Alyssa stepped through the door to find an empty hall. A staircase rose before her, and the pounding beats of some weird music traveled down the steps. Peeking into the living room, she saw zero humans. A few sweatshirts and jackets had been tossed onto the couch, so she unzipped her hoodie and flung it onto the pile. 

Stepping back into the hall, she grabbed the stair rail and jogged to the next floor. The music got louder and louder, and she heard a few voices. One bedroom door was open, and an eerie purple light shone. She stepped into its glow, and was grabbed around the waist by a pair of strong hands, a pair of very strong hands....

"Alyssa!"

Jasmine pulled her even closer and kissed her on the cheek. "This is Alyssa, everybody!" Her hands let go, and Alyssa resisted the urge to check her body for bruising. She looked around the room, and saw six people, all kind of geeky, and no one she knew. There was no furniture except one table, pushed against a wall. A few bottles of wine looked half-drunk, and a very tall stack of red plastic cups wobbled precariously.

"Well, meet everybody," Jasmine said, and left her side. And Alyssa did what the introverted do best - grabbed a cup and poured some vino, and then smiled her way into a corner. 

A little while later the music sputtered out, and she stood in a silent room. "Okay, hey! Let's play a game!" Jasmine shouted, and Alyssa suspected the wine was having its effect. 

"Everyone stand in a circle."

Everyone obeyed, and Alyssa set down her cup. She crossed the room and found herself between a girl she barely recognized from American Lit and a sort-of-almost-cute guy. "Okay," Jasmine slurred, "we're going to go around, and everyone say your name. I'm Jasmine."

"Zach."

"Sarah."

"Madison."

"Sam."

"Alyssa."

"Ashley."

"Okay," Jasmine continued, "I say something, and if you haven't done it, you step out of the circle. Um... cheated on a test."

Everyone looked at each other and giggled, and no one stepped out of the circle.

"Back in high school," Ashley said, "but not, like, now."

Jasmine thought. "Have you ever smoked pot?"

Same reaction - giggling and not moving.

"Lied to your parents -"

Beside her, Sam laughed. "Who hasn't lied -"

But Madison stepped out of the circle. 

"Seriously?" Ashley asked. "You've never once lied to your....?"

"No, I haven't," she said. "Really."

Very hard to believe, but the purple light glared from the ceiling, and Jasmine continued: "Step out of the circle if you've... never ever ever... that is to say, if you've never... never had sex."

Everyone laughed, no one stepped out, and Madison actually stepped back in.

"That's not how it works!" Jasmine proclaimed. "Once you're out, you're out."

"But I'm not a virgin!"

"But you're out."

"But I'm not gonna stand outside of the circle like I'm the only one here who hasn't done it!"

And Alyssa giggled, but her face felt hot. 'Cause she hadn't stepped out of the circle. 'Cause she'd lied. 'Cause she was nineteen, nearly twenty, and she'd never, ever had sex.