‘Why do you have to be so rude?’ said Jodie.
‘I’m only teasing – can’t people take a joke?’
Karen broke in. ‘Actually – she isn’t.’
‘She isn’t predictable?’ Mark retorted. ‘Safe, stuck in a rut old Alice – how can you say she’s not predictable?’ ‘
‘You might find out.’ She turned to me. ‘You’re not the least bit predictable are you?’
I opened my mouth with no idea what I was going to say. What was she getting at?
Jodie scrutinised the bruise which was now turning yellow near my eye. Since we’d been here, it had gone from flame red to purple, then green and now this. ‘I can put some make-up over that for you, if you like. I meant to offer before. Is it bothering you?’
‘No – it’s fine,’ I said dismissively. Actually, it wasn’t fine. My injury might have happened days ago, but it was still sending shock waves through my forehead whenever I turned quickly or bent over.
‘Anyone fancy a game of Truth or Dare?’ said Mark.
I looked up. ‘At this time in morning?’ I gave Karen a nervous stare.
‘Not sure that’s such a good idea,’ she said, slotting the final soapy plate into the draining rack.
Mark was clattering the latch of the wooden door – up and down, up and down – making a racket. ‘A game of Truth or Dare will do me good,’ he said.
‘Do we have to…?’ Jodie groaned, sounding about eight years old. If only she would stop behaving like a little girl. Now I’d seen a different side to her, I could see how creative she was; she had so much going for her.
‘Let’s do it.’ He went over to Jodie’s chair and dragged her to her feet.
‘Don’t spoil everything,’ warned Karen.
‘Why will he spoil everything?’ came Jodie’s voice, high-pitched and innocent.
Jodie really didn’t have a clue. I felt sorry for her – it wasn’t the first time.
We went into the sitting room and sat cross-legged in a circle in front of the fire. Mark had put fresh logs on, too many for my liking, and it was crackling and popping like Guy Fawkes’ night.
He leant back to take a bottle from the pile of empties by the fire. ‘We’ll spin it to see who starts,’ he said. He laid it flat between us and swung it round. It ended up pointing straight at me.
‘Ah – it’s Alice. Truth or Dare?’
I didn’t trust that Mark’s dare wouldn’t involve crippling humiliation, so I said ‘Truth’ knowing I always had the option of telling a lie.
‘Let me see,’ he tapped his lip. ‘What are you most afraid of?’
Jodie groaned.
I ignored her. I wanted my turn to be over with. I wanted Stuart to come back so we could plan our escape. ‘Afraid of? Right now?’
‘Yeah – what are you most scared of?’
I glanced at Karen but she had her eyes fixed on the volatile flames. I braced myself. ‘Living half a life,’ I said, picking at the tufts in the rug.
He looked confused. ‘What? You mean dying young or something?’
‘No – I mean living my life as only half a person – being only half the person I can be.’
Jodie clapped her hands. ‘Great answer, Alice – well done.’
Mark grimaced and sent his eyes to the ceiling. ‘Woah – that’s a bit too deep for me, Honey-pie.’
‘I thought you’d say giant spiders or being stabbed in the night, or something,’ said Jodie.
I wished she hadn’t used those words.
‘Your turn to spin the bottle, Alice,’ Karen said, nudging my elbow. She looked, like me, as though she wanted this over with.
The bottle blurred into a green circle and stopped at Mark.
‘Oh – my turn,’ he said in a silly high voice. ‘I choose truth.’
Damn – now I had to think of a question. ‘Okay.’ I tried to think of something that would make them laugh, but was essentially harmless. ‘What is Jodie’s most irritating habit?’
‘That’s a crap question – we’ll be here all morning,’ he snorted.
Jodie slapped his knee in mock disgust. ‘Think of a better question, Alice,’ she demanded.
‘Um – right. Okay – what are your worst habits?’
Mark slapped the carpet. ‘Oh – for fuck’s sake, Alice.’
Karen took hold of my hand. ‘Don’t be such a bastard, Mark. You never have anything nice to say about anyone.’
‘Thank you,’ chipped in Jodie. ‘He’s been such a miserable git this holiday, spoiling it for everyone.’