiculous, the door got stuck, everyone was around in the hallway. How long did it take them to get you out of there?"

Cindy squeezed my leg, and I knew she was about to say something, so I grabbed her arm with one hand. I was okay. I could speak for myself.

"Uhm... Like... a half hour..."

"So long! That's fucking crazy! Max was always such an asshole."

I really wanted to shout out how she was conveniently leaving her own part out of the retelling, but held my tongue. Cindy wasn't as practiced at ignoring bullies and couldn't hold herself back, started to speak. But Jaxx spoke simultaneously, not acknowledging my shameful admission, or any other part of Aurora's story, totally changing the topic.

"Okay fucki--"

"--Let's do something different. No one's making me fucking drink."

He had another joint in hand, as if by magic, and was lighting up again. He turned my direction and exhaled, blowing a cloud of smoke into my face as he made wry comment.

"If I wait for Sami to start hitting quarters I might die sober."

It wasn't that his joke was that funny, but the excuse to stop playing quarters, combined with his obvious ignoring my personal humiliation, along with blowing smoke in my face, all on top of a bed of growing intoxication... It all made me a little giddy, pulled a manic giggle from my lips. He shot me a little glance; judgement? Pity? Laughter? Whatever it was, it left in a flash, and he was handing me the joint. I didn't remember reaching out to take it, but when my fingers brushed his I was impressed by how small and dainty I was next to his massive hands and thick fingers.

I was still mulling the comparison between my fair hands and his swarthy, hairy ones when Cindy plucked the still burning weed from my hand.

I looked up to find all eyes on me. Cin was pulling on the joint, and when she found my gaze, gave a cheeky wink and blew smoke in my face too. I waved it away, looking to my other side and finding Jaxx studying me with inscrutable intensity, grey irises startling against bloodshot whites. He didn't look away when I caught him; if anything his intensity doubled, staring through my eyes and into my soul.

I had to tear my face away from his alarming attention, only to find Aurora, across the coffee table. She had a wide smile on her face, a genuine glee that sent my stomach into spasms. I was right to be afraid; as if on cue, she nearly sang out.

"Ooooh, I know!"

All eyes on her, again. Unperturbed by Cindy's anger or Jaxx's apathy, she elaborated with bubbly enthusiasm.

"Let's play never have I ever!"

Cindy groaned, Jaxx chuckled, and I stared at Aurora blankly. Another game I'd never heard of? She was too pleased at my obvious ignorance.

"Oh my god! Seriously, you don't know never have I ever?"

She rolled her eyes and looked at Jaxx, talking about me like I wasn't there.

"I can't believe we went to the same high school!"

She turned back, gave a smirking lecture.

"So, everyone in the circle holds up a hand. Then you go around the circle, each person gets a turn to say something they've never done. 'Never have I ever... Robbed a bank.'"

She paused for a beat, winked at me roguishly. Why did everyone always wink at me?

"If you've done the thing that they've never done, you have to put a finger down and drink. If you put all your fingers down, you finish your drink!"

A cunning look came to her eye that I knew couldn't be a good thing.

"So if someone were to say 'never have I ever been a boy, then a girl,' you'd have to put a finger down and drink..."

"Alright, that's enough."

Cindy spoke over her condescending lesson, voice firm but not angry. Why wasn't she putting up more resistance to Aurora? Through the fog and the haze in my mind, I felt a nagging tug off in the distance. Aurora responded, indignant, defensive.

"What? It was just an example. Are we playing or not?"

Cindy ignored her, turning to me, reassuring and calm.

"She's right, it's a good game. I'll help you, don't worry."

I tried to relax, putting my faith in Cindy. Hopefully I would be better at the second game than the first. Then I began to think, wondering about the rules. Things I'd never done... that they would have done...

Even though I knew there had to be lots, it was difficult to think of one at first. I was glad Aurora volunteered and left me time to consider.

"Okay, I'll start! Never have I ever..."

Her wicked gaze pierced me, and I knew what she would say before she said it, was a little less glad she went first.

"...been stuffed in a locker!"

Though I expected it, the recall caught Cindy and Jaxx by surprise. Jaxx chuckled this time, a little more moved.

"Oof. Low blow."

Cindy seemed about ready to go off, taking in the kind of deep breath presaging words that can't be taken back. But I cut her off with a hand pulling her back to my side, a quick glance that I tried to infuse with the sentiment 'I'm alright.'

It wasn't fake; the more Aurora bullied me, the easier it became to ignore, dodge the true barbs of repeated jabs and references. I was a different person from the weakling stuffed in that locker, and with the advantages of hindsight, could even laugh about it if I needed.

And I needed to, so I did.

"Ughh okay, you got me..."

