Lila adjusted the strap of her sparkly top for the fifth time, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Tonight was one of those nights where rules and expectations didn’t exist—at least not for her. She and her friends had decided to hit a new club downtown, one of those places that let 18+ in but made it painfully clear that alcohol was “technically off-limits” for people under 21.

Lila smirked at the thought. Rules had a funny way of being suggestions, not commandments, in her world. Her friends—Maya, vivacious and fearless, and Ben, perpetually the charming sidekick—were already waiting by the car, blasting music that made the tires vibrate against the pavement.

As soon as they stepped into the club, the air hit them: a mix of bass-heavy music, neon lights, and the faint scent of something sweet and intoxicating. Lila felt a thrill rush through her chest. This was freedom—the kind her parents warned her about but could never truly understand.

“First round?” Maya shouted over the music, holding up a plastic cup with something that definitely looked like a cocktail.

Lila grinned. “Why not. Life’s too short to follow someone else’s rules, right?”

And just like that, they dove into the night, laughter spilling over the thumping beats, ready to dance, flirt, and live like nobody was keeping score.