Author's Note: Ok folks, the characters aren't mine, they belong to Squaresoft (I can only wish they were mine) I ain't makin' one red cent, or any other cent of any color, I'm as poor as a church mouse (hey who came up with that sayin' anyways…I mean how can you tell if a mouse that lives in a church is as poor as say a mouse livin' in an apartment building?) Please don't sue, cuz all ya'll get is my kids' broken toys and dirty laundry, and I do mean clothes, this ain't the mafia!!!
Truth or Dare
Chapter 8
Selphie tore herself from Fujin's side and called to the others in the room.
"Hey guys, hurry it up, get your drinks and come over by the TV in a circle mind you!"
"Does it have to be a circle, why can't it be a square?" Seifer teased the bouncy brunette.
Zell having caught on to the teasing decided to join in, "Ya how about a triangle?"
"Or maybe darlin' we can make a hexagon?" The tall cowboy teased as well.
"Very funny guys," She said disgustedly, while trying to keep a straight face, which failed, and she ended up laughing as well as the others except for Squall, whose face truly had the disgusted look. He rolled his eyes at the others antics and walked over carrying the whiskey still, he hadn't even bothered with a cup; just took the whole bottle and drank from it directly.
Irvine watched longingly while Squall drank, almost tasting the smooth brew, knowing the how it burned going down.
/Damn that Squall, why couldn't he have done the usual, and taken a beer instead, or even taken one of Zell's Corona's, if he wanted somethin' different…. No he had to take my damn Galbadian Whiskey! Now I'm stuck with the friggen' beer, cause I ain't gonna drink that piss that Zell drinks!!/
He snorted his disgust and Raijin looked over at him for a moment, and then started to snicker with understanding, looking over towards the Commander swilling the whiskey like it was water. "Ya know, if he keeps up like that he gonna be faded, ya know! Someone aughta go over and maybe get the guy to slow down, ya know."
Irvine merely looked over to Squall and shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the table and grabbed a beer and went next to Selphie and Fujin and plopped down with thinly disguised disgust at what he had to drink.
Raijin watched this with a smile, knowing that the cowboy would somehow get back at Squall, in some form in the game, for taking his prized drink. Quistis came up next to him and bumped him with her shoulder, which actually didn't move him at all, but she ended up being moved herself, it was like bumping into a brick wall, the man couldn't be moved.
He turned and looked down at her and smiled, "whatcha do that for ya know? Ya could have hurt yourself there."
"Somehow I don't see that happening Raijin, but I do see that you are quite immovable." She laughingly told him. "So have you decided what you're going to have to drink?"
"Ya, ya know, I don't get into those Coronas, or those Breezers, they don't do a thing for me, I think it's cause I have a high tolerance for alcohol, never could understand it, I think its cause of my size, but it's never been proven, ya know; I'll just end up drinkin' the beers, cause I like the taste, now that whiskey, if I drank enough, I could get a slight buzz off of it, ya know."
She nodded, while within her mind she was amazed at how much Raijin spoke, he was a regular chatterbox, once you got him started he just went on and on, not that she minded, it was actually kind of fun to just listen to him, he was a regular font of information, and the way he spoke of how he saw things was wonderfully refreshing at times, so different from the others.
"So ya want to sit close to each other and flirt like mad; get Squall to take notice and maybe make him make a claim to ya in some way?" Zell asked Seifer, while looking over towards Squall covertly, watching the brunette chug the whiskey, "Man I've never seen Squall drink hard liquor, we must be getting' to him already!"
Seifer looked over to where Squall sat, with Rinoa sitting next to him drinking her Strawberry Breezer slowly, eyeing Squall a little nervously. "Ya I can see that we are, 'cause your right he never drinks the hard stuff, doesn't like to be out of control of himself. And he is chuggin' that stuff like there was no tomorrow there." Seifer laughed at the thought of a drunk Squall, "That might be a good thing, him getting' wasted, it would be very interestin' wouldn't it."
"Ya, but don't think that I would let him make a total fool of himself, that would maybe hurt him in the long run, so if he starts to get out of hand, I'll step in and stop it, he would do the same for me." The smaller blonde stated emphatically.
"Don't worry there Chick…um...Zell, I don't wanna see him fall flat on his face, just want some openness from him, which truth to tell I know is like pullin' blood from a turnip, but dammnit, I'm gonna get him to at least tell me his feelins', that's the least I deserve!"
"True, well not really, but ok, if it will make him happy."
Selphie stood up, from where she had been sitting and called out to the others. "Hey we gonna play today or what, get over here so we can cover the rules and start this game!"
They all came over realizing that if they didn't Selphie would start to threaten dire consequences until she got her way. And no one wanted to find out what those would be.
"Ok, now that everyone is here, I'm gonna give ya the rules. One: No arguin' with the person who picks ya. Two: Don't waffle on which you want; if ya pick truth, stick to it. Three: You must answer with the absolute truth, because that's what we're playin for here. Four: You can't ask the same person who asked you something right back. Five: No dangerous death-defying dares. Six: You…."
"Damn girl, how many rules you got, this ain't gonna be fun if ya keep spoutin them." Seifer laughingly told her.
She laughed and then looked at everyone, "Ok, well I'll stop with the rules for the moment, but you all agree if something comes up, I get to be a referee of sorts' right?"
The others quickly nodded their assent to this, knowing that she would harp till she got the response she wanted.
