“Lara, what are you doing?”

She didn’t know what to say.

“If this is some kind of power play or something, I — I just don’t know what to say. Jen and I are already in a rough spot right now, and you’re my friend. I don’t know what you — ”

He was standing really close to her now, close enough to see the lines forming on his forehead as he talked to her. She could feel sweat beading on her back under her dress. She felt like at any moment gravity was going to pull her through the floor. She heard herself apologize in vague, general terms, heard him say “it’s all right” with the same unnerved expression on his face, watched him head back to the table. On her way back from the bathroom, Lara ordered a shot and a beer.

Lara and Kenny were both nearly silent for the remainder of the night, but Alexis and Jenna didn’t seem to notice. Lara studiously avoided looking at Kenny, but a few times he looked at her, and it was like his eyes were burning a hole through her head. She got more drunk.

It was dark and snowing when they got outside. They did the polite get-home-safe-nice-to-meet-you-see-you-sometime thing and then Jenna and Kenny walked in the opposite direction from Lara and Alexis.

“God, what dull people,” Alexis said when they were out of earshot. “Kenny especially.”

“She loves him,” Lara said, slurring her words a bit. “She’s probably gonna marry him.”

“Wasn’t she like, going to say no to his proposal?”

“Maybe. I dunno. I think they’re doing great. They’re great for each other,” Lara said, slipping a little on a patch of black ice hidden under snow.

Alexis laughed. “You’re drunk, Lara lady. Maybe she loves him, but they’re too young. I’m opposed to him on principle.”

“I’m opposed too,” Lara said in a smear of syllables.

“Good.”

“Where are we walking?” Lara said.

They had just come up to the disused train tracks that marked the border of downtown. Alexis stopped and looked Lara in the eyes. Her breath made a little cloud in front of her face.

“Lara,” she said, drunkenly cheerful, “do you want to come back to mine? My parents are gone for the weekend.”

“Yeah, I do,” Lara said unhesitatingly.

“Okay, then, we’re walking this way.”

They crossed the train tracks. Beyond them, the streetlights were unevenly spaced, making odd shadows on the snowdrifts. Every so often a car drove by, muffled by the wet snow.

Alexis eventually led Lara up to one of those beautiful Arts and Crafts houses on the west side, with a little plaque from the historical society at the back of the tall, wide porch next to the door. As Alexis fumbled with her keys Lara turned around, imagining what it would be like for this to be your window on the world.