"Does anyone actually wanna play poker?" Meg asked when we were upstairs. "Or are you just here to see naked people? Because there's easier ways to-" She stopped herself mid-sentence when she heard Violet and Amy giggling and sighed heavily.

"Why don't you just take your clothes off and keep us entertained?" Skull Hat suggested.

I was pretty sure it was the first time I'd heard him say anything. He had a low, strained voice that sounded like he was perpetually on the verge of a cough.

She pinched her fingers and thumb together in a shushing gesture and cleared her throat. "Anyone want to hear my proposition? It's called 'Truth or Strip'. Like Truth or Dare, but instead of dares... pretty self-explanatory."

"Sounds kinda middle school, wouldn't you say?" I said, crossing my arms defiantly. The others had already started dropping to the ground.

"Did you strip in middle school parties?" she asked pointedly.

"I did," Amy said from the floor. Everyone turned. "Oh my god, I'm joking!" She flipped her hair dramatically and sipped from her cup.

"Can we just play, like, Never Have I Ever instead?" Violet asked.

"Seriously? No one... whatever," Meg grumbled. She waited for Michael to sit down next to me before claiming her place on the other side of him. "I guess I'll start then." Everyone robotically raised both hands. "Never have I ever fucked someone."

Everyone put one finger down.

"Oh good," she said. "I hate virgins."

Violet went next, smiling at everyone before speaking. "Never have I ever..." She covered her mouth and giggled. "Sucked a dick."

Everyone put a finger down except me and Skull Hat.

"Never have I ever had a threesome," Skull Hat said, looking specifically at Meg. She, Michael, and Amy all put fingers down.

Amy, who was next in line, gave a helpless shrug. "Uhhh, how about done drugs worse than pot? I don't know."

This time everyone lowered one finger except me and Violet. I suddenly realized that I had the most fingers left, which I wasn't sure meant I was winning or losing. Either way, I felt like the biggest loser to walk the earth.

I leaned towards Michael. "You do drugs?" I whispered as discreetly as possible.

"Coke, once. It's a long story."

"Jesus Chri-"

Amy elbowed me in the rib. "It's your turn."

I thought hard. I couldn't say something too innocent, like stealing, but I wanted to think of something I'd actually done so I would look cooler. It had to be something really bad, I thought. It had-

"Never have I ever spied on someone in the shower," Skull Hat said.

"It's not your turn," Meg snapped.

"He didn't say anything!" he yelled back at her.

"I was thinking," I said.

"Never have I ever tied someone up or been tied up in sex," said Michael. My heart dropped to my stomach. I looked around, observing Meg, Amy, Skull Hat, and Michael himself drop a finger.

Meg licked her lips. "This just got kinky. Okay."

"Your turn," he said. He glanced at me. "Unless Benjamin can think of a question."

"Never have I ever..." Meg murmured slowly, looking at Michael with a sly smirk. "Gotten with someone in this room."

I felt a dangerous spike in my heart rate. I was practically sweating. Wasn't weed supposed to make you relaxed? I was not relaxed.

Skull Hat, Michael, and Meg all lowered a finger. I guessed that Michael and Meg had been together, for obvious reasons, and probably Meg and Skulls, based on how he'd been looking at her.

Violet was twirling her hair, trying to come up with a question, when Michael leaned over to me and, with a particularly cunning smirk, pushed my index finger down.

"Shit," whispered Meg.

"Um, guys, why don't we play the other game?" I croaked.

Amy looked over. "What's wrong with this one? I'm in the lead."

I gulped, which was basically impossible with my dry throat. "It's just, uh, this one, um, there's no stripping. Wasn't that the poin-"

"You guys wanna play my brilliant Truth or Strip?" Meg asked the group. Everyone made faces of discontent and dropped their hands from the air. Meg mumbled something under her breath as she crawled over to where an empty beer bottle was conveniently lying in the corner. "We can use this."

She sat down again, this time closer to Michael than before, and set the bottle in the center of the circle.

"Everyone's done this before, right? Spin it, whoever it lands on answers what someone asks?" Everyone nodded simultaneously. I stared at the bottle, watching it go round and round, coming to a slow by Skull Hat. It continued, crawling past Amy, and stopped dead pointing at me. Meg smiled.

"Just ask the question," I mumbled, hating how happy she was. This should be easy, right? I could answer questions all night. No big deal.

