The Best Laid Plans(76)

“Ava! You’re the pro.” She hands the bottle to Ava, who sets it down gently in the middle of the circle.

“Alcohol please,” Ava says, holding her empty palm out. Chase hands her another bottle of tequila, this one only halfway gone, and she takes a showy sip, smacking her lips and shaking her head, shuddering as she swallows. “Thanks, Chase.” She pats him gently on the cheek, letting her fingers stay there for just a little too long. Then she reaches out and gives the bottle a spin. We all watch it, moving our heads around and around, back and forth, the possibilities and combinations running through our minds.

It lands on Jason Ryder. Everyone cheers and Ryder raises an arm up to fist pump, spilling a little beer on his shirt in the process. Next to him, Susie’s forehead creases a little, but the smile stays on her face. We all know that the rules of high school mean she can’t act like she cares.

“Aw, no fun,” Ava says, pouting. “We’ve already made out.”

But she leans forward and kisses him anyway. Ryder pulls away with a smack, and then reaches a hand up to squeeze her boob. Everyone cheers, and I force a laugh, even though I don’t think it’s funny, even though I see the frown on Ava’s face for a fraction of a second. I wonder if the other girls in the circle know it’s wrong too, if they’re all forcing laughs because the guys are laughing, if they’re cheering because it’s Ava and that makes it okay.

And then Ava is laughing too.

“Not in front of everyone, Ryder,” she says, sitting back down on her side of the circle. “Behave.”

Now it’s Ryder’s turn. The bottle is spinning, spinning, spinning, and I pray it won’t land on me. The thought of Jason Ryder’s tongue in my mouth makes me want to vomit.

The bottle stops on Chase.

Everyone goes wild.

“No fucking way!” Ryder says. “Guys don’t have to kiss each other.” He motions to Susie. “Susie is right here. I’ll kiss her.”

“Jason,” Danielle says, reaching into the circle and picking up the bottle, like by holding it she has the power to speak. “My house. My rules. And I say you have to kiss Chase.”

I see the twinkle in her eye. She’s loving this. This is her payback to Ryder for what he just did to Ava and for what he said to Danielle in the senior lounge. It’s her payback to Chase for a lot more. “Come on, boys, we don’t have all night.” She smirks and taps the bottle against her open palm. Tap. Tap. Tap.

“This game is fucking stupid,” Ryder says. “I don’t need a game to get with girls.” He stands up. “I’m getting another beer.”

“Does that mean you’re out, Jason?” Danielle asks, her voice saccharine sweet. He walks into the kitchen and raises a hand in the air, flipping her off without turning around. “So touchy,” she says.

“Do I get to spin?” Chase holds his palm out to Danielle. She looks at him for a moment, sighs, and then places the bottle into his open palm.

“Use it for good, Brosner.”

“I’ll just kiss you instead.” He turns the bottle so it points in her direction. “You’re the one I want it to land on.”

“Those aren’t the rules.” She turns the bottle back at him. “Spin.”

“Dani,” he says, his voice soft.

“Spin.”

He sighs and reaches forward, giving the bottle a spin. It lands on Danielle, of course. Because that’s the way things work for Chase. She rolls her eyes and leans over the circle toward him.

“All right, Brosner, fair is fair. Lay one on me.”

He smiles and grabs the back of her head, gently pulling her toward him. She keeps her lips pressed tightly together as his inch closer. Still, I see her break into a smile right before they touch, like she can’t help it, like maybe she wanted to kiss him all along.

I glance over at Andrew, hoping he doesn’t look too upset, but he’s barely even watching. He’s staring down at the floor, drawing a pattern in the wood with his thumb. He must feel my gaze on him, because he looks up and over to me.

Are you okay? I ask him telepathically. Is this hard to watch?

This game sucks, he says back.

Danielle places the bottle down on the floor and spins, and we all watch as it rotates back and forth. I take a long swig of tequila. At this point, the margarita mix isn’t necessary, because the tequila alone has started to taste pretty good, sort of sweet and tangy at the same time. When I set down the handle and look back at everyone, I notice that the bottle on the floor is pointing right at Andrew.

Everyone in the circle cheers, and Danielle crawls toward him, using her finger to motion him forward. They meet halfway and his hands slide through her hair like they belong there, and then they’re kissing. I saw them kiss before, in the car, but not like this. Not since I knew he loved her. I realize I’m still holding the bottle of tequila, and hand it back to the person next to me.

Then it’s Andrew’s turn to spin, and I feel like I can’t breathe. I don’t want it to land on me, because I don’t want to kiss him in front of anyone, in front of everyone. But I don’t want the bottle to land on anyone else either. I don’t want to think about what that means.

“Reed’s already kissed every girl in the circle!” Simon says.