reflections
act one.

chapter 8: truth or dare?

"There's things I want to say to you, but I'll just let you live."
Lana Del Rey

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SLOANE HOPPED UP ON CAFFEINE WAS LIKE AN AUCTIONEER ON SPEED-RUN.

After finishing up their movie, Michael and Vienna had went down to dinner, and then back up to the movie room, Sloane and Cassie as well.

Sloane had a statistic for every situation, and they had been pouring out of her mouth for the past two hours.

"Sixteen percent of American men have blue eyes. But over 40% of male TV doctors do."

Vienna knew from experience that watching television with a hyped up statisian was challenging, but unfortunately, Sloane wasn't the only person who had followed Cassie and Vienna to the media room to watch their medical show.

"Her mouth is saying 'I love you, Darren', but her posture says, 'I can't believe the writers are doing this to my character, she'd never get involved with this schmuck!" Michael tosses a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"Do you mind?" Cassie looks at him.

He grins. "Not at all."

When Cassie arrived at the program, Vienna had learned that they enjoyed the same medical drama, so they would often watch it together in the media room.

They tried their very best to ignore Sloane's rapid fact sharing, and Michael's careful yet annoying analysis of the characters, though they couldn't even fully comprehend the medical drama with the constant chatter.

Cassie finally added to the constant word flow in the media room.

"Dr. Darren's BPE doesn't add up." Cassie ponders aloud.

'BPE' stands for behavior, personality, and environment, which was a common profiling tactic.

"We could switch to reality TV." Michael suggests.

"About one percent of the general population is considered to be psychopaths." Sloane announces. "Recent estimates show that over fourteen percent of reality tv stars are."

"Whose estimates?" Vienna asks.

Sloane's smile resembled the cheshire cat. "Mine."

Vienna slouches in her chair, chuckling.

"Forget studying killers. Let's just throw 14% of reality tv stars in prison and then call it a day."

Sloane leans back in her chair and plays with the end of her ponytail. "Being a psychopath isn't a crime."

"Are you defending psychopaths?" Michael asks her.

"This is why we don't give you coffee, Sloane." Cassie laughs.

"Hey." Sloane says defensively. "All i'm saying is that, statistically, a psychopath is more likely to be a CEO than they are a serial killer."

"Ahem." The black haired girl stands in the doorway. Lia was the only person in the word that Vienna knew who used the word 'ahem' to announce herself. Once she got everyone's attention, she looked at everyone in turn, giving Vienna a familiar smirk. "Judd just left for a night out on the town with one of his old friends. We've got the house to ourselves." She clasps her hands in front of her body. "Living room, fifteen minutes. Come prepared." And Lia had already disappeared from her previous place in the doorway before anyone could ask any questions.

"Prepared for what?" Cassie looks to Vienna.

"This probably will not bode well." Michael says, though his words didn't have any sort of complaining tone to them. "I'll see you ladies in fifteen." He winks, mostly at Vienna, before exiting.

"Vi, any guesses on what we're getting ourselves into?" Cassie asks, looking to Vienna.

"Based on previous experiences," Vienna answers. "my guess is trouble."

          
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MICHAEL AND DEAN WERE already in the living room when Sloane, Vienna, and Cassie arrived.

Over the course of the last fourteen minutes, their blonde companion and quieted, like the Energizer Bunny powering down. She took a seat across the sofa from Michael. Cassie and Vienna sat next to her.

Across from them was Dean, perched upon the edge of the fireplace, his gaze stuck on the floor, light blonde hair in his face.

Sofa, chairs, pillow, rugs. All of these seating options, and Dean had selected the stone fireplace, but Vienna wouldn't expect anything different from him.

"Glad to see you all made it." Lia enters the room, sitting on the rug, spreading the dress she had stolen from Cassie that morning out around her with her fingers. "Our entertainment for this evening: truth or dare." She pauses for a moment, making almost intense eye contact with each person in the room. "Any objections?"

Dean began to open his mouth.

"No." Lia told him.

"But you asked for any objections."

"You don't get to object."

"Do I?" Michael asks curiously.

"Do you want to object?"

"Not really."

"Then there's your answer." Lia answers simply.

Beside Vienna, Sloane raised her hand.

"Yes, Sloane?"

"I understand the gist of truth or dare, but I want to know how you win?"

"Gotta love a girl with a competitive streak." Vienna mumbled.

"You don't win truth or dare." Cassie answers for Lia.

Vienna nods in agreement. "In fact, I feel like this is the type of game where everyone loses."

"Is that an objection?" Lia asks, though Vienna wasn't sure if she was talking to Cassie or herself.

Dean was staring at Vienna, mouthing the words "SAY YES."

If Vienna was in a group with any other teenagers, she'd have said yes, but with her fellow naturals, it would be interesting. She hadn't played truth or dare with Cassie since she arrived, and she was intrigued to see how it went.

Vienna ignored Dean's pleas. "No." she replied. "Let's play."

Lia smirked slowly, Dean banged his head back against the fireplace.

"Can I go first?" Sloane asks.

"Sure." Lia replies smoothly. "Truth or dare, Sloane?"

Sloane gave her a look. "Thats not what I meant."

Lia merely shrugged. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

In a normal game or Truth or Dare, that would have been the 'safe' option. But with this group, Vienna knew there was no such thing as a safe option. She knew this because she had kissed nearly every person in this room over the two years she had lived here.

Except for Cassie, that is.

And Michael.

"Do you know who your father is?" Lia asks Sloane.

