Shoelaces

Red Solo Cups

Thursday flies by before I can realize what happened. And now it's Friday, and I'm standing in the quad with my best and only friend. She's talking to me, but my heartbeat is somehow louder than her voice. My heartbeat, which has been racing non-stop since I walked out of Roger's on Wednesday, due to the fact I'm going to a party tonight. A high school party. My first high school party.

You know, for my freshman and sophomore year, I just thought that these parties didn't exist. But then, junior year came around, and I finally downloaded Snapchat. Low and behold, these parties did exist. I just didn't get invited. Sure, I went to the cast parties after the musicals, but eating dinner at a Denny's at 11:00 and definitely causing the poor minimum wage employees to want to quit is not a high school party. To be honest, I don't even know what this party is going to look like. Is it gonna be like the movies? I say that as if I've watched enough high school movies to have a solid concept of a party. Sadly, I don't feel like the two episodes of Riverdale that I've been forced to watch with my sister have provided me with the proper education. I prefer to watch shows like Madam Secretary. I probably cried for a week after I realized the show was over. And yes, I know that makes me a loser. But, at this point, it's the least concerning aspect of my wretched social life.

"Are you even listening to me, Goob?" Jazmine yells at me while she waves her hands in front of my face, taking me out of my trance.

"Yes," I lie as she stares at me with a straight face. "Okay, fine, no."

"That's what I thought. As punishment, before I ask you why you aren't listening to your best friend, you have to help me choose my audition song." She smiles, knowing she knows me too well. Having me pick a musical theatre song is the perfect, if not the only way, to distract me, and Jazmine definitely knows I need a distraction. I bet she could feel the stress emanating off of me on Wednesday as I told her about my date (her words, not mine) and the invite to the party. She's basically had to tell me the party is going to be great every hour since then. The only other thing we've talked about is the musical auditions that are a week from Monday. Since Freshman year Jazmine and I have always done the spring musical together, with her soccer season ending the week prior to auditions. It's our thing.

"If you insist," I say as I playfully roll my eyes. "What are you debating on?"

"Well, Ms. DuFrey, that bitch, makes us sing a song from the show. So, that leaves me with Defying Gravity, The Wizard and I, and No Good Deed. All songs you aren't supposed to audition with." She laughs.

"Oh, so you're going for Elphaba?"

"Yes, sir," she says, cheerfully. "The world needs more Elphabas of color."

"Agreed." I think for a moment, before giving her my answer. "I think you should just double down and go with Defying Gravity. I mean, you sing it in the shower every day."

"True. Okay, sold." She was definitely already going to sing that, just humoring me for my own benefit. "Now, that we're done with that... Are you ready for tonight?"

"No." I feel my face go pale. Somehow, I was actually able to forget about it for a second. The pull of Elphaba is too strong.

"Goob, it's your first high school party. It's gonna be fun. You can finally relax for a little bit, spend some more time with your boyfriend-"

"Not my boyfriend. Maybe not even my friend."

"You've gotta be kidding."

"You never know! What if this is a Carrie at prom situation?" Oh! Another high school movie, technically. "You know that blood makes me faint!"