I am ready. So ready. Ready to climb out of the pit that is high school and then run away screaming; “I did it, suckers!” and then leave them all in the dust. Even I know that this band thing isn’t going to last much longer. It’s just a little thing we’re doing as teens, but when we graduate, we’ll leave this life behind and become adults. I mean, the others can’t be that serious about something that will probably never really take off. Then again, Page said she wants to write a song that would make us famous, but that’s just her getting in over her head. We aren’t actually going to be famous. I see the reality of these things, that way I’m not disappointed later.

    “Why are you going to this party anyway?” Leah asks, staring at the ceiling from where she’s lying on my bed.

    “Because I was invited,” I tell her, spinning around in my desk chair.

    “Yeah, but, plenty of animals get invited to parties. There’s usually a reason they actually want to go.”

    I stop the spinning and face her. “I don’t know, Leah. Maybe I just want to go have a good time?”

    “Pfft. You, wanting to go to a party? I’m pretty sure your idea of fun is finishing that stack of papers next to you. Is that all the homework you get?” She gets up and hovers over the pile of blank worksheets. “Damn. Maybe I just have better teachers than you, because I don’t get nearly that much. I don’t think Molly gets that much either.”

    “No, it’s that little side business I told you about. I make pretty good money off of it.”

    “You should let people do their own work.”

    “Shush, I need the money.”

    “For what? Because I’m hella sure you don’t need it for drugs.” She messes with the little bobblehead of my favorite actor, making his head shake rapidly with a flick of her digit. “By the way, is your room this messy all the time?”

    “Quit that,” I grab the trinket from her, and she raises her paw. “And I would never do drugs. Nick and Tyler are the smokers.”

    “Who?”

    “It’s two guys from the band.”

    “You’re in a band with guys who smoke weed?”

    “Ugh, no. Just cigarettes.”

    “Huh.” She walks back to the bed and flops back onto it. “Is Nick a hyena?”

    I nod, placing the bobble-head back onto my desk. I lift one leg onto the chair and use the other to move left and right.

    “Oh, hehe. He’s cute.”

    “No. No, no, no. He’s off limits.”

    “Oh? Already got dibs on him?”

    I glare at her. “Shut up. I’m questioning.”

    “Questioning your feelings?”

    “Surprise, you’re adopted and actually Page’s sister.” I smile. Of course, only I would get the joke.

    “Who?”

    “Nevermind.” I get out of the chair and go to my closet. “What should I wear?”

    “Does it matter?”

    “I want to look nice.”

    “Boris, that’s literally all you ever do. Doesn’t it get boring wearing the same few suits all the time? You look like you’re constantly ready to go to those proms from 80’s movies.”

    I grab one of my hanging suits sleeves and inspect it, debating on whether it was what I would don at the party. “What can I say? I’m iconic.”

    “You are not iconic. I think people just think you’re a weirdo.”

    “Oh.” 

    She burst out laughing and I frown. “Here, I have an idea.” With a loud squeak of the springs, she gets off the bed and runs out of the room as I continue to ponder what to wear. Maybe what I’m wearing is nice enough. Or that suit. What about that one? Hm...

    I decide on what to wear and lay it out on my bed, removing the jacket and white button-up I’m wearing, now only wearing a tank top and dress pants. My belt is still snaked through the loops, so I unbuckle it as Leah walks back into the room, carrying cargo shorts and another button up, but this time it has short sleeves and a blue plaid pattern.

    “Oh no, I am not wearing that.”

    “Yes, you are. I already texted Mols asking if we could borrow them.” I observed the clothes that were brought for me.

    “But I already picked out clothes,” I tell her, gesturing to the suit that is laid out nicely on the bed.

    “Quit being so basic, Boris. Oh! Wait! I just remembered, I have a surprise for you.” She runs out of the room again, as I pull off my belt and pants. Now I’m standing in my underwear and a tank top. I hug myself because it’s strangely cold in my room. Leah quickly returns, holding a black tee shirt to her chest. Damn, it’s been months since I’ve worn one of those. Honestly.

