by Star

Notes: I think it’s about time I said this: I don’t approve of 13 year olds getting drunk. Especially on vodka (my mates used to get drunk on fizzy wine when we were that age - and that’s not a good thing either). So I apologise, but you know Annie, I don’t have any control over her.

Part 4 ~ Terri's POV

     Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

     Feic!

     This close! Her lips touched mine! Damn Mr Hatch to hell!

     I quickly retract that thought. A good Catholic girl like me damns nobody to hell.

     I sigh deeply. We’re back in Annie’s room once more. Fully clothed.

     And with about ten feet of space between us.

     Annie was so proud of us for doing the dare, she topped up our still-full glasses with more vodka. Marie subtly gestures that we shouldn’t drink it. As soon as Annie excuses herself to go to the bathroom she turns to us, seemingly oblivious to the tension between myself and Maya.

     “Don’t worry, this vodka’s as weak as hell. I tipped most of it away and topped it up with water.” She grins at us. “And please check how many plants we have scattered around the room. They need a good watering. Just don’t let Annie see you.”

     I tip a load of my drink into the nearest plant pot, Maya quickly follows suit.

     “That’s the key.” Marie nods approvingly. “Also, you gotta take the odd sip now and again. Just press the glass to your lips, but don’t swallow any.”

     I glance at Maya, wondering how often Annie must do this if Marie’s such an old hand.

     Marie reads my expression correctly. “She’s not like this all the time, it’s just that the Psycho is annoying her at the moment.”

     “Who’s the…” Maya tails off as Annie re-enters the room.

     “Howdy, chaps.” She says perkily. “I believe it’s your turn to come up with a question.” She takes a seat on the floor again and takes a big swig of her drink.

     Maya gives me a look, then holds the glass to her lips. “Nice.” She says.

     I hide a snort. Maya’s a drama student? That was really lousy acting.

     “So, question.” Marie prods.

     After a quick conference, Maya and I decide the question will be “Are you a virgin? If not, details.”

     Not brilliant, but it will pass the time. Besides, it will be fun. Nobody in my class will admit they’re virgins, so hopefully it will land on Annie or Marie and they’ll take the dare.

     The bottle points to Annie when it stops spinning. Maya grins at me.

     “Dare.” She states firmly.

     Maya and I put our heads together once more.

     “How about she has to sneak into a High School dorm?” Maya suggests.

     My jaw drops. Maya is the devil. I love her!

     My jaw drops a little further. Did I just have that thought?

     I quickly move on. I can puzzle that out later. “How about a certain dorm, she has to bring something back to prove she’s been there?” I add.

     “Oooh! Perfect. But what?”

     I think for a few minutes, then a smile slowly creeps across my face. “Pom-poms from the head cheerleader.”

     Maya giggles devilishly. “That’s perfect! I love y –” she stops suddenly then hastily corrects herself. “I love it!”

     I give her a weak smile and she pulls an unreadable face.

     Annie is somewhere between horrified and impressed with us when we tell her the dare. She disappears for twenty minutes and comes back with not only the pom-poms, but a cheerleading trophy.

     We used the time while she was away to throw our drinks away and replace them with water. Marie emptied the vodka bottle again, and added more water. “I don’t think there can be any vodka left in here.” She mused, holding it up to the light to get a better look. “Act giggly when she gets back or she’ll be suspicious.”

     “Are you impressed?” Annie grins, showing us the trophy.

     “How did you get that?” Marie asks in awe.

     “Well, I didn’t want to be caught stealing. That’s wrong.” Annie tells us, taking a seat and downing the rest of her drink. I exchange a look with Maya, I guess drinking underage is less wrong than stealing in Annie’s book.

     Annie grabs the trophy back from Marie who was busy tilting it to look at the engraving. “So I knocked on the door and asked.”

     “You asked?” We chorus in amazement.

     “Rather be told off for being out of bounds at night than for stealing.” Annie replies. “So I asked the head cheerleader, Aruna, she’s very cool. If I was a lesbian I’d definitely crush on her.”

     “And she just let you take the pom-poms and the trophy?” I ask. Hang on, did Annie just say the word lesbian?

     “Uh-huh. Aruna cut me a deal, she said I have to try out for the JV squad next year.” Annie sighs dreamily. “I wish I was a lesbian. Girls are easier to talk to than guys.”

     Yep. She definitely said it. A whopping twice now.

     “Yep.” Marie agrees cheerfully. “You can be friends with them and not have to worry that they’re going to ping your bra-strap or hit your arm for no apparent reason.”

     “And it must be so easy to get together with someone. Even if they turn you down you’re safe in the knowledge that they’re not going to run off to their friends and laugh about you.” Annie adds.

     Maya and I are completely silent as the pro-lesbian discussion escalates.

     “What do you think?” Marie turns to me.

     I shrug awkwardly. “Well, it can’t be that easy, can it? It’s not like lesbians are easily identifiable, you might end up hitting on a straight girl.”

     “Your thoughts?” Annie prods Maya. “This is a discussion, everyone must join in.”

     “I wouldn’t have a clue about lesbians.” Maya says in a tight voice.

     My face falls. I don’t know why I’m so disappointed, it wasn’t like I was expecting her to jump up and down waving a flag that read “I’m a raging lesbian, take me now Terri!”

     Then again, I thought, maybe she might possibly, kinda (in a very small way) like me? What was that thing when we were outside? Girls don’t stroke each other’s faces for no apparent reason, do they? I thought, to be cliché, we were having a moment. Was I way off?

     Or maybe I was just having a moment by myself and Maya accidentally got dragged into it.

     My depressing musing are cut off by Marie passing out.

     Annie begs us to help her put Marie in her own bed, so we do. I’m pretty sure that Marie winked at me while we were doing so.

     “Well,” Maya comments as we walk the three steps to our door. “That was some night.”