Rolling Dice by Beth Reekles Page A

upchuck.”
    And that’s when someone smacks my butt, hard.

Chapter 13
    I stand there for a moment, unable to react.
    Then, when it registers that, yes, someone
did
actually smack my butt, my mouth falls open and I whirl around. I don’t know what I’m going to say, but I’m sure as heck going to say
something
to them, and it’s not going to be anything nice.
    But whatever sharp retort I was about to blurt dies on my tongue before I say it, and I freeze.
    Tiffany cracks up, giggling hysterically, and relief floods through me, deflating my chest and making me laugh too.
    “You should’ve seen your face!” she giggles. She dabs a finger at the corner of her eye, wiping away any smudges of mascara or eyeliner. “Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry, but that was funny.”
    I don’t say anything at first, because we’re both still laughing.
    Then she jumps in, asking, “Where’ve you been all night? I haven’t seen you! Don’t you know you’re supposed to greet the host?”
    “I tried to find you, I swear.”
    “Not very hard.”
    “You’re right, I
have
been completely ignoring you all night, actually. Totally avoiding you.”
    She laughs again, and then puts a hand on her hip. “Nice dress. And you didn’t want to wear it why?”
    I shrug, smiling. “Thanks.”
    “Seen Bryce yet?” She waggles her perfectly sculpted eyebrows at me teasingly, and I shake my head, feeling a little embarrassed. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it all planned.”
    She drags me off, linking her arm tightly through mine. I trail after her, doing my best not to fall over.
    We go into Tiffany’s room, where a few people are sitting around. There’s Ricky and Kyle, and Owen from my Algebra II class. Melissa’s there too, and a couple of girls Tiffany introduced me to earlier, Nicole and Ann. There’s another guy slumped next to the bed. I think his name’s Jay, but it could be John. And there, giving me his hundred-watt smile, isBryce.
    “Awesome—this’ll do!” Tiffany exclaims excitedly. “Great!” She takes a swig from a bottle of wine, draining the last of it.
    “Truth. Or. Dare.”
She enunciates every word like it deserves its own sentence, and we’re all silent for a few moments—no sound except for the distant hubbub of the party and the dulled thump of the music.
    “Cool, I’m in!” says Nicole, and drops gracefully down to a spot on the floor near the empty wine bottle.
    There are a few more mumbles of “Sure, cool, okay, I’m in,” and then we’re all sitting in the circle, and I find myself next to Bryce. I’m hesitant, not sure whether I really like the idea of truth or dare. I don’t know what kind of dares these people will come up with, but I’m more scared of having a truth.
    “No, Madison, you’re sitting with me and Summer!” Tiffany instructs me. I get up again and walk around the circle to a spot that’s almost exactly opposite Bryce, and take my place next to them.
    “I’ll start off,” Ann announces, and leans over to spin the bottle.
    It lands on Marcus.
    “Truth or dare?”
    “Truth,” he says.
    “If you had to kiss one guy here, who’d it be?”
    He sighs slightly, and looks around at the guys for a few moments. Raising a finger, he points at Jay/John. “Let’s go with Jay.”
    Noted
.
    Marcus spins the bottle. This time it lands on Kyle. “Truth or dare?”
    “Dare.”
    “Hmm,” Marcus says thoughtfully, thinking up a good dare for him, and we all wait patiently. “Hey, Tiffany, mind if Kyle tries on some clothes?”
    “Not at all.” A sly smile slips over Tiffany’s face; then she hiccups.
    “Wait—
what?
” Kyle’s eyes bulge.
    “I dare you,” Marcus says slowly, as though he’s savoring the words, “to wear some of Tiffany’s clothes. There will be photographic evidence taken.”
    We all start to laugh—either at the horrified look on Kyle’s face or the thought of him dressed up in girl’s clothes.
    But he doesn’t back down. He goes into Tiffany’s