The blonde was seemingly unfazed. "Yes, I do."

"A swing and a miss." Michael murmured. Lia threw him a dirty look.

"Your turn." She told Sloane. Vienna guessed that she was preparing for payback, that is until Sloane turned to Cassie.

"How many people do you love?"

"In what way?" Cassie asks.

"Any way. Romantic or not."

Cassie thought on this for a long moment. "One."

Cassie's answer made Vienna feel bad. Only one person? Vienna could think of a quite a few. Her mom, she'd loved her dad more than she'd loved almost anyone, and her brother Ronan. And Judd, Locke, Briggs, even if he could be difficult at times.  And all of the naturals members, and she could already tell that she would grow to love Cassie.

She also hoped that she could help Cassie grow her list of people she loves.

"Your turn Cassie." Lia says, pulling Vienna from her thoughts to continue the game.

Cassie looked to Michael. "Truth or dare?"

Michael leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Dare."

It was clear that Cassie was expecting him to say truth, but this was Michael. He likes a challenge.

"Give it your best shot, Colorado."

"I dare you....to dance ballet." Cassie's answer shocked everyone, especially Michael.

"What?" He spat out. It was apparent that he was expecting something more risqué.

"Right there." Cassie pointed to the center of the room in front of the fire place. "Dance."

Michael scoffs, but his face suddenly becomes serious, and determined. "I've got this."

Lia busted up in laughter, even Dean bit back a smile.

"Ballet is a traction of performed body movement hailing back to the early renaissance." Vienna says.

"It is popular in Russia, France, Italy, England, and the United States." Sloane adds.

Michael crossed to the center of the room, striking a pose.

Vienna had seen Michael do smooth, suave, even. But this, this was certainly something.

He stood on his tippy toes, he twirled in circles, he bent out his legs, sticking out his butt. But the absolute funniest part was the look of pure determination in his eyes.

He capped his performance off with an elegant curtsy.

"Very nice." Cassie says in between laughs, she seems very pleased with herself.

Michael sat back into his seat, eyes training on Vienna. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Lia always answered truth, seeing as she was most likely the only one in the room who could lie and get away with it.

"What's your real name?" Michael asks.

"Your name isn't Lia?" Cassie asks, arching a ginger brow.

"It is." Lia told her. "But once upon a time, my name used to be Sadie."

Vienna knew that Lia hadn't always been her name, but she didn't know why she had changed it, or when she did so. And Lia was the quite the over-sharer, and hadn't told anyone. So, Vienna thought it to be best if she didn't pry for information.

Lia changed the subject quickly. "Truth or dare....." Her eyes scan the room.

"Cassie."

Vienna thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't been called on yet, but she did think it was strange that this was Cassie's second truth or dare of the evening.

"Dare." Cassie says, shocking to everyone.

Lia pondered for a good dare, Vienna could practically see the wheels turning in her slightly evil mind.

"I dare you." Lia smirks, which was a sign that this was going to be good. "To kiss Dean."

Dean reacted at once, sitting straight up on the fireplace as if he had just been electrocuted. "Lia." He says sharply. "No."

"Come on, Dean." Vienna encourages. "Kiss him, Cassie."

Cassie grimaces, though it was clear that she wasn't exactly objecting to the idea of kissing Dean. She stood up, and crossed the room to stand in front of Dean, everyone's eyes glued to her every movement.

She knelt next to the fireplace, placing a hand gently on Dean's cheek, and pressing her lip to his quickly. It was hardly a kiss, only a second long.

They stared at each other for a moment, and Vienna thought that maybe they would kiss again, she could see the shared look of intensity in both of their eyes.

"Your turn, Cassie." Lia says, looking pretty satisfied with herself.

"Truth or dare, Vienna?"

"Truth." She answered instantly.

"Who is the most attractive person in this room?"

Vienna swallows hard, her mouth becoming dry. That was a good question. She couldn't lie, not with her own personal lie detector staring right at her.

She had to tell the truth. She looks to Michael, and his eyes were already fixated upon her face, waiting for her answer. She looked back to Cassie at once. "Michael." The words spilled out of her mouth before she could give them a second thought.

There was a silence in the room, Vienna's face heating to a million degrees. She avoided Michael's gaze. Though if she had been looking at him, she would've seen the smirk plastered on his face.

"Alright then." Lia clears her throat. "Your turn to ask, Vi."

"Truth or dare....Dean."

"Truth." Dean answers, looking nervous for what Vienna could ask him.

"Did you want Cassie to kiss you?"

"Vienna-"

"It's a yes or no question." Vienna reinforces.

"Well, I was....neutral on it."

Vienna scowls. "Neutral?"

"Yes, that's my answer." He says, looking bored.

"Fine, your turn." Vienna crosses her legs on top of each other.

"Townsend." That was all he said no 'truth or dare?'

"What?" Michael looks at Dean, a look of playfulness in his eyes.

"Truth or dare,"

"Truth."

"Who is the most attractive person here?" He asked exaclty Cassie's question from earlier.

Vienna glared at him, but he bit back a smile. She stared at Michael, waiting for his answer.

He looked at her for a moment, which made her stomach nearly flip for some reason. He then looks back to Dean.

He answers almost instantly.

"Vienna."

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cam's notes!

GUYS I ACTUALLY SCREAMED WRITING THE LAST SENTENCE

fun little filler chapter for you all :)

qotd: what is your favorite holiday? mine is christmas!

please comment and vote, i love seeing what you think of the chapters!

see you all in the next one <3