I dropped one finger and took an actual drink, that time welcoming the alcoholic burn. I stared at Aurora over the top of my cup, and she stared right back, her smile fading slightly as I shrugged off the attempt to humiliate. When I finished drinking and my eyes left hers, I found Jaxx staring at me again with a slight approving smile.

"There you go. Alright, my turn. Never have I ever..."

He looked at Aurora, then Cindy, and finally completing the circle back to me. An eyebrow cocked, and I wanted to lunge for his crotch. Or punch him.

"...worn a dress."

The girls sighed and rolled their eyes; I didn't catch myself, too drunk, high, comfortable.

"Ohhh that's cheap!"

He managed to look almost offended, mocking me with his eyes.

"Why? I know my competition. Quit bitching and drink!"

I grumbled, confidence faded, ashamed of myself. When I sipped my drink, Jaxx caught me.

"Woah, take a real drink! And it's your turn, come on, hurry up!"

"Yeah, little Saaamiii!!"

Aurora nearly sang, enjoying pouncing on my weakness.

"It can't be hard to think of something you haven't done!"

She was right, but in that moment, cross-faded and under pressure, I totally froze. Luckily, Cindy had promised to help. She pulled me close, whispering in my ear.

"Alright, say... Hmmm... 'Stolen anything.' Right?"

She checked, looking into me, making sure I hadn't. I don't know if I'd explicitly told her I'd never stolen anything. It's more likely she just assumed. And she was right, like always. But I was less surprised by the accuracy of her guess and more taken with the enchanting green of her eyes, a comforting flame, unlike the icy brightness of Aurora's and the absolute concrete of Jaxx's.

Eventually I nodded, and slowly leaned back. I waited a beat, turned to find Aurora's impatience, Jaxx superior smirk.

"Never have I ever... stolen anything."

All three lowered a finger, drank simultaneously, and I gaped. Cindy had fallen on her own sword, for me?

"Wha-... You all... Why??"

I was a little stunned by the revelation as well. Jaxx and Cindy's families were wealthy beyond my dreams, what possible reason did they have to steal? And I'd thought that Aurora was perfect so recently... That belief had definitely taken a hit, but it was still hard to reconcile against the new revelation. Cindy answered first.

"Oh I don't know... It was exciting! I just took small makeup stuff. I think it's a phase teenage girls go through. Right?"

She looked to Aurora, who cheerily agreed.

"Def! I took cheap jewelry from department stores."

We all turned to Jaxx, waiting for his explanation. He had no phase to blame, and didn't need one anyway, his smirk evidence of how unabashed he was.

"They don't call me Mr. Steal-yo-girl for nothing..."

We all groaned in unison at his answer; for how it cheated, for how corny it was, and a little bit for the twinge of jealousy that pulsed inside me, which I can only assume they felt too.

"Okay, my turn!"

Cindy leaned forward with sly smile, looking across the table to Jaxx.

"Never have I ever... Broken my arm falling out of a tree."

He sighed, taking a swig from his drink and leaning back in his seat. I was confused, looking between the two. Something from their history? He confirmed that suspicion.

"Fucking... Ninth grade is playing dirty, don't you think?"

"'Worn a dress'? Karma, bitch!"

I couldn't help laughing along with her, and he joined, putting his hands up in the air. It was a strangely easy laugh, a more relaxed Jaxx than I usually saw.

"Alright, alright."

Aurora, on the edge of conversation, wouldn't be forgotten.

"Okay, my turn! Never have I ever..."

Her eyes flitted among us; around Cindy, over to Jaxx, back to me.

"...jerked someone off during a lecture!"

She paused, intent on my face. It took a second, but I vividly recalled how he'd massaged my neck, whispered in my ear, coaxed me into being his slut. I went red, at the memory, her bringing it up, the sheer fact she knew. How did she know? My eyes went wide at the betrayal; Jaxx must have told her. I swung my head to him, and he was chuckling at Aurora's reference, his gaze unsettlingly lewd, like he was also remembering.

"Sorry. Too good to keep to myself. I just wish you'd finished."

His apology wasn't convincing, and the smile he showed after said he would do it all again, and more.

"It's okay, that sounded HOT! But drink, little slut!"

Cindy offered in from the side, reminding me of the wonderful sweet drink, which had been refreshed at some point and was getting better with each sip. She also reminded us to restart the game, and Jaxx spoke up, ready.

"Okay, never have I ever... Been on my knees in front of a guy."

Again, we all sighed and took a drink, used to Jaxx's cheap wins. The drinks were stacking alarmingly quickly, and I felt a little dizzy for a moment. Then I realized all eyes were on me, with no idea of what to say. Cindy saved me again in gentle whisper.

"Say 'been on a yacht.'"

"Never have I ever... been on a yacht."

