Last night I was out on my balcony and Lizzy was totally having a party. I saw Andrew’s car pull up. He got out with three other guys.

Gabriela

OMG. Who throws a party in the middle of a quarantine?

Parisa

Her parents are doctors! If anyone should know better, it’s her!

Gabriela

Ugh. What did we ever see in Andrew? How did we not realize he was a terrible person all that time we were friends with him?

Parisa

IDK. I don’t think he’s a bad person, honestly. I think he just got wrapped up in being popular.

Gabriela

Can you imagine if someone dies because they went to a party at Lizzy Pearson’s house? I don’t want to be friends with anyone who’s going to be that careless with their life or other people’s lives.

Parisa

Andrew already texted me this morning and begged me not to tell anyone he was there. How can someone that smart be that dumb at the same time? I can’t believe he’s my competition to be valedictorian.

Gabriela

God, I hate everyone. Except you.

Parisa

Same. And Wes.

Gabriela

Right, and Wes.

Parisa

Anyway, my parents got wind of the party and they were PISSED. The whole neighborhood is pissed. Someone called the cops and Lizzy’s in huge trouble now. Her parents have to get Adema tests for everyone that was there.

Gabriela

Good. They should. I have no sympathy.

Parisa

A bunch of the people who were there snuck out of their houses without their parents knowing. Except for Kevin Barkley, whose parents think the whole thing is a hoax and don’t even believe in wearing masks.

#AdemaDummies

Gabriela

Well, Lizzy is the dumbest by far. This virus has already killed close to a hundred thousand teenagers in India. Meanwhile, in America, we’re throwing parties.

Parisa

I know.

I gotta go. My parents are doing this whole Zoom brunch with all my aunts and uncles and cousins. You know my family. It’ll go on forever.

Gabriela

I’m jelly.

I miss you, I hate this.

Parisa

DITTO. Xoxo

GABRIELA

When Parisa and I met on the first day of school at Winchester, we found out we had every single class together. It was like the high school gods had fated our friendship. But it wasn’t until fifth-period PE—when a crew of sophomore girls asked us if we wanted to ditch class to drink Red Bulls in the Safeway parking lot—that I knew Parisa was ride-or-die material. We looked at each other and said no at the exact same time. I think, subconsciously, that invitation was the reason we gravitated toward each other. We liked that neither of us felt the urge to break the rules to prove ourselves.