“You want anything to drink?” Kelly asked looking back.
“OJ is good for me right now. I’m parched from the trip!” Rachel said.
She stood there alone, surrounded by her bags and the hideous neon outfits. She waited and heard the girls laughing and giggling in the kitchen.
“Guys?” Rachel asked, hoping they would come out. She didn’t know either of them that well, now that she’d come to think of it, and didn’t want to barge in. So she waited and waited for them to return. As she stood there, all she could think about was her mom and dad. She wished that she’d never left and never found the letter in the first place. If she didn’t than none of this would be happening. She didn’t know what was worse, standing alone in Trista’s house feeling like a complete loser and reject or not knowing where she came from and wanting to find her grandmother. She replayed the events of the last few days over and over in her head trying to distract herself from her current reality. How she wished Dana was here and her friends from Pennsylvania, they’re used to her turning down drinks and drugs and don’t pressure her anymore. They know it’s a complete waste of time.
A few minutes later, the girls came back out stumbling and laughing hysterically.
“What’s so funny?” Rachel asked.
The two could catch their breath to answer her and stood there bent over and shrieking at the top of their lungs. It couldn’t have been more awkward for Rachel, but she let out a little laugh and then took the glass of OJ from Kelly.
“Thanks,” Rachel said, taking a big gulp of juice.
As she stood there drinking her juice, she couldn’t help but notice that the girls were looking at her funny. It was the look you give someone when they have something on their face or in their teeth when they’re talking to you. Rachel couldn’t figure it out, but figured they were high and drunk, so it didn’t really matter anyway.
“Let’s pic out our clothes!” Kelly said, excited.
“Rad!” Trista said, picking up some of Kelly’s overflowing neon outfits and carrying them upstairs to her bedroom.
“So, tell me about this club?” Rachel said, taking another swig of OJ.
“It’s the hottest club down here. People come from all over to go here,” Kelly said, as Trista finished washing her face to put on her make up.
“YEAH!” Trista yelled out from the bathroom. “This club is sick. It won’t disappoint!”
“Oh, I didn’t think it would disappoint!” Rachel added, trying to sound cool.
“Once you get through the door the drinks flow like water in a stream and tonight it’s ladies night and the first two drinks are free!” Kelly added.
“SWEET!” Trista yelled from inside the bathroom. “I totally forgot!”
“Isn’t that awesome, Rach?” Kelly asked.
Rachel knew that she was feeling her out to see if she wanted to drink with them at the club. She knew that they were already disappointed that she wouldn’t partake in the pregame festivities with them.
“Wow. Very cool!” Rachel said, trying to evade them.
“What’s your favorite drink?” Trista asked, as she emerged from the bathroom.
“You know mine already! Sea breeze!” Kelly said, smiling from ear to ear.
“And yours?” Trista said, looking right at Rachel.
She didn’t have a favorite drink, nor had she really tried alcohol before. She wouldn’t even know the taste of it if it smacked her in the face. She had to think quick, because she couldn’t confess that at this early hour. She thought back to her parents having cocktails at dinner when they would go out to a restaurant. Her dad would always order a scotch on the rocks and her mom would get a glass of Chardonnay , which she was almost sure was white wine. Otherwise, she wasn’t familiar with the mixed drink family.
“Um..I like Chardonnay!” Rachel said, in a panic.
“WHAT?” Kelly said, “Chardonnay?”
“What you sit in a club and sip a glass of white wine?” Trista said, looking at her. “Seriously, what MIXED DRINK do you get?”
“Yeah, the hard stuff!” Kelly added.
“Oh right, well rum and Coke is good,” Rachel said, remembering that from a movie she’d just watched.
“Ah, an all time fav!” Trista said, smiling back at her. “I knew you were joking about the wine. Wine is for wusses.”
“Yeah, JK!” Rachel said, laughing it off.
“Try this on,” Kelly said, throwing an outfit over to Rachel.
She couldn’t believe how hideous it was, but she went into the bathroom to try it on anyway.
“More OJ?” Trista yelled out.
“Um, sure!” Rachel said, “Thanks.”
She heard the girls giggle again and then leave the room. What were they doing, she thought to herself. They were acting so strange and stumbling around everywhere. She was surprised that Trista’s parents didn’t come in and yell at her. If this would’ve been her parent’s she would have been in so much trouble.
Rachel looked in the mirror at this tight, somewhat slutty neon outfit and couldn’t help but laugh at herself. She figured she’d better make the most of the night or else it was doomed to be a long, terrible night out.
“Guys! Wait for me!” Rachel yelled as she bolted out of the bathroom in her neon outfit. “Check me out!”
She ran downstairs into the kitchen as the girls were pouring her juice into a red plastic cup.
“Here ya go!” Trista said, handing her the cup.
“Wait, T, is Ashley home? We need to get her ID for Rachel. She doesn’t have hers!” Kelly said.
“Yeah, totally!” Trista said. “She’ll be cool with that!”
“ASH! WE NEED YOUR ID!” Trista shouted down through the basement door.
“She moved her room downstairs. Now, she basically lives in the basement. Rarely comes out to see us!” Trista said.
“Come and get it, T!” Ashley yelled up.
“Can’t you just bring it up? We’re trying to get ready and don’t have much time!”
“NO!” Ashley yelled back. “If you want it, you have to come get it!”
Trista looked at Rachel and said, “It’s for you, why don’t you run down and grab it?”
“ME?” Rachel asked, looking down the dark basement steps. “I don’t know where to go?”
“Oh don’t be silly! This is not a mansion, you’ll find your way!” Trista said, practically pushing Rachel down the steps.