Everyone else dropped a finger, took a drink. Drunken curiosity overriding my natural reticence, I bubbled with follow-up questions.

"What... yacht? How big was it? I've never even... even... been on a boat!"

They all laughed at me: Jaxx with patronizing superiority, Aurora mocking and cruel. Even Cindy couldn't restrain a chuckle at my enthusiastic questions. He answered for them all.

"It's my dad's... more than 200 feet? It's got four bedrooms, a dining room, a movie theatre, a pool... his friends have bigger ones but... it's fucking sick."

He ended with a smirk that might have knocked me speechless, if I wasn't already without words at this new revelation. 200 feet meant nothing to me, but four bedrooms, a dining room and a movie theatre? And a pool?! That was bigger than my family house.

Jaxx could tell how much that idea was blowing my mind, and dropped the topic with a comment that lingered in my mind well after the night ended.

"Maybe if you're good, I'll let you see it sometime."

But in the moment, the game continued. Cindy and I each had one finger up, Jaxx and Aurora two. It was Cindy's turn, and she evened the odds.

"Never have I ever... fucked in a tent."

I felt in on the reference, recalling Jaxx and Aurora's pre-academic camping trip, and I giggled at Cindy's expression of celebration while they drank. Even all around, and we were on to the final round.

Aurora's turn, and she had a look of thoughtfulness on her face, as if she was pondering the perfect statement to both eliminate and humiliate me in one fell swoop.

Then a slow smile spread, wider and wider, spite and sin.

"Never have I ever... failed a class."

There was a beat of silence, but for the music playing underneath, as we each watched, waiting for someone to lower a finger.

Aurora finally broke the spell, her smile crueler as she spoke condescendingly, even for her.

"Sami... didn't you fail the year, silly?"

I gaped for a moment. Why did she know that I'd been failing? But it was past tense for a reason. With Jaxx's help, I had swiftly received A's for every course. I struggled to explain, fading in the spotlight.

"N-no... I... He... Jaxx..."

I looked between the two in dumb confusion, as another blush rose through my body. A brief appeal to Cindy revealed she was no help, grinning with the definition of schadenfreude at Aurora's mistake by ignorance. Finally, Jaxx stepped in to save me.

"Oh, yeah. I got Sami's grades fixed."

He was a little brusque, still looking at me as he spoke. I squirmed under his attention in the suddenly tense atmosphere, wishing I could fall between the couch cushions.

It was tense because of the anger radiating off Aurora. She'd gone totally still, no more bouncing along to the beat of whatever song was playing. I was forgotten; Jaxx had earned her full attention. When she did move, it was just her face, falling to neutral, then an outright scowl.

"What."

It was more of a threat than a question, and I was truly afraid of her, glad she wasn't looking at me.

Jaxx was unmoved, still taking me in, a hungry look in his grey eyes. His tone was dismissive, like it didn't matter that he hadn't told her he was effectively giving me two hundred grand.

"We'll talk about it later."

That wasn't a good enough answer, and she stood up primly, long strides carrying her to the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind. There was a moment of silence, before Cindy broke it.

"Awkwardddd..."

I was starting to feel Jaxx's stare, stroking my skin, peeling off my skimpy clothing. He was too close; he could have reached out and taken me. But for the moment, it was all business.

"Okay, let's keep playing."

Mostly business. There was still something about the way he looked at me that put me on edge, my heart beating faster. I mumbled a protest he overrode easily.

"B-but... Aur--"

"--She lost, it's just us now. Never have I ever..."

He paused for a moment, taking a sip from his drink, never breaking eye contact. It was totally for dramatic effect; I could tell from the way his eyes flickered that he knew exactly the question he was asking, had probably had it chambered since the start of the game.

"...taken a cock in the ass."

I cringed, horrified by the blunt, crude obscenity of the statement. My heart was pounding in my chest, and the drink in my hand wobbled obviously. I wanted to run, thoroughly spooked; not just by the words, but by the way he said them, all the implied reasons and consequences I could only begin to imagine. Jaxx kept me there though, stuck on his deadly smirk.

In my peripheral vision, I saw Cindy's finger fall, her hand bring the cup to her face. Shit. We had lost. I tried to steady my hand, cool my nerves, match his stare with defiance I had to fake. But when I lowered my finger and raised my drink, a hand grabbed my elbow to stop me.

"Uh-uh."

I finally tore my eyes away from Jaxx, landing on Cindy, who wagged a finger at me with her know-it-all smile.

"You never did that. Unless you're going out without me!"

It took me a few seconds to find words to respond, ignoring her playful jibe.

"What? B-but... I... You..."

I stuttered, confused, trying to ask the question without revealing anything before Jaxx. But she didn't care about what I wanted secret.