"Hey." I hear a girl’s voice from above me. I don't recognize it but I know it's not Tess and her clapping vagina. "Are you okay?"

I lift my head—too quickly.

She's with others, but she tells them to get the car and meet her back here. "You not feeling great?" She sits next to me and crosses her legs.

I don't know who she is, but she seems nice enough. "I puked."

She giggles quietly. "Yeah, I can smell that."

Grimacing, I face her. "I'm sorry."

She shakes her head, her smile warm. "It's fine. We've all been there."

"You don't go to my school," I tell her.

"No. I don't think so." She nudges me lightly. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"My boyfriend's getting my car. He's gonna come to me and save me. He saves me a lot."

She chuckles at that. "That's a good boyfriend. How long have you been together?"

I don't even find it odd that a stranger is talking to me while the smell of my puke surrounds us. Maybe I'm drunk, or maybe she just seems so genuine that it doesn't matter. "Since sophomore year," I answer.

"Me too!" she perks up. "Well, not your boyfriend obviously, but mine."

I can't help but smile. "Better not be my boyfriend. I'd have to cut you, and I don't want to do that. I like you."

She laughs quietly again. "No, my boyfriend's in college. We do the whole long distance thing."

I raise my knees and rest the side of my head on them, knowing that the girl I'm facing is just talking to keep my mind off puking. And it's nice. She's nice. "That must suck. Cameron and I are... what's that word? Unseperatable?"

"Inseparable?"

I snort. "Yes, that's it! And I want to be a writer."

"Hey," she says, her eyebrows raised. "Not every writer needs to know all the words, they just need to know how to use them."

"That's true."

I hear footsteps start approaching and try to lift my head, but it's too damn heavy. "Lucy?" Logan says, but then sniffs the air.

"I puked," I announce loudly.

He squats in front of me, next to stranger girl. "I know. Cameron called and said to come out and take care of you. Here," he hands me a bottle of water, "have this."

I take it and chug it all down. I burp when I'm done, but he doesn't seem to care. Neither does stranger girl. "Did I interrupt your... you know..." My eyes dart from side to side; making sure that no one can hear me. When I know it's safe, I continue with a whisper, "Sexy times?"

He chuckles and shakes his head. "No, Luce. And even if you did, you know you’re my number one girl."

"Careful," stranger girl tells him, "If her boyfriend's anything like her, he might cut you."

Logan laughs, louder this time. "Oh, he's tried," he responds. I don't know what he means but I don't ask.

"I'm Logan," he says. He must be talking to stranger girl, because I know his name's Logan. I'm not a dumbshit. I drop my head on my knees again.

"It's nice to meet you, Logan. I'm Amanda." A car pulls up to the curb. "And that's my ride."

I lift my head and wave goodbye.

She gets in, not another word spoken.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

-CAMERON-

She's fallen asleep in the passenger's seat while I replay the night in my head. I never really wanted it to happen like this, the first time we were... I dunno... intimate? I wanted it to be something she'd remember. Something that she'd be excited to call Claudia—her friend in New Jersey—and tell her about. I didn't want it to be in a bathroom at a party while she was buzzed. I don't regret it, though. Not for a second. Which I guess is the reason why I'm wearing a shit-eating grin as I pull into her driveway.

The porch light is on and her dad's sitting at the table—his usual spot when he's working late.

I crack a window and get out of the car, making sure to close the door quietly so I don't wake her.

"Hey Cam," he says, as I climb the steps. His eyes are red, and he looks tired. I notice the half empty bottle of whiskey in front of him. "She passed out?"

"Just fell asleep." My gaze moves from the bottle to him. "Everything okay?"

His eyes drift shut, but he nods. "Just having a night cap." He leans back in his chair and looks toward Lucy, whose head is resting on the window of the car.

"I was just going to carry her to her room if that's okay with you?"

"She drink tonight?"

"You want me to lie to you?"

He chuckles. "Yes."

"Then no, she didn't drink. She also didn't puke either."

His face turns to a grimace. "At least she's experienced it once, right? I'm glad you were there with her."

"Of course."

He inhales deeply and looks at his watch. "Curfew at one?"

"Yes sir."

Rubbing his hand across his beards, he asks, "You think you can call your mom? Ask her if you can stay with Luce tonight? She might need someone in case she gets sick again."

My eyebrows bunch in confusion. We've never spent the night together, but I guess we've never asked. We just assumed it wouldn't be allowed. "Are you sure?"