"We're going to play spin the bottle," Winter announced, with a look that sent a shiver down Alex's spine.
Fi, Violet, Kiyo and even Marie all cheered. They moved to sit down in a wide circle that included Winter, still sitting on the bed like a queen on her throne. Alex sat in the space they left for her. Marie reached over for the bottle they'd been drinking out of all night. She distributed what liquid remained around each of their cups, and placed the bottle on its side in the middle of the circle.
"You know how to play?" Fi asked Alex. Alex nodded. She'd never played before, she was reluctant to admit, but she'd seen more than enough movies to get the idea. Fi explained anyway: "We spin the bottle. It points to you, and it's truth or dare. Easy!"
"OK." Alex giggled. She was still riding high from the way she'd been dancing with Violet, and she couldn't help but fantasize about some of what the dares might involve. She knew drunk truth or dare could easily turn dirty, and she was also sure that Winter and her friends weren't the kind of people to back down from that.
"Let's get this started," Marie said. The androgynous girl in the bodysuit still sounded just as icy as before, but Alex thought she could make out a spark of amusement in her eyes. At the very least, Marie had been dancing just as much as the rest of them. "Who's gonna spin first?"
"Me!" Alex sang out. She was loving being the life and soul of the party.
"Alright then," Winter smirked, amusement in her voice. "Take it away, Alex."
With another giggle, Alex placed her hand on the top of the bottle, and spun it. She was a little clumsier than she'd expected thanks to the alcohol, and the bottle spun wildly off its mark, but still remained in the circle. When it eventually came to a stop, it was pointing right back at Alex herself. Fi clapped her hands gleefully.
"Truth or dare, Alex?" she demanded.
"Um..." Alex muttered. Somehow, she hadn't imagined it would land on her. Part of her wanted to see what kind of dare she'd get, but at the same time she was a little afraid of the way Winter's friends were eyeing her with such mischievous hunger. In the end, she opted for what felt like the safer option. "Truth."
Fi clapped her hands again. "Ooo, fun! Let me see... OK! Alex, do you or do you not have a crush on Winter?"
Alex blinked. That was the last thing she'd expected to be asked, and her stomach was suddenly doing the most awful butterflies. She couldn't just admit that! That was a hundred times more embarrassing than anything else she could imagine. The prospect of it was sobering her up a little, although her head was still desperately fuzzy. The expectant eyes of everyone else in the room weren't helping. Alex felt like a spotlight was on her, so bright it was making her sweat. For a moment she considered lying, but she somehow knew that wouldn't work. She was a useless liar. And besides, she suddenly realized, maybe admitting her crush like this when she was being forced to wasn't so bad. It was safe, in a way. And given given how much alcohol was coursing through her veins, this was about as courageous as she was about to get. Alex took a deep breath, and then nodded.
As soon as she did, she looked down and buried her face in her hands. Her confession was greeted by a loud series of cheers and jeers. Those did nothing to help her nerves. She wanted nothing more than for the ground beneath her to open up and swallow her, so she didn't have to face anyone ever again. She'd told Winter she had a crush on her! How was she ever going to face her again? She was blushing so hard her cheeks felt like they were on fire. After a moment of anguished embarrassment, someone reached over and patted her arm sympathetically. That helped Alex feel a little better, somehow, and she looked up gingerly. Everyone was staring at her, but Alex was searching desperately for Winter's reaction. As she made eye contact with her crush, Winter winked at her and licked her black-painted lips suggestively. Instantly, Alex's heart stopped and her jaw hit the floor. It took several long seconds for her brain to start working again, even a little. Winter was surely just teasing her. Right? Alex refused to consider any other possibilities. But at the very least, Winter's smile reassured her that she hadn't ruined anything by admitted her crush.
"Next," called out Marie. "Let's just go clockwise, so it's Violet next."
Just as Alex had done, Violet span the bottle. It span slower this time, and didn't spin out, and after a few moments it came to a stop. The bottle was pointing at Winter. The goth girl paused for a moment, considering the decision with a poised demeanor. "Truth," she said eventually.
"Oh, oh! I've got a good one!" Fi said excitedly. "If you and Alex were going out, what would your ideal date with her be?"
Alex was thunderstruck, but Winter just laughed. "Trying to play matchmaker, Fi?"
Fi didn't answer, she just giggled like a bashful schoolgirl. Meanwhile, Alex was spluttering feebly, trying to articulate some kind of protest. This wasn't fair! It was meant to be embarrassing for Winter, not her! Winter looked far from embarrassed; the goth girl was as composed as ever. Alex was anything but. She hadn't imagined she could get any more embarrassed than she already was, but Fi had proven her otherwise.
"Well, let me see..." Winter tapped her chin with one manicured finger as she pondered. "I've noticed you've been trying out a little bit of a new look, Alex." It took Alex a moment to realize what she was referring to, but she quickly figured out that the way she was dressing now was a far cry from the kinds of plain, frumpy outfits she'd used to wear. She could barely remember how or why it had happened, but she'd ended up giving herself quite the makeover. "So I think it could be fun to take that even further. We could go on a shopping date. I could take you all around town, suggesting things for you to try on. I'd be dressing you up like my own little Barbie Doll!"
Winter said all that with a serene smile, but her words were making Alex squirm. Something about that image, of Winter leading her around and making decisions for her, was incredibly exciting. Alex could imagine vividly how eager she'd be to follow Winter's every suggestion, how pleased she'd be to win her approval. For a moment she got lost in the fantasy, and once she jolted herself back to reality she glanced around hastily, hoping no-one else had noticed.
"That's all?" Marie asked Winter, sounding bemused. "Seems a little chaste, by your standards."
"Perhaps," Winter replied. The corners of her smile turned up, bringing a more mischievous look to her face. "Maybe after that, I'd take her home and then have a lot of fun taking those new clothes off again."
Alex let out a gasp that quickly turned into an awkward cough. Everyone else laughed.
"She's cute when she's embarrassed," Kiyo put in.
