Truth or Dare- Last round

The bottle spins and lands on Tyler.

The group looks at him. Tyler cracks his knuckles with the confidence of someone who has been waiting for his turn.

Tyler: dare. Obviously.

Zoey sits forward slowly with the expression of someone who has been holding two cards and just drew a third.

Zoey: funny you should say that.

She looks between Tyler and Marcus.

Zoey: I still have my held dare. She points between them. and the bottle just landed on Tyler. So.

Marcus: so what.

Zoey: so I am combining them.

She smiles.

Zoey: you two. Kiss. Ten seconds. On the mouth.

The girls in the circle erupt immediately, cheering, clapping, phones coming out.

Tyler and Marcus look at each other.

Tyler: absolutely not.

Marcus: hard no.

Tyler: we are not doing that.

Marcus: not a chance.

Cadey: oh come on.

Priya: it's just a kiss.

Tyler: it's not just a kiss it's—

Zoey: She cuts him off. we are not lesbians. She gestures around the circle. and you make us kiss each other all the time. She crosses her arms. do it.

Cadey: she has a point.

Priya: she really does.

Gina: she genuinely has a point.

Tyler and Marcus look at each other again with the expressions of two people running out of arguments.

Miles looks down at his current situation. Then back up at them.

Miles: normally I would not weigh in on this.

Everyone looks at him.

He points downward.

Miles: but given my current condition. That might actually help ease things down here.

The group dissolves completely. Priya is crying. Cadey has fallen sideways. Gina has her face in her hands laughing.

Zoey: She wipes her eyes. see. Even Miles wants you to do it. Ten seconds. That's all.

Tyler looks at Marcus.

Marcus looks at Tyler.

A long silence.

Tyler: I'd rather drink the cocktail.

Marcus: same. Split it?

Tyler: split it.

They both reach for the cocktail simultaneously, dividing it as evenly as two people can manage while the entire circle boos them. Tyler takes his half. Marcus takes his.

They look at each other once.

Tyler: on three.

Marcus: on three.

Tyler: one. Two. Three.

They both gulp it down.

The reaction is immediate.

Tyler's face does something complicated and deeply unpleasant. Marcus makes a sound that is not a word in any language. They both sit completely still for approximately four seconds.

Then Tyler stands up very quickly.

Tyler: bathroom.

Marcus: bathroom.

They both move toward the hallway at a pace that is technically not running but is as close to running as dignity will allow. The sound of a door slamming follows shortly after.

The circle sits in silence for a moment.

Then Priya starts laughing again. Then Cadey. Then everyone.

Miles looks around the now significantly smaller circle, the cocktail glass empty, the bottle still in the middle of the floor.

Miles: I suppose the game is over.

Gina: She looks at him with bright eyes. I suppose it is.

Miles: He stands up slowly, acutely aware of his current situation. and we can all go end the night.

He looks down once more with the expression of a man who has had a very long evening.

Miles: some of us more urgently than others.