The Brink by Holden Sheppard

Author:Holden Sheppard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Text Publishing Company
Published: 2022-06-24T00:00:00+00:00

16

MASON

Because she was robbed of a party last night, Val decides tonight has to be bigger and better. After dinner, she busts out a pack of cards and spreads them in a circle around a red plastic cup.

Taylor beams. ‘Circle of Death. Hell yeah, I’m in.’

Circle of Death is the best drinking game there is. I know some people call it King’s Cup, but our version is cooler. Basically, each card has a different rule—for example if you pick up the two, you might have to do two shots, or if you pick up the Queen you might need to say a particular phrase every time before you drink. You can make up any rules you like, but the king always means the same thing: the first three people who draw a king pour their entire drink into the red cup in the centre of the circle. Whoever draws the fourth king has to scull the whole disgusting concoction—usually a mix of beer, wine, spirits and mixers.

Until now, there had been a weird tension all day, with so many people not talking, or feuding, or being moody as shit. But once everyone starts drinking, it feels like a party again.

Circle of Death ends with me turning up the fourth king.

‘Makes sense,’ I say, grabbing the dark brown mixture in the central cup. ‘A king should drink the king’s cup.’

‘Too bad Brayden didn’t pick it up, or it woulda been the queen’s cup,’ Jared says.

There’s a general laugh, including a nervous chuckle from Brayden.

‘Leave Poochy alone,’ Taylor says.

‘Aw, c’mon, I’m just playing,’ Jared says. ‘No hard feelings, Bray?’

‘All good,’ Brayden says.

I’ve never met anyone so weak. Then again, I haven’t had the guts to say what I need to say, either. Maybe I’m as weak as Brayden.

I scull the king’s cup. It’s gross, but I knock it back in one go and shout, ‘Hell yeah boiii!’ in triumph. There’s something to be said for powering your way through something shitty. Makes you tougher than shying away from it.

‘Let’s play a new game,’ Aisha says. ‘Less drinking, more spilling the tea.’

‘Oooh, I am so here for that,’ Brayden says.

‘We need a break first,’ I say. ‘Gotta chuck a piss.’

I find a saltbush to piss on. I keep having to stabilise myself. I’m more hammered than I thought.

Someone comes up beside me. Jared. Without a word, he flops his dick out of his boardies and starts pissing next to me. I focus on the saltbush. I’ve always liked taking a leak beside another man, like when you’re at a packed Optus Stadium urinal shoulder-to-shoulder with guys all pissing fountains of beer all at once. The secret locker room. The frat house. All of us just blokes together.

I could reach out and touch Jared. But as I start to think about it, he finishes and says, ‘Taylor gave me the eye before. We’ll be back in a bit. Booyah!’

Well, shit.

When I get back to the fire pit, everyone’s drifted away. I know where Jared and Taylor went.

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