Sloane
To text, or not to text, that is the question.
Arriving home yesterday, hungover and looking like garbage, I wasn’t surprised I got a raised eyebrow from my mom. It’s the first time she’s seen me this way, and I know she was disappointed. The reason she and my dad are so cool about me going to parties is the fact I never get wasted.
They may rethink their stance on it now. Especially Dad, who has always been the worrier. Mom takes things in stride and gives me more room to make mistakes.
This was one of those mistakes. I’m just pleased I was around friends and safe. Even though that was the case thistime, bad things happen at parties, and I know better than to leave myself vulnerable like that. I’ve learned my lesson. I just had to convince my parents of that.
Anyway, Becca and I spent the afternoon vegging out on the couch watching movies. When she went home, Mom and Dad summoned me to the kitchen table. It’s where all our important talks happen.
It went a little something like this…
“Should we be worried, Sloane?” Mom asks softly.
“No. I’m sorry. It really was a one-off. You know I don’t like drinking to excess.” And I don’t. I enjoy the slight buzz of one or two drinks, but after that? Nope. I don’t like feeling out of control. My parents know I have a beer now and then. Their attitude has always been chill. They’d rather know I’m having a drink than have me lie to them and get into trouble.
“Did something happen, honey?” Dad asks, his arm around the back of my mom’s chair.
Sighing, I try to figure out why I drank myself stupid. Eden. Well, nother. She didn’t drive me to drink or anything. I just placed high expectations on the night and when they didn’t pan out the way I wanted them to, I stupidly relieved my disappointment with tequila.
Do I want to tell my parents about it? Not particularly. If I don’t, though, they’ll worry I’m spiraling and the likelihood of getting to go to another party will be zero. However, I will probably skip the next one or two. I doubt Eden will be coaxed into going again, and I’d rather spend some time with her.
I spend the next few minutes explaining what happened with Eden. How she dislikes parties. That I found her alone outside, watching the stars. How we stole party food and went to my assigned room. The fact she didn’t want to spend the night watching TV together. Lame, I know, to be so upset over something so small.
“So when I went back to the party, I went at it with a little too much enthusiasm. I swear I wasn’t drinking to get drunk, if that makes sense. It was more determination to have fun and not feel rejected.”
There, I admit it. Eden sending me away felt like a rejection.
Dumb.
Mom smiles kindly. “Sweetie, I don’t think Eden rejected you. I’m guessing she wanted you to have a good time. There aren’t many seventeen-year-olds who prefer a night in rather than a high school party. She probably thought youwantedto go back to your friends.”
“I know. I just really wanted to spend some time withher. I don’t care if it’s in front of a TV.”
Dad clears his throat. “Do…um, do we need to take you to a pharmacy or anything?”
Ew. “No, Dad. I will never be drunk enough to have sex with a boy. Yuck.”
Mom chuckles. “You can catch things from girls too, you know.”
This is horrifying. We’ve had the sex talk, no need to revisit it.
“Nothing happened. Well, Kiera kissed me. Twice. But I stopped it.”
Mom’s eyebrows raise. “Kiera, the soccer captain? Yeah, you’ve said she has a thing for you.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Not my type. Plus, she’s not a particularly nice person.”
Sure, she’s pretty, but she’s got a horrible attitude. I’m pretty sure she said something shitty to Eden this morning. I’ll need to have a sober chat with her. Make sure she knows the score.
“You said Eden was in the room you were supposed to sleep in?” Dad inquires.
Rolling my eyes, I laugh. “I didn’t have sex with anyone, Dad. Yes, Eden and I shared a room. She looked afterme when Becca took me upstairs. Even made me breakfast. Total gentlewoman.”
I’ll leave out the part where she watched me throw up repeatedly.
He nods his approval. Mom smiles. “She sounds like a lovely young woman.”
