AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Don’t tell me this is a mixed drink.”
“It’s not. Drink it.”
I took a sip and cringed.
“It’s straight vodka! It’s not mixed at all!” She laughed. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a jug of lemonade. “Now we mix it.”
I should’ve known. “Or we can just read books about people getting drunk.”
“Hailee. We’re in our twenties. Soon enough after your gap year, you’ll be in getting your masters followed by your PhD, and you’ll have babies and crap, and your life will become packed with baby vomit and dirty diapers. So, we have to live in the moment. You have to get drunk on a Saturday night with your friend. Plus, I never have Saturdays off, so this is a very rare, unique occasion, and my boyfriend is busy tonight.”
“You don’t have a boyfriend.”
She pouted and whined. “I know, which makes this so much more depressing. I heard some local band is headlining the stage with their country music tonight.”
“It’s like you’re trying to get me not to go,” I joked.
“Come on, Hailee. This is our Coachella.”
“You do realize how sad that is, right?”
“We live in Leeks, Wisconsin. Sad is our middle name. Which is why we must take every good moment, grab it by the balls, and milk that sucker until the cows come home. What do you say? Let’s get drunk, go to a festival dedicated to your ex-best-boyfriend by a town of lunatics, and ride the Tilt-A-Whirl?”
I smirked. “Stop with the puppy dog eyes.”
“I can’t until you say yes,” she whimpered, nudging me in the arm with the bottle of lemonade.
“Fine. But you’re buying me fried cheese.”
“I’ll toss in a corn dog, too, if you play your cards right.” She untwisted the top on my water bottle and poured lemonade into the cup, then did the same to hers. She held the bottle in the air and toasted. “To our twenties and bad decisions!” she declared.
I took a long drag from my bottle and cringed at the realization that not nearly enough lemonade was mixed into the drink, but oh well.
Bottoms up.
It seemed as if everyone in town was at the festival that night, conversing, laughing, and partying it up like it was indeed the Coachella Music Festival. I’d never seen so many people in our town at the same time, not even for the annual chili festival. The festival was taking place right on Lake Michigan, and the weather was perfect.
I had to admit, getting out of my apartment was the right thing to do. I was glad Kate pushed me out of my comfort zone.
“Is that your ex-best-boyfriend’s face on a cookie?” Kate asked me in complete awe as we walked over to the bakery stand where Mama’s goodies were all displayed.
“That is definitely his face on a cookie,” I said as I pulled out my cell phone and took a shot of Mama’s display. “I made them myself.”
“You had to make ex-best-boyfriend cookies?”
“Yup, all night last night.”
“Your life is oddly traumatic. I hope you tell your therapist that.”
“Trust me, she knows,” I joked.
“We have to buy one,” Kate ordered as she dragged me into the long line. “It’s a must.”
I wanted to argue, but then again, it supported my parents, so I went along with it. As we reached the front of the line, Dad gave us both a grand smile. He wasn’t allowed to bake the goods because he was a professional at burning things, but he sure could sell them.
“Hey, ladies. Welcome! What would you like to get your hands on?” he asked.
“Two Aiden Walters faces, please and thank you,” Kate said, pulling out her cash.
