It was the beginning of high school year.
I was not aware how strong wine coolers were. They tasted like lemonade but before you knew it you were on the sand doing mermaid impressions.
Me, Emily, Chelsea and Emily’s friend Joanna had gotten drunk on the beach. Lucy Michaels had videotaped us with her iPhone, and shared the video with her mum.
Unfortunately, Lucy’s mum was the new school guidance counsellor.
After Mrs Michaels told all of our parents – and showed them the video – here’s what happened:
Joanna got a lecture.
Chelsea was grounded for a week.
Emily’s mother said, “So? They didn’t drive home afterwards, did they?” (We didn’t. Emily’s friend Jimmy had picked us up.)
But me? I was grounded for two weeks, plus I got a ten pm curfew –indefinitely.
Yes, I’d been the one rolling around in the sand declaring I was a mermaid. I was also the one who asked Jimmy to pull over so I could throw up, but thankfully my dad didn’t have video evidence of that.
It probably hadn’t helped that I had only moved into my dad’s place six days earlier.
He and Valerie had many closed-door conversations and then, eventually, it was decided that I would have to be home by ten pm every night, even on weekends, so I would not get into any more trouble. As if trouble only happened after ten pm.
“Don’t you realise how dangerous it is for a girl to be roaming around, drunk?” my father asked, shaking his head. “I thought you have better judgement.”
“I did.” I said. “I do.” I hugged my knees into my chest and tried to disappear into my bed.
His voice was spiked with disappointment. “I don’t understand why. I know you didn’t play up like this when you lived with your mother. At lease, I hope you didn’t.”
“I didn’t.” I said, which was true. I had always been good. Sure, I’d had a few sips of alcohol before, but that night on the beach was the first time I’d got plastered.
“Then why now?”
Because it had seemed like a fun idea? Beach! Wine coolers! Mermaid! Also, I was pissed off with Matt (because of the Corinne situation) and wanted to show him I could have a crazy night without him. “I don’t know,” I said. “I’m sorry, dad.”
“Valarie thinks you’re playing up because you’re mad at your mother for moving away.”
I shook my head, but it didn’t actually answer the question.
