“Cool,” Rachel said smoothly, as if she didn’t care.

Rachel walked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her cheeks. Did that really just happen? Was she just asked out by Rob Greene.

Not only did she now have plans for Friday night with her new girlfriends, she had a DATE on Saturday!

This is the best day of my life. Who would have thought things could turn around this quickly. Does this mean I’m popular?

Rachel walked back to her classroom and sat there doodling in her notebook. “Rachel Greene” she wrote on the back pages of her notebook, then scribbled it out so nobody could read it. She looked at her watch and counted down the minutes until school ended for the week. She was eager to get picked up so she could ask her mom about tonight.

The bell rang and she flew out the front doors of the school and into her mom’s car.

When she shut the car door, she felt a rush of nervousness. She worried that if her mom said no, her social life would be over before it had even started.

“Hi Mom, guess what! I have the best news,” Rachel said with excitement.

“What Darling, what is it?”

“I met some new girls today, they’re very nice and they invited me to the movies.”

Skeptical, her mom asked, “What movie?”

“Not sure yet, but I really want to go.”

“Okay, what time should I drop you off then?”

“Well, actually this girl Taryn is going to pick me up. She’s been driving for a year now, she’s in 11th grade.”

Rachel’s mom gave her a look. Rachel knew what that “look” meant without her mom having to say a word. A big, fat NO.

This can’t be happening. She can’t NOT let me go. This is tragic.

“But Mom, please, you let Sarah drive with HER new friends.”

“They’re seniors, Sweetie. They’ve been driving for a few years now.”

“If I don’t go out with these girls tonight, my life is over. They will never ask me to hang out again. I will be the biggest loser ever.”

Her mom sighed. “Fine, since it’s only a few minutes drive, I will make an exception. But only to the movies and back -- don’t go anywhere else,” her mom said.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll be fine, I promise. You are the best.”

Rachel figured she would cross her Saturday night’s plan bridge with her parents the next day. She didn’t want to overload them with too many things at once, in fear they would say no.

As she scurried into the house and up to her room she was jumping with joy. She couldn’t believe her mom said yes. It was 3pm and Rachel had a few hours before her big night with the girls.

Rachel rummaged through her closet in search of the perfect outfit. She wanted to fit in with this crowd, so she figured there was no better way than to dress like them. She had all different types of clothes and she didn’t feel she fit into one specific style. Tonight Rachel thought she would wear something punk. She looked through her wardrobe and found a cute, cut-off Nirvana tee.

Perfect! she thought. Now, what to wear on the bottom?

Skirt, pants, leggings, jeans (bell bottom, skinny, flair, boyfriend, jeggings)…Rachel had so many choices. If she chose the skirt, she would want to wear her fishnets underneath, but because it was a cool day she worried she’d be too cold. Especially because everyone knows that movie theaters are the coldest places on the planet.

Rachel tried on different options and decided she would wear her black skinny jeans with her Dr. Martens black lace up boots. Rachel loved her Dr. Martens and she switched out the boring black laces for magenta laces. She thought it looked much cooler that way.

She tied up her laces, went into the bathroom, looked in the mirror and thought she looked perfect. Now, all she needed to do was makeup. Since it was a Friday night, she wanted to do a dark smoky eye. She also thought it would compliment the punk rocker outfit she had on. As she picked up her Maybelline smoky shadow set, and began to swipe the brush over her eyelid she couldn’t help but wonder what the night was going to be like. She wondered what movie they would see and who she’d sit next to in the theater. She liked all the girls, but was hoping to sit next to Emily. Rachel really liked Emily and was so glad Emily took her under her wing.

Rachel wondered if Emily would become her new Dana. Thinking of that reminded Rachel that Dana had been MIA the past few days and hadn’t returned her calls. Dana sent one lousy text that said, “All’s good here in PA. Miss ya.” But that was it: she didn’t even call to see what Rachel’s new school was like or if she had made any new friends. Boy would Dana be surprised when she heard she made new friends AND had a date.

Rachel finished her makeup by putting on a light pink lip-gloss, and headed downstairs for dinner.

“Look at you,” Rachel’s dad said. Where are you going?” “Movies with my new friends,” Rachel said with a smile.

“You look…nice.” Her dad said. Although Rachel knew he would have preferred to say “different” rather than “nice.”

“Thanks!” she said back.

