As we cruised down the turnpike, Emma's Mustang roared beneath us, the engine vibrating through the seats. I was in the back, rapping the lyrics to '6 foot 7 foot' by Lil Wayne, my voice slurred and off-key. The bass was cranked up so high it felt like it was pounding directly into my eardrums, but I didn't care. I was drunk enough that the words coming out of my mouth were a jumbled mess, but in my mind, I was nailing every line with perfection.

Minutes blurred into a lazy haze, and before I knew it, we arrived at a massive mansion in Whispering Woods. The house was lit up like a beacon, and I could already hear the thumping music from inside. People were milling around the front yard, solo cups were trashed on the floor and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement.

I stumbled out of the car, Emma leading the way with her usual confidence. Reina, looking a mix of excited and nervous, followed close behind me. This was her time out in South Florida, and I could tell she wasn't sure what to expect.

"Welcome to Sin City," Emma said with a grin, throwing an arm around Reina's shoulders.

As we made our way inside, the party was in full swing. The house smelled like cheap beer, marijuana and for some reason chicken tenders. People were dancing, drinking, and shouting over the music.

"Let me stay with you," Reina said. I nodded and weaved through the crowd. We ended up in the kitchen, where a makeshift bar had been set up. I grabbed two cups and filled them with whatever convocation was in the punch bowl. I handed one to Reina, who took it hesitantly.

"To your first American party." We clinked out cups together. The punch was sweet and surprisingly strong. It wasn't long that I started to forget everything.

After a few cups of bunch, I jugged down an entire bottle of Jose Cuervo to the point that my memory was getting hazy and hazier by the minute. I completely forgot where I was or who I was with. But I loved the music. I loved the sounds of others talking and I loved to party.

As I walked out of a bathroom, I had to catch myself on the wall. Little did I know, the whole wall was spinning and had to adjust my balance to each section of the wall. Suddenly I found myself on the ceiling looking down at the other people. How drunk was I? The wall had me spinning again to the other side with a thud. Soon, I crawled down, back on the floor on the room. I stood up and everything seem to be upright and normal.

I ended up in a closet room. I opened the door and noticed a girl snorting a line of drugs off of a laundry hamper

"Oh shit sorry."

I quickly closed the door. But I paused. I decided to re-open the door. The girl was finished snorting the line of drugs and fixing up her nose. It was Lexi Lincoln, my ex best friend. She noticed me as well.

"What were you snortin' Lexi?" I asked.

"I wasn't. I wasn't snorting," Lexi said to me. Her hair was naturally brown and curly. She had a bunny ears tattoo behind her right ear. Ironically she was wearing a North Carolina t-shirt with jean shorts and black converses.

"Yeah. yeah u were," I insisted.

"I'm actually just checkin on this laundry hamper. I think it looks good. Nice and sturdy. Kinda smelly. Probably from Ikea. I approve," Lexi says, playing around with the hamper.

"If you tell me what drugs you're doing than I'll tell you what drugs I'm doin."

"Okay, deal."

I went into the closet and slid down the wall. I was too drunk to really feel like standing up and I think Lexi was too high to fully grasped the idea.

"Thought I wouldn't see your ass til next week." I said

"So did I." Lexi commented back.

"How are you tonight?"

"My pulse is riding fast and slow, just another normal night for me."

The music from the party thumped through the walls and floor, making it hard to think, let alone speak. We were both in the same boat, intoxicated and caught in the strange limbo of the night.

I leaned my head back against the wall, closing my eyes. "Ya'll playin good right now.

"So are y'all" Lexi commented, her voice soft and reflective. 

The silence that followed was thick from unspoken memories, stretching back to our childhood. The countless one-on-one in the driveway, the trips across the country, and the summer we went into high school, when we became each other's first kiss. Lexi Lincoln, was my everything at one point of my life. 

Lexi broke the silence, her voice softer now. "You ever wonder why we hate each other?"

