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“Truth or dare!”
“Truth or dare?”
“Oi, I wanna play!”
“Can we play, too?”
“Honestly. Are we sixth graders?”
Everyone around the pub started speaking loudly, giggling and pushing each other. The sounds of voices and yells clanged against each other in the air, each voice fighting over the others just to be loudest.
All the while, glasses clinked in cheers, and chairs scraped. Someone was singing somewhere, although Drift could not see who, or make out the melody of the song. Her half-drunken mind was taken over both by the idea of playing truth or dare, and the strong smell of AJ’s cologne.
“Should we play, Drift?” The nice-smelling Mage whispered lowly in her ear.
Drift could smell the vodka lacing her breath, but also the acting in it. The fakeness of their charade, smothered by the smell of alcohol and sweat.
“Sure, I don’t mind. Sounds fun, no?” She gave AJ a shaky smile, though Drift was sure no one else would notice.
Somehow, almost the entire Academy had wound up in the pub. Drinks were being passed around carelessly, some singing loudly, others dancing, a couple simply sitting in the corner.
It was Drift’s idea to come.
Her idea that acting all… lovey-dovey around the other students would be beneficial for them, for their fake relationship.
It was working, since about eight people had asked if they were back together.
But no amount of whiskey was able to quell the vomit rising in Drift’s throat as AJ’s hand snaked around her waist, all evil and lusty.
Not that AJ was disgusting—
It was her own feelings Drift found herself increasingly annoyed, sickened, by. How her stomach warmed with each squeeze of her thigh, or whisper in her ear.
Drift hated AJ. She was mad at her.
It just—
Her body must have forgotten.
“Alright. Should we join, Open Book?” AJ took another swing of her vodka bottle, throwing a smirk at Drift as she extended her hand out, cosplaying a gentleman.
Still, Drift took it.
AJ led her to the the biggest table in the pub, where a gaggle of students were sitting. Sausage, Pyro, Graecie, Zam, Scott, Shelby, Elaina, Megii, and Ambear all had seats, with a couple others standing around them.
There was one seat left, Drift realised as the two got closer.
“AJ, there’s—” She tried to interject and pull AJ away to get her another chair, but her fake girlfriend ignored the interruption.
Instead, AJ slid right into the empty seat, between Ambear and Pyro, and grinned up at Drift.
“AJ, no.”
“Come on, Open Book! There aren’t any other seats, are there? Guess we’ll have to share.” She used her singsong voice on Drift, one hand still wrapped around the girl’s waist, and the other lightly patting AJ’s thighs, which were manspreading.
“You really want me to sit on your lap, huh? You want it that bad?” The former Princess suddenly remembered she was supposed to be flirty with AJ, and raised a cocky eyebrow at her.
“Hey, it’s not my fault there’s only one seat.” AJ defended herself jokingly. “And, yes, I do want it so bad. Oh, God, Drift! I want it, so, so, so! Bad!” Her voice became higher, almost moaning at the end.
Drift had to fight to keep her hand by her side, to not slap the Mage.
“Drift, just sit on your girlfriend’s lap, please. We can start, then!” Pyro laughed from next to AJ, offering his friend a wink.
“Or get a room…” Ambear said kindly, meaning to tease the two.
The Ground Mage stared into AJ’s eyes.
She wasn’t kidding.
With a grumble, Drift hopped between AJ’s legs. It took a couple shuffles to get the angle right, but eventually, Drift had been comfortably situated on both her fake girlfriend’s thighs. The hand around her waist grew tighter, now around her stomach.
If Drift didn’t know any better, she’d think AJ was trying to trap her there.
“I know you’re enjoying this.” Drift muttered into AJ’s ear, her back leaning against the Mage’s chest.
She felt AJ laugh, not even needing to hear it. “And so what if I am?”
She turned to face AJ, to say something snarky back, but the moment Drift turned, she realised just how close their lips were, how AJ’s breath hit her cheeks just perfectly.
“Freak. I knew you never got over me.” She huffed, and turned away, head facing the table, where an empty beer bottle had been placed in the middle. Scott seemed to be getting ready to spin it.
“Oh, I never got over you?”
“Nope.” The beer bottle was spun, going around around. The bottle fused with itself as it spun, looking like it was a fluid.
Or maybe Drift was just drunk.
It landed on Zam, who’s face did not change, as if she didn’t even realise what was going on.
“Zam! It landed on you!” Graecie smiled up at her, voice giggling loudly.
“Oh!” The Alien raised her eyebrows in shock. “What do I… what do—”
“Truth or dare, Zam!” Shelby cried out happily. “You need to pick.”
