How It Ends by Catherine Lo (classic books for 13 year olds .TXT) 📕

my mind. It doesn’t help that my mother has been screaming at me about it all day. And she doesn’t even know a fraction of what happened.

Annie betrayed me.

The night started out so promising, which is what really kills me. I remember how confident I felt on the way to the party. I’d cashed in on my mother’s relief that I was actually attending a real high school party, and we’d spent the entire day preparing. She bought me an outrageously expensive new outfit, took me to the salon to have my hair smoothed into shiny waves, and to Sephora to have my makeup professionally done. I felt pretty and hopeful and excited. I was so, so stupid. What made me think that dressing up would make me into someone new?

Things started into a downward spiral pretty much from the time I walked into Larissa’s house. My finger had barely touched the doorbell when a frazzled-looking Larissa whipped open the door and yanked me into the house by my jacket. “Hi, Jess,” she said absently, spotting some boys sneaking through a door behind her. “Back downstairs!” she yelled, her hands shaking as she pointed them back to the basement. “Can you help?” She begged me. “My parents aren’t home and things are getting out of control. This is the first time they’ve trusted me with an unsupervised party, and way too many people are here. I think Courtney invited the whole world.”

She didn’t even notice my new hairstyle or my two-hundred-dollar jeans. And when I pulled the bottles of vodka I’d stolen from my parents’ liquor cabinet out of my pockets with a flourish, she jumped between me and the basement door and hissed, “Put those away!

“There’s way too much booze down there already. I want everyone to stop drinking,” she explained, wringing her hands. “Someone’s gonna puke on the carpet, I just know it.”

I stuffed the bottles back in my jacket and left it on the couch in the living room. This was not starting out the way I had hoped.

“Should . . . should we go downstairs?” I prompted.

“In a sec. I’m giving everyone till nine thirty to arrive, and then the doors stay closed. I just want to make sure no one is hanging around the front of the house before then. My neighbors will notice if tons of people show up at once.”

I sighed and leaned against the wall, reassuring myself that my entrance would be grander if I was the last to come downstairs.

“Grab a Coke or something,” Larissa said, waving her hand in the direction of the kitchen. I bit my lip and considered. It was a shame to have gone to the trouble of stealing all that vodka for nothing. And maybe a little liquid courage was just what I needed.

I grabbed one of the bottles on my way past the couch and scurried into the kitchen. I found a stack of red plastic cups on the counter and fumbled with the cap on the vodka bottle before sloshing some into the bottom of a cup. How much was I supposed to add? I eyed the inch of clear liquid at the bottom of the cup and decided to fill it halfway. I wanted enough to take the edge off, and I probably wouldn’t get the chance to mix another drink, with Larissa watching everyone like a hawk.

I topped up the cup with Coke and then stashed the vodka bottle under the sink. I was expecting the worst when I took a sip, but it wasn’t bad at all. I took a huge gulp for courage and then joined Larissa by the front door.

At nine thirty she turned out the lights. “Thanks for the help. Let’s go have fun.” Her voice was strained, though, and I realized she wouldn’t be enjoying the party very much.

“Larissa!” Emily Watson called happily as we came down the stairs. “We’re almos’ out of drinks!”

Larissa grabbed a can of Coke off the nearest table. “Drink this.”

“But there’s nothing left to put in it,” Emily whined, sticking out her lower lip.

Larissa shrugged and wandered off. Emily regarded me coolly. “I don’t suppose you brought any alcohol.”

“Nope!” Larissa shouted from a few feet away, shooting me a warning glance.

I sighed and shook my head, then took another gulp of my drink and turned to survey the room. So much for unveiling my new look. No one really seemed to care who else was here. They were huddled in couples or small groups, talking and laughing. I’d imagined my first high school party looking different than this. This just looked like people hanging out after school.

Annie caught my eye from across the room and gave a happy wave. Then Scott pulled her over to a snack table and I lost sight of her in a group of people.

“Where’s Courtney?” I asked Larissa, working hard to appear casual.

“Oh shit! I almost forgot. She went on a booze run like an hour ago. Her fake ID is totally sketchy, though. She’ll never score anything.”

I ventured over to the snack table and grabbed a handful of chips . . . and then I started to panic. Even though no one had even noticed me, I suddenly felt like there was a spotlight on my isolation. I searched the crowd for Annie and found her sitting on a couch in the back corner with Scott. Clearly, they wanted to be alone. I feared looking like a loser far more than I feared intruding on a private moment, though, so I took another sip of my drink and made my way over there.

“Happy birthday, Annie!” I shouted over the music.

She smiled up at me and rolled her eyes. “You’re the first person to say that to me.” Scott nudged her, and she laughed. “Okay . . . the second person.” She patted the couch beside her, and I sat down. “Larissa and Courtney were just looking for an excuse to party. They say it’s for my birthday, but you’ll notice they’re not