3/4 Natural, 1/4 Dyed

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Day one of my 30-Day Challenge Story: "3/4 Natural, 1/4 Dyed. I'll post the cast tomorrow on Day 2.

Enjoy!:)

Copyright 2013-2014

~S.

Mari

Vodka hidden in a water bottle at 8:30 in the morning. 

Was it only 8:30?

Probably. 

She placed one foot on the concrete steps, then the other. When she decided that her basic motor functions wouldn't draw suspicion today, she followed the crowd into the school. She slipped on her sunglasses as she walked past the front office, and only lifted her head when she was safely at her locker on the second floor. 

"Mari!!"

She tensed slightly before she recognized the voice. "Hey, Kristen." She stuck her head inside her locker, searching for her eye drops. Her hand closed around the small round bottle when Kristen tapped her on the shoulder. She turned slowly and took in the tall redhead. "What's up?"

"They're waiting for you in homeroom."

She smirked. "Did they bring the Tylenol?" Kristen nodded. "Let's go, then."

The hallways were loud and crowded, as usual. They weren't unbearable, so she knew she wasn't drunk enough. 

Yet. 

Her friends were waiting for her in the only juniors-only homeroom in the school. Her friends, her backbone, her partners in crime, her substance. The only people who knew her secret.

There was Mark, dark-haired and brooding; their eyes matched perfectly. Bethesda, dirty blond and loud. Victoria, dark-skinned with light eyes; Mari’s favorite contradiction. Kristen was beside her, tall with dark auburn hair and brown eyes. And Cassandra. Mari’s polar opposite: brunette with pink streaks and willowy with dark blue eyes. Perfection.

Mari handed Cassandra back her sunglasses before taking her seat. Cassie placed two small pills in her hand as they made the exchange. Mari pulled the bottle out of her bag, but Cassie knocked it into her own bag. 

"Let's try to take some regular pills without alcohol today, shall we?"

Mari rolled her eyes and took the bottle of Dasani Mark held out for her. “Whatever.” She popped the pills in her mouth and threw her head back, swallowing loudly. In the same motion, she squeezed her bottle of eye drops, letting the liquid sting. “Come with me to a party tonight,” she continued. “Warehouse, on 74th Street.”

The rest of her friends nodded, but Cassandra shook her head. “You promised this weekend would be different.”

Mari polished off the Dasani and snagged her vodka-disguised bottle back from Cassie. “It is different; we never go to Warehouse.” She smiled at her best friend. “C’mon, Cass, it’ll be fun.”

Cassie sighed and conceded. Because she can’t say no to Mari.

Not anymore.