Truth or Scare

[Blase]

Closed for me and RaineyGirl16

OOC Comments: This thread represents a bit of an experiment for me. I've done threads involving reluctance before, but usually the characters are fond of each other to begin with. The idea that RaineyGirl16 and I are trying out here is a bit more adversarial.

Please read and enjoy. Your comments are welcome via PM

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Prologue: Alicia was a bitch. Alicia liked Brad. Those were two statements that most everyone on campus at the small state college seemed to agree on; especially the latter.

The trouble with being a bitch, of course, was that it could create a lot of hard feelings. But the trouble with being a bitch with a crush on someone was more subtle, and more serious.

It meant that you were a bitch with a weakness...

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"Hey, you comin'?"

Alicia's vague look in response to the question only confirmed Cassie's impression of her: too stuck-up to be bothered, whether it was with Cassie or most anyone else. Except Brad, for whatever reason, even though he hardly gave her the time of day.

"Come on," Cassie tried again, feigning goodwill. "A few of us are gonna explore the old cemetery by the light of the full moon! I think Jimmy and Brad are going, along with me and some other people. It'll be fun!"

She adjusted the lapel of the devil costume she was wearing. Everyone was in costume: With Halloween only about a week away and the full moon falling that night, there was nothing to do but make the weekend camping trip into a Halloween party. But for some of the partygoers, there was more than bobbing for apples on the agenda.

Their plan was to separate Alicia from the herd, using Brad as bait. And then, they'd see just how much of a crush she really had on Brad, and how high and mighty she could remain when she was trapped by the one thing that seemed stronger than her general contempt for the rest of the student body.

 

[RaineyGirl16]

Alicia stood near the barn fire, mesmerized by the flames as they flickered and danced stretching for the sky. She was not alone. At least a dozen other students hung around but no one was with her. The girls' eyes burned as bright as the fire with jealousy and envy, while the boys tried to hide the way they focused on how her strapless Tinkerbell costume clung to her body. Her soft, full breasts strained against the thin green fabric, cresting over the top and the ragged hem of the skirt barely concealed her panties.

Her icy blue eyes flickered with annoyance as she acknowledged Cassie with a faint glance. Throughout high school she dreamed of being included, invited to parties, but instead was ignored and picked on. When she arrived at college, her tall and lanky figure had developed and was no longer ignored, but she was uncomfortable with the attention. It was as though the names and faces had all changed, but in her mind, they were all the same, and in her bitterness, she clung to the isolation to which she had become so accustomed.

She was ready to make a snarky remark about being in middle school the last time she thought it would be cool to hang out in a cemetery, but then Brad's name hung in the air and without a second thought she agreed to go. Deep down Alicia knew that Brad was no different than the others, but there was something about him that she simply found irresistible.

 

[Blase]

"Hey, you want some?" Jimmy asked Alicia offhandedly as people began to cross into the cemetery, climbing over the low stone wall that marked the boundary of the old burying ground.

She looked at him just as he took the last swig from the bottle he held - which was exactly what he'd intended to happen.

"Oops, this one's empty," he shrugged, then glanced over toward Brad. "Hey, Brad, give that bottle here!" he called, a little too loudly. When Brad stepped over to join them, Jimmy indicated Alicia instead of reaching for the bottle himself. "Alicia wants a drink!" he declared. "Don't you, Alicia?"

Brad took a long drink, himself, about half of which was feigned, then held out the bottle of vodka to the girl.

 

[RaineyGirl16]

The pale blue light of the full moon shone eerily across the cemetery making the grey rock of the tombstones seem to glow in the night. The mostly bare branches of the trees cast long thin shadows that that blew in the breeze and seemed to reach out for the group as they approached. Alicia was alone, a few meters from the rest as she eyed a low spot in the short stone wall where she thought she could get over with a single step of her long legs. The wall was just a touch wider than she had realized, causing her stretch awkwardly as she straddled the rock. The could feel the cool autumn air against the curve of her ass as her skirt rode up. She glanced towards Brad to see if he had noticed, but his focus was consumed by Cassie and bottle of vodka that she had just handed him.

