What if Winston and Adrian played truth or dare?

 Happy Thursday. Maybe you saw my FB post this week about choosing a character to do a little development piece on? If not no worries. It's already done. I got one vote for Adrian and one vote for Winston. I decided to include them both in this short piece that puts them both at a college party. As far as the novel is concerned, this party never happened. It is just a means to an end, and that end is to get to know these guys a little better. Ray Bradbury once said "Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations." Since Ray Bradbury is not someone you contradict, I have taken his sentiment to heart. Enough said. I will now let you see what would happen if Winston and Adrian had met at a college party and played drinking games together. 

Writing Exercise, Character Development 

Winston and Adrian go to a party

                Winston hesitated at the door. He could hear people inside, they were laughing, some one was telling a story. He thought to himself that it still wasn’t too late to turn around and leave. No one would know that he’d even been there at all, but he remembered his promise to Rachel, his sister. He had promised he would at least go to this party that was being thrown by her roommate. He didn’t know why she preoccupied herself worrying about him. He didn’t need to meet people. He was okay with not having a lot of friends. In town it was different than on the reservation. People were harder to get to know. He felt uneasy being the only minority in a group of friendly white people. He didn’t know how Rachel did it with such ease. At least she would be there, assuring him that he wouldn’t be the only person who didn’t grow up in a gently sprawling suburb.

                He knocked and waited, then he knocked again. “Come in,” he heard a muffled voice say, and he opened the door. He stepped inside and the room grew quiet. He looked across the living room where five sets of eyes looked back at him, all of them blue.

                “You must be Rachel’s brother,” a young woman said from her spot on the couch.

                “I’m Winston,” was all he could think to reply.

                “You can take your shoes off and come sit down. What do you want to drink?”

                “I’m fine, thank you,” Winston replied as if on impulse. He didn’t enjoy drinking alcohol, but he remembered where he was and Rachel’s advice to him: just try not to be so stiff and it will be fine! “Maybe just a beer, if you have one.” He corrected himself.

                He took a seat in an armchair and listened to the conversation of the others without joining in. They talked about their classes at UMD, their teachers, and especially their peers. Winston didn’t know any of these people and sat with his legs crossed at the ankles and waited until an appropriate amount of time had passed for him to say ‘thanks for the party, but I’ve got to get home.’

                The door opened and he looked over his shoulder. “Adrian!” one of the women yelled as she got up and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The others echoed an excited greeting and the man, who was tall with sharp blue eyes and brown hair returned their greetings with his own. Winston smiled, at no one really, and looked back down to his beer bottle. He hoped Rachel would show up soon.

                The new arrival, Adrian, sat on the couch across from Winston. Someone handed him a mixed drink without needing to ask what he wanted. “Hey man,” he said as he leaned forward and offered Winston his hand, “I don’t think I’ve met you before. I’m Adrian Davidson.”

                Winston took his hand and shook it. “Winston Belleau.”

                “Related to Rachel, I presume?” he asked.

                “He’s Rachel’s brother,” someone offered for him. Then turning to Winston, she said, “are you the older or younger brother?

                “Older. Three years older,” he said.

                “Did you graduate already?” Adrian asked. Winston didn’t know how to answer that. He had graduated from the tribal college in Cloquet with an associate in science degree two years ago, but he knew they were asking if he’d graduated from UMD.

                “No. I’m not in school at the moment.”

                “That’s cool.” Adrian said, as if trying to guard against making Winston feel like he was less for not being in school. He needn’t have worried himself. Winston was not insecure about his education or his intelligence. “I’m thinking about taking a break myself. This semester has been a killer.”

                “What are you majoring in?” Winston politely inquired.

                “Art history,” he answered.

                A woman walked into the living room carrying a tray of shots and set it down on the coffee table. “You guys ready to have some fun?” she asked as she tipped one of the shots back.

                “Oh shit.” Adrian said as he took one from the tray and drank it too. Winston watched as everyone but him reached for one. The tray was still more than half full. He felt a knot of anxiety in his gut. He hated drinking games. He suddenly felt irritated with Rachel. She had insisted he come to this party and she wasn’t even there. Now he would have to sit awkwardly and watch a bunch of white college students get trashed. He reached for his shirt pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

                “Can I smoke in here?” he asked when he had the attention of the blonde woman.

                “You can do anything you want in here.” She said and pushed him an ashtray half full of cigarette butts.

                “What are we doing here?” Adrian asked as he motioned to the tray of shots.

                “Truth or dare, baby!” she answered.

                “What are we, in middle school?” He asked as he laughed.

                “Okay, then you get to go first. Truth or dare?”

                “Truth, obviously.”

                “Tell us the story of you losing your virginity.”

                “High school girlfriend during a football game,” he said.

                “That story sucked.”

                “But it’s the truth!” he answered, then turned to Winston. “Truth or dare, man.”

                Winston felt his skin prickle. “Truth.” He sat forward in his chair and waited, hoping he would be able to come up with a convincing enough lie if he needed to.

                “If you could travel through time where would go and why?”

                Winston thought for a moment, his cigarette smoldering between his fingers. “I guess I’d go back to the 1400’s and see what this land looked like before Columbus arrived.” The room was quiet for a moment and he realized that he had basically said he’d like to see a world where the ancestors of everyone around him didn’t exist. “Or maybe I’d go to 1964 and drive a new Ford Mustang across the country,” he added.

