Author's note: This is the longest chapter I ever wrote! Hope you don't get bored! This is a very important chapter.
By the way, I wanted to add a gif for this chapter but it's only available on computer, which not working very well.

The boys continued with the rehearsals three times a week. I didn't have many opportunities to see them playing, except for the times they did it on Saturdays or Fridays.

The Saturday after the one we went to Bob's house, there was a rehearsal. Michael was right, they were getting better. At the rehearsals, they played mostly Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, but also Howlin' Holf, Fats Domino, Jimmy Reed. Keith even tried to convince them to play some Elvis, but the only songs they agreed to play were Heartbreak Hotel and Baby Let's Play House. Even though he wasn't against him, Michael thought that Elvis sounded "old". I know what he means.

The rehearsals usually happened at Bob's house, sometimes at Dick's bedroom or Michael's basement.

I hung out with them the following saturdays, and with Michael the following Fridays. Our "relationship" kept just the same way and this made me think about what my mother told about relationships. It started to look like it wasn't exactly what he was looking for.

Anyway,  he was being the nicest guy ever. Never no one has ever been so good for me. The way he looked in my eyes... Even a single word he said could make my heart beat faster. He was always there and always talked to me.

We started to tell everything to each other and I trusted him like I never trusted anyone. Two days a week started to be such a short time... Everyday I waited for Friday, that's all I could think about.

"Monday Morning Feels So Bad
Everybody Seems To Nag Me
Coming Tuesday I Feel Better
Even My Old Man Looks Good
Wednesday Just Don't Go
Thursday Goes Too Slow
I've got Friday On My Mind"

"Friday On My Mind" - The Easybeats

•••
Wednesday, December 18th.

I arrived home from college exhausted. I wrote two texts for tomorrow's class and laid on my bed, listening to the Chuck Berry's record Michael lent me last week.

I closed my eyes. I started to imagine Michael singing that. Sweaty and full of energy at his basement. It was almost as... As if I could hear his voice.

-Jane! - I heard the voice louder and opened my eyes.

I got up and walked to my window. I looked down and saw him, looking up.

-Michael? What are you doing here?

-I want to talk to you!

-Now?? - I looked around - Can't you wait for Friday?

-No! It has to be now!

-Okay, okay, stay there.

I tried to walk downstairs as quiet as possible and not make any noise.

-My parents can't hear you... What is it?

-Today is Keith's birthday.

-Oh, is it?

-Yeah! He's turning 18.

I almost forgot Keith was still seventeen.

-Is there going to be a party?

-Yes! That's why I'm here. To invite you and remind you that it's today. Keith is going to spend the day with his family but I thought it would be nice if you called him to say happy birthday or something...

-For sure I will! And when is the party?

-Friday. I wanted to make sure you're going... You know, he's turning eighteen... There's going to be many people and drinks and stuff like that. And there's no time for ending. I understand if you can't go.

I had to go. It's Keith's party, he is my friend. And I'm never invited to parties. This is the perfect opportunity for me.

-No. I'm going.

•••
The party was at Bob's house. His parents were traveling for the weekend and let him make the party there - even though I'm sure they didn't know how big it was going to be.

Today the break at college started. Finally I don't have to worry about my studies.

When I arrived, I could hear the noise from outside. I rang the doorbell. However, I don't think anyone would hear it so I decided to get in.

It was so crowded! I did imagine that the guests would be, mostly, not Keith's acquaintances, but Michael's. But when I got in, it was clear that it wasn't all about Michael's friends, but the friends of his friends and even more.

There was music playing, and many dancing. Couples snogging all around. And everyone seemed to have a bottle or a cigarette in their hand. I searched for a face I recognized.

-Michael? - He turns.

-Jane! You arrived! - he comes my way and surprises me with a kiss.

Alcohol. And yes, cigarette.

He and Keith were in the kitchen, talking to three girls.

-These are Carly, Shirley and Anne.

-Shirley and Anne are twins. - Keith said. He looked drunk this time.

-Yeah, I see.

Shirley and Anne were identical. They even had the same haircut - blond, a bit under the shoulders and bangs. The other girl, Carly, had short brown hair and seemed to be younger. Sixteen or even fifteen, I'd say.

-I have to go - Michael told them as he put his arm around me - My girl arrived.

We walked to the living room as he downed his bottle. We sat in the sofa, between the couples that just couldn't stop snogging.

-You look beautiful - he held my hands - a bit too sophisticated for a party like this. Why don't you take that coat off?

-I would but, there's nowhere to put it...

-Philip! - he called the butler, that came with a tray full of empty bottles - Take this coat to a closet, please. Oh! And bring her a bottle of this! - he shows his own.

-All right, sir.

-You're not driving, are you?

-Uh, no.

