Come on, baby girl. You can do better than that.

But, amazingly, Santi just smiles back. “How cool.”

Oh my god, it’s happening. I need to vanish, now. “Bathroom,” I say to Eleanor, grabbing her vodka bottle as I leave, and I’m not even sure she hears me. I turn back at the door to find Santi mid-laugh at something Eleanor’s just said.

I’m so proud of her I could burst. Look at her go.

As for me, I now have exactly zero people to hang out with. But I’m just drunk enough that I don’t really care. Vodka bottle in hand, I happily wander through the house. I’m barraged by a wave of music and thudding bass in the living room, and I weave in and out of couples making out in the hall, and then I head into the backyard where I’m hit with freezing cold air on my cheeks. It’s busy out here, too, with a few dozen students hanging out and talking or smoking, even though it’s got to be somewhere near freezing.

“Danni!” Someone tackles me from the side, and it’s Harriet. Hi, Harriet! I forgot for a second I had more friends here after all. I’m really silly. I throw myself into her arms.

“Hey,” I say. “I didn’t have anyone to talk to! But you’re here!”

“I’m here!” She chuckles. Her hair is frizzy, and her oversized denim jacket has fallen off one of her shoulders. She’s drunk and I’m drunk and we’re both grinning like idiots. “Where’s Rose?”

“With Molly.”

“Why aren’t you with them?”

Well that’s a great question I forgot to prepare a lie for. “Um, I’m not hanging with them tonight.”

Smooth.

“Oh, shit, you didn’t have a fight, did you?”

“No, no way. I’m just … expanding my horizons.” I throw my arms to the side and spin in a circle to illustrate my point, because liars don’t do things like that, and I just know my enthusiasm will totally convince Harriet.

“Oh,” I say, remembering. I tug on Harriet’s arm so she follows me and we go around the side of the house, where we’re alone. I don’t want to talk about Eleanor’s private stuff where anyone else might hear us. “Eleanor and Santi!”

“Santi?”

“Yeah, she’s talking to him.”

“When was this?”

“Like, five minutes ago.” Then I think a bit harder. “Or maybe half an hour ago.”

“Give or take, huh?”

I grin. “I don’t usually drink. But I’m really glad I came.”

“I’m glad you came, too.”