After Math
Tucker’s not the least bit interested in me so I’ll have to live vicariously through you.” I start to put my glass down but she makes me lift it back up. “Drink some more. You’ll be less mortified.”
    Against my better judgment, I obey her order. I’m already nervous, and we haven’t even gotten to the club yet. I’m seriously regretting this decision.
    Tina waves her hand to the bartender and points to me, waggling her eyebrows, then turns to Caroline. “Details.”
    Caroline scowls and shakes her head. “No freaking way. I’m trying my best to purge it from my mind.”
    The waitress brings another drink and sets it in front of me.
    Tina turns her attention on me. “You’re nervous, right? I want you to have fun tonight. You’re too worked up most of the time. Now the fact that you fucked Tucker Price—”
    “Tina!” I hiss.
    “—is a step in the right direction to getting your freak on. But you skipped a bunch of steps you need to go back and hit tonight.”
    Caroline leans over the table and takes my hand. “I agree with Tina, except for the fucking-Tucker part.” She shoots Tina a glare. “Don’t encourage her.” She turns back to me. “You need to relax and have fun. If you need a little alcohol to help you do it, so be it.” She points to my glass.
    I feel like they’re trying to force cough syrup down my throat, except my drink tastes nothing like cough syrup. In fact, it hardly tastes like alcohol at all, yet I’m feeling pretty buzzed. “What is this?” I ask taking another sip.
    Guilt washes over Tina’s face. “Long Island Iced Tea.”
    “What?” I set the glass on the table knowing I’m going to be drunk very, very soon. But then again, what’s the harm in that? I’ll pay for it tomorrow, but tonight I want to forget everything. Forget Tucker and all my past. I want to forget about my carefully plotted life, and I just want to have fun like everyone else. I shake my head. “You know what? Who cares? My goal tonight is to get drunk.” I bring the glass to my lips and take several swallows.
    Tina’s eyes light up. “Well, look at you. You go, girl.”
    Caroline doesn’t look as ecstatic about my announcement, but I realize Tina and I are on opposite ends of extremes—Tina’s the wild child, and I’m the boring one. Caroline straddles the center line. For me to skip right over Caroline into Tina’s territory is shocking. Ordinarily, I would ask myself if this was a good idea, but I have enough alcohol floating around in my bloodstream to shove aside any concerns.
    For once in my sorry life, I’m going to have fun.
    I finish my drink, and Tina drives us to the club. I’ve never been here before, but Caroline used to go here with her ex-boyfriend, and I know Tina frequents the place. She’s tried to get me to come with her half a dozen times. She’s had a fake ID ready for me for months.
    We’re not wearing coats, and although I’m wearing Caroline’s sequined sleeveless shirt and a skirt, I’m not as cold as I would be without the alcohol. We walk across the parking lot, and when a couple enters the building, loud music blares from the doorway. I wobble across the asphalt on Caroline’s borrowed heels, already feeling the rhythm soak into my bones.
    Caroline shoots me a weird look. “Tina, we have to take turns watching her tonight.”
    Tina scrunches her nose. “Whatever for? She’s a big girl. You have to let our baby bird fly.”
    “She’s so drunk she can hardly walk, and we’re not even in the club yet.”
    I groan. “Sure, I’m pretty tipsy, but I’m having trouble walking because I’m wearing your three-inch stilettos.” I point to my feet.
    Caroline remains unconvinced. “You don’t drink that often, and Tina filled you with enough alcohol to fuel an ethanol-powered car for fifty miles.”
    Tina shakes her head. “And you’re telling me that you’ve never been drunk? Come on, Caroline.”
    “You know that’s different,” Caroline

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