You don’t even know why you decided to go on that trip. Maybe it was the pressure to finally let go, maybe it was the fact that all your friends were going, or maybe—at sixteen—you felt like your life was slipping off a cliff. But you went.

You were in a hotel room with some friends. There were supposed to be supervising parents, but they spent more time at the beach than actually watching you—and that was an advantage you took to the fullest.

So that night, you drank one drink after another. There came a point where you didn’t even know what you were consuming anymore—you just did it. Until, in something that felt like a divine revelation, you decided to stop drinking and rushed out of the hotel room as fast as you could. Running down the hallway, toward the room at the very end—toward hers.

Taylor was… well… she was many things, too many to define. She was your classmate, your best friend… you two had kissed once or twice, but the next day either you or her always acted like nothing had happened. To Taylor’s family, you were a breath of fresh air. To your family, Taylor was that hint of good influence you needed.

So, just as you were about to knock on her door, you felt it open from the other side—and there they were. Taylor and her entire family (since they had decided to take the trip on their own). Andrea immediately pulled you into a hug, but the only thought echoing in your mind was, “don’t let them know how wasted you are.”