    “Using my epic graphic design skills, I made this for you and your band and then got it custom made. I didn’t know the size of anyone else, so I just got this one made for you, but we can always order more if you like it.” She turns the shirt around and my brows go up.

    “Woah, Leah, I…” The shirt has a circle with Japanese style water filling the bottom of it, and then the same style fire filling the rest of it. In the middle of the circle is the name of the band and large words in a font I can’t quite place. The water is a mixture of blues and whites, the fire being a mix of red and orange. I admire all the little details on the shirt and blink. I’m stunned she did this for me. “It’s amazing. I can’t believe you did this.” I grab the shirt and observe it more closely.

    “So, will you wear it?” She asks, pursing her lips with a hopeful spark in her eyes.

    “Um…” I stare at the shirt for a good fifteen seconds. “Okay, sure.”

    “Sweet!” She pumps her fist. “Now put some pants on. Jeans will work.”

    “Jeans? I don’t wear jeans!” I argue, shaking my head. When was the last time I even wore jeans? Must have been ages ago if I can’t remember. “Plus, you already brought these ugly shorts.” I know I’m going to look awful either way, but due to the look on Leah’s face, I stop arguing. “Fine. Jeans it is. Just go get them before I change my mind.”

    “Okay, one sec.” She runs off again, and I look at her dress, remembering why she’s wearing it. She only wore dresses for certain special occasions.

    It doesn’t take long for Leah to return, throwing a pair of jeans onto the bed and then sitting on the edge.

    I grab the jeans and look at them distastefully, frowning, my eyes finding my sister. “Do you really want to go on this date, anyway? He’s just some wad from online...and you know what they say about online dating.”

    “You can hush up and worry about yourself. If he turns out to be a wad, then I’ll figure out what to do at that point.”

    “Leah, I’m going to be completely honest.” I put one leg through the jeans and keep my eyes on her. “You go on these dates every week, but nothing comes of it. I think you should stop having flash flings.” I put the other leg through and jump up and down as I pull the pants up to my waist.

    “Flash flings! That’s only some of them,” Leah argues. “Most of it isn’t even good.”

    “God, I don’t wanna hear about it!” I scoff. I struggle to button and zip up the fly. “Ergh...Why does Molly have to wear such tight jeans?” I grunt as I finally get the shit buttoned, but after I zip the fly up it feels like I am being constricted by a python. Wonderful.

    “Oh, you can just unbutton the thing that tightens it inside the waist,” Leah says. I take a moment to do that and it’s not perfect, but at least I don’t feel like I’m going to pop anymore. “Better?”

    “Yeah, a little.” I look at a poster for one of my favorite movies on the wall. “I hope there’s no alcohol at this party.”

    “You can keep on hoping but you do realize it’s a high school party, right?”

    “I hope we don’t play anything stupid like seven minutes in heaven or some shit,” I sigh. I grab the tee shirt and slip it on, feeling strange because the material is so different than what I’m used to.

    “I don’t really know what to tell you. Stop being a pussy and just enjoy yourself, Boris.” She hops off the bed and stands for a moment, looking at me. “You look adorable!”

    “Okay, whatever. Let’s just go so I can get this over with. I’m having second thoughts all of a sudden.”

    Despite me having second thoughts, I go through with the plan and we arrive outside of the house. Cars are lined up and down the road and I make a face at one that’s parked in front of a driveway. I bet that person is an asshole. People who aren’t assholes don’t park like that.

    “I didn’t realize the music was going to be so loud.” I turn my head and look at one of the windows, seeing the silhouettes of animals dancing in the flashing lights. There’s some kind of cat breaking it down hardcore. Unless he’s having an aneurysm or something. I bet if that happened to me no one would even notice. Why am I here?

