It Happened Like This

FIVE

It Happened Like This

Chapter Five

I was not as unfortunate as many of my peers when it came to family dynamics on the east side.

I had a mother who treated me decently, and I knew that was not something everyone in my neighborhood could claim. My father was not in the picture, but that was alright because I never knew enough of him to miss him. I did not have any siblings, but, when we were kids, Judy and I often pretended that we were sisters. It's funny to think of the things we used to do for kicks.

Of course, Judy was not my only friend, but we'd always been closest to the point that other people just didn't hang out with us much since we were practically joined at the hip. That was alright, though, since we always had each other.

I got a call from Judy the day after my date with Jeffrey. I had been expecting her to call, since there never seemed to be anything in town that could be possibly gossip-related that slipped past Judy's notice.

"So, did you do it with him?" She inquired immediately after we'd said our greetings.

I rolled my eyes, slumping onto the old couch in my living room, "No, I did not have sex with him."

"Tsk, that's a real shame," I didn't understand how being a virgin was a shame, but Judy was constantly appalled by my purity, "Shoot, you're practically a nun! I just don't understand how you do it, Connie. You're cute enough. I know you must have had the opportunity."

I could perfectly picture her placing her hands on her full hips scoldingly. I paid no mind to her comments. I was used to them.

I cut her off, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

"Tell you what, how about you come over to my place tonight? You'll sleep over and then we'll talk, hm?"

"Sure, sounds great! Seeya!"

I was overly excited, yes, but only because this was the first occasion in a long while that Judy had asked me to hang out to do something other than prowl the town for cute boys or go drinking at Buck's.

"Mhm." She hung up the phone before I could respond.

Going to Judy's house was always something to look forward to. She had a tiny house with many parts in definite need of repair, but somehow it always seemed warmer than any other place I'd known. Her mother was constantly making something in the kitchen, and her innumerable brothers and sisters were endlessly running all over the place being mischievous. Judy had a stepdad, but he wasn't around much. Still, the home was unfailingly bustling, which was a refreshing shift from my own eternally empty house.

To my dismay, when I arrived at the White family abode that night I was unsurprised when Judy yelled,"I'm leaving!" to her mother, then rushed me out the door saying,"C'mon, Buck's having a party tonight!"

You know, for a seventeen-year-old virgin who doesn't favor drinking, I sure seem to frequent the skankiest places in Tulsa.

I really can't recall enough to tell you what happened when I first arrived at the crowded bar that night, but I do know that it wasn't long before I found myself surrounded by an ever-growing pile of empty shot glasses.

Okay, so really I'd only downed about three or four shots, but when you've got a small frame plus almost no experience with alcohol, the buzz adds up a lot quicker.

A few college-age guys began to cheer whenever Judy or I knocked back another shot, and Judy was having a field day sending them flirty smiles and suggestive brushes. I giggled at the sight of her drinking up all their attention.