                “Fair enough. You’re turn.” Adrian directed.

                Winston turned to the person to his right, a young man who was already intoxicated. “Truth or dare?” Winston asked quietly.

                “Dare!” he yelled.

                “I guess go ask the neighbor for some sugar.       

                “Naked.” One of the girls added.

                The man stood up and stripped right in front of everyone and ran out the door. Everyone laughed and cheered him on as he went. Winston just smiled awkwardly.

                “Winston,” the blonde girl said, “you’re turn again.”

                “Truth,” he said quickly, for fear that he too might have to disrobe.

                “Why are you so uncomfortable?” She asked.

                “Hey,” Adrian interrupted. “That’s a rude question. I think you should retract it.”

                “Why?” she chimed. “The point of the game is to ask rude questions.”

                “There’s a difference between asking rude questions and being rude.” Adrian said.

                “I can answer that.” Winston offered and the rest of the room looked at him surprised. “I don’t know any of you. I mean, I thought my sister would be here and she’s not. I came because she insisted. I’m really not big on parties, I’m more of an introvert. I don’t even like drinking that much.”

                “God. If it’s that horrible you can leave anytime!” The woman said as she looked squarely at Winston.

                “Marissa, chill out.” Adrian intervened. Then turning to Winston, he said “We want you to stay. You might not know anyone here, but we probably have more in common than you think. Where did you grow up?”

                “Fond du Lac reservation,” he answered. “You?

                “Bloomington. Are you close with your family?”

                “Yes. Very.”

                “I am with my mom.” Adrian offered. “My dad is a piece of shit though. The guy is always working.”

                Winston refrained from responding. He couldn’t imagine hating someone because they worked too hard. It was difficult for him not to judge this man who seemed so curious about him. Already it was evident that they had little in common. He wondered what Adrian was trying to prove with this conversation.

                “What does your father do?” Winston finally asked.

                “He’s a scientist. He experiments on animals and shit, but not to find a cure for cancer or anything. Just to satisfy his own morbid curiosity.”

                “Oh,” Winston answered. “You’re probably right about him.”

                “We’ve gotten sidetracked,” one of the girls said. “Whose turn is it?”

                “The game has peaked, hon.” Adrian called over his shoulder. “We’ve moved on to authentic conversation.”

                “Boring!” she scoffed and disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later the blender started up and the sweet scent of margarita mix wafted into the living room. Winston shifted in his seat and lit another cigarette. Adrian watched him with veiled interest.

                Adrian had always been fascinated by those who were different from him. He grew tired of his middle-class peers who alternated their nights between cramming for tests and getting blackout drunk. He was excited to have what he considered a real conversation, one where two people can offer different experiences and ideas to one another. He’d always felt he was an intuitive judge of character and Winston seemed like a person who could be trusted.

                As Winston waited for Adrian to continue the conversation, he took stock of the man who seemed to have made it his mission to make sure Winston felt included at this party. Adrian was well dressed and handsome. He had come from more money than Winston would ever see, that was obvious. Even if they never spoke about income, their clothing told all. Winston wore cheap converse shoes while Adrian had leather loafers. Winston’s jeans were well worn. You could buy them that way, but his were worn from years of use. Adrian wore casual khakis and a dark sweater from a men’s department store. Winston wore a black hooded sweatshirt under a green jogger’s jacket he’d borrowed from his cousin, Terry. Adrian was cleanly shaved and smelled of cologne. His hair was thick and shiny. He reminded Winston of a model in a clothing catalog.

                Winston’s hair was also shiny. He wore it down to his shoulders and he often tried to hide his glances behind it. He wore glasses with big, outdated frames. Still, one thing they shared was a resolve not to shrink in front of the other. Winston refused to be ashamed of who he was, even when he didn’t fit in. Meanwhile, it had never occurred to Adrian to be ashamed. He was accepted everywhere he went. He only noticed this when he spoke to someone who struggled to find what he took for granted.

                “I lied,” Adrian finally said. “I don’t think we have very much in common. I mean, we were raised in the same state at roughly the same time, give or take a few years, yet our stories couldn’t be more different. I guess I’m just curious.”

                “So, am I a cultural study to you then?” Winston asked pointedly, yet his expression remained calm.

                “Yes and no. I mean you are a person, right? You are not your culture. But your culture seeps from you, and I am curious about you and it,” Adrian answered honestly. “Aren’t you curious about me?”

                “No. I know all I’ll ever need to about your culture.”

                “Come on, there’s got to be something you’ve always wanted to know!”

                “Are you trying to set me up with that question?” Winston asked.

                “Withdrawn.” Adrian said.

                “What, are we on Law and Order now?” Winston asked and smiled authentically for the first time. Adrian smiled too.

                “Always.” He said. “What I meant to ask is, and this will be awkward, do you want to ditch this party and go get a beer? Compare war stories or something?”

                “What?!” the blonde woman yelled. “You just got here! And Rachel hasn’t even arrived yet. You guys can’t leave.”

                “I thought I could leave anytime.” Winston said to her. She crossed her arms and glared at him.  

                “So what do you say, man? Give me the chance to have a conversation with someone who isn’t earning a bachelor’s degree in absolute bullshit.”

                “What’s in it for me?” he asked.

                “A new fucking friend. Isn’t that why you came here in the first place?”

                He had a point. Winston did not have many friends.

                “Fine.” He said.

                “Fine.” Adrian replied, smiling, and the two men rose and left the house.