The conversation between Drift and AJ laid, forgotten, as both of them watched the game.
Zam seemed to whisper something to Graecie, mumbling into her ear.
“Uh, truth.” She ended up choosing.
“Boring!” Pyro laughed. “Kidding. Kidding.”
“Truth?” Drift raised her eyebrows, although she was unsurprised. The whole table was frowning, trying to think of a good truth to ask the Mage.
“Who do you hate most in the Academy?” Megii asked as the table was silent.
There were a couple ooo’s from the students.
“I wanna hear this.” Elaina grinned, leaning closer.
Graecie looked a bit nervous for Zam, but she clearly was interested, too.
“I don’t… I— don’t hate anyone in the Academy…” Zam whispered.
Groans of disappointment came from almost everyone, especially AJ. “You have to choose, Alien!”
“I don’t…” Zam’s antennas seemed to be twitching, as her hands fidgeted.
Sensing Zam’s anxiety, Megii changed her question. “Okay… who do you love? Most, in the Academy?”
“Good question.” Someone muttered, behind Drift. Somehow, the whole pub had come to watch them, standing around all the chairs dutifully. Drift noticed Cam and Micheala laughing together on the other side.
“Um, well, I love most people, but…” Zam blinked quickly, before turning her head slightly to Graecie. “I… really do— love you, Graecie, I…”
“Awww!” AJ cried out, as did others. Graecie seemed to be blushing hard, but she smiled.
“I love you too, Zam.” She whispered so lightly, putting her hand in Zam’s hair and playing with it.
“Okay! Okay! Next!” Megii yelled, reaching into the middle of the table to spin the bottle once again. “And that’s the last easy question, okay?”
Judging by the grunts, most people agreed.
“I would choose you, Open Book.” AJ winked openly at Drift, who sat in her lap, still. “For that question.”
“Oh, bullshit.” Drift laughed at her.
“I would.” She leaned in closer. “If only for the charade, of course.”
“Oh, of course. It’s not like you don’t miss me every second I’m not there, wish I was still kissing you again…”
AJ giggled, but a bunch of loud whoops came and interrupted them.
The bottle was clearly pointing at Ambear.
“Truth or dare?” Legs yelled, standing behind Zam and Graecie.
“Oh my—” She laughed “Dare! I choose dare.”
“Finally!” AJ patted Ambear on the shoulder. “Some fun in here!”
“That’s a suicide wish, Ambear, just saying.” Drift joked next to her, while the entire Academy of students began yelling over the best dare.
“Oh, I’m too drunk to care.” She replied. “Sure I will tomorr—”
“We have decided!” Cam yelled out. “The next time you see Osteon, Ambear, you need to lie, say you accidentally killed three dragons, and if he calls your bluff, you need to take your own dragon out and threaten to kill it.”
Everyone started shouting, a couple people laughing, as Ambear placed her forehead on the table and fake-sobbed loudly. “He’s going to kill me! I’ll be expelled!”
“You signed up for this!” AJ reminded her.
“It is true.” Drift said, still laughing.
“Okay! Fine!” Ambear pouted in her seat. “I’ll do it! Will that make you all happy?”
A series of yeses came from a variety of students, as they all watched Ambear go to spin the bottle for the next round.
Drift held her breath, hoping that it wouldn’t land on either of them, or at least, wouldn’t jeopardize their charade.
Unfortunately, the bottle spun, and spun, slower, until it pointed very clearly at AJ.
“Great!” AJ cheered, as did tons of other students. “Dare!”
“AJ!” Drift scolded her softly. Picking dare was a bad idea. So many people were already on… weird terms with AJ. The last thing they needed was someone daring her to do something against the rebels.
If it were a truth, AJ could just lie.
But Drift knew she wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.
“What, Drift?” AJ frowned at her, voice still teasing. “What’s up?”
“Don’t choose dare. It’s dangerous.”
“What? Since when do you care about danger?”
“Since— you know.” Drift lowered her voice heavily, not wanting anyone else to hear. “What if you get dared something that, I don’t know…”
AJ looked back at Drift with such an odd expression.
In all their… rivalry, friendship, relationship, then rivalry, and fake relationship, she’d never seen AJ’s eyes gloss over like that, nor bite her lip in that weird way.
“Okay, okay, I’ll change.” She looked at the table, who were all talking amongst themselves, no doubt conconting an evil dare. “I change! Truth! I choose truth.”
A million sighs and cries came out.
“You can’t change now!”
“Don’t be boring, AJ.”
“Oh, come on!”
