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“Why are you disgruntled?” Charlie asks while sticking out her bottom lip.
“Now is not the time to be disgruntled!” Lauren shouts, followed by a giggle. Her face is flushed. Her long brown hair sticks to her cheeks. Her eyes are struggling to focus on me. She’s definitely trashed.
“Now is the time to party!” Charlie shouts while raising both hands into the air.
“Now is the time to leave,” Seth says with an eye roll.
Seth twiddles his fingers at me before making his way toward the door. I reach for him, wishing he would turn around and pull me away from the clutches of Charlie and Lauren, but he’s practically running toward the door.
Thankfully, Lucas and Hunter take my hands and pull me away. I trip, stumbling headfirst into Hunter’s chest. He grunts and helps balance me, but in a matter of seconds, Lauren and Charlie are hugging me again.
“Aww, my poor Rachey-poo-bear,” Charlie says while pressing her cheek into mine. “You look all sad, but don’t worry. Soon we will be getting obliterated in August after you graduate.”
“Obliterated!” Lauren shouts excitedly.
Charlie strokes my hair. “You only need six more credits. You can do it!”
“You can do it!” Lauren repeats.
“Let me know if you want to be saved,” Hunter mumbles to me.
With a sigh, I shake my head and pull myself away from my friends. “All right, you two. You don’t need to make me feel better. I’m fine,” I say for the hundred-and-first time. “This day is about you girls.”
Lauren and Charlie purse their lips. They tilt their head together and say in unison, “But you look so sad!”
I stifle another frustrated sigh. “I’m fine,” I say through gritted teeth. One hundred and two.
Charlie narrows her eyes at me. “Prove it!” she shouts while pointing to the empty stage. “With karaoke!”
“Karaoke!” Lauren repeats, copying Charlie’s movements.
This time I smile genuinely, finding it difficult to hold back my giggles as they both grab my hands and drag me toward the stage. “I warn you,” I say, struggling not to trip after them, “I am a terrible singer.”
“Doesn’t matter,” says Charlie.
“I am too,” says Lauren.
I follow them onto the stage. I don’t know if they had this planned from the beginning, or if the DJ just knew what song to play. Suddenly, I hear music from “I Got You Babe” by Bonnie and Cher playing in the background. On the screen across from us, the lyrics begin scrolling. I giggle while dancing next to my friends, singing to the best of my abilities, which isn’t good.
But then again, I don’t have to be good when I’m with my best friends. I can be myself, and they will accept me for who I am, and help pull me out of the gutter when I’m feeling down.
I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have friends like them.
