Chapter 12: Truth

Chapter 12: Truth

Going from a twisted ankle to a boozy night was an unexpected development, but I was ready to welcome this change of pace.

Thinking back, I haven’t done anything remotely alcohol-related since joining the guild. Today was the day to find out the deepest secrets of my companions. I was ready to shamelessly get them all drunk. I just had to tolerate more than the others.

“You can turn around,” I said after I had put on my outfit for tonight. I decided on a white one-piece that looked like a short summer dress at first glance but actually had built-in shorts because I wasn’t planning on flashing anyone.

Miko eyed me silently, her gaze roaming over my entire body from top to bottom. “You’re wearing a push-up?” she came closer and stared at my chest. How could she behave so uninhibited? I would die of embarrassment if I stared straight at her breasts for more than a second.

“Y-yes, you got a problem with that?”

She chuckled. “No, not at all. You look great with boobs.”

What was that supposed to mean? I don’t have to cheat with a bra to have some... yes, I didn’t have a well-rounded bust like Miko or the huge assets of Lilith, but I looked totally feminine! Maybe I don’t have 90-60-90, but 70-60-90 was still two out of three.

“How do I look?” Miko asked, finally taking her eyes off me and looking down at herself.

“You look great,” I assured her with an honest thumbs-up gesture. After she left the bathroom where she had changed a few minutes ago, I was quite amazed. Miko’s clothing style was always very practical, so I never expected her to wear something so girly. She chose a black, off-the-shoulder shirt paired with black cloth shorts that showed off her long, smooth legs.

What surprised me the most was that she finally showed her arms. It was very rare to see her without a long-sleeved outfit. The thick black rings on both her arms looked pretty cool if you ask me. They seemed like simple tattoos, but to her, they were a daily reminder that she had done something horrible. Luckily, they weren’t going to be permanent. The ministry promised to gradually release the seals if she kept a clean record and worked well within her guild.

“Miko?”

“Hm?”

“Be honest. Did you ever drink alcohol before?”

“Yes, sure.”

“Not very convincing. What did you have?”

“Fruity sparkling wine stuff.”

“So, you got drunk?”

“No, I had just one glass.”

“Why did you drink it?”

“It was my eighteenth birthday, and Lilith kinda forced me to do it.”

I regularly forgot that she was almost three years younger than me. Despite the childish temper tantrums she had from time to time, she usually acted strangely reasonable and mature. But I got the impression that she was becoming more approachable and acted more like you would expect a girl her age to do, at least when we were alone.

“Sounds like something she would do,” I said with a laugh, even though I knew that forcing someone to drink alcohol was strictly not okay.

“Ah, we better get going. We still have to walk to the parking lot.” Miko said, looking at her wristwatch. We had about twenty minutes left, and I was sure Alex and Hannah wouldn’t leave without us, but of course, we wanted to be on time.

Since we were accepted by most of the other students, we left the dorm through the main entrance of the building. I spotted my ex-stalker in the lobby, who immediately averted his gaze when he saw Miko and me. Somehow, I felt sorry for him because he took all his courage to confess to me without even knowing me. I couldn’t even confess to someone I had known for months. Not that I had anyone to confess to.

“Did you also feel all the stares?” Miko asked, smiling proudly. “It’s not easy to look so good.”

Incredible how she could say things like that without being sarcastic. She is simply fantastic.

“Hey, smiley face, what are you thinking about?” she asked as she caught me grinning.

“Nothing. I’m just looking forward to tonight.” I replied, looking her in the eyes. My heart skipped a beat when she returned my gaze. Not once in my life has another person made me feel this way, and I can’t even describe what that feeling was or why Miko made me feel that way.

“Kayla, look ahead. I don’t want you to trip and fall, " she said with a somewhat bashful look. I didn’t even notice that it might have made her uncomfortable that I was looking at her face the whole time.

The rest of the way, we walked in silence.

