Page 10 of Dirty Roulette
Autumn chokes and spits out her drink, snorting like a pig. “Don’t be such a bitch,” Naomi giggles at the same time Charlie mutters “Don’t call her that.”
“Well, someone’s gotta take on the responsibility.” Brittni laughs, completely ignoring Charlie.
Where is Norman Bates with the fattest knife in the world when you need him? If he doesn’t show up, I’ll have no other choice but to gouge her eyes out.
Noah looks between Charlie and Brittni as he dips his hands into his front pockets. “What’s Dirty Roulette?”
“Come upstairs and you’ll find out.” Brittni uses an index finger, baiting us all to follow.
“I’m in. Let me grab a friend, and I’ll be right up.” He walks out to the patio deck. “Hey, Omen!” He lifts a chin and disappears into the mob.
Charlie snatches my hand, “Let’s go!” I spin my head around, fighting against her pull as we weave through the tide of partygoers.
I drag my feet. “I dunno about this.”
“You’re with me. We’re gonna have a blast,” Charlie says.
We climb up the crowded stairs and down a dim hallway to a bedroom at the end. Other girls burst through the door in giggling fits. When we step in, the devil’s eyes meet mine.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Brody says and lifts an eyebrow. He stands in the corner with his bad-boy undercut blond hair. Girls in the room look at him like an appetizer waiting to be licked. They are weak in the knees from his cockiness like it’s irresistible. In my reality, he’s a spoiled, hard-boiled egg fermented to perfection – and I want to throw up. I can’t escape his black shirt clinging to his jacked bodybuilder features that can snap my neck in half like a twig.
I lean into Charlie’s ear and whisper, “Why is he here?”
“Chill, let’s go sit down.” Like a magnet, Charlie follows Brittni, Autumn, and Naomi and sits down on the gray shag rug in front of the unmade bed. It smells like sweaty socks, spilled beer, and a mix of cloying aftershave. Strung lights shed colors across the wall and discarded red plastic cups lay scattered all about.
I don’t recognize any of the guys in the room, but my sixth sense tells me they are part of the football team. The guys elbow one another, clearly thirsty for a taste. They point at us, scouting for the perfect snack to win.
Charlie eyeballs me and mouths, “Get over here.” She pats her palm on the floor, demanding me to sit next to her. I pull off the melodramatic, tilt my head back, groan, and weasel over with my five-year-old tantrum.
“Hey,” says one of the guys. He’s got an alpaca haircut and I can’t see his face with the curly hair hanging over his tanned, pointed nose. He’s jacked too, and from the looks of it, he probably spends the night at the gym working out in his sleep.
“Mm, hey Mama...” Nick – Scottie P’s long-lost son – sits at the edge of the bed with his best friend, a neon bong.
Others look like typical Brads and Chads. It won’t surprise me if there is a Kyle in here too. My mouth becomes dry and my heartbeat greets my eardrums. I don’t like any of these guys and all the other girls are gushing over them, already touching on their biceps, biting their lips, and doing flirty hair flips.
Noah and his friend, several inches shorter than him, stumble in. He’s basically his twin, but with a man-bun and a punk wife-beater showing off his chest tattoos. They sit down on the carpet and a few other girls pop in until there are over a dozen of us.
“Listen up!” Brody throws several packs of cards to the center of the circle with the bottle of vodka I stole.
“We’re playing Dirty Roulette. For you virgins out there, I’ll make this easy for you. It’s poker with a twist. Each time you have the lowest value in hand, you take a shot and spin the bottle. Whoever it lands on can either ask you to strip down or kiss you. Once you’re in nothing but your undies, whoever you land on... well...” He laughs as he runs a hand underneath his chin. “You’re fucking and filming it. Especially you freshmen joining.” Brody looks directly at me as he says it. “Trust me, if you try to get out of the game at any time, I’ll end you. And you two girls...” He chuckles and stares with his sinister eyes right at me as he pulls out his cell. A few swipes on the bright screen and he showcases the surveillance footage from 7-Eleven. Charlie flashing, and me stealing. “If you leave, this video goes straight to the pigs. There is no football or cheerleading, and no place for you at GCU. I suggest you play your cards carefully.” The smile doesn’t wash off his face.
I cross my legs, watching any rationality we possess circle down the drain.Scottie Plights up the bong and takes several long drags before handing it to me. “Have a hit and chill,” he whispers in my ears. “Either way, you’re having sex with someone.”
The water bubbles as I draw in a hit. A cloud of smoke pours out of my nostrils and I pass it to Charlie.
“I told you. Wehaveto sleep with one of them. Losing my virginity tonight wasn’t on my to-do list,” I whisper in the hollow of her ear.
Charlie presses her lips together before turning to me. “You don’t have to sleep with anyone.”
“Did you not hear him? Yes, we do. He had a video of us stealing.”
“You don’t have to play. If you wanna leave, then go.” She takes a long drag and is gifted with an aggressive cough. “That is super strong.” She swats at the smoke lingering around her face.
“I’ll lose my scholarship if I drop out.”
“It’s just a stupid game. It’s not that big of a deal. He’s not gonna post anything.”
“I don’t think he’s bluffing.”
