Page 73 of Absorbed

Stacey flicked her cigarette into the pool and blinked flirtatiously. “Yeah, you boys seem to know how to…swing your bats.” She pursed her lips andpicked up a cup that looked half full of beer and sniffed it.Not beer.Her gaze shifted back to Jason. “But with Jessie’s pencil-prick, he’s best equipped toscore keep a game of mini-golf. And the way he fucks is just about as exciting.”

The boys hooted and hollered, half-chortling.

“Oh fuck! Did she say what I think she did?” a boy yelled. Heads swiveled toward the group.

Stacey gulped the contents of the cup like it was water, swallowing back a near upchuck and ignoring the gasoline-like burn in her throat.

“Aren’t you in—like—Model UN or some shit?”

Stacey shook her head in slow motion, her eyelids heavy. “De-bate…team,” she corrected him.

Jason and his friends laughed hard. She wished she hadn’t said anything. Her face flushed.

She noticed the joint in Jason’s hand.

Jason locked eyes with Stacey. “You give a whole new meaning to ‘Easy A,’ Stacey!” He took a hit and passed the joint to Kristi.

Kristi sucked at the joint, passed to someone else, then smirked at Stacey.

Stacey felt her stomach turn. The party was starting to spin around her. Everything felt too big. Too loud. She needed to get away. Quickly. Before she humiliated herself.

Stacey lifted her pinky finger and mock-waved goodbye.

The girls behind Stacey giggled and followed her as she strutted away. They elbowed through the crowd. Stacey's ears were ringing. She was certain she was going to vomit. She needed to sit down.

“Wherz Ma-issa?” Stacey hiccupped. She couldn’t focus and had no idea who she was even talking to.

“Melissa went over there,” one girl said. She pulled Stacey by the arm, easing between groups of people. Stacey bumped them and stumbled. Drinks spilled. Something soaked the left leg of Stacey’s shorts.

“Sor-ree,” Stacey said. “Scuse me.” She did what she could to keep up, despite her desire to lie down. Anywhere.

“Oh. My. God!” One of the girls stopped dead in her tracks.

Stacey ran into her and almost fell backward.

“He’s here!” Another girl said.

“He. Who?” Stacey blinked long and slow, then followed her eyes to where the girl pointed. Jessie was on the opposite side of the glowing pool. Someone was talking into Jessie’s ear as he glared at her.

Stacey steadied herself on the girl’s shoulder. She sucked in her stomach in and stood tall. Stacey grinned at Jessie, then lifted her pinky and waved with it.

The girl beside Stacey lifted her own pinky, and they all laughed as her friends did the same.

Stacey narrowed her eyes and flipped Jessie the middle finger. She tried to step toward him but was wrenched backward.

“Shit! Stacey!”

The girls struggled to keep her upright.

“Stacey! You almost fell in the pool!”

“Let’s find Melissa,” a girl said.

Another voice added, “She’s really trashed.”

“I got go Des-i-rey’s,” Stacey slurred. She put her hand over her mouth.

“What did she say?”

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