    “Uh, yeah…” Leah says, probably also looking at aneurysm cat. “That’s kinda how parties are, dude.”

    “I know, I’ve been to parties, but the music isn’t usually this loud,” I tell her, switching my view to a crow and a wolf talking on the steps. There are red solo cups in their hands, and it seems as if they are taking turns; one drinks while the other talks, then they switch.

    “You’ve never been to a real party,” Leah says.

    “Real parties give off super douchey vibes?”

    “Boris, just calm down and get in there. This was your idea, and I have a date to get off to. I don’t have time for you to contemplate your choices, now stop sitting here and wasting my night.”

    “Okay, okay fine!” Oh god, I’m unbuckling. I can’t believe I’m getting out of the car. Did I really just shut the door? Oh shit, she’s driving away! “Damn.”

    I watch my sister’s small car disappear down the road, then turn and face the house. It’s still humid outside, which is annoying, but I think I would rather be out here than in there. Nonetheless, I’m already walking forward, looking at the strangely shaped lamps lining the sidewalk. It seems like more than half of them aren’t working, while two of the lit ones constantly flicker as if inside there was a white flame dying out.

    I approach the two animals sitting on the steps. “‘Scuse me.” They just keep on talking. Figures. “Excuse me, fellas.”

    The crow turns his head to me. “Ey, I know you. You’re that weird otter who dropped his towel in front of all the guys in the locker rooms, like some little fag.”

    You’ve got to be kidding. “You and I both know that it was an accident, bird.”

    “Sure, and I’m the top quarterback of the football team,” he took a sip of what I assume is beer.

    “I didn’t realize Mark hired a stripper for his lame ass party,” the wolf says, crushing his cup and tossing into the grass. I frown as I watch him litter and his stupid bird friend laughs at his dumb joke. I turn around and point at the car parked in front of one of the driveways.

    “Is that yours, wolf?”

    “Yeah, what’s it to you?”

    “You park like an asshole, asshole.”

    His ears perk and he stands up, stumbling a bit as he gets in my personal space. I have the urge to put a paw over my nose. Dog breath and beer don’t mix well at all, especially with those awful yellow teeth. Does he even know what a toothbrush is? “Oh, is the fag judging my parking now?”

    “Yeah, I am. You know it’s illegal to park like that, right? Your car could get towed.”

    “Mmm whatever,” he steps forward. “I don’t need some pervert telling...me what’s what. Dallas, up.”

    The bird stands up, clearly less drunk than wolfie over here. He comes forward, and now they’re both in my space. Again, why am I here? “Are we gonna have a problem, fag?”

    “That’s such an outdated term,” I sigh. “I’m going inside.” I move to step between them before this escalates, and a large paw is placed on my shoulder. No, no, no.

    “Nnnobody likes a little perv,” the wolf mumbles. “‘Specially not me. Maybe should teach some sense into you.”

    “I think the little bitch could learn a lesson from you, Travis!” Dallas squawks, and they both step forward. I step backward.

    “Look, I didn’t do anything. I’m just here to have a good time. Now if you both can fuck off I’ll just--” WHAM! “AH!” I felt that. Boy, I felt that. I’m on the ground, holding my eye, which is definitely swollen shut. No…

    “Little bitch, tryin’ to tell me to fuck off...Llllook at ‘im on the ground…He’s weak.” He belches, and I’m looking up at them through my other eye.

    The bird leers down at me. “Hahaha, yeah, look at the little fag. Can’t even take a small blow to the eye without crying.”

    I’m...crying? I slide my paw to my open eye and feel the wetness on my digits. Oh god, I am crying. Travis steps over me  and looks straight into my soul.

    “Listen to me ya little...All those other queers can be whatever they want, but it doesn’t make 'em any less fffreaks than they already are. People like you don’t...belong here. Don’t belong...anywhere.” He hiccups. “All of you freaks deserve what’s coming to you...And when the time comes...I hope I’m the one that gets to burn every single one of you queer fuckers, ya hear?” The bird is silent but nodding through all of this. “Come on, Dallas. Let’s go to my girl’s.”