"What's your dick size?" asked Meg.

My heart stopped. "Nine inches," I lied.

She laughed aloud. "Bullshit."

"Okay, maybe eigh-"

"Just take your shirt off if you don't want to say," Amy told me.

I took a deep breath and pulled it over my head. Everyone looked, besides Skull Hat; I was pretty sure he only liked boobies. "Do you work out at all?" Meg said.

I scowled, ready to say something, when Michael took a breath. "Now, Meg, we wouldn't be body shaming, would we? Because I..." He laughed. "I could go on for hours about your uneven tits."

"Shut up," she hissed.

"They're really lopsided," he told everyone. "One of them's like-"

"Spinning the bottle now," she interrupted hastily. It went around a couple times and ended up landing on her anyway.

"How much bigger is the lopsided one?" asked Skull Hat.

"We're not talking about this."

"Then strip," said Michael. She glared at both of them, then reached down and pulled her socks off to lay beside her. "No one better have a foot fetish," Michael said. He pointed at Skull Hat. "You, my man? Looking at you." The guy sputtered something, but by then the bottle was in motion again.

In the next few minutes, we found out Violet was willing to be choked, Skull Hat took off his skull hat, which apparently counted as a clothing item, and Meg admitted to having a body count of eleven.

The next spin landed on Michael for the first time, leaving only Amy untouched. Meg flicked her eyes toward him. "Name the last person you slept with."

I looked up from where I'd been staring off into space, curious myself. Instead, he reached behind his head and pulled off his shirt in one motion, then spun it around his finger and tossed it across the room. Violet whistled. Meg snickered under her breath.

The bottle went around again, landing on me. Violet nodded her head. "Same question," she said. "Last person you banged."

"Damn, be original," Meg said.

Violet shrugged. "You never said we couldn't repea-"

"Fine," snapped Meg.

I wasn't exactly sure. The last person I clearly remembered being with was Rhoda, but what ever happened with Chelsea? Probably I should say Rhoda. I felt wrong exposing her, even if she wouldn't care. So I reached down and unbuttoned my jeans, then slid them under my ass and down my legs.

"Guess we found the question to ask," Meg muttered.

Amy smiled at me. "Your underwear is cute."

"Uh, thanks," I mumbled awkwardly.

"They were my suggestion," Michael whispered to her. She widened her eyes and giggled, then looked down as the bottle slowed in front of her.

"Hand over the name or hand over your dignity," said Meg.

"His name is Carter," Amy said casually. "You wouldn't know him. He's a frat boy." Meg shrugged and spun the bottle again. I tried to remember where Carter fit into the Amy/Brad/Sarah saga. I couldn't.

Meg clicked her tongue as the bottle stopped by her. "Let's do something different," she said. "No more questions. Let's do dares."

"So if I told you to start sucking my dick right now, you would?" asked Skull Hat.

"Maybe, but then I would beat your face in," Michael said with a smile.

"Meg," said Amy. "I dare you to lick your boyfriend's armpit."

"He's not my boyfr-" she started.

"Do it already," Skull Hat barked.

She took a deep breath and turned in Michael's direction, then leaned down and pushed his arm up before grazing her tongue over his skin. He flinched and ripped his arm away.

Meg reached over to spin the bottle, seemingly unscathed from the armpit-licking. That, or she was good at hiding her emotions, unlike me. The bottle stopped on Violet, who gave a weak, terrified smile.

"I dare Violet to show off that rack she keeps talking about," said Michael.

She squirmed uncomfortably. "In- in front of everyone?"

"Do it," Skull Hat said eagerly. "Come on. Show your tits, it's the game."

Violet looked uncertainly at Meg. "I don't- I don't want-"

"You can always leave," Meg muttered unkindly. So much for the big speech on objectification, I thought.

"Guess there's nothing to brag about after all," said Michael.

"Wait," Violet mumbled, her face beet red. "I'll... I'll do it." Everyone watched as she reluctantly pulled her t-shirt up from where it was tightly tucked into her skirt, then took it off to reveal her black lacy bra. She looked at Skull Hat, as if wondering if she could stop, and he nodded for her to continue.

So she reached behind her, unhooking the bra, then slid it off. Her boobs were big and shaped, her nipples a delicate pink color. But seeing them didn't turn me on. I just felt sorry for her, and kind of guilty. She waited until everyone looked down and then covered them with her hands.

