Chima's Apartment - Nighttime
The living room was cozy and warm. Snacks were scattered across the coffee table. Pillows were everywhere. The five girls were sprawled in their usual chaotic positions: Alice upside down on the couch, Chima on the floor, Wony perched elegantly on a cushion, Fatimah cross-legged on the armchair, and Naila curled into her favorite corner, already half-asleep.
"Okay," Alice announced, sitting up abruptly. "Let's play Never Have I Ever!"
Chima groaned. "Alice, we always play that. And you always say something weird."
"That's the POINT!"
Wony adjusted her posture. "I suppose I can participate. As long as the questions remain... tasteful."
"Define tasteful."
"Nothing involving bodily functions."
"BORING!"
Fatimah smiled. "I'll play. But keep it clean, Alice."
"FINE. Mostly clean. Some dirt is allowed. Dirt is fun!"
Naila mumbled without opening her eyes. "I'm playing. Just ask. I'll answer. Maybe."
"That's the spirit!"
***
Alice started. "Never have I ever... eaten something off the floor."
Everyone except Fatimah put down a finger.
"ALICE?!" Chima shouted. "You're the one who started this!"
"I'm honest!"
Wony shook her head. "That's not something to be proud of."
Fatimah went next. "Never have I ever... pulled an all-nighter for fun."
Everyone except Naila put down a finger.
Chima stared at Naila. "You've never pulled an all-nighter?!"
"Too tired," Naila mumbled. "Sleep is important."
"That's... actually healthy."
Wony's turn. "Never have I ever... worn mismatched socks in public."
Chima put down a finger. "THEY'RE NOT MISMATCHED! ONE IS JUST DARKER!"
"That's the definition of mismatched."
"I HATE YOU ALL."
Naila opened one eye. "My turn."
Everyone looked at her. Naila rarely initiated anything.
"Never have I ever..." Naila paused, thinking. "...kissed someone else's boyfriend."
Silence.
Alice's face went pale.
Wony's hand froze mid-air.
Chima looked between them. "Wait. What?"
Naila blinked, suddenly more awake. "What? Did I say something?"
Fatimah leaned forward. "Alice? Wony? Is there something you want to share?"
Alice was sweating. "I mean... it was a long time ago..."
Wony was also sweating, though trying to hide it behind elegance. "It was... a misunderstanding..."
Chima's eyes narrowed. "SPILL IT. NOW."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIk1IoggwT
Alice took a deep breath. "Okay, okay! So... before Wony and Zhao started dating... I might have... kissed him. Once."
Wony's jaw dropped. "YOU KISSED ZHAO?!"
"It was before you guys were official! We were at a party! He was sad because his girlfriend just broke up with him! I was trying to cheer him up!"
"BY KISSING HIM?!"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time!"
Chima was laughing so hard she was crying. "ALICE KISSED WONY'S BOYFRIEND!"
"I SAID IT WAS BEFORE THEY WERE DATING!"
Wony was fuming. "You should have told me!"
"I thought it would be awkward!"
"IT'S AWKWARD NOW!"
Fatimah held up her hands. "Okay, okay. Alice was wrong to hide it. But it was before you two were together. So technically... she didn't do anything wrong?"
"She KISSED my BOYFRIEND!"
"Before he was your boyfriend!"
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"
***
Wony was still angry, but she was also sweating. Because she had something to confess too.
"Okay," she said carefully. "If we're being honest... then I also have something to share."
Everyone turned to her.
Wony took a breath. "Last week... at the dance partner event... I might have kissed Hayden."
Alice's eyes went wide. "HAYDEN?! MY BOYFRIEND?!"
"He was my dance partner! We were practicing! It was a simple cheek kiss! It meant nothing!"
"CHEEK KISS?! THAT'S NOT A CHEEK KISS! THAT'S A FULL KISS!"
"It was a peck! A very small peck! The lights were dim, the music was romantic, and I got carried away!"
"YOU GOT CARRIED AWAY WITH MY BOYFRIEND?!"
"HE'S VERY TALL! I GOT DAZZLED BY HIS HEIGHT!"
"THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE!"
Chima was now rolling on the floor. "THIS IS THE BEST GAME EVER! YOU KISSED EACH OTHER'S BOYFRIENDS!"
"SHUT UP, CHIMA!"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aHeftMDmX
Alice and Wony were now face to face, both furious.
"YOU KISSED MY BOYFRIEND!"
"YOU KISSED MY BOYFRIEND TOO!"
"THIS IS DIFFERENT!"
"HOW IS IT DIFFERENT?!"