    “But Aisha doesn’t want to see you, remember?” The bird turns his head to his companion, who growls at him.

    “Errgh...I don’ care what she wants! She wants me and I know it. Let’s go.”

    “But, Travis--”

    “SHUT UP, DALLAS, OR I SWEAR TO GOD YOU’LL BE JUST LIKE THAT FAG ON THE GROUND THERE!” The wolf yells, stumbling a bit as he begins to move to his poorly-parked car.

    “Okay,” Dallas sighs, leaving as well. 

    I lay on the ground, looking at the faded stars, feeling a tear fall down my cheek. Why did I have to cry? My head hurts and all I can think about is the pain. When I hear the engine of the car rev, I spring up, running to the sidewalk and watching the car swerve and jerk as it rolls away. I almost hope they get in a crash. My middle finger is up in the air for a few moments, and when they disappear as Leah did, I sigh and walk back into the yard, stepping into the soft grass and collapsing on my back.

     Maybe I can just lay here until the party is over. After all, I don’t want to be anywhere near this place and I haven’t even got in, yet. I just stare at the sky, watching the clouds pass by, humming Elephant Woman by Blonde Redhead, as I think it fits this situation. After all, I feel like I was just trampled.

    “Hey, tiger,” An unfamiliar voice says. I blink and get up while simultaneously turning to whoever had spoken.

    “Actually I’m an ott--”

    “I know,” the badger says, chuckling. “It’s funny because tigers are much larger than otters. That’s why I called you--Jesus Christ your eye!”

    I can only see him through one eye, so I shouldn’t be surprised it was the first thing he noticed. “Oh, yeah, that.”

    “What happened?”

    “Some asshole and his bird friend.”

    “Did you provoke them?”

    “Not really. They called me a pervert and a fag because they thought I was deliberately showing my body off in the locker rooms, even though my towel slipping was just an accident. You know, I always thought it was a terrible idea to make guys shower together after gym,” I explain, getting off the ground and brushing the little blades of grass off my...ugh, jeans.

    “Oh, that was you? Wish I could have been there.” He has this strange look on his face.

    My cheeks grow a little warm. “Okay, so I’m guessing you’re gay. Good to know.”

    “You’re not?”

    “I don’t know!”

    “It’s kind of rare to meet anyone straight in Austin. Well, from my experience.”

    “They’re out there, trust me.”

    “Wanna go inside and grab a drink?” he asks, jabbing his thumb toward the house. “Might be good for the pain.”

    “Oh, uh, I don’t drink. Thanks, though.”

    He grabs my paw, and I am wondering why this complete stranger thinks he can touch me, but I’m already being dragged along, so whatever, I guess. “Come on, you don’t have to drink, but at least don’t just be out here alone. Something really good might happen to you in there.”

    “That sounds creepy,” I look back toward the road, calculating the distance from here to home and my ability to withstand running that long without passing out.

    “I didn’t mean it that way.” The badger opens the front door and the music is at a blaring volume, combined with the shouting and conversations of animals, I’m surprised the whole town can’t hear it. I’m curious why no one has called the police yet because all these kids drinking is illegal and giving me anxiety.

    “Wait, why didn’t anyone help me out there!” I shout, furrowing my brows.

    “Huh? Oh, they were recording it!” The badger shouts back. “I’m Jax, by the way!”

    “Boris!” I shout back. “Why is everyone such an asshole?”

    “Welcome to America!”

    “Ugh…” I am constantly bumping into people, which is bothering me. I didn’t realize I’d be coming into contact with literally everyone here. After what seems like ages of walking, we reach the beer. The badger is already filling up a cup for himself.

    “You sure you don’t want any, Boris?” he asks, holding up the cup.

