Slow Burn by V. J. Chambers Read Free Book Online Page B

chairs in the living room.
    “So,” I said. “What do you guys want to play? I’ve got cards. We could play Asshole. Or King’s Cup. Or Never Have I Ever.”
    One of my art class friends giggled. “Why don’t we let Griffin decide?”
    We all turned to Griffin, who was perched on the couch, glaring at the door. “Look, uh, I don’t even know what those games are. Play whatever you want.”
    “What?” said my art class friend. “How can you not know?”
    “Haven’t you ever played a drinking game before?”
    “Have you been living under a rock?”
    Griffin’s jaw twitched. “Kind of, I guess. That a problem?”
    The girls drew back at the sharpness of his tone.
    Griffin saw their reaction. “Sorry,” he muttered.
    “Clara, you pick,” I said.
    “Well,” she said, “we should definitely play Never Have I Ever. Griffin can start, and he can say that he never played Never Have I Ever.”
    He turned to me, looking lost.
    “It’s kind of like the truth part of truth or dare,” I explained. “Someone tells the group something they’ve never done, and anyone who
has
done it has to drink.”
    He shrugged. “Okay. So, that’s my turn, then. What Clara said.”
    Everyone else drank.
    It went to the next person. She grinned. “Okay, um... never have I ever... had a threesome.”
    I drank a swig of my beer. No one else did. I forgot that I was playing with the goody-goodies from school. Oops.
    They all gasped.
    “Leigh! You did not!” said Clara.
    One of the guys from my math class grinned. “So was it like two girls and a guy or two guys and you?”
    “Wouldn’t you like to know,” I said.
    Griffin gave me a vaguely disgusted look.
    I blushed suddenly. “Um, it’s someone else’s turn, right?”
    Clara waved her hand. “Me.” She sat up straighter. “Never have I ever given a blow job.”
    I drank. Most of the other girls did too. Good. I was glad I wasn’t in a group with that many prudes.
    “What the hell, Clara?” I teased. “How do you keep a boyfriend?”
    “Shut up,” she said, sticking out her lower lip in a mock pout.
    “She
is
a freshman,” said one of the other girls.
    “That’s no excuse,” I said. “What about high school?”
    “Leave her alone,” said Griffin in a low voice. He was staring at his drink, not at the door. “I don’t know if I like this game.”
    “Don’t be silly,” I said. “It’s all just fun.” I turned to Clara. “You know I was teasing, right?”
    “Oh yeah,” she said. “It’s okay, Griffin.” She beamed at him. “But thanks for taking up for me.”
    His nostrils flared, like he was angry. He didn’t say anything.
    “Who’s turn is it?” I said.
    The guy from my math class spoke up. “Uh... never have I ever gone bungee jumping. Sorry, it’s lame.”
    “It’s fine,” I said. No one drank, though. I looked around at the group. “I guess none of us have, huh?”
    “My turn,” said one of the other girls from art class. “Never have I ever punched someone.”
    I drank. So did Clara, the guy from my math class, and a few others. Griffin didn’t. I nudged him. “You’ve so done that. I’ve seen it.”
    He turned his eyes on me. They were hollow and intense. “I don’t think I want to play.”
    I felt an urge to back away from him. “Okay. You don’t have to.”
    “It’s just for fun,” said one of my art class friends.
    “Come on, Griffin,” said Clara, grinning at him.
    He got up. “You guys play without me. Seriously.” He stalked over to the other side of the room, to his spot next to the fridge in the kitchen.
    We were all quiet.
    Clara twisted in her chair to face him. “Hey, we can play something else if you want.”
    “I’m fine,” he said. “Just ignore me, really.”
    Clara turned back, hunching her shoulders. “Was it me?” she whispered. “Did I say something?”
    I shook my head. “Don’t mind him. He can’t really get drunk anyway. He’s sort of on duty all the time. You know, since