• C H A P T E R  S E V E N • 

The Drinking Game

"Thank you so much for coming." Chloe wrapped her arms around a girl and she handed her a present in honour of her birthday.

"You're welcome Chloe. It's was an amazing birthday party." The student smiled and Chloe glanced at Caroline. 

"Well, it wasn't up to me... Thank Caroline." Caroline waved at the girl, while Chloe clenched her teeth and talked. "And didn't tell me the number of people who were going to attend..." She cleared her throat and shook the girl's hand. 

"Nice to see you again." She waved awkwardly to the girl as she walked out of the house. 

Chloe sighed and closed the door. "Well, bedsides the fact that I hardly knew her, that was great." Jessica giggled. 

"Caroline always knows how to throw a party." Biting her lip, Caroline placed her hands onto her hips. 

"Well, I always do. Just call a bunch of random people and invite them over. Including any ex-boyfriends and stuff..." Chloe immediately turned her head. 

"What happened?" She pressed her hand onto her shoulder and Caroline was on the brink of tearing up. 

"He said to me that... he wanted me back. I said I'd think about." 

"And?"

"Well, he had already moved on." Jessica and Chloe looked at each other for a moment. 

"That was fast." 

"That's what I said to the girl who had her legs wrapped around her neck!" Caroline sniffled and cried out, grabbing a shot full of alcohol. 

Chloe bowed her head. 

"God, is there... anything we can do?" The broken friend breathed in. 

"No. I just want to take my mind off it. Besides..." Caroline handed out three shots. One for Jessica and one for Chloe. "We are young and single." She sniffs and the three friends simpered at each other. "To no dramas." 

"To no dramas!" The three gulped down the small shots, followed by a throaty cough. 

"Ah, God!" Jessica yelled and reached for a lemon slice, swallowing its juice. She shook her head and Chloe licked her lips. 

"Ergh, I think we need to clean up." Chloe slammed her shot onto the table and reached down for a bin bag. 

Looking up, she saw the legs of a man. 

 A man? 

"Hey Chloe." Tom smiled and Chloe straightened herself, throwing some empty shot glasses into the bag. 

"Hey, gosh. I totally forgot you were here." Shrugging, Tom picked up a few empty plates. 

"Well, I wanted to stay and..." He held the other side of the bag. "... help." 

"Aw, thanks Tom. I think I'll need it while they get drunk and flirt with that tall guy." She exhaled deeply. 

"Tall guy?" 

"Yeah, can't you hear the giggling?" Tom looked over at Jessica and Caroline. 

The tall guy- was his best bud- Benedict. 

Tom cringed. 

"Oh sheet." Chloe chuckled. 

"What?" 

"That's... my friend." Turning her head, both Chloe and Tom burst into laughter. 

"Ahaha, my God. He looks kinda hot." Tom lifted his eyebrows. "And that Tom, proves that those acting classes in university were worth it." 

Smiling at each other, Tom and Chloe continued to tidy up and Benedict tried to blow the girls' mind away. 

Caroline took a particular liking to the man- totaling at 1.83m tall. 

Sooner or later, Caroline had suggested a drinking game...

"Okay, so... let's playing a drinking game." Chloe groaned as Tom reached his arm over her shoulder. 

"Oh no, you're going to win." 

"I said 'a' drinking game." Caroline glared at her friend and carried on talking. "Anyway, it's basically never have I ever, and if you have done it, you take a sip of your drink." There were some confused faces. "I'll start. Never have I ever... left the house in my pajamas." Everyone looked around and Jenifer slowly sipped at her glass. 

"What? Childhood mistake..." 

Tom and Chloe stared at each other and remembered that one time where they played a game together. 

Chloe's house, 1991

"Left hand red, left hand red!" Tom shouted and Chloe squealed.

"Oh my god, oh my god! Ah! Tom move!" Attempting to reach her hand to the red spot, Chloe bit her lip. 

"Got it yet?" Tom asked and she finally placed her hand on it. 

"Yep! Okay." She spun the dial while pressing her tongue onto the roof of her mouth. "Right, Hiddletwist. Left foot, blue." Tom breathed in and slowly slid his foot on the mat. He tucked it under Chloe's hip, however she fell on his leg, Tom biting the whole of his bottom lip, yelping. 

"Ah, ah, ah, oh my god!" 

"Gosh, I'm sorry!" Chloe and Tom laughed. 

"I know this game would be the death of me!" The Englishman shouted. 

The memory flashed before their eyes, like lightning in the sky.