~Chapter 7~

The two friends were spending their silent yet comfortable time with each other peacefully looking at the field where enthusiastic children were playing ball. Suddenly the ball broke the peaceful atmosphere of the two friends when one of them got hit on the head. He fell down while the other one gasped and quickly sprung to action to help him out. The boy managed to sit back to the bench nursing his head with his hand, but the girl cast a spiteful glance at the offenders who were pushing one another to take the initiative to pick up the ball. One of them sheepishly came forward and tried to apologize when the girl did the most unexpected thing. She flung the ball up in the sky as high as she could. The poor ball acted as per its principle and as it was descending down, it got stuck to a tall tree just beside the playground-fulfilling the girl's motive and revenge.

How did he end up here?

Why is he here in the first place?—were the questions that circled around Rio Sander's mind as he sat awkwardly among a group of teenagers in a game of spin the bottle. A perfect game for parties like this. Rio had arrived at the designated address for pizza delivery only to regret his decision for it turned out to be none other than RonCorr's party. And this party had even more people than Fleabagh's party. He started to feel nauseous. But he has a job to do else the owner might cut his pay check. Rio swallowed, took two deep breaths, lowered his cap even more, covering his eyes and half of his face and entered the mansion.

Everything went smoothly of him delivering the pizza, receiving payment. His misery started when someone from the back end of the enormous hallway yelled; "Heyy we don't have enough people for spin thee bottle!"

Rio was about to escape but he was stopped and dragged towards the very direction from where the shout for more participants for spin the bottle game came. He was dragged by a feminine hand and he recognized the owner of that hand after hearing her voice, to be none other than Emilia Johannes; "Oiii I got another participant for the gamee." She sounded tipsy. A few chuckles got around after she reached the destination.

"Oye Emily that's the pizza delivery guy, why did you drag him here?"

Rio stood rooted like a stone, the warmth from the girl's palm gradually travelling up to his upper arm. Before that warmth could travel further he wrenched his hand away from her.

"Look he doesn't want to play, why did you drag him?"

"Ehhh Mr. Pizza man, why won't you play? Why do you have to always stick your nose inside books?" Emily whined and pouted.

"Huh? Inside books? Is he a student from our school?"

"Whaaaaat~? How do you mmpffhh!"

"H-hahahaha let's p-play shall w-we? I am g-getting off work a-anyways so I'll play w-with ya'll for a bit a-hahhah-aha." Rio chuckled awkwardly and pulled Emilia along with him.

That was a close save!

If Emilia spilled about his real identity, then his peaceful high school life would've been shattered to pieces.

All throughout the game Rio sat with the hollering teenagers who fished for truths and threw out random, stupid dares at each other. He wished nobody should hear how wildly his heart is thumping and begged his body not to start acting out again because he'll be in deep shit if he gets a panic in here out of all places, he also hoped that the bottle must never choose him.

Alas such hope did not last long.

This game was played in twelve rounds, after each twelve rounds a shuffle was made with new players and the ones on whom the bottle didn't land not even once in the previous rounds. There'll be two participants for each rounds, one towards whom the mouth of bottle will point at and another towards whom the butt of the bottle will point at. The one who was chosen by the mouth of the bottle will get to choose for truth or dare as asked by the other whom the butt of the bottle will choose. If it is truth then either the latter person can ask the questions or can receive recommended questions from other participants or audience, but if dare is chosen then the moderator of the game will give the dare on his own. Rio and Emilia were such cases. But not for long as the bottle eventually pointed at Emilia with its butt at Rio.

Rio copied what others did all until now and spoke; "T-truth or da-dare?"

He sincerely hoped for her to choose truth but the girl gave an evil smile as she made her choice; "Dare."

The decision for dare was immediately given to the moderator who howled in excitement; "All right baby, let's do itt! Okay Johannes I dare you to—" Suspense arose at the pause as everyone waited for bated breath of the dare that'll be given; "---spend seven minutes in heaven with the pizza guy in that closet!" Loud shouts and cheers erupted from all the sides and everyone chanted "Do it! Do it!"

Rio felt his blood drained from his face. His hands shook as they became clammy, all the music, shouts, cheers, hollers started to get muffled. He looked around to find a way to escape but couldn't find one as his desperate vision of search was obstructed was the bodies of several students who had gathered around the spin the bottle game.

Suddenly he felt a warm, pleasant touch that made him stand up from the hoard of people. He stumbled on his feet but blindly followed her because something in her touch made him feel reassured and calm his approaching nausea.

They entered the closet and shut the door behind them.