After she swung her other leg over the wall, Alicia fixed her skirt. She had to admit that the cemetery looked creepy and for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. She knew she was being silly, and told herself that there was nothing different about this side of the wall. The sound of Jimmy's voice behind her made her gasp and she whirled around to face him. She hadn't heard him approach, and wondered how much he had seen when she climbed over the wall. Her heart began to race as Brad approached with a bottle and handed it over to her after taking a long sip. She held the bottle nervously in her hand as Brad's eyes waited for her to drink. She liked to drink, but was not used to straight vodka. She brought the bottle to her lips, hesitating a moment before closing her eyes, tipping it back and taking a long swig. She fought off her impulse to spit it out, feeling the alcohol burn in her throat. She pulled the bottle away breathlessly, and looked back into Brad's eyes disparately hoping to see his approval. "Wow, thanks," she said softly.

 

[Blase]

Politeness.

It wasn't what Brad had expected of Alicia - He'd seen her be standoffish to so many people, including some of his good friends.

Ironically, he'd always thought she was hot, but her attitude had just been too much for Brad; even though, for some reason, she didn't use much of it on him.

Tonight, though... Tonight she seemed different.

If all of a sudden there was more to Alicia than haughty disdain, the group's plan rather unexpectedly was looking a whole lot more promising.

Brad took the bottle back, then reached over and put an arm around Alicia. "You're welcome," he replied, starting to walk deeper into the cemetery and taking the girl with him.

"So, got any ideas about what we should do tonight?"

 

[RaineyGirl16]

Alicia could feel her heart racing when Brad put his arm around her. Her brain cautioned her against making too much of his gesture, but went almost entirely unheeded. His smile was so genuine and his touch was gentle and caring. It was as though he finally saw her; finally realized that she was perfect for him and he held her like she was his. She leaned against him lightly as they walked, feeling the warmth of his body as he led her along the path. She no longer noticed the chill in the air nor the shadows nor tombstones. It had all vanished and she was with him.

She looked up into Brad's eyes, her head resting on his shoulder. "Oh, I could be talked into doing just about anything tonight," she replied a little more flirtatiously than she intended. "Can I have another sip?" She signaled towards the bottle with an innocent smile.

 

[Blase]

Brad smiled. "Well, it sounds like someone's feeling brave tonight," he said, keeping his voice low enough to sound intimate.

He passed the bottle back to Alicia. "Are you feeling brave tonight, Alicia? Really brave?"

"Because you just never know what might happen... at night, in a cemetery, so close to Halloween."

 

[RaineyGirl16]

Alicia took the bottle with a giggle and without hesitation brought it to her soft pink lips for another sip. She let out a faint, involuntary grunt as she felt the liquid warm her throat. She blinked up at Brad for a moment with her bright blue eyes before returning her gaze to the ground to avoid ruining this nearly perfect moment by tripping over a rut or rock in the uneven ground. Every once in a while, she noticed Cassie turn to glance back at them suspiciously like she was afraid that the two of them might break away from the group. Alicia would have loved to break away but was trying to be careful not to look too eager or desperate. She knew she needed to bide her time. They would be alone soon enough.

Alicia nestled her body against Brad for warmth against the cool night breeze as she replied softly, "It's easy to be brave with your arm around me. I'm lucky to have you here to protect me." She took another sip and handed back the bottle. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I won't see anything scarier tonight than that look on Cassie's face."

 

[Blase]

Protect her.

God, things were getting out of hand. Brad had more or less gone along with his friends because of Alicia's notorious snobbery and bitchiness - only to find the snobby bitch absent, replaced by the soft-spoken, trusting girl on his arm in the moonlight.

"Cassie? Oh, she won't hurt you," he said aloud.

His internal dialogue wasn't quite so straightforward or assured. The plan had been to see just how far Alicia could be pushed or goaded into going; basically to take her down a peg. Now Brad knew that he couldn't let her be hurt: it wasn't in his nature to hurt someone who trusted him. On the other hand, now more than ever, part of him still wanted to see just how far Alicia might go...

