[Leopard]

Nicole

‘Okay, let’s start,’ Nicole said, taking a deck of cards out of a pocket of her bag, before putting her jacket down on the floor and sitting on it, her legs together to one side. It wasn’t the most graceful option, but with no table, it was the only way all four of the girls could sit around together.

The others followed suit, Hannah and Emily putting their discarded jackets down to either side of Nicole and sitting on them. Jenna remained in her seat for a moment, then eventually sighed and took off her jacket; she’d been the only one still wearing hers.

‘I don’t like that the playing position already puts me one item down,’ she muttered as she sat down opposite Nicole.

‘Everyone’s already one down from jackets,’ Nicole pointed out. ‘Plus, it’s not like we’re all wearing the same amount of clothing, so the scores are already going to be skewed.’

‘Seems like a silly game then,’ Jenna said, tossing back her blonde hair.

‘I’m wearing the least of all of you,’ Nicole reminded her.

This was true. Nicole was wearing her favourite summer dress. Adding underwear (shoes and socks were never included as part of the rules) this gave her only three chances to lose a round before being completely naked.
Jenna was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and two singlet tops, giving her five points, so to speak, while Emily was dressed in capris tights and a dress, giving her four. Hannah was the most dressed of all of them, wearing pants and a long sleeve top beneath her t-shirt, the shoulder strap of a tank top just visible beneath, putting her at a total of six.

There was of course the added risk of them being in public on the train, and while no one would directly see them unless they walked right past their carriage, the girls were all uncomfortably aware of the glass window in the door. Nicole had intentionally sat diagonally on the floor so that no one would have an unfair advantage of having their back directly to the door, and had intentionally positioned herself on the side by the window, so that she was at more risk of exposure than Hannah, who was at least half facing away from the door.

All of the girls were fairly protective of Hannah, although Nicole had decided on the game to at least give the girl some sort of risk involvement, rather than treat her like a baby too young to play. That was the last thing Hannah wanted right now, being left alone in the lower form at school as the other three moved on.

‘I’ll be the dealer this time,’ Jenna said, holding out her hand to Nicole. ‘No one trusts you anymore.’

‘What a thing to say’ Nicole replied in an amused voice, as she handed the deck of cards over to her friend.

Although none of the girls had ever caught Nicole cheating – and in fact she never had cheated; she was just really good – none of them fully trusted that Nicole was playing fairly. Nicole accepted the suspicion with good natured humour; it was easy to be magnanimous when you were the one winning all of the games.

‘Since we don’t have chips or anything with us, I’m guessing we’re just playing classic five card poker?’ Jenna asked as she shuffled the cards. ‘Last place only strips, or everyone but the winner?’

‘Five cards, and everyone but the winner,’ Emily said firmly. ‘We won’t be on this train forever, and if it’s last place we’re never going to get anything off Nicole.’

‘Don’t you like my dress?’ Nicole asked Emily coyly, as Jenna began to deal out cards.

‘I’d like it better on the floor,’ Emily replied with a smirk, accepting her second card.

‘That’s what she said,’ Nicole said, noting the tiny crease that crossed Emily’s brow as she looked at her cards.

‘That’s what who said?’ Emily retorted. ‘You’ve never seen anyone you liked enough to undress for.’

‘Doesn’t mean they can’t ask,’ Nicole grinned.

It was true. Although it was generally acclaimed that Nicole was one of the prettiest girls in their year level, not one of her many admirers had ever really won Nicole’s interest, whether it be girls from her year level, younger, eager to please students, or even the girls from the upper form that desired her. The same went for any of the many, many boys that had tried to gain her affections – or just get into her pants – during school holidays and interschool events.

The worst part, as Nicole understood it, was that they couldn’t even really be mad at her. She was never cold to any of them, always denying admirers with sweet smiles and thanks, but it wasn’t as if she was being intentionally infuriating. She couldn’t help it if she wasn’t ready to commit to anyone. And while winding up naked in games with friends was one thing, it had nothing to do with actually being with someone.

‘Okay, Hannah, what’ll it be?’ Jenna was asking.

‘I’ll hold,’ Hannah replied with the tiniest of smiles.

Jenna turned to look at Nicole, who tossed down two cards.

‘Two, please,’ Nicole said. She knew that she was taking a big risk – she’d barely glanced at her cards, but getting a straight flush or some sort of pairs from the two new cards was her only hope. Nicole wasn’t big on those sorts of risks, but when winning the round was the only available option, one had to take them.

Jenna dealt out Nicole’s cards, and Nicole picked them up, giving the new additions only the briefest of glances before laying them all flat against her lap. Nicole, as was to be expected, had an excellent poker face.

Emily took three cards for herself. Nicole was sure that Emily knew better than to play like that, but then she had to take risks, just as Nicole did. Still, it meant that she probably had junk.

Jenna took one card for herself, then looked around at everyone.

‘So who wants to give in before we show?’ she asked with a grin.