I laughed, a high, tinkling sound the echoed in the small space. "Probably because we're too alike. Stubborn as hell and competitive to admit it."

"Yeah, maybe," Lexi admitted, a small smile playing on her lips.

She leaned her head back against the wall, mirroring my position. "You know, this is probably the first real conversation we've had in a long, long time.

"It is, isn't it?" I commented.

"Yeah," she said, her tone contemplative. "Kinda nice."

I nodded in agreement, feeling a strange sense of camaraderie with her. In that moment, our old relationship was slowly crawling out of the dirt. The party's noise faded in the background, and the outside world disappeared. It was just us.

"Remember when we were in Ireland? Our U15 World Cup," Lexi said, a slight smile tugging at my lips.

I chuckled, "How could I forget? You spilled soda all over Coach's new shoes."

"Yeah and then you tried to blame it on me. Classic Bethany."

I laughed, "Hey, you're the one insisted on carrying all the drinks at once."

I looked at her, the girl who had been my best friend, my first love, my first everything, and now just two girls, drunk and high, sitting on the floor of some random party.

"I still hate that you went to private. It felt like you stabbed me in the heart. Why did you go?" I urged.

"Why didn't you go? You had the full ride. The full opportunity to go and play with the best girls in the state, in the country, and you decided to stay at Palmetto. I was waiting for you,"Lexi says.

"You could've stayed," I said, my voice quieter. "We... could've stayed together."

She sighed, leaning back against the opposite wall. "Bethany, we were kids. It was a huge change for me to get more noticed. To make something of myself."

I felt a pang of guilt. Deep down, I knew she was right. She had her reasons, and maybe I had been too stubborn, too afraid to leave my comfort zone. But the hurt was still there, a lingering ache that I try to bury in a box, that I wouldn't let go.

"It was a shame that you didn't. I felt like we could of been more than just teammates. We were already a dynamic duo. We we're inseparable. It was always Lexi and Bethany. Bethany and Lexi," Lexi said.

"I don't think of you that way anymore. I did... I did. But that feeling is no longer there," I said, tilting my head down.

"I thought I forgot about you, and then I went out too that Mexican restraunt Gloria on Six street. And I was just eating there, and they started to play our song. You remember our song?" Lexi questioning me.

"I do."

" And I thought I was over you until it came on. And it made me think of a happier time when it was just us. The times we would runaway to mansions and act like stupid kids. The boat, the car, that time we snuck in to my aunts condo. It all just starting to come back to me. And I know that we are over, and it makes me happy that you're doing so well. I didn't mess you nor care for you, but that stupid song that we liked so much came on. I just started to laugh."

"And you wish we never ended," I said with a stutter coming off my lips.

"I don't know. I don't know."

We sat there in the closet, the music pulsing around us, two people caught in a moment of vulnerability. I had a close history with Lexi, probably closer than my relationship with Emma and my dad. The older we grew, the more further we grew apart. But they're will always be strings attached to each other. I got up from the wall and walked to the door, my eyes beginning to water up but I didn't shed a tear.

"Ill see you next week," I said softly.

"Yeah," she replied. "You too."

I left the closet and made my way downstairs, feeling a strange mix of relief and exiting intoxication. The makeshift bar was crowded, but I managed to snag a cup and a bottle of Grey Goose from the counter. I poured the vodka into the cup, intending to drown out the weird feelings the conversation with Lexi had stirred up.

Just as I was about to take a sip, I spotted Reina in the middle of the dance floor. She was lighting up the room with her energy, dancing with a random guy, her laughter echoing above the music. A smile spread across my face. Seeing her so happy, so alive, made me feel a warmth that no amount of alcohol could replicate. She looked like the life of the party, completely in her element.

I paused, cup halfway to my lips. For some reason, I decided against drinking my liquor. Maybe it was seeing Reina having such an awesome time, or maybe it was the clarity from my talk with Lexi. Either way, I set the cup down and made my way toward Reina.

As I approached, she caught sight of me and waved enthusiastically. "Bethany! Come dance with us!"