I don't have problems with drinking. I turned eighteen already. I think I was just too worried about getting extremely drunk and having to deal with my parents. Or, because of the alcohol, do somehing stupid, what would ends in trouble.

I need to relax. It's a party. I never go to parties, I need to have fun sometimes. Furthermore, how many bottles I'd have to drink until I get drunk?

One, two, three.

The hours passed and I lost track of how many drinks I had. And also lost track of time, how long I spent there in the sofa with Michael, talking and yeah, snogging. Of course the kiss had too much taste of alcohol. But now it was impossible to know what came from his mouth or my own.

It started to play Let's Twist Again - It's almost the same as The Twist but it was released on June this year. Many people got up and started to dance, and of course Michael wouldn't lose the opportunity. He pulled me up - I almost fell, I didn't realize how dizzy I was when I was sitting - and we started to dance. It was a miracle that I didn't stumble as we were twisting.

-Hey, you two! Let's play! - Keith called us.

-What?

-Let's play a game. Come on, it will be fun!

We went to a room where Bob, Allen, Dick, Shirley, Anne and Carly were sitting in a circle, with a bottle in the middle.

-Truth or dare. - Keith said - You know the rules, right? We spin the bottle and depending on who it points to, someone ask something to the other. If you choose truth, you have to answer the question. Or you can choose dare...

-I don't know if I want to play this... - I told Michael.

-It will be fun! Let's go, you don't have to answer if you feel uncomfortable.

I agreed. We sat with them and span the bottle.

Carly to Michael.

-Truth or Dare?

-Truth.

-How was your first time?

-I don't really think it's a good question...

-Poor Michael, Carly! He doesn't want his girlfriend to hear it. - Shirley joked.

-What? If it's because of me, I don't care - I said - go on, tell us.

-Hm... Okay. - He downed his bottle - so... I worked as a temporary porter at Bexley Mental hospital...

-Oh my God. You did it with a mentally ill patient?? - Carly asked.

-What? Hell no! As I was saying...It was famous for having... Hm... Nymphomaniac nurses... that tried to seduce the young ones. One day, one of them, I don't know her name, I'm almost sure she was an Italian, with dark hair, pulled me into a linen closet, where, surrounded by sheets, mops and bedpans, I lost my virginity... standing up.

-Wow. - Carly raised her eyebrows.

-I didn't see this coming though - Shirley added.

-I'm not proud of this as my first time... - he looked down, embarrassed but laughing a little - but it happened.

Keith to Anne.

-Dare - she said.

-I dare you to kiss me.

What? Is that Keith? The shy Keith I know? We all looked surprised. He must be really drunk to say that so easily.

She smiled and crawled to the middle of the circle, he did the same and they kissed.

Shirley to Michael.

-You picked truth already, now it's dare. It's our turn to kiss.

What? Did she really say that???

-Nothing you two haven't done before his girl arrived... - Anne said with a smile.

I stayed there, wordless. Everyone was staring at me, and the girls laughed. I felt so ashamed I got up and walked out of the room.

-Jane! Wait! - He called me - Please, listen to me.

-Leave me alone, Michael. - He pulled me close to him.

-I didn't kiss Shirley, she was kidding.

-Let me go, I want a drink.

-You drank too much - he held my wrists - Believe me, Jane, I did not.

-I don't know, I...

-Do you believe me?

He let my wrists slowly. I looked in his eyes and placed my hands on his chest, I could feel his heartbeat, fast and loud.

-You know I do.

He kissed me.

-I shouldn't have agreed to play that stupid game... I didn't like those girls.

-Do you want to go to a private place? - I agreed.

We walked in a bathroom. He locked the door and started to kiss me. I felt so dizzy and confused, he was right, I drank to much.

-Jane - he said between a kiss and other - I think I love you.

-Me too. - I said, not stopping it.

He moved his hands on my back, looking for the zipper, and slowly unzipped the dress. He could see my black bra now. He got me on his arms and put me on the bathroom countertop, where I sat, with my dress on my waist. He continued to kiss me and to move his hands on my body.

-Michael, stop... It's not right... We drank too much...

-What's not right? - he said as he kissed my neck.

-Seriously... It's too early for it.

-Early? - he looked at his watch - it's almost four already.

-It's not about the hour, you know what I mean... - I said putting my hands around his neck - Wait. - I pushed him - What did you just say?

-It's almost four. - he took a cigarette pack off his pocket and lit one.

-Four AM? Damn!! My parents are going to kill me! Why didn't you tell me?

-Well, I told you it didn't have time to end, I thought you weren't worried about it.

-Of course I was! Come on, help me with the dress. - I got up from the countertop and turned back so he could zip it. He gave me the cigarette and I took a drag.

Of course I intended to go home late this time... I knew I would have to deal with my parents arriving later but... not 4 AM.

-Uh, it's not working.

-What's not working?

-The zipper... I think it's broken.