    “Yes,” I nod, looking around at all the people surrounding me. So many people…

    “You ever even have beer before?” Jax guzzles the liquid in his cup before putting more inside.

    “No,” I shake my head.

    “Well, why not give it a shot?”

    “Because I don’t want to.”

    “Aww come on, lighten up, tiger. You just got here. Why don’t you cut loose and let go of all the tension for a few hours?”

    “Are you trying to pressure me into drinking?”

    “Yeah, obviously.”

    “So, you’re an asshole too?”

    The badger doesn’t like this one bit. He drinks the fill of his cup, then crushes it, putting the pitiful looking heap of plastic on the table. “Maybe you’re the asshole. I just wanted to have a good time, but you’re being Mr. Pessimistic already! You know why you aren’t having any fun? Because you’re not letting yourself let go of this dumb attitude. If you didn’t want to party, dude, you shouldn’t have even come.”

    “I do want to party, I just...It’s hard,” I sigh, looking at the beer. Also, I form punched in the face.

    “It’s not! You just forget about everything else and focus on what’s right in front of you!”

     “But then that would mean I’d have to focus on you.”

    “And? Is that really such a bad thing?”

    “...I guess not.” I look around, noticing all the fun everyone is having, while I’m standing here with a frown. The black sheep. But hasn’t it always been this way? It feels like I’m the only one standing in a constantly moving crowd. It’s always the world versus me. Sigh. I’m still looking at the beer. “You know what? I think I’ll try beer.”

    “Really?” The badger’s smile returns, and I feel a small relief in my chest, for some reason.

    “Yeah, why not? Maybe I just need to let go, as you said.” And then people will like me. I grab the open bottle of beer and pour it into my cup, watching the brown liquid rise inside. I fill it halfway, then stare down at the swirling drink, feeling my heartbeat accelerate. This is a bad idea. I gulp the whole thing down in one fell swoop.

    “Woah, woah, easy there! You can’t handle alcohol as easily as the rest of us,” the badger says. “You’re going to lose it if you drink it that quickly. Here, I’ll go get you some water.”

    “I guess I’ll get some more beer,” I say, almost feeling like I belong here. Like this is right. But it’s not. It never will be. The world versus me. Jax runs off and I fill up my cup and put my lips to the rim. Then, I see her. I quickly put the cup down, my eyes wide as I turn to disappear.

    “Tell me you did not just drink beer, Boris,” Molly says, holding a red solo cup in her hand but looking as sober as ever. “And what happened to your eye?”

    “I did not just drink beer, Boris,” I say.

    “Boris!”

    “Ah! I’m sorry! Everyone else was doing it! I had to!”

    “Just because they’re doing it doesn’t mean you should!”

    “Wha--You’re literally doing it right now!”

    She looks at her cup for a moment, then shakes her head. “That’s beside the point. You’re my little brother, I need to look after you. I can’t have you being persuaded by gay badgers to drink underage.”

    “Where is the logic in that? How come you get to do it?” I cross my arms. “And we’re triplets! You are three minutes older than me!”

    “Don’t worry about it,” she says. “You look great in my clothes. Where’d you get the shirt though? And what the frick happened to your eye?”

    I look down at the tee, smiling a bit. “Leah made it for me.”

    “Ohhh, so that’s what she was talking about.”

    “Hm?”

    “Nothing. And the eye, for the third time?”

    “Just some guys that gave me trouble,” I explain.

    Jax comes back holding a large glass of water with more ice cubes than water in it. What’s the point? “I’m back, and look I put ice in it so as the night goes on you’ll have a constant source of water to drink that way you don’t get a hangover tomorrow.”

    “Jaxie, you didn’t have to do that,” Molly says. “Boris is done with the alcohol tonight.”

    “Aw, what?”

    I look between the two animals, not really giving a damn about beer anymore. “I didn’t realize you two were acquainted?”