"BECAUSE I TOLD YOU ABOUT MINE! YOU HID YOURS!"
"I HID IT BECAUSE IT WAS NOTHING!"
"IT WAS SOMETHING IF YOU HID IT!"
"IT WAS A PECK!"
"SO WAS MINE!"
"LIES! YOURS WAS PROBABLY PASSIONATE!"
"IT WAS A CHEEK KISS!"
"ON THE LIPS?!"
"I DON'T REMEMBER!"
"YOU'RE LYING!"
"I'M A LADY! I DON'T LIE!"
"YOU JUST DID!"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7npCNCg1Y7
Fatimah stepped between them. "Okay, okay! Everyone calm down!"
"WE'RE NOT CALM!"
"I CAN SEE THAT! BUT WE NEED TO THINK RATIONALLY!"
Alice crossed her arms. "She kissed my boyfriend."
Wony crossed her arms. "She kissed my boyfriend first."
"IT WAS BEFORE YOU TWO WERE TOGETHER!"
"THAT'S STILL DISRESPECTFUL!"
"YOU KISSED MY BOYFRIEND LAST WEEK!"
"IT WAS A PECK!"
"IT WASN'T!"
"IT WAS!"
Chima was still on the floor, wiping tears from her eyes. "I can't breathe. I can't. This is the best thing that's ever happened."
Naila, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up.
"So... we all kissed someone else's boyfriend?"
Everyone stared at her.
"What? No!" Chima said. "I haven't kissed anyone's boyfriend!"
"Me neither," Fatimah said.
"Me neither," Naila said. "I'm too tired to kiss anyone."
"That's... actually true," Fatimah admitted.
Naila nodded. "So it's just Alice and Wony who are bad friends."
"I'M NOT A BAD FRIEND!" they shouted in unison.
"Then why did you kiss each other's boyfriends?"
"IT WAS BEFORE!"
"IT WAS A PECK!"
"Same thing," Naila said calmly. "Both wrong. Both bad."
Alice and Wony stared at her.
"That's... actually a fair point," Wony admitted.
"Shut up, Wony!" Alice snapped. "We're fighting!"
"We were fighting! Now we're agreeing!"
"I DON'T WANT TO AGREE WITH YOU!"
"TOO BAD! YOU'RE WRONG AND I'M WRONG SO WE'RE EQUALLY WRONG!"
***
After an hour of arguing, everyone was exhausted.
Alice and Wony sat on opposite ends of the couch, refusing to look at each other.
Chima was finally calm, though still grinning.
Fatimah was rubbing her temples.
Naila was asleep again.
"This is ridiculous," Wony finally said. "We're both angry. But we're also friends. And this is not worth ruining our friendship over."
Alice nodded slowly. "You're right. I'm sorry for kissing Zhao."
"I'm sorry for kissing Hayden."
"But you shouldn't have kissed him."
"You shouldn't have kissed Zhao."
"We both shouldn't have kissed each other's boyfriends."
"Agreed."
They looked at each other. Then, slowly, they hugged.
"Friends?" Alice asked.
"Friends," Wony confirmed.
Chima clapped slowly. "Aww. Character growth. I'm so proud."
"SHUT UP, CHIMA!"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgYsMNE5Mk
Fatimah stood up. "Okay. New rule for this game. Never Have I Ever... is banned. Forever."
Alice pouted. "But it's fun!"
"IT ALMOST DESTROYED OUR FRIENDSHIP!"
"Details!"
Naila opened one eye. "Can I go home now? I'm tired."
"YOU'VE BEEN ASLEEP THE WHOLE TIME!"
"I woke up for the drama. It was entertaining. But now I'm tired again."
Chima laughed. "You're impossible, Naila."
"I know."
As everyone started packing up to leave, Alice turned to Wony.
"Hey. About the kiss with Zhao... it really was nothing. I was just being dumb."
Wony smiled. "I know. And about Hayden... he kissed me first. I just didn't stop him."
Alice's eyes went wide. "HE KISSED YOU?!"
"I said it was a peck!"
"THAT'S NOT A PECK!"
"IT WAS A VERY SMALL PECK!"
"WE'RE FIGHTING AGAIN!"
Chima cheered. "YES! ROUND TWO!"
Fatimah buried her face in her hands.
Naila was already out the door. "Goodnight, everyone. Don't kill each other. Too much effort."
"NAILA, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HELP!"
"I'm helping by leaving. Less drama."
"THAT'S NOT HELPING!"
"It's helping me sleep. Goodnight."
The door closed behind her.
The chaos continued without her.
But honestly? That was exactly how Naila liked it.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0CHMPNWjw
and then Add to home screen.