#1
“What is life, what's the use if you're killing time" - Jesse McCartney
Being here is probably a bad idea. But this is my moment to act recklessly, to follow impulse rather than reason. After all, a girl only turns eighteen at university once.
I spent the last few hours of the day debating whether or not hitting a fraternity party would be detrimental to my professional future. Ultimately, that’s why I chose this outrageously sexy Pennywise costume I found in a shop near my house. The short tulle skirt was far too short to cover any shred of dignity.
To hide my face, I went heavy on the makeup, popped in colored contacts, and threw on a wig. No one would ever guess that Megan Woods, daughter of a Supreme Court Justice and abrilliant Harvard Law student, would be at a rager surrounded by pounds of drugs and gallons of alcohol of dubious origin.
Sarki was supposed to arrive dressed as a character from Naruto, complete with a mask and all the right details. But nothing prepared me for the fit of laughter I had when I saw her getting out of a taxi dressed asKakashi Hatake.
"I see why you wanted to do this so badly, Sarki," I remarked.
"Come on, three hours without anyone hounding you for an internship or asking me to analyze horrible scripts," she nudged. I nodded in agreement, and we walked side by side toward the thumping source of the muffled bass.
"Nothing is going to get out of control, right?" I asked before hitting the first step. I could see Sarki’s eyes crinkling into a smile behind her black mask. "Okay, let’s go."
It felt as though we had passed through a portal between the real world and pure chaos. Members of the college polo team were upside down, doing keg stands and drinking through tubes while a crowd egged them on. Women drifted by in micro-shorts or outfits that were practically non-existent, and a few people actually seemed to be here for more than just making out.
Within half an hour, Sarki was already macking on a fashion student she’d been flirting with in the campus gardens. With the girl's prominent nose, I could never remember her name, so I just called her "The Italian" because she was constantly swearing in her native tongue.
"I never realized a clown could look that good on someone," a voice rasped. I recoiled in disgust as a scratchy beard brushed my neck. The stench of stale beer made me nauseous.
"Your loss," I snapped, pivoting away.
Clutching a plastic cup of cheap vodka, I scanned the room for anything and anyone interesting. I found her: a woman dressed as Lara Croft who was expertly ignoring the same loser I’d just brushed off.
I tossed my glass on the floor and slowly walked over to her. Not long after, we were locked in a bathroom stall.
I was between her legs, losing myself in her moans while the chaos outside was muffled by the door. I stood up abruptly when a male voice started shouting, interrupting the best high I’d had in months.
"So, Justice Woods’ daughter really is a dyke?"
I didn't have time to process a response because the slam of the door meant I’d already lost sight of the asshole.
"Did you see who that was?" I asked the girl. She looked up at me, her lips stained with the remains of my makeup and her eyes heavy with lust. "Holy shit!"
In response, she just shook her head and tried to pull me back down to finish what we’d started, but the adrenaline had soured. That one comment could cause real trouble.
"Come on, I was almost there," she complained.
I stared at her while I adjusted my clothes and fixed my face.
"Use your fingers. You have ten of them." With zero patience left, I decided it was time to go home.
???
The bedroom phone rang so incessantly I was forced to crawl out of bed to answer it. Sarki hadn't made it back after her night with the fashion student.
"Yeah?" I croaked. My voice was hoarse, my body ached, and my stomach was threatening to stage a coup.
"Megan."My father only dropped the "Meg" or "Sweetheart" for "Megan" in dire circumstances. From the harsh tone of his voice, sobriety hit me like a physical blow. "I’ve told you, and your mother has warned you. Your behavior is going to screw up this family."
"Dad, I didn't do anything…"
"A Halloween party dressed as a clown? crouched over a filthy toilet?"he hissed."Everyone is waiting for me to slip up so they can blackmail me. Don't you dare sigh at me. I want you seen with a man, Megan Woods. You will go on a date with Peter Mackenzie. You will pretend to be interested. You will date him, you will marry him, and you will procreate."
"You’re talking about me like I’m a prize heifer," I countered.
