You're The Only Friend I Need

Ribs

ANNALISE

"SHOTS!" I hear my already drunk best friend shout at she impatiently downs another small glass of alcohol. We had been sitting at the bar of Danger Night Club for almost an hour now. "Come on, come on, more! I want to be able to swim in it!" She screams to the bartender as I take another drink of water. "You know, Lise," Cassidy pauses to talk to me, "The effort is a nice idea, but it's not going to last."

"What are you talking about?" I reply, trying to understand my drunk friend.

"Staying dry, that's what I'm talking about. I know you've only drank water since we got here. You don't really think you're going stay alcohol-free tonight, do you?" She replies, her words so badly slurred that it took me a moment to understand her question.

God, the night just started.

"No, I'm just taking it easy tonight. We drank enough after last night's party anyway. Plus, I want to remember some of my first week of college." I reply as I take another sip of my water. "You on the other hand, should be slowing down, it is just past 10 o'clock." I continue, trying to sound casual yet serious.

"God," Cassidy begins, her tone of voice causing me to prep for a drunk complaint. "You know, I was excited to move to college to get away from my parents, not to find new ones my first night at a club. Let me have fun," She whines, proving I was right to prep for a drunk argument.

"You can have fun without taking 6 shots your first hour at the club." I reply, playing my usual role as the mother of my friends. "You can dance with guys and have just as much fun," I say, proposing a soberer and age-appropriate alternative.

"I'd rather not. Guys never make me happy for longer than a few minutes." Cassidy replies, drinking more while eying Reed, who was on the dance floor, clearly having a blast with Nova and Brent. She glared as they seemed to be having fun. She was jealous and terrible at hiding it when drunk.

"Oh," I say as I realize what was going on. "You like Reed, and you're jealous of Nova because he likes her." I state, knowing it was not a question.

"You think I'm jealous of Miss Valedictorian gone druggie? You really think I'm dumb enough to get jealous over a guy? Let alone Reed?" Cassidy, through more slurred speech, asks. She was spitting out questions in attempt to make the conversation more about everyone else instead of her.

"Well no one can help being jealous, it's okay. You just-" I am interrupted by Cassidy shouting, once again.

"Bartender! More of whatever you gave me already, please!" She demands, proving she was trying to escape the situation. "I know I'm going to need it as long as my friend here keeps acting like my mother rather than my friend." Her reasoning made me roll my eyes once again.

"I only am because you need it," I reply, trying to calm her down.

"You see; I'm just not used to getting what I need when I need it. I always get help too late. Like right now," Cassidy replies, less slurred than before. "Bartender!" She shouts toward the poor club employee. "Come on, I don't have all night! Don't worry about the tab, I have enough moola." She says while pulling out her share of Nova's bail money. "Ah, thank God we got that extra money. For once Nova was helpful-" She says while waving the cash around.

"Bartender!" I interrupt, "I think she's had enough. Thank you though!" I shout over her as the bartender begins to approach. "Just give us the tab," I say as the bartender nods. "Put that away," I say pushing her money back toward her clutch.

"No! I want another drink!" Cassidy shouts to the bartender, scaring him away completely. "Ugh!" She adds as the bartender goes to another costumer. "Lise, you don't own me." She screams, flipping her glare towards me over as the volume of the club's music increases.