Still not into you - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,29

in the hotel suite that Tea and Tanner got for our stay.

“Are you sure you two don’t want us to get our own hotel room?” Juliet asks.

“No, of course not,” Tea says a little too fast. I notice that Tanner isn’t so quick to vote for everyone staying at the suite. “That’s why we got the suite. So there would be room for everyone.”

Well, almost everyone. The plan is that Tea and Tanner get the bedroom, which is separated from the living room by two French doors, and the three of us sleep on the couches in the living room. There are two long couches, for Juliet and I, and Dylan will sleep on the floor.

“As long as I’m not the one sleeping on the floor, I’m fine,” Juliet announces and starts to unpack her bag.

“This is going to be a fun night,” Juliet says in front of the bathroom mirror.

The three of us cram ourselves into the bathroom and share it. Unfortunately, there are only two plugs—one short of how many we need. Tea is blow-drying her hair and I’m flat-ironing my hair. Juliet, who’s planning on curling hers, waits patiently for her turn while applying false lashes.

Both Tea and Juliet came on this trip prepared. Not just in terms of the clothes they had packed, but also with their makeup kits. Juliet’s makeup bag can be a whole separate carry-on bag. Tea’s isn’t so big, but it unfolds, and once it’s all unfolded, it puts mine to shame.

I only packed a small Ziploc bag of what I’d need. Now, I’m starting to think that I need a lot of more. After Juliet and Tea unpack their supplies on the counter, it looks like the backstage of a Victoria Secret show. They both have so many tools and brushes that I don’t even know what they’re all for.

“So, you know they have eyebrow extensions now, right?” Juliet asks Tea.

“Yes, I know. I saw it on Instagram. Aren’t they amazing?” Tea asks.

“I’d love to get some. I think I over-plucked mine a little bit in high school.”

They both stare at their eyebrows in the mirror. I’m suddenly become super self-conscious of my own eyebrows. Perhaps they’re not up to snuff.

“Well, not everyone can have naturally beautiful brows like Alice,” Tea adds.

“I know, right? They’re amazing!”

I roll my eyes. “A few years ago, they were too bushy, but now they’re apparently just right.”

“Well, a few years ago, everyone was wearing low-rise jeans and showing their hip bones and now it’s all about high rise,” Juliet says.

“Yeah, that’s the cool thing about fashion. It changes all the time,” Tea adds.

“That’s also the stressful thing about fashion,” I add. “It changes all the time.”

I free up one plug for Juliet to plug her curling iron into and go to the living room. I don’t contour my face—just put on some foundation, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, and lipstick. That’s enough for me.

There’s a knock at the door. When I open it, I see Tanner with a bag of alcohol and a case of beer. Since he’s the only one of us who can legally drink, he was sent out to get everything for the pre-game.

“Pre-gaming is about to commence!” Dylan announces.

Pre-gaming is a very important tradition in college. Since most of us aren’t legally able to buy drinks, we use the time before we go out to get a little drunk. Plus, the drinks are way cheaper this way. Dylan asks everyone what they want. I ask for a martini. Forty-five minutes later, just when we’re all ready to leave and I’m finally done with it, I’m already feeling like I had a little bit too much. Unfortunately, I keep drinking.

18

I open my eyes. My head is pounding as if someone is smashing on drums with all their might a millimeter away from my eardrums. A sliver of light peeks in through the blackout curtains and my eyes can barely handle it.

“Oh my God,” I whisper. My throat itches. I cough and feel the nightstand for something to drink. My hand lands on a glass. I bring it to my lips and then take a sniff.

Please don’t be alcohol, I say to myself. It’s not. Just water. Whew. I drink the whole glass. Finally, I manage to open my eyes a little wider. The room is pretty dark, but the light still pierces my eyes as if it’s a sword. I cover my eyes with my arm and look around.

Where the hell am I?

I’m