I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged off the lingering effects and joined her on the dance floor. 'One Dance' by Drake was blasting on the speakers. The music was loud, the lights were flashing. Reina grabbed my hands and spun me around, and we danced like there was no tomorrow.

At some point, the random guy Reina had been dancing with tried to pull her away."Not my type. Sorry buddy."

I laughed at the guy's attempted pursuit of Reina. His persistence was almost endearing, but Reina was having none of it. Instead, she put her arms around me, her touch sending a shiver down my spine.

"You're my favorite dance partner," she said, her breath warm against my ear. There was a softness in her eyes I hadn't noticed before, a vulnerability that caught me off guard.

The alcohol in my system made everything feel more intense, more immediate. I could feel my heart pounding as she leaned in closer, her face inches from mine. Her gaze dropped to my lips, and for a moment, the world seemed to fade away.

"Thank you, Bethany..." she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. I could feel her breath on my lips, and my own breath caught in my throat. Time seemed to stand still as she closed the distance between us.

Just as we felt a connection, a commotion erupted behind us. The sudden noise shattered the moment, pulling us back to reality. We turned to see a fight breaking out near the bar, the crowd quickly gathering to watch. Two dumb jocks got into a dispute over a game of beer bong.

"Hey, break it up!" someone shouted, but the tension in the air was palpable.

Reina's arms slipped from around me, and I could see the frustration in her eyes.

"Fight fight!" I yelled out, trying to sound casual even though my heart was still racing.

The fight was getting intense. Soon it turned into a all out brawl with a punch of guys starting to punch each other for no reason. Although it was a sight to see, I can tell Reina didn't like the fight very much. She pulled on my arm and made a gesture to leave the party. I nodded my head and we walked out of the house.

We made it to the curb on the mansion. We had a long laugh of the on-going situation.

"Sorry about the fight. Shit happens alot," I motion to Reina.

"It was cool until everyone started throwing punches," Reina says.

"Oh trust me. Ive seen worse."

"Damn. In Albania, one time this guy hates this guy guts so much, almost killed him with a bottle of vodka. Smacked him over the head," Reina exclaims.

"Shit seemed intense man. I can't imagine."

"Yeah it was wild."

Suddenly, we saw Emma walk out with Jeremiah holding hands. They looked like a cute couple.

"Five bucks that they don't notice us," I say to Reina, tapping her on her shoulder. 

We looked our eyes on Emma and Jeremiah as they walked over to her car. Jeremiah put Emma on the hood of her car and they started to kiss each other. It look romantic but also kinda gross.

"Ew," Reina mentioned.

"I kinda agree."

Suddenly a familiar friend sat next to me and Reina.

"Kinda gross that you're watching that. They've been at it all night," said Jalen, approaching us with a blunt in his mouth. 

"Hey Jalen. I didn't know you were here," I said as smile appeared across my face.

"Been outside. Those two been doing dirty shit all night. Kinda gross. I don't really need to see a public show."

I laughed at his comment. He suddenly looked over at Reina.

"I'm Jalen."

"Reina."

"Queen."

"Queen?" Reina questioned. 

"That's your name in Spanish, Queen."

"Oh really. Thats cool. Now it makes sense when Bethany calls me 'Queen of Albania.'"

I give a sarcastic smile nodding, to the joke.  Reina kept talking to Jalen help ease by enthusiasm for seeing him. She was calming me down without even noticing.

 "Ya'll having a good night?" Jalen asked.

"Yeah. This was really cool. I had lot of fun. I'm happy I was brought here," Reina comments. 

"What about you Buckets?"

"It's always a good night when I'm drinkin' with friends."

Jalen smiled and laugh at my comment. He looked back and still saw that Emma and jeremiah were passionately kissing."Tell you what. I'll take ya'll home. Let Mr. and Mrs. Smith over there carry on with there night."

My eyes light up with a excitement. "Yes please. Definitely."

"Alright. Come on."