    “Hehe, we used to date,” Molly says. “Then he turned gay.”

    “Well, actually I was already gay, I just didn’t realize it. You don’t just turn gay,” Jax explains, like no one in the world had heard that before.

    “Whatever. You get it, Boris,” my sister rolls her eyes. I nod because I would rather be hanging with anyone else than my sister and her friend who guilt-tripped me into drinking.

    “I’m gonna go anywhere else,” I say, leaving them before they could object. I make my way to the living room, where animals are gathering in a circle.

    “What’s going on here?” Jax asks, walking out from behind me. Damn, I was followed.

    “We’re gonna play spin the bottle,” a bat squeaks with a much too energetic smile. About ninety percent of the animals in the circle look drunk as hell. God. Why am I here?

    “Perfect! Boris, you have to play!” Jax pulls my arm.

    “U-uh...No, no I’m good,” I try to wiggle out of his grasp but darn he’s strong.

    “Come on, it’s not like you’re doing anything else,” he begged, and I can’t tell if he actually wants me to or he’s just being manipulative so I can embarrass myself.

    “Fine. If you’ll leave me alone,” I groan. I am making the worst choices, today. Really. I go and sit down next to the bat, and I can really smell the booze in this circle. It’s awful. Knowing that my breath adds to that makes me want to jump off a cliff.

    A good amount of rounds goes before it’s my turn, and I almost forgot that I’m not just spectating the game. I mean, I’m having what might be the closest to fun in all this time I’ve been here. When it does get to me, the smile fades, much like my confidence.

    I spin the bottle and there’s no way in heaven or earth that landed on Jax for real. “Is this thing rigged?” I ask, grabbing the bottle and looking all around it for a sign that it was toyed with.

    “It’s not rigged, just kiss me already,” the badger says, crawling forward.

    “Mmm…” I frown, watching him get closer. I can hear the hoots and hollers of the other teens, chanting for us to put our mouths together. Why. Why is the world against me. Why am I letting it kick me down while I’m on the ground? Am I a pushover?

    No, that’s not it. So what is it?

    The badger approached, and for my sanity’s sake I lean forward and kiss him, right on the mouth. I hate this. I hate parties. I hate these clothes. I hate this badger. I hate kissing. And he’s not letting go. Looks like I’ll have to do it myself. I pull back and scoot back in my spot quickly, feeling sick to my stomach.

    I hate this so much I don’t even have time to contemplate how I really felt about it or if this made my sexuality a little more clear. One thing is clear to me, now, though.

    These people don’t care. No one does. They just want to sit here and throw their parties and videotape someone getting decked or look away and pretend it’s not happening right in front of them. They want to watch their videos and play their games and shake their head when someone jumps off the bridge. No one cares. Did they ever, really? And this badger here. He doesn’t want to be friends. He doesn’t want a deeper connection. All he wants is his party and his beer. People are drowning, getting shot, and dying, but in the end it doesn’t matter. No one cares. Maybe they’ll act like they care, but when it comes down to it, they would rather be throwing parties and getting dead-ass drunk than worry about someone who doesn’t have any affect on them. Can anyone blame them? Can I blame them?

    I look around at all these animals--these strangers--and I hate them. I hate every single one. They noticed when Travis hit me and all they did was film it so they could get their likes and their views. I haven’t even been at this party that long, but I’m already finished.

    Why. Am. I. Here?

    I get up, my paws clenched into fists and storm through the kitchen, to the backdoor. It feels almost like I’m opening an airlock because once the outside breeze hits me I already feel relieved. I run outside and into the grass, not really knowing what to do with myself. There’s people out here too, and they’re all watching me.

    I hug myself and find a chair on the deck, thrusting myself into it with such a force that it almost tips over. “Damn it, damn it, damn it…” I curse, covering my eyes with my hands. Why does the world have to be so shitty? Why do I have to be so negative? What’s wrong with me?