Just then, they reached the spot that the group had been more or less headed for: Larger than any of the monuments around it, but appearing far from grand, the mausoleum sat in the northern end of the cemetery. It was only about head-high, rectangular in shape, with Ionic columns supporting its low, flat roof. And, whether it was a trick of the full moon's light or not, the local legend seemed to be true that night: the venerable structure really did appear to emit a soft glow.

As people came up to the tomb, they started to spread out around it. The resting place could almost have been a stage, the costumed thrill-seekers an audience for some macabre performance.

Brad smiled at Alicia again.

"Still feeling brave, Tinkerbell?" he asked her.

"Maybe we should play a little."

 

[RaineyGirl16]

Alicia's breath caught in her throat when she saw the blue glow of the tomb. She didn't believe in ghosts nor that a full moon held any special power, but there was something about this place that felt wrong. The air held more of a chill and seemed almost electric causing the fine hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. She looked at the others but she seemed to be the only one who was unnerved. A wide, devious smile had spread across Cassie's face and in the pale light, her eyes seemed to burn as though she had transformed into the devil herself.

Alicia took a deep breath and reminded herself that it was just her imagination (and the vodka) playing tricks on her, but it didn't make her feel any better. She looked up at Brad and asked softly, "What are we going to do here?" There was something about his expression, a mix of pity and excitement, that worried her. The plans tonight went beyond sitting around playing drinking games. She tried to feel excited at her inclusion in this adventure and whatever it was, they were all in it together, but she had a nagging suspicion that while "they" were in it together, she was very much alone.

 

[Blase]

She was afraid.

Brad brought his hand up to touch Alicia's chin, tilting her head up towards him, then giving her cheek a light caress as he drew the hand back.

"Hey," he said softly, "Don't be scared. There's nothing to be scared of here.."

Brad looked around at the rest of the group and spoke so that it would carry to everyone. "There's nothing to be scared of here," he said firmly. "Because that wouldn't be cool, would it?" His expression matched the tone of his voice and, as his gaze moved from one partier to the other, he drew murmurs of assent.

He put his hands on Alicia's shoulders and moved her so that she stood in front of him, facing the group. "Tinkerbell's with me," he declared. "Anybody got a problem with that?"

Just then, an owl hooted, off in the distance. Brad, like everyone else, was startled, but fortunately managed not to do much more than tighten his grip on Alicia's shoulders for a moment.

 

[RaineyGirl16]

Alicia felt her heart melt all over again with Brad's sweet caress of her cheek and his caring reassurances. She found herself lost in his eyes as though it were just the two of them once again. She wanted to kiss him, wanted so badly to kiss him forgetting all of the fear that fluttered in her stomach. She wanted nothing more than him.

When she found herself facing the tomb again, the glow appeared even brighter than before. She couldn't take her eyes off of it and without even realizing it, she found herself walking towards it, away from the protective grasp of Brad's hands. The chill of the air raised goose bumps on her skin. Her heart raced as she stopped just short of the glowing monument. She could feel their eyes on her, watching her every move. In her head, she heard Cassie's voice whisper, "Touch it." She glanced over to where Cassie stood, much too far away to have spoken the words herself. Her eyes looked wild, burning the same color as the tomb, like hot blue flame.

Alicia reached out placing her palm on the stone, letting out a gasp. It felt like any other stone, cold from the fall air, except there was something that she couldn't place. Her skin felt warm, flushed. She pulled her hand away, feeling the chill return.

 

[Blase]

Brad looked up, surprised to find that his hands no longer rested on Alicia, but not reflecting that it was odd that he hadn't seen or felt her move. He saw her standing by the mausoleum; saw her form outlined by clinging fabric and moonlight; and went to her. As he walked, his eyes were glued to the the girl, taking in every tight curve. When he came up behind Alicia, his hands moved of their own accord for just a moment, ready to grasp the hem of her skirted costume and raise it up, with no thought for her modesty or the small crowd of people present.

Just in time, he caught himself, lowering his hands with a bemused shake of his head.

"Hey, Tinkerbell," he said into the hush that had fallen over the group, "Truth or Dare?"

"No, Truth or Scare!" Bobby spoke up. "It's Halloween! Let's see who can handle it - or who'll run!"

Several people in the group snickered as Alicia paused before answering.