20. âiâm not playing truth or dare.â
hello! this is sweetvee, and is also shamelessly inspired by perks of being a wallflower. enjoy!!
âSweet Pea!â calls Toni, the giggly sort of tipsy and draped over Cheryl in the middle of the living room carpet. âCome play!â
He takes a long sip of his bottle of Miller High Life (The Champagne of Beers, boasts the label, because apparently everything is ridiculously titled in the Blossom household) and crosses his arms, scowling.
âIâm not playing truth or dare,â he says flatly, leaving no room for argument.
Itâs the last party of the summer after senior year, the week before all the preppy Northsiders scatter across the country for college, and Cheryl invited the entire graduating class of Riverdale High to come get drunk in her ridiculously sized mansion.
Sweet Pea wouldnât have even considered attending, had Toni not begged him with her eyes huge and hopeful, Cheryl after bribing him with all the free beer he wanted. He figured he could stay an hour, kick Reggie Mantleâs ass at pong, and then head out before anyone managed to piss him off too badly. Nowhere in his promise had he agreed to party games.
âCâmon, S, are you scared?â baits Fangs, Kevin Kellerâs arm wrapped firmly around his waist, and Sweet Pea mentally regrets ever befriending the traitor.
âTruth or dare is a Blossom tradition,â adds in Cheryl brightly, her lipstick cherry red and immaculate when she smirks.
People are looking now, faces turned towards him expectantly, so Sweet Pea finishes off the last swig of mediocre beer and flops into the circle with as much disdain as he can manage.
Coop and Jones are already there, distracted with a side conversation about murder or some shit like that, and so is Josie McCoy and the rest of her posse. The rest of the crowd is mostly just jocks and cheerleaders that Sweet Pea would barely tolerate, if not for the three beers creating a pleasant warmth in his chest. He notices Andrews at the very periphery of the circle, looking distinctly put out and nursing a Coors Light.
Veronica is on the very other side of the sloppy circle, curled up next to Betty and looking particularly nice, dressed up in a crop top and skirt made out of some black, shiny material. The sight of her, as always, knocks his pulse a little off-kilter, some strange nerves he doesnât quite know how to diagnose.
âThey broke up a few weeks ago,â stage whispers Toni to him, drunk and much too loud. âShe said she didnât want to do long distance for college. Itâs all very salaciousâ
He ruffles Toniâs hair, messing up her braids, and tries to convince himself that he doesnât care at all about that particular grain of information.
âYouâre a lightweight, Topaz,â he informs her, and Toni rolls her eyes but laughs all the same, pecking him messily on the cheek before she settles back into Cherylâs side.
âYeah, but you love me,â she chirps, and he decides not to argue the point.
The game plays out as games of truth or dare are wont to do. Teenagers make out sloppily and remove articles of clothing and take shots, the dares getting progressively wilder as the night continues on. Sweet Pea joins in heckling Jones when he tries to pick truth, and whistles when Toni licks a stripe of whipped cream off the pale expanse of Cherylâs stomach.
Heâs almost starting to enjoy himself, up until itâs Kevinâs turn to pick a victim. Heâs clearly buzzed, dramatically scanning the room with his cheekbones flushed and the collar of his Oxford shirt crumpled.
âSweet Pea!â he says after a pause, grin dangerous. âTruth or dare?â Sweet Pea considers for a moment before he answers. âDare.â
âI dare youâŚâ drawls Kevin, stretching out the moment for emphasis. âTo kiss the prettiest girl in the room. And notice how I charitably said girl and not person, because letâs face it- Iâd smoke all of you bitchesâ
Sweet Pea takes a moment to dwell on the fact that not one, but both, of his best friends have exceptionally bad taste in romantic partners. Thereâs a chorus of wolf whistles and cheering, only half because Kevin and Fangs are now making out for all to see, and he takes the crowdâs fractured attention to consider his options.