Josie Guerrero is focused on one thing: getting accepted into the prestigious art studies program within the Art School at the University of Southern Washington. With thirteen weeks to create her sophomore portfolio, she knows she can't afford any d...
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"Drink up, ladies." Halle holds up her glass of white wine before tilting her head back and downing the entire thing as the opening song blasts through the surround sound, sending rhythmic vibrations through her bedroom.
I can feel the vibrations through the mattress, and I smile at the sensation against my bare legs as I squeeze my eyes shut and I chug the rest of my own sweet wine. Rule #2 of our High School Musical drinking game demands that if you want to sing along, you have to finish your drink first, and since the opening number of High School Musical 3 is hard to pass up, we both put our empty glasses on the nightstands beside us — a little too hard since we're already two movies deep into our game — and start belting out the lyrics.
Liv doesn't join us. She's more strategic than Halle and I, not wanting to get sloshed tonight when she has to wake up even earlier than us to drive back to Pullman for volleyball practice tomorrow morning. Halle and I have already accepted our fate, though. We're going to be dead when we wake up tomorrow with colossal hangovers. The twenty-minute drive from Winter Hill back to Pullman won't be fun, either, because it means we won't be able to sleep in.
We weren't planning on coming to Halle's moms' tonight, but when the internet in our entire building dropped right as we were pressing play on the first movie, we decided to load up into Halle's white Jeep and make the drive home to salvage our marathon. Stacy and Caroline weren't here when we pulled in since they were still on shift at the hospital, but Holt was lounging on the couch when we walked through the garage. He nodded toward us, keeping his eyes on the alien movie he was watching as we walked past the living room and up the stairs toward Halle's room, our bottles of wine not so inconspicuously clanging together in our overnight bags as we climbed the stairs.
I'm not a drinker, not a casual one, at least. On that rare occasion that I do drink, it's with the sole intention of getting incredibly, astronomically drunk. Which, thanks to our game here, I think I've officially accomplished. I'm feeling it, like really, really, really feeling it. My entire body is humming with the sweet liquid now flooding my veins, somehow making my body feel weightless and tingly.
"Time to hydrate." Olivia rolls off the bed, taking a second to orient herself since she's nearly as drunk as we are before walking toward the door and pulling it open. "I'll go get us some water."
Halle nods, and when I glance over at her on the other end of the bed, I can see why Liv was so quick to get up. Halle's face is much paler than it was before, even under the drunken flush of her rosy cheeks.
"You okay, Hals?" I try to sit up a little more, but my head is spinning.
"I think the room is moving." She winces, pulling a pillow over her head.
I nod, looking around. I can hear Olivia talking to Holt downstairs, probably asking where the kitchen is since she's never been here.
"I think I should have sat out for a few songs in the last movie." I sigh heavily, regretting not just sticking to the duets like Olivia. I don't have to look over to know that Halle's nodding in agreement, her muffled groan is enough.