As Rachel’s mom, dad and Mark sat there and ate their spaghetti, they talked about their week. Sarah was not at dinner that night because she went up to visit Gary, her boyfriend, for the weekend at Skidmore College.

Mark looked at Rachel in surprise, “So you made some friends?” he asked sarcastically.

“Yup! A bunch of em,” Rachel replied smartly. “And am getting picked up in a few minutes by Taryn, she’s a Junior,” Rachel bragged.

“Look at you, cool dude,” Mark said.

“Stop that, kids,” Rachel’s mom said. “Leave each other alone.”

Mark and Rachel stopped bickering and finished up their dinner. Rachel cleaned her plate off in the sink and put it in the dishwasher.

“Rachel,” her dad’s voice said as she was on her way out of the kitchen.

Rachel walked back and said, “Yeah?”

“Be home by 11. We’ll be waiting up.”

Rachel let out a sigh, “Ok, I will.”

Rachel heard the horn blowing from outside in her driveway. She looked out the window and saw a blue BMW 330xi. Fancy, she thought.

She said goodbye to her parents and walked outside. The horn honked again, and Taryn rolled down her window. “Cute outfit!” Taryn said.

Rachel noticed that Jen and Emily were in the car, too, and she hopped into the back seat. As she entered the car she could smell the new car and leather smell that infused the air. She had never ridden in a car with leather seats. Her family’s Station wagon had blue cloth seats with stains on them from years of spilled food and drinks. As the car pulled out of the driveway, Rachel’s parents stood in the doorway, waved and watched as the car rolled down the street.

I hope nobody noticed them, she thought from her seat.

As the car turned out of view of Rachel’s house, Taryn sped up. Rachel buckled her seat belt with a pang of nervousness, but acted calm. She wasn’t used to speeding down the narrow back roads of Bedford.

“So, what movie are we seeing?” Rachel asked.

“A thriller, or horror,” Jen answered, “Not sure which-- it depends what the show times are.”

“I vote for a thriller,” Taryn said.

“Me, too!” said Emily.

Aren’t thrillers rated R? Rachel thought.

“You have your ID don’t you?” Taryn asked her.

ID? Rachel thought for a moment. What did they mean, ID? Rachel didn’t own a fake ID and she had no reason to: not in Pennsylvania, anyway.

“Um, no.” Rachel replied. “I don’t have one…yet.”

Apparently all these girls had fake IDs that said they were 21. Rachel knew if she were going to continue to hang with this crew, she would need an ID -- and fast.

“My sister, Sarah is up at Skidmore this weekend visiting her BF, Gary. I told her to try and get me one from one of his friends,” Rachel heard herself lie.

“Nice,” replied Jen.

As Taryn drove them toward the large open parking lot at the movies, Rachel worried that she wouldn’t get in. She fluffed her hair, put on lipstick and got out of the car. She wondered if she could pass for 17 if she walked with her head tall. She didn’t want to look nervous when she walked into the theater, so she put on a smile and opened the door.

Rachel saw Emily look up at the large display of show times and then order four tickets to the thriller that was playing.

The ticket lady looked at Emily, Rachel, Jen and Taryn and said, “Okay, here you go.

Emily handed each girl a ticket and said, “I think we’re in!”

Rachel looked around and saw two guards in uniform collecting the tickets. Security is tight here, Rachel thought. They looked like bouncers Rachel had seen standing outside of bars. Not that Rachel went into bars; she’d just seen them as she passed by on the streets.

As the girls entered the line, Rachel began to get nervous again. She had never tried to fake an age that she wasn’t and she had never feel pressure like this before.

“Tickets please,” said one of the guards sternly.

Taryn, Jen and Emily got through the guards. Only Jen needed to show an ID and they glanced at it and let her through. After all, it was only a movie.

Rachel handed her ticket to the guard and he looked at her.

“ID please,” the guard said.

“I left it at home, sorry.” Rachel said trying to get out of it.

“No ID, no movie…Next,” said the guard.

The guard had Rachel step aside, on the outside of the black ropes.

Uh oh, now what?

Rachel looked at her friends; they were standing there looking at her in disappointment.

“Let’s just go,” Emily said as she subtly rolled her eyes at her friends.

Rachel felt awful.

“Sorry guys, you can still go, I’ll have my mom pick me up,” Rachel cringed as the words came out of her mouth.

“Nah, we’ll do something else,” said Emily.