Aaron and Kat (Wattys 2017)

Chapter 1

KAT- Sunday January 3rd

The last day of Christmas break is slowly coming to its much dreaded end and while I should probably look for my backpack, I'm sprawled on my bed, listening to the music blearing from my laptop and scrolling through Tumblr. Suddenly my phone lights up and the lockscreen shows part of a message from one of my best friends, Marie Stenton.

Marie in 'All the Single Ladies': maybe if I eat too much of that microbiotic...

I unlock my phone and open the chat to read the whole message:

Marie: maybe if I eat too much of that microbiotic shit that Agnes is making these days, I will die.

Marie is definitely the drama queen of my small friend group, but I ate at her place last week and she's right: the stuff her family's housekeeper is cooking is gross. Agnes is known for her weird phases: she tried to convert the Stenton family to vegans once, until Marie's father threatened to fire her unless she started serving steaks again. Last year she had this crazy jam phase in which she turned everything to jam. I'm still convinced that there is no such thing as 'tomato jam'. It's called ketchup. I have to say, she's been in this 'microbiotic, healthy food' phase for longer than anyone had expected.

Marie: however, that wouldn't be too bad, I guess. Hands up if you hate school.

Stacy: hands are in the air.

Kat: lol Agnes would still send you to school.

Marie: forever cry

Marie: maybe the school burns down tonight

Kat: if the school burns down tonight I'll know it was you

Stacy: one more semester and we're free for three months

Marie: and after that we have to spend another year in that hellhole.

Kat: true

Stacy: let's stay a little positive here okay, girlfriends, we'll survive. We're survivors.

Kat: we're not gonna give up, we're not gonna stop, we're gonna work harder, we're gonna make it

Stacy: ????

Marie: hahahahaha

Marie: but on to the good news of today: Tyler Wemble is hosting a party next weekend. We can drink all of our sorrows away.

Kat: you mean you can drink your sorrows away to create even more sorrows. Especially for other people.

Marie: shhh, you're looking way too far ahead

Stacy: I thought you were going to give us some good news

Marie: asshole

Stacy: love you too

Marie: but seriously, let's go, I won't survive school otherwise.

Kat: I think I'm missing something because the last time you went to a party hosted by Tyler you said it was 'fucking lame'.

Marie: that was because his parents came home early. It was actually pretty funny to see that horrified look on Tyler's face.

Stacy: I second that.

I hadn't been able to go to the party Tyler hosted two weeks ago, when Christmas break had just started, because I had to babysit my little brother Zack. Tyler Wemble is a junior, like us, and he is on the school's hockey team, the Ice Lakers. He's known for his 'parties', to which Marie usually drags us, which are full of booze (I got drunk once and don't care to relive that experience (plus, Elise, my step mom, was not amused when she found out)), loud music (which is actually really good), and people hanging around the house until they get too drunk and have to take it outside.