Meg spun the bottle, and something about that act seemed so heartless to me I almost felt nauseous. I watched it slow near Skull Hat, feeling the thing was out to get me even before it stopped, then inhaled deeply in dread when it landed on me.

Skull Hat, who I couldn't fathom despising any more than I already did, leaned forward with a sadistic grin. "Eat Meg's pussy," he told me, his raspy voice deep and dead.

"What the fuck?" Michael shouted. "What the fuck is wrong with your fucking mind? You sick-"

"I said the dare," Skull Hat growled. "So that's what's gonna happen. And you're gonna sit back and watch another man get in your bitch's pussy."

Fuck you, I thought. Fuck you and your stupid hat. I wanted to stuff it in his mouth and smother him to death with it.

I glanced at Michael, more terrified of his thoughts than anyone else's. "I, um, I won't do it if you don't want-"

He turned away and shook his head, clenching his jaw. "Whatever. I don't care," he muttered, in a way it was obvious he did.

"What are you waiting for?" Skull Hat said, his hands twitching with impatience. "Don't you think she's hot?"

"No," I muttered sulkily.

"Someday someone's gonna beat you to a fucking pulp," Michael told him. "And it might just be me."

I crawled over to Meg as she rocked back on her tailbone and opened her legs. They were darkly tanned and covered with a scattering of tattoos, mostly words I didn't take the time to read and pretty pictures of bows and roses. I looked at Michael, and when he wouldn't meet my eyes, I reached down and traced my thumb over the tiny letter M on her inner thigh. "I'm guessing this doesn't stand for Meg?"

"It stands for Move already before I knock your teeth in," she said.

I sighed. I had attempted this once in the past. With Patty Hartley. Mostly I just tried to avoid ingesting hair and clumpy globs of some mysterious substance. She didn't even pretend to moan. After that we stuck to solely intercourse.

I think I had PTSD. Pussy PTSD.

I gripped the band of her panties and pulled them down, so shakily I scratched her, while she gave me just about the most discouraging look possible.

I grimaced a little, then flashed a hateful glare at Skull Hat before I leaned down, pushing her folds back, and gave her a cautious, test-the-waters lick. It tasted like nothing, if maybe a little bitter.

"There," I said happily, sitting back up. "Done."

"The fuck?" said Meg.

Behind me, Michael made a strangled snorting noise and dipped his head, his face reddening with the laughter he attempted to hold in. "Oh my god," he practically cackled as he dropped onto his side on the ground, his arms crossed over his front. "Oh my god, that was amazing."

"I said eat it, you barely touched her," Skull Hat said angrily.

"Guys, it's fine, let's just play the game," Meg snapped, pulling her underwear back up her thighs.

She glanced at me coldly as she readied the bottle to be spun again. I spent the majority of the time staring at Skull Hat with the most threatening face I could possibly make. Unfortunately, he was too busy ogling the girls to notice.

It landed sort of in the middle between Michael and I, and after a few seconds of me not moving, he seemed to catch on I was not interested in partaking in any more dares and took the bottle, clearing his throat. "So. I guess no one's gonna dare me to eat them out?"

Amy laughed uncomfortably. Everyone else remained silent.

I kept staring at Skull Hat, thinking about all of the things I would subject him to if ever given the chance. Tell him to crush his own balls. Shove the bottle up his ass. Better yet, smash it in half and eat the glass.

I chuckled at the thought and Meg looked over at me. "You wanna pick this one?" she asked.

"Yes," I said immediately, an idea coming to mind. Besides me, Michael was the only person in the room Skull Hat wouldn't want to touch, and it wasn't like I was going to get anywhere near him. I turned to Michael and leaned closer to him, making him smirk. "Kiss him," I whispered into his ear, touching my lower lip to his earlobe.

He turned towards me, smiling with a hint of confusion. "You really want that?"

"No," I said. "I just know he really, really wouldn't."

The corners of his mouth turned up as he realized my vengeful intent, and he tilted his head slightly and gave me a wink. "Ah, I see. Enjoy."

I bit my lip and tried to restrain myself from giggling as he turned over onto his hands and knees and crawled over to Skull Hat, who looked around nervously and scooted back.