-How is it broken? It was working a minute ago, it's not possible!

-Of course it is... Try it yourself.

-Michael... Can you hear it?

-I'm not hearing anything.

-Exactly. Listen. The music stopped. What happened?

-We should get out and see it.

He gave me his coat to cover my unzipped back. Everyone was quiet. Keith was standing at the door. We decided to go there.

The police.

-Anything wrong, officer? - Michael asked him.

-Unfortunately. It's four AM. The neighbors are complaining about the noise.

-It's okay, sir. We turned it off now - Keith said - You don't have to worry. I turned eighteen this week and this is a party to celebrate. It's a very important date, you know.

-Let me see, eighteen party? It means that there are people younger than you here, right?

-There are some.

-I suppose you're not providing alcoholic drinks to teenagers, are you?

-No... No, I'm not, sir.

-Who's the responsible for this?

-Uh, we are. - Michael answered - We organized the party and we are eighteen, as he just said.

-Can you prove it?

-We don't have our documents here.

-Don't you live in this house?

-No. Wait, I'll call Bob, he lives here.

Keep calm. Everything's going to be alright. Bob is going to show his documents, don't play the music again and I'll go home.

-Hello, officer...

-Hello. We just need your documents to prove you're eighteen.

-Uh... Actually I'm seventeen.

-You what? - Keith asked, surprised. He met him recently, just like me, and didn't know it.

-But I'm turning eighteen in a couple months...

-I'm sorry but without a responsible person for the house, I'll have to evacuate the place.

-What?? Come on, it's late already... Just let us celebrate his brithday, we won't bother anyone.

-You're very smart, but I know you drank and many other teenagers here. I have more than one reason to evacuate this place and I don't want to make this worse.

Everyone got out unless me and the band. They took us in two separated police cars - Bob, Allen and Dick in one; Michael, Keith and me in the other. They were going to take us home. And as Bob's parents were traveling he had to take him to Allen's house.

I was crying. Michael put his arm around me.

-It's okay, Jane, don't cry. You did nothing wrong. I'll tell them.

We arrived at my house. Four AM. Keith, Michael and me... and a police officer. I kept crying, Michael was holding my hand.

-Jane, where were... - My mom opens the door, shouting. She stops, looks at the police officers, Michael, Keith and me, wordless - George! You better come here. I'm sure you'll want to see this.

-What's happening here? - dad asked when he came out.

-The neighbors were complaining about the noise of the party, we went there and there was no adult responsible for the house. As we know, these guys were the ones who organized the party, with three other boys.

-Party? You organized a party? - Dad asked, angry - Do you know what time it is, Jane?

-Mr Parker, it's our fault, she didn't organize anything. I invited her - Michael said.

-Yeah, and it was my party. - Keith added.

-I'm talking to my daughter if you two don't mind. Look at you... Do you know how worried we were?

-We found this. - the officer hands him a small bag full of capsules - There're a few more in the other car.

-Stimulants?? - he yelled - Jane, did you take this?

-What?? No, dad, I swear I didn't know about them!

-They're mine. - Keith confessed - mine and Dick's. I mean, we brought them. Of course we didn't have the intention to keep them all. We took it and also gave them to the guests, but Jane wasn't one of them, I swear!

-Jane, do you know how it feels like to be waken up 4 AM for police officers bringing your daughter, wellied and messed up, from a party with a bag full of stimulants? You should be feeling ashamed of yourself!

-Dad, please... - I couldn't stop crying - Believe me, all I did was drink and smoke, nothing wrong for an 18 years old...

-Smoke? - mom asked, surprised- I thought you hated it since you read it's bad for your health! What's happening to you?

-I told you they were a bad influence! - Dad said, still angry - Come here, Jane! Get in the house and take this coat off. Give it back to him.

-No, dad, it's cold...

-Cold? You're home. Give his stupid coat back!

He pulled it off and saw my back.

-Jane... What the hell is this?

-Uh, the zipper broke...

-But why the heck would you unzip your dress at a party??? - he yelled louder.

-Mr Parker, I can explain - Michael tried to help - uh, well... The zipper thing is a complicated story but...

-It's over. Get out of my house, I don't want to see you two again. Never. Jane, go to your room. You're prohibited to leave until your classes are back and you have to go to college again.

-George, you don't need to act like this, I'm sure she can explain and we can find another punishment...

-I know what I'm doing. Officer, thank you so much for bringing her back. And you... Please, do me a favor. Leave my daughter alone, can't you see you're ruining her life?

I ran upstairs crying and shut the door.

Author's note: In this chapter I quote the song "Friday On My Mind" by the Easybeats, and even though it's a song from 1966 and the story happens on 1961, it just matches the chapter perfectly.

Here's the set I made for this chapter (Sorry for these shoes, I didn't find one of those 60's classic ones that would match):