    What’s wrong with me...

    “Look, you don’t have to talk, but at least listen to me,” Molly says, as I stare at the blackness behind my eyelids. She’s taking me home, after I sat in that chair for hours, just watching all of those stupid people party.

    “You don’t understand,” I hiss. “No one does. Everything sucks all the time. I can’t handle it!”

   “You know why everything sucks all the time?”

    “Because everyone’s an ass--”

    “No! Boris, you know that’s not the answer. The answer is that you’re too self-centered and pessimistic to notice that you, yes you, are the cause of all your problems! You can’t pin your happiness on everyone else. They can’t make you happy. It’s not their responsibility. But you also can’t hate them for that. The world is always going to be broken, but it’s your job to learn how to adapt and live in a broken world. It’s the only life you’ve got, why waste it hating everything all the time?”

    I open my eye, blinking and looking at the otter driving next to me. Those have got to be some of the most eye-opening words I’ve ever been told. “You’re totally right. I never saw it that way. I always thought it was everyone else that was the problem. I...I guess I always thought I was right.”

    “And that’s why you’re self centered and unhappy,” Molly says. “You need to be more open-minded, Boris. Leah and I hate seeing you like this.”

    I grin a bit. “You know, Leah told me the same thing before the party.”

    “That’s because we love you and care about you. Maybe you should think about things a little. I think you’ll be happier. When someone does something you’re not cool with...stop and think before responding. You’re so quick to act, you lose sight of the hole you’re digging for yourself.”

    “Alright.” I sit up, smiling. “Hey, turn this song up.”

    “But you don’t like it. You tell me every time.”

    “Gotta start somewhere, right?”

    Molly grins and turns up the radio really loud. And for once, I’m fine with it.

    When we get home, I immediately make a beeline for the couch. “Thank god, I might have gone crazy not being home any longer.”

    “Haha, yeah. There’s some pie from Tiny’s in the fridge, if you want.” Molly comes over to me, holding her paw out. I grab it. “Look, I’m sorry the party didn’t go well, but I think instead of sitting there and hating everyone the whole time...Next time, just try and let go. Now, that doesn’t mean go drink all the alcohol, but try to smile and dance. I think you’ll find you like it.”

    “Me? Dance?” I laugh fakely. “I dunno, I’ve never really tried.”

    “Well, instead of just setting up for homecoming, why don’t you try going?”

    “Hey, maybe I’ll get a second chance this time and I can do things right. Maybe it’ll be better and I’ll enjoy myself.” I get up and squeeze her tightly. “Thanks, Molly. I think I’m set up for success, now.”

    “Hey, any time. If you ever need to talk about anything, let me know. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go shower and get rid of the alcohol smell. Wouldn’t want mom murdering me. I have more parties to experience!”

    “Hahaha, I guess I’ll do the same after you. I can’t believe I drank tonight.” I move my tongue around my mouth, tasting the faintest hint of beer.

    “Yeah, me neither. But you know, that was pretty brave of you. Just don’t do it again.”

    “Don’t plan on it. Goodnight, Mols.” I let go of her and sit back down.

    The female otter grins and leaves the room. I lay back and stare at the ceiling, similar to how I stared at the sky earlier. I think about everything that happened tonight and think about how excited I am to be a new Boris. People will like me. Like, actually like me. God..

    A few minutes later, Leah comes in the door,  throwing her keys on the table. She looks like a mess. “Hey, Boris. How was the party?”

    “It was awful.” I frown, shaking my head. “How was the date.”

    “He was an internet wad,” she sighs, collapsing against me. “The food was lame and the sex was dry.”

    “Gross, get off of me!” I push her. “I don’t need to know these things!”

    “Ah, but you already do. So, it’s too late. Muhahaha.” She cackles and starts tickling me.

    “Noooo! Don’t!” I begin cackling along with her, losing my breath.

    And god damn it, it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.