"What the- what's going on-" the guy stuttered, his face turning paler than it already was. He made a feeble swipe at Michael as he climbed over his legs. "Nah, man, you ain't-"

"C'mere, baby," Michael purred, hooking his hands underneath Skull Hat's knees to pull him closer.

"Nah-" was all he could manage to get out before Michael grabbed his face and aggressively forced their mouths together. Skull Hat, now that I looked more closely at him, was much skinnier than I'd initially noticed. His limbs did a little flailing thing as Michael dug his fingertips into his temples to hold his head in place.

Amy started laughing as Skull Hat jerked around to escape, and hearing that broke me and I finally laughed too. Michael let go, visibly biting down on Skull Hat's lip as he pulled away.

"Fuck you!" the dark-haired man screamed, slamming the heel of his hand into Michael's nose as he propelled himself away. "Fuck you all!" He reached up and scrubbed his lips violently with his sleeve as he scrambled to his feet. "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!" He stopped, his tongue falling out of his mouth as he leaned forward and made a gagging noise.

I laughed almost hysterically, wondering if he was actually going to throw up. That would be amazing.

"Um, hey, can you, like, go puke in the bathroom or something?" Meg said. "'Cuz I really don't want that on my carpet next to where I sleep, thank you very much."

Skull Hat didn't answer, just gave one last disgusted, unintelligible shriek before rushing out of the room. I sat back and sighed contentedly. I hadn't felt this happy in months. Years, maybe.

Michael turned around, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "You know, this is like the fifth time this week I've gotten hit in the face."

"Is your girlfriend abusing you again?" Meg asked dryly.

"Which one?"

"The one that makes cat noises."

"Oh," he said. "No. We broke up."

"Did she throw up when you kissed her too?" Amy asked. Everyone laughed, even Violet, who still looked rather upset.

I slid myself across the floor and picked up Skull Hat's skull hat, which he'd left behind. I supposed I couldn't call him that nickname anymore. Not that I ever planned on seeing him again. "Can I keep this?" I asked. "As a souvenir?"

"It probably has lice," Amy whispered. I grinned.

Meg pushed herself onto her knees, reaching for her socks. "Anyone want pizza? I don't know about you people, but I am starving. Like, serious deathly hunger."

"Sure," said Michael.

Violet said nothing and bitterly tugged her shirt back over her head. I picked up my pants and looked at them, wondering how I was possibly going to get these on while sitting on the floor and avoid looking stupid.

"This is the saddest game ever," Amy lamented as I contemplated rolling onto my back like a turtle. "We spent like an eternity in here just for that guy to run away screaming and then everyone else leave anyway."

"But that was funny," Meg said, while at the same time I said, "what did you expect to happen?"

She looked at me for a long moment, then twisted her lips together and shrugged.

I bit my lip, then glanced at Meg and Michael for just a split second, observing that they were engrossed in their own conversation. "Wanna... not go eat pizza?" I asked quietly. Maybe I wouldn't have to worry about putting my pants on after all.

She tilted her head a little. "If you want to."

I smiled. "Obviously."

I got to my feet, pants still in hand, as Meg and Violet started heading to the door, presumably in the direction of food, while Michael went across the room to retrieve his shirt.

I turned to Amy, touching the side of her face to turn it towards me, and kissed from her jaw to her ear. "Why don't you find us a room?" I whispered, making my voice slow and deep.

She smiled brightly and kissed me once before turning and walking toward the hall. I kept my face an nonchalant expression until she disappeared and then danced over to Michael, knocking into him so hard he had to catch me.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," I cheered as I jumped up and down in his arms. "Did you see that? Did you see-"

"I take it you're about to get some," he said. I suddenly realized I was actually more excited that a girl wanted to have sex with me than I was at the idea of having sex with a girl. Kinda sad.

I lifted my gaze, gliding my hands up his bare chest until they met. "I'll still see you later, right?"

He nodded and lowered his face so our noses touched. "Maybe I'll go fuck Meg while I'm waiting, who knows."

I stopped smiling. He smirked.

"Bye," I snapped, pushing him back so I could leave. I made it about two steps and then stopped with a sigh. I turned back, grabbed his hand, and dragged it to my crotch.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

I looked down, then forced his hand to rub over me. "Call it a, uh, failsafe."

He narrowed his eyes, clearly confused, which was fine with me. And then he widened them. "Oh my god, can you not get hard?"

"Shut up."