The silence and the anticipation danced over the flames and everyone waited, now and again someone glancing toward Rodney as if they could activate his response by staring and waiting. But he sat perched, knees up, sneaker soles flat down on the face of the rock, and he thought. He cradled his can of beer absently. Finally he said, ”Never have I ever licked someone’s armpit in full, bottom to top,” and in the silence no one moved. No one laughed. The fire licked around but was free now from hesitation and seemed oddly naïve, like a child playing in dirty water. Rodney looked around and then took a long drink, leaning back to empty the can. “Rodney…I don’t think you understand the rules quite,” Janine spoke up and was joined around the fire by nods of agreement. “Rodney, you’re supposed to say something you’ve never done. Then if anyone around the fire has done that thing, then they drink,” Janine explained, pointing around the circle and then tipping back an invisible beer, “see?” Rodney sat there and thought about it, “the thing that don’t make sense, ok, is that the game sort of supposes that drinking is a bad thing. Like if you lose you drink. But I wanna drink. Far as I can reckon, that’s what we’re here doin’,” “Rodney it’s like a fun way to drink and interact ok? We all want to drink, ok? If you don’t want to play you can just watch.” “No, I wanna play. I’ll play it right. Ok. Never have I ever…”