"Ok, as this was my idea, I get to start the game off, and I choose who to pick!" Selphie stated, while smiling very wickedly. She began to look at the others slowly, while holding her chin in her hand and using her index finger tap her lower lip. "Hhhmmm…so who do I choose…"
"Aww get on with it, the suspense is liable to kill me!"
"Zell the process of starting this game is very important gotta get it just right…but since you are so impatient, I'll start with you. Well Zell Truth or Dare?" Selphie asked him with an impish gleam in her eye.
Zell looked disgruntled, knowing that he should have kept his mouth shut, but then smiled back at Selphie and told her, "Truth, I ain't got nothin to hide…ask away."
"Oh I intend to Zell," she laughed then asked," Well Zell, how about if we ask if you ever slept with…oh what's her name…the girl in the library, that is always flirting with you. I can't ever remember her name? Well have ya?"
Zell sat there quietly for a moment, his face flushing a becoming shade of red; he looked down at his shoes and then looked back at the others, who were looking at him with anticipation, like a pack of dogs waiting for the kill.
"I think I would rather have the dare there Selph!"
"Whoa there guy…are ya tellin' us that you have slept with her, way to go man" Irvine said while looking at Zell with great respect.
"No I'm not tellin' anything, I'm takin' the dare dope!"
Selphie smiled and said, "Ok then, if ya want the dare that's cool, and guys just 'cause someone doesn't answer doesn't mean that's an admission of guilt! Well Zell for your dare you're gonna have to….," She looked at the others speculatively, letting the gears in her head whirl, "Run down to the library and give that girl a kiss, what's her name again?"
"Her name is Ariel*!"
"Hey you're gonna let him go alone, and trust that he said he did it?" Seifer asked, "Why not let me go and make sure that he does his dare, ya know I'll make sure he does it and tell ya all the details!" He smirked while waiting for the others to agree with him.
"Ok Seifer you go with him, and let us know what happens, we'll wait here and drink some more." Selphie laughingly said.
Squall sat and brooded, watching the blondes get up and get ready to go, feeling his mood drop, feeling jealous and not recognizing, nor willing to analyze what he was feeling, but knowing that he did not want Seifer and Zell, who for some reason were getting very friendly with each other, to go alone on this dare, and before he knew what he was about he found himself saying, "I'll go as well, these two are always fighting, and if I go I can make sure to keep the peace and make sure Zell does it and Seifer doesn't mess around and cause Zell to mess his dare up."
The others just looked at Squall, especially Rinoa, in amazement, except for Seifer, who secretly laughed and Zell, who knew what had prompted this.
"Well Squall, if you think you should, go ahead, I didn't even think of Seifer doing that, but you do have a point," Quistis answered.
The three got up and headed out towards the library, both Seifer and Zell walking close together smiling at each other every so often, while Squall walked behind, glowering at the blondes. The whiskey that he had drank earlier was beginning to affect him, he was starting to feel a little light headed, but he didn't want the other two to know, so he tried to concentrate as hard as he could to keep his face straight.
Seifer looked over his shoulder, trying to do it nonchalantly, and nearly exploded in laughter at the look on Squalls face, he was scowling, but he also looked like he had smelled something really bad, his nose was wrinkled and his lips puckered, in Seifer's mind he looked adorable, not that Seifer would admit to thinking Squall adorable, he had a reputation to protect. He turned back forward before he gave into his urge to laugh. Zell was not so inhibited, he turned and looked and burst into laughter, which made Squall scowl even more, his look getting blacker by the minute.
"What are you laughing at!!!"
"Oh man you should see your face dude, what the heck are ya smellin' that is givin' you that look? Cause I sure don't smell nothin'."
"I have no idea what you are blabbering about there Zell, but keep laughing at me and we can go down to the training center and get you on the other end of Lion Heart!"
"Whoa dude I didn't mean anythin' man, I'll quit laughin' sheesh, some people can't take a joke." Zell grumbled as he walked and looked forward but his attention was drawn to Seifer, whose shoulders were shaking suspiciously, Zell, looked over up and into Seifer's face, who was trying to cover his mouth with his gloved hand. Zell smiled and began to walk backward and in front of Seifer smiling at the taller blonde.
"Dude, what's got you laughing like that…don't tell me your laughing at our great Commander, cause…" and he looked over towards Squall who was still making the same face, but was looking over towards the fountains and not paying them any attention at the moment, "that face he's makin' is hell a funny, but don't let him know that your laughin' he's a bit touchy." And with this said comment he started laughing all over, causing Seifer to lose his battle and laugh as well. Squall heard this and turned towards the two, noticing that Zell was walking in front of Seifer backwards, which in his opinion looked too friendly, and gave him that jealous feeling again, which he again refused to acknowledge. He was about to make a caustic comment to the two, when they realized that they had arrived at the library and stopped at the door. Seifer looked at both Zell and Squall and took the initiative to speak.
"Well Zell, here's your chance we'll wait over by the first bookshelves over on the left, while you go over to Ariel and give her a big wet one!"
Zell saluted and waited till they walked over to the shelves and then headed to the front desk smiling at Ariel, hoping that she would be a good sport about this, and not knock his lights out. When he got there she turned and smiled at him, greeting him.
"Hi there Zell, this is a surprise, I thought you were going to hang out with your other friends today?"
"Well see that's why I'm here Ariel, but before I tell ya I have to do something, and to do that you have to lean over the counter for me!"
As she frowned with confusion, she also leaned over, expecting him to whisper something to her, not expecting him to take her face in his hands and start to kiss her rather deeply.