"I'm tired of being offered the same role over and over," Diane complains. "Everyone wants me to play a character like the one I had on Spaces. It's so hard breaking out of that typecast. I guess it's hard finding something great when you had great once before. Nothing compares, you know?"

"I know what you mean," I tell her and mean it.

"I was stupid when the show ended." Diane shakes her head sadly. "I passed on a few great movies. I thought the work would always be there, but it gets harder the longer your face isn't seen on camera."

That could be me in a few months if I'm not careful! My heart starts thumping to the beat of a Kanye West song. And not in a good way. "I'm sure things will turn around," I say and put a hand on hers. She smiles at me gratefully.

"Hey, Kates." Lauren and Ava are standing over our table staring at us.

"You guys know Diane, right?" I ask.

Lauren and Ava barely nod. "Kates, we need you for a second," Ava says and tugs on my arm. "Can you come with?"

Diane looks uncomfortable. "That's okay, I should go," she tells me. "It was great seeing you. Keep me in mind if you hear of anything, okay?"

"I will," I tell her.

When Diane is far enough away, Ava and Lauren burst out laughing. "What a loser, asking you for career help," Ava says.

"She doesn't need my help," I say defensively. "Diane's career is fine. She's just hit a rough patch."

"Some rough patch. That girl has sunk so low she'll never float again," Lauren says. "Especially since she packed on those ten pounds."

I can't believe they're being so cruel.

Then again, is it so hard to believe?

"She looks like a sausage in those white jeans," Ava adds and laughs so hard the table shakes. Lauren's drink spills onto her jeans.

"Idiot!" Lauren says and grabs a napkin to blot her pants. "I just stole these jeans from Blue Moon yesterday!"

"Whatev," Ava says. "We'll just go back and get another pair tomorrow. Maybe we should pick one up for Diane too. She could use some sprucing up. Too bad she couldn't fit in any of their sizes!" The two of them roar with laughter.

If it wasn't clear enough before, it is now. The three of us are too different to be close friends. Ava and Lauren don't have rules or listen to anyone else's. They're fun, yes, but they're also mean, and disrespectful to anyone who doesn't do things their way. I feel whooshing in my ears and suddenly I'm very hot. Being here with Lauren and Ava doesn't feel right. Tossing and turning at home over my future and the end of FA doesn't feel good either. Even in a packed club of people, I feel very lost. I have to leave. "I think I had some bad sushi for dinner," I lie. "I'm going to call Rodney to pick me up."