When we arrived at the parking lot, I spotted Alex already waiting, but no sign of Hannah. And wow, it was hard to describe what she looked like. She had beautiful long eyelashes, even without makeup, and overall, a pretty face. Her light green hair was tied in a cute little ponytail, showing off her undercut. She wore several piercings on her ears, and her clothing style was quite tomboyish. She chose a white oversized shirt for her top and black wide-cut three-quarter-length pants to go with it.

She smiled at us and waved in our direction. I did the same and stood at her side. We looked at each other for a little too long, thinking about how to greet each other... Shake hands? A fist bump or a hug? In the end, we just stood there grinning stupidly at each other. Miko simply nodded in her direction and added a quick “Hi” that was her way of greeting anyone. I’ve never seen anyone besides Lilith actively seeking physical contact with her.

“Ah, there she is,” Alex said softly as she discovered Hannah walking in our direction. The student council president surely had to fight against some fans on her way to us since her outfit was indeed a rare sight. She wore beige shorts that exposed a bit of her untanned upper thigs and a slightly see-through white blouse with long puffy sleeves.

Although it was evening, we still had 28 °C outside temperature. Despite our airy clothes, you could tell we were suffering a bit while waiting for the cab. It’s not that I dislike the summer, but I usually spend my time in dark rooms, shielded from the sun.

Hannah kept tapping her foot impatiently on the floor, looking at her smartphone the whole time.

“Relax, getting onto the school grounds is not easy.” Alex tried to calm her down.

“I know, I know.” She sighed and put her phone into her small handbag.

“So, what’s the plan?” Miko suddenly asked. Good question. All we knew was that we planned to drink, but the possibilities for doing so were almost limitless.

“We’ll start in a small cocktail bar. I’ve booked us a private room from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and after that, we can hit a club or another bar.”

Miko looked puzzled. “And besides getting drunk, what are we doing?”

“Talking... Gossip and stuff...you know.” I tried to explain, but she was not entirely wrong to ask. I preferred to do some kind of activity like bowling and drinking on the side; just sitting and chatting was something new for me, too.

Hannah chuckled. “You will see. It will be fun. By the way, how old are you both? I never asked.”

“You didn’t get our personnel files?” Miko asked with a laugh.

“No, I’m afraid I’m not important enough to get that kind of information.”

“I’m eighteen, Kayla is twenty, and you?”

“Nineteen,” Hannah said with a smile. “And Alex is twenty-three, so you can call her mom tonight. She’s the one responsible for us.”

“Forget it, maybe for Miko because she’s our sweet little nestling.”

Miko and I simultaneously turned our heads at Alex. What did she call her? I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction would follow for that comment… I cautiously looked at Miko, who stared at the ground with a massive blush on her face.

“Thanks.” She said in a whisper, just to make Alex laugh.

“Aww, I really want to cuddle her.”

Hey, hey, what is this? Is Alex trying to steal Miko from me?

“Ah, our cab is coming.” Hannah interrupted my thoughts, and a moment later, we were all in the car. Alex, Miko, and I decorated the back row, and Hannah took the passenger seat.

We were on our way to a small town that Miko and I had already passed on our way to the school. It was a twenty-minute ride, and the driver let us out in front of the bar. The sign of the establishment was a glaring pink cocktail glass.

Hannah went ahead, and we followed her obediently. She took care of everything at the entrance and led us as if it was her second home into our private room.

The room was not very big. It looked like it was designed for a maximum of one or two more people. But with the sofa that went in a U-shape around the table, we could all sit together nicely. Miko and I sat next to each other. Alex and Hannah each had their own side of the table.

A waitress brought us a tablet for ordering. Miko and I started scrolling through their selection since Alex and Hannah already knew what they wanted to order. Miko placed her head next to mine so I could smell a faint scent of her sweet perfume.

“I don’t know what to order…” she pouted. I wanted that situation to end as soon as possible, so I quickly clicked on a Pina-Colada. “What is that?” Miko asked, looking at me with her head tilted.

