An Angel's kiss.

Chapter five

A few people burst out laughing.

The girl's smile instantly disappears.

Jacob simply shakes his head with an amused chuckle.

“Easy, tiger,” he teases, earning another eye roll from Janice.

“Anyway...” Jacob continues, still smiling. “Everyone, hands in.”

We all gather closer and stretch one hand toward the middle.

“We're all going to stack our hands on top of each other,” he explains. “Then we chant ‘Apateu, apateu!’ while we stack our hands. Once we're done, someone calls out a number, and we count the hands from the bottom. Whoever's hand lands on that number gets the floor.”

“And then?” I ask curiously.

A mischievous smile spreads across Janice's face.

“That person has to complete a challenge.”

“What kind of challenge?”

“Oh, don't worry,” one of the girls says with a laugh. “Nothing too crazy.”

“She’s lying,” another guy cuts in without missing a beat.

The entire group bursts into laughter.

Jacob grins and raises a hand. “I'll pick the first number.”

“Ready?” he asks.

We all nod.

“Apateu, apateu!”

Everyone chants together, stacking their hands one after another.

I look at Janice. She only gives me an innocent smile and a tiny shrug.

For some reason... I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this.

The game goes on, and honestly, I can't decide whether it's actually fun or just complete chaos.

Some students were more excited than nervous whenever a number was called. While a few chose truth, others gladly picked dare. Before long, people were kissing strangers—even if it meant kissing another girl—while others danced, sang, or suffered through the weirdest penalties imaginable.

I can't hold back my laughter when one guy suddenly starts singing Justin Bieber's “Baby” with so much confidence, completely unaware of how off-key he is. His voice cracks every time he tries to hit the high notes, but somehow, he just keeps going like he's giving the performance of his life.

When he finally finishes, everyone claps and cheers. “That was fire, man! You nailed it, Miles!”

I'm not sure if Miles actually believes he's that good, but judging by the way he bows dramatically before fist-bumping the guys around him, I think he does.

As for me, I kept choosing to drink instead. Anything was better than taking one of those ridiculous penalties or answering embarrassing questions. Apparently, everyone found me boring for it, saying I shouldn't have joined the game if I was just going to drink every time.

Janice, on the other hand, was completely into it. I'd already lost count of how many times she'd landed on the kiss penalty. Every single time, Jacob would immediately declare that her punishment was a kiss from him. No one dared to argue.

“Sana all.”

The guy was ridiculously possessive.

By then, my head was spinning, my vision had grown blurry, and my stomach was beginning to protest. I was barely holding myself together, yet the game showed no signs of ending.

Then, just my luck, the next number landed on my hand.

"What? That girl again?" Lola spat, her face twisting with irritation. “She’s such a drag.”

I recognized her immediately. She was the same girl who'd mocked me earlier for not knowing the APT. game and had been making snide comments about almost every girl in the room ever since.

Lahat ng mata napaling sa'kin, halatang inaasahan na naman nilang iinumin ko ang isa pang shot.

But I was already too drunk, and my stomach was churning. One more shot, and I was sure I'd throw up right on the spot.

I swallowed hard before making what was probably the worst decision of the night.

"I'll take the dare."

The words had barely left my mouth when the entire room erupted.

Loud cheers echoed around me, followed by a chorus of whistles, claps, and playful hoots. A few students even jumped to their feet, pumping their fists in the air as if their favorite team had just won the championship.

My shoulders instinctively flinched at the sudden explosion of noise.

"Finally!" a guy from the corner exclaimed.

"Now we're talking!" another guy beside him chimed in, the two of them exchanging an enthusiastic high-five.

Their reactions only made everyone laugh even harder.

I hadn't realized everyone had been that invested in my choices. Who would've thought finally picking dare would become the highlight of the game?

"Guys, chill," Jacob said with an amused chuckle, though he was laughing just as much as everyone else.

Even then, he never loosened his hold on Janice, his arms comfortably wrapped around her from behind as if letting go wasn't even an option.

"Seriously...?"

Mukhang wala nang balak maghiwalay ang dalawang 'to. Sa takbo ng gabing 'to, feeling ko matatapos ang party na may boyfriend na ang best friend ko.

"So, what's the dare?" the girl beside me asked excitedly.

Everyone called her Sassy. She was Chinese but had grown up in Canada, and despite having met only a little while ago, she was probably the friendliest person in the group.

"Yeah, make it something interesting," added a guy named Zion, lounging beside Jacob and Janice.

"Zion," Jacob warned, his gaze sweeping around the circle. "Don't be too hard on her."

No one dared to argue. As if that earned him a reward, Janice cupped his face and kissed him. At first, it was just a quick peck. Then... it wasn't.

The kiss lingered. One second turned into several, and before anyone realized it, the two were already making out right in the middle of the circle. A chorus of whistles, laughter, and teasing erupted around them.

"Hey! Get a room, you two."

Hindi ko na napigilan at pinantirikan sila ng mata. Akala mo sila lang ang tao sa room.

"I'm so done with these lovebirds. Tukaan nang tukaan."

As if they'd been waiting for permission, the two of them hurried out of the room.

Pinanliitan ko sila ng mata habang sinusundan ko sila ng tingin palabas.

"I got an idea!"

Noah suddenly spoke, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Alright," he said, a slow grin spreading across his face.

"Here's your dare."

He pointed toward the far end of the room.

"See those guys playing on the PS5?"

Lahat kami napalingon sa direksyong tinuturo niya.

From where we were sitting, I could make out two guys lounging on the couch. Both wore headsets and held controllers, completely engrossed in whatever game they were playing, oblivious to everything happening around them.

Then Noah looked back at me.

"Kiss him."

Lahat ng tingin bumalik kay Noah.

My heart immediately started pounding.

"Which guy?" someone asked with a sarcastic laugh. "There are two of them."

"The other one doesn't matter." Noah never took his eyes off me.

"Colt."

In an instant, everyone's gaze shifted back to the couch.

"What? Absolutely not!" Lola blurted out, shooting Noah a glare. "He's mine."

The room burst into laughter. "Girl, he's not even interested in you," one of the girls teased.

I still hadn't learned her name, but judging by the way everyone laughed, she clearly wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

"Our parents arranged it," Lola declared with complete confidence.

"In your dreams," another girl shot back with a sarcastic laugh.

I was starting to get the feeling that no one in this group actually liked her.

"So?" Noah's voice cut through the bickering.