“Sorry, guys.” AJ sighed loudly, extending her arms up and around Drift’s shoulders. “Girlfriend’s orders. Not my fault you’re all single losers.”
Yells at her still came, but AJ pretended to ignore them.
“Fine!” Sausage said. “If you back out, though, we get to make it as uncomfortable as possible.”
“Bring it, Copper Arm.” Drift rolled her eyes at AJ rolling her eyes.
“When did you first realise,” his face had a wicked grin on it, “that you loved Drift?”
No one in the pub said anything. There were no oooo’s or awww’s.
Just silence, as everyone held their breath, staring at Drift and AJ.
Of course, Drift could understand. They hated each other, dated, hated each other again, and now were dating again, staring only a couple days ago.
That didn’t mean Drift wanted AJ to answer that question, though.
“Um—” AJ started to answer, but Drift intervened.
“That’s a bit… I mean, is that really… necessary? I just, we haven’t really gotten to that part yet, so…” Drift laughed awkwardly, blushing at all the attention on them, even just slightly.
Drift wasn’t a blusher. She didn’t blush at things like this.
“Okay!” Graecie jumped in, understanding both Drift and AJ’s hesitation. “What did you first think, then, AJ? When you guys met? Was it love at first sight?”
Drift’s entire body exhaled, relaxed at the question. This one was easy.
It’s just—
AJ’s body seemed to tighten. Her muscles became firmer, and Drift could feel her breathing pick up.
“Oh. I…”
“You guys met at the Academy, right?” Megii asked.
Everyone was staring, many giggling, but many not.
Drift blinked and turned her head to look at AJ.
Instead of a cool, falsely calm face, like the one the Mage normally had, AJ looked— distressed. Her eyes were big, yet trained on the wood of the table, shining even in the dim pub light.
The expression on her face looked almost shocked, confused. Certainly upset about something.
Drift had no clue what.
“AJ?” She prompted with a smile, pretending everything was fine, and that her fake girlfriend wasn’t acting weird. “You remember when we met.”
Drift’s eyes were glued to AJ’s, forgetting about everyone else around them for long, pregnant seconds.
AJ returned her gaze.
It scared Drift, horribly, that empty, scared look in her eyes. As if AJ was nothing more than a little kid, not knowing what to do or say.
“Of course.” She whispered. On the outside, it sounded adoring, as if she treasured her and Drift’s meeting. Drift saw through it. Something was wrong, she understood. “Best day of my life.” AJ tried to joke, but it came out confused.
“In the main hall. I was waiting for Shelby. Or, Megii? You stopped by and annoyed the heck out of me.” The Earth Mage added on.
She was beginning to worry now, how no flicker of recognition entered AJ’s eyes, how they didn’t widen in remembrance.
They just stared.
“Right. And— oh, of course, you murdered Flick!” AJ laughed loudly, her eyes tearing away from Drift’s to look at the rest of the table.
Drift couldn’t bear to look away.
That wasn’t the first time they met.
It was the second.
You don’t remember. Drift wanted to cry, suddenly, out loud, for everyone to hear. You don’t know when we first met.
The conversation that changed everything for Drift. That entertained her and annoyed her, then eventually comforted and kissed her.
The memory was gone from AJ’s head.
“Wait, I remember that!” Shelby gasped. “You guys were so PDA, ugh.”
In the flick of a switch, everything went back to normal.
AJ started giggling at the conversations around her, everyone jumping in to make fun of AJ and Drift for being so flirtatious, annoying, sometimes. Shouts and drinks clinging together as the students of the Academy became increasingly drunk.
The awkward air had dissipated.
Drift could hear the spinning of the beer bottle once again, but she couldn’t move to look.
AJ didn’t remember it.
“AJ.” She whispered, wanting the girl’s eyes on her once again. Maybe— maybe if Drift reminded her more of it, AJ would recall their meeting.
Their meeting.
“Don’t, Drift.” She warned, smiling as if a bomb hadn’t just exploded between the two of them.
“How can I not?”
“I’m serious.”
“So am—”
“Do you want everyone to find out?”
I don’t care about everyone finding out, she wanted to yell at her, I care that you’re losing your memories of me.
Osteon was right.
God, Drift should’ve—
She needed to talk to Osteon.
“Come to my dorm later.” Drift muttered to her fake girlfriend as she scooted off her lap, almost falling over when she landed on the floor again. “And don’t follow me.”
She didn’t turn back to face AJ, to see her expression.
She could feel the terrified eyes of AJ resting on her back, and the confused ones of her fellow students, watching her leave.