“Something sweet. You take some coconut cream mixed with pineapple juice and rum,” I explained.

“Okay ... I’ll take the same.” She said with a smile and finally moved away from me slightly.

Hannah and Alex had other plans. I don’t know what their strategy was, but they both started with a Long Island Ice Tea. This is not a cocktail but a long drink consisting of rum, vodka, tequila, triple sec, gin, and a shot of cola for the color. To summarize, a very strong drink.

“So, what do you think about our school?” Hannah asked while we started to wait for our first round of drinks.

“I can’t wait to get back home, but compared to the schools I attended, it was a dream.” I didn’t say that to flatter anyone because my middle and high school were totally run down, and this magic school looked like those private institutions for rich kids in comparison.

Alex smirked. “I guess she wanted to know if you enjoyed the company of the other students.” Hannah threw an angry gaze at Alex and instantly switched to a smile again.

“It was eye-opening,” Miko began, “I never thought I would have such a bad reputation, but I think if I ever wanted to attend any school, it would be yours.”

Honestly, I was surprised by her statement, but I shared her opinion. I was new to this world and environment, but everyone accepted me for who I was. I even got my first confession of love since I was thirteen years old. Okay, the fact that he was stalking me was creepy. Still, he might have become someone important to me in a different situation.

“While we’re at it, I want to officially thank you for taking such good care of us. Without you, the boot camp wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable.”

“Stop it, Kayla, or I start to cry,” Hannah said, waving some air into her face.

“Drinks, we need the drinks,” Alex said, laughing, and moments later, our first batch for the evening arrived.

Miko sniffed her pina colada as if she expected it to be poisoned, and the other two waited for something like a toast as the urge to start drinking seemed strong in them.

“Here's to a beautiful night!" I said, raising my glass, and so it would begin.

"Since Miko asked what we want to do, I've been thinking a lot, and I came up with a brilliant idea... Let's play truth or dare." Alex's grin grew more prominent with every word she said.

It sounded surprisingly good. We got to know each other better and could ask the questions you would never ask in any other setting.

Alex pulled out a small water bottle from her bag. "Of course, we spin the bottle to decide whose turn it is."

I was already considering questions when a loud sucking sound from next to me interrupted my thoughts. Miko downed her cocktail as if it were water, and as I looked around, I saw a mixture of concern and admiration on the faces of the others.

“Okay, I’m ready to play,” Miko said, navigating on the tablet, already ordering something again.

“Everything’s fine?” I whispered into her ear; I was a bit worried she wasn’t feeling that good. I know she instantly accepted the invitation, but she usually wasn’t someone to go out at all, especially not with relatively unfamiliar people.

“Yes, yes, I just need some courage.” She smiled and grabbed the bottle, going for the first spin before we talked about any rules. We all looked at the center of the table in anticipation… until it stopped on Hannah.

"So, truth or dare?" Miko asked, grinning at her a little somberly.

“Truth.” She answered, smiling, and took a sip from her drink.

"Okay, what's your sincere opinion of me? No pressure, I won't be mad, because we want to have a good time... But I'm just too curious."

Oh wow, she was shooting sharp. But yes, that was definitely an interesting question.

Hannah exhaled loudly and sipped on her drink again. Her cheeks were already a little reddish.

"I really like your personality; you seem honest and fun to be around... But I can't stop feeling some sort of anxiety when I’m with you." She laughed lightly and looked at Miko.

“So, I did not lose it completely,” Miko said, chuckling. “It is not like I want to scare you with my presence, but sometimes it’s better for me to do so.”

"Okay, my turn." Hannah ended the topic before it could become uncomfortable, spun the bottle, and this time, it was my turn.

“Kayla, truth or dare?”

"'Truth,” I said in anticipation of her question. I was pretty sure there weren't many things I wouldn't answer.

“This power is really hard to handle. What do I want to know?”

