I knew how crazy they got during this game. Last time, they made the new teacher kiss a stranger on the street. That poor girl cried for a week.
"Cassie, you're up. Truth or dare?"
Susan's voice pitched higher with post-drink excitement, and all my coworkers turned to stare at me, their eyes gleaming with the thrill of potential drama.
My stomach dropped instantly, but this time it wasn't all fear. The alcohol was coursing through my veins, bringing a kind of wild excitement I'd never felt before.
Maybe this was exactly what I needed—a chance to break the rules.
"Dare!" I heard my own voice, louder than usual, with a bold laugh I didn't recognize.
"Ooooh!" The cheers were so loud they practically lifted the roof.
Susan excitedly pounded the table, spilling her drink. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Here's the deal—"
She dragged out her words dramatically, scanning everyone at the table.
"Close your eyes, scroll through your phone contacts randomly. Whoever your finger lands on, you send them a text." She cleared her throat and announced in a deliberately suggestive tone, "Thinking about you tonight, can't sleep, wondering what you're doing."
Whistles and whoops exploded around the table, but that little spark of rebellion in my heart got doused with cold water.
That's it? That's all? Some harmless little text? This was their idea of a big dare? How was this any different from the goodnight texts I sent my mom? A wave of disappointment and that "is this really all there is?" feeling washed over me.
If even their dares were this careful, this boring, then all my courage to break out tonight would be totally pointless.
No. What I wanted wasn't some half-hearted attempt. I wanted real rebellion, a heart-stopping moment that would prove I was still alive.
"No." I heard myself say it, my voice carrying a determination I didn't even recognize. "That's too boring."
Everyone froze, including me.
"Cassie?" Jennifer stared at me in disbelief. "What did you just say?"
The alcohol was burning in my veins, but what burned hotter was this urge to completely break free. For the first time in twenty-four years, I felt genuine rebellion spreading through my chest like wildfire.
"I said that's too boring." I stood up, feeling like my blood was boiling. "That sounds like a text you'd send your neighbor. If we're gonna do this, why not make it actually interesting?"
"Cassie," Susan looked shocked. "What do you have in mind?"
I looked at their stunned faces, and that voice that had been buried inside me for twenty-four years finally broke through every chain holding it down.
"I want to send something that'll make someone's blood run hot." The words hit me like a dizzy rush the moment they left my mouth, but instead of fear, I felt this almost tragic determination. If I were going to break through, I was going to completely shatter every conventional boundary. Let that rule-following Cassie Monroe die tonight, right here in this pink drink.
I smiled in a way I didn't even recognize. "That lucky guy or girl is about to get an unforgettable surprise."
I closed my eyes and let my finger slide across the screen. When I opened my eyes, I saw a simple letter: G.
That was it. No full name, no notes, just the lonely letter G. Maybe I'd rushed and only entered the first letter of a last name before saving it, or maybe it was some system glitch. Either way, I had absolutely no idea who this was.
But right now, that mystery made it even more exciting.
"Got someone picked?" Susan asked carefully, obviously shaken by my earlier outburst.
"Yep." I took a deep breath, my fingers flying across the screen as the rebellious streak in my bloodstream completely took over my rational mind. I typed out a message that shocked even me:
Me: Late-night insomnia, my body's burning hot for you. Craving your fingers exploring every inch of my skin, wanting you to take me right now and completely dominate me.
"Holy shit!" Mary gasped.