"Wait!" I said. I ran back to Emma and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about us. We got a ride home."

"Okay." She resumed kissing Jeremiah.

I skipped over to Jalen, feeling a rush of excitement. "Take me home tonight," I said, my voice softer, almost a whisper.

"Sure thing," he replied with a grin, opening the passenger door for me. Reina followed closely behind, and Jalen gave her a friendly nod. "Hop in, Reina."

For a brief second, I noticed Lexi leaving the party with some of her new friends. She caught my eye for a moment, and we both paused. A mix of old memories and unresolved feelings flashed through my mind. But as I looked back at Jalen and Reina, I felt a sense of contentment. For the first time in a while, I felt genuinely happy with where I was and who I was with. I gave Lexi a small nod before climbing into the car, ready to embrace the night with my friends.

The three of us settled into his car, the leather seats cool against our skin. As Jalen started the engine, the soft hum of the car and the quiet music playing from the radio created a soothing atmosphere. I sat in the front seat, my eyes stealing glances at Jalen every chance I got. The way the streetlights cast shadows across his face made him look even more handsome, if that were possible.

Reina, in the backseat, was silent, probably reflecting on the night's events. I felt a twinge of guilt for dragging her into the whirlwind of our wild night, but she seemed to handle it well, her eyes half-closed in exhaustion.

"It's good to see you not in a swimming pool," Jalen said, his voice breaking the comfortable silence.

I nodded, my heart fluttering. "I'm glad I don't smell like chlorine."
He chuckled, the sound warm and rich. "You look good tonight."
My cheeks flushed, and I hoped he couldn't see in the dim light. "Thanks. So do you."

As we drove through the quiet streets, Jalen and I talked about everything and nothing. The way he listened, really listened, made me feel special. His laugh was infectious, and every time he smiled, I felt my heart skip a beat. There was something so effortless about being around him, like we were the only two people in the world.

Reina had fallen asleep in the backseat, her head resting against the window. It gave Jalen and me a sense of privacy, an intimate bubble where we could share our thoughts and dreams.
I didn't want the car ride to end. It felt like we had only been together for a short couple of minutes. I saw my house getting closer and closer, and I wished the night could stretch on forever.

"Thanks for the ride, Jalen," I said softly as we pulled up to my house. "I appreciate it

"Anytime, Bethany. I mean it."

I hesitated for a moment, not wanting the night to end. "We're still on for tomorrow right?

He smiled, a soft glow in his eyes. "Of course, Is 2:00 okay, Buckets?"

Hearing him use my nickname made my heart swell with affection. "Yes. That's great. Thanks."

As I opened the car door, he gently caught my arm, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. "Take some Advil. For yourself and for your friend back there."

I nodded, my heart pounding. "I definitely will. Goodnight, Jalen"

"Goodnight, Bethany," he replied, his voice a soft caress.

I stepped out of the car and helped a sleepy Reina to the door. As I turned back to wave at Jalen, he gave me one last smile before driving off into the night. My heart felt light, filled with a hope and warmth that hadn't been there before.

Reina mumbled something incoherent as I guided her to my room, but my mind was elsewhere, replaying every moment of the drive home. As we reached my room, she turned to me, her eyes half-closed and a sleep smile on her lips.

"I love you Bethany," she slurred, her words running heavy with intoxication.

 I chuckled softly, helping her lie down and tucking the blanket around her. "Get some sleep, child."

As I watched Reina drift off to sleep, her breathing steady and calm, I felt a wave of contentment wash over me. The night had been wild and unpredictable, but it had also brought unexpected moments of connection and reflection. I thought about Lexi and our complicated history, about Jalen and the easy way he made me feel seen, and about Reina, who had faced everything with a quiet strength.

Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it for a moment, taking in the stillness of the house. Tomorrow was another day, filled with its own challenges and possibilities, but for now, I was grateful for this moment of peace. Then I had a moment of hesistation about me and Jalen's date tomorrow.

"Fuck. What am I going to where?"