Tell me, what do you want to know?

"Okay, something simple to start with... Are you currently in love with anyone?"

Oh, she was playing unfairly.

“What must I do if I don’t want to answer? Just asking for clarification.”

"You have to do something I tell you to do without the possibility of refusing it." Hannah smiled diabolically; she was a real villain.

"Boring question ... we already know the answer," Alex interjected.

I slowly turned my head to Miko. I thought she would be embarrassed or angry, but she just smiled happily until she noticed us all looking at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“You got no problem with that question?” Hannah asked.

“No?”

“But maybe, just maybe, you are kind of involved in her answer.”

"So what? Does it matter if she's in love with me or with anyone else? I know she likes me a lot, and I’m happy with that."

I could die on the spot. Miko was generally very dense and never had a problem voicing her opinion, no matter how embarrassing that would be for an ordinary person, but I didn't want to hear from her myself that she somehow knew I had feelings for her.

Of course, she notices how I act when I'm with her. Of course, I tell her things that I won't tell others… but I'm not willing to talk openly about everything... why are we playing this game again?

“Yes, you could say that I am in love.” I blurted out and moved my hand to the bottle as I noticed the waitress entered our room with several cocktails and a bowl of nachos.

“Congratulations.” She said awkwardly, put down everything, and quickly left the room again.

Miko put her hand on my shoulder and held back a laugh. “Nice timing.”

Listen, I must say that alcohol is very unhealthy. I would never advise consuming it too much... But right now, I just wanted to lose all reason, and the cocktails on our table were the only available solution to my problem.

MIKO

I can finally understand how drinking is so popular even though everyone knows you poison your body. Instantly after my first cocktail, I started saying things I usually would think but never speak out loudly.

Urges that I normally had entirely under control broke out every five minutes. I couldn't count the number of times I petted Kayla on the head or back while she rested against my shoulder.

That’s also why I slept on the floor that night while Kayla was lying in bed with her new friend.

I was shocked and confused after I discovered them tightly embraced in the place we shared for the last two weeks…

To be honest, I would have been okay with Hannah or Alex, but I could not understand her choice…

HANNAH

Who would have thought that Kayla was such a party animal? She was the only reason why I used some healing magic on myself from time to time because I wanted to remember.

Alex's idea of playing truth or dare was genius, by the way. The questions got more and more shameless as time went on, and without any pressure, the first dares started to come. My favorite was that Alex had to try to get the number of the waitress who had served us all night. And somehow, she managed to do it.... probably because the waitress felt sorry for her.

Besides playing games, I enjoyed watching Kayla and Miko. At some point, both of them became super touchy and basically were glued to each other. Throughout the evening, Kayla rested on every compatible part of Miko's body while Miko petted Kayla like a cat. I would love to understand the dynamic of their relationship.

ALEX

At first, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about the idea of taking Kayla and Miko with us. I was looking forward to a relaxing drinking out with Hannah alone, but we had a lot of fun in the end.

Luckily, I quickly realized the dynamics of the evening and started switching to non-alcoholic drinks very early. Someone had to stay sober to keep these savages under control.

Hannah was mega cute, by the way. At one point, she started casting healing magic. Probably because she felt sick or something, but without any effect since she simply poured mana on the table.

After we extended our stay in the cocktail bar, we decided not to visit another place but to return to school. A cab brought us to the border of the school grounds, which was no longer occupied at this time. This meant that we had to walk about three kilometers through the forest to get back to the dorms.

It was an adventure that I'm sure I'll tell you about someday. But the most important thing is that Kayla found a new friend, who she immediately took to bed with her.

KAYLA

I don't know why I was sleeping with a massive log in my arms, but there had to be a reason. Miko decided to give us some space and lay down on the floor instead of joining me and this piece of wood. I can assure you that I would have preferred Miko over the log, but something told me that everything happened for a reason. And despite not remembering much from last night, I felt very good. I never had any problems with hangovers.