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Kota laughed at me, brushing a lock of hair away from my cheek. “I guess it’s time to get some sleep,” he said. He picked me up as he stood and deposited me on Silas’ lap.
Silas’ muscled arms wrapped around me, cradling me. It was almost warm and cozy enough to fall back asleep.
“I’ll go get blankets,” Kota said.
I blushed, wondering why I was deposited with Silas instead of just being put down on the couch but I was too lazy and comfortable to care. I didn’t mind anyway, I was just curious and confused.
“You better keep your eyes on that one,” I heard North say behind me to Silas.
“What’s the matter, North?” Silas asked. “Scared of a little girl?” There was a thud and Silas flinched but his eyes were laughing. I could only guess that North punched him in the arm.
The others moved into action repositioning the bean bag chairs off to the side by the wall. Some of them left to go change and the others took over laying out blankets. I pushed myself off of Silas’ lap so I could help Victor when he came in with an armload of pillows. Silas got up and walked off to change.
Seven makeshift beds were made across the floor, one on the couch. Gabriel wore red pajama bottoms and a fitted black tank shirt. Nathan, Silas and Luke wore shorts, no shirts. Victor had a white t-shirt and gray striped pajama bottoms. North wore black pajama bottoms and his black t-shirt. Kota wore a soft gray t-shirt, green pajama bottoms.
We sat together as a group on top of the blankets in a circle. The others were talking about the movie. I sat between Luke and Nathan. Luke had a glass bottle in his hand and was taking sips from it.
“What’s that?” I asked, nodding to his drink, noting the milky dark liquid. “Isn’t that coffee?”
His eyes narrowed at me and nudged me in the arm with his elbow. “Maybe.”
“Won’t that keep you up all night?”
A chop landed on my head and Nathan leaned into me. “Drinks one coffee and she’s suddenly an expert.”
I laughed. “I was just asking.”
“Oy,” Gabriel said from across the circle. “Alright we’ve got do some girl shit,” he said.
The others laughed at him.
“No,” he said. “I mean for Sang.” He looked at me. “Girls do something like truth or dare or pillow fighting or something like that, right?”
I blushed, shrugging. “I don’t know.” Who did he think I was? I’d told them before no one really talked to me and I wasn’t close to anyone. Didn’t they believe me?
“What did you do...” Gabriel started but he caught on to my confused look and slapped a palm to his head, laughing. “God damn it, Sang. Why didn’t you tell me you’ve never done a sleepover thing? I thought girls did that stuff all the time.”
Seven pairs of eyes landed on my face, seeking a million answers and my cheeks were radiating. My finger pushed at my lower lip. “I just... I mean... I don’t know.”
“You all are forgetting her parents,” Nathan said, wrapping his fingers around my wrist to pull my hand away from my face. “She’s not even supposed to be here right now.”
“We are all getting arrested if they figure this out,” North warned.
“We’re not getting arrested,” Kota said. “But let’s stop talking about it for now.”
“Right,” Gabriel said. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Since it’s Sang’s first time, we’ve gotta do some girly shit. It’s truth or dare time.”
“Try to keep the dares to a minimum,” Kota begged. “My mom’s probably asleep by now.”
“Sang,” Gabriel said, fixing his crystals on me. “Truth or dare.”
I pushed my lip into my lower teeth, tracing my finger across my mouth. “Truth?”
Everyone groaned.
“What?” I asked, and laughed. “I thought I had a choice.”
“You’re no fun,” Gabriel said, he brushed his palm against his chin. “Okay, I know you haven’t kissed anyone but has a guy ever wanted or tried to kiss you?”
Some mouths dropped open. Victor was sitting back against the base of the couch and his fire eyes caught mine out quickly. “You’ve never kissed anyone?”
“Shut up,” Gabriel said. “I’m asking the question. I’m telling you, she’s never done it.”
“We should do it now,” Luke said. “Get it over with.”
“No,” Nathan barked at him. “First kisses are supposed to be all nice and stuff. You’re going to scar her for life making her do it now. No kiss dares.”
There were arguments about this. Luke and Gabriel were vocal about getting kissing out of the way and one of them should do it. Nathan, Kota and Victor argued a first kiss for a girl had to be special. I brought my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs and pressed my cheek to my knee. If I wanted to stop them from fighting again, I had to distract them.
“There was a boy,” I said a little loudly to get their attention. When they heard me, they quieted. “I was in third grade,” I started, “it was snowing outside for recess and I was supposed to remain in the classroom. I had been sick the day before and my parents didn’t want me out in the cold. There was someone else there with me, I don’t remember who. He was playing on the computer in the back and I was just kind of watching him. Another boy walked in. He got sent in for being in trouble out on the playground.”
“Huh,” North said. The others hushed him.
“I don’t remember his name,” I continued. “He came in and watched whatever the other guy was doing for a moment and then asked me to follow him. I never talked to him before so I guess I was kind of surprised he wanted to. He had me go with him into the coat closet...”
“I don’t know if I want to hear the rest of this story,” Luke said.
There was a chorus of shushing.
I pulled my cheek away from my knees to look up. “When I was inside, he closed the door and he said he wanted to kiss me. I was so shocked that
when he stepped up to me, I pushed him away.” I started to smile at the memory, shaking my head. “I don’t remember how it happened but he pushed back and suddenly I was on the ground. He was wrestling me, trying to kiss me. I remember really not wanting to. I think mostly it was because he was trying to make me and I didn’t think I needed to be made to kiss anyone.”
“What an ass,” Gabriel said. “Did you make it out of the coat closet?”
“That’s another question,” Kota said, grinning. “You only get one.”
“It’s part of the same... God damn it, Kota.” He pulled a pillow out and tossed it at him.
Kota caught the pillow in the air before it hit him. “Besides, if she’s never been kissed, then she got out of the closet fine without doing it.”
“Oh yeah,” Gabriel said. “Good point.”
“Your turn, Sang,” Nathan said. “Pick someone.”
I closed my eyes and let my finger fly around the circle randomly. When I opened my eyes, I was pointing at Victor. “Truth or dare?” I asked.
“Truth.”
Everyone groaned again.
I bit my lip trying to think of what to ask him. There were a million questions in my mind right then. What does this bracelet mean? What does opening up to you mean? I didn’t think it was the appropriate time, but it was tempting. I settled for something simple. “What did you say to me in Japanese on the first day of school? The kirei.. um...”
Victor’s face turned red. “I don’t want to say it.”
“You have to,” Gabriel said to him. “It’s the rules. You picked truth.”
Victor grunted. He curled his fingers at me and leaned into the circle. “Come here. You’re asking. You’re the only one who gets to know.”
“Oy! Cheating!” Gabriel howled.
“Keep it down,” Kota said. “He’s right. She asked. He only has to tell her.”
I crawled over until I was close enough for Victor to whisper in my ear.
“Your eyes are beautiful,” he whispered.
I blushed, trying to remember that day. He still barely knew me!
