Becoming Me Read Free Page B

stupid, but the real reason is I know I’d probably forget every move and, like I said earlier, I’d probably just freeze and make a total fool of myself in front of the entire student body. Thanks, but no thanks!) But anyway, I’m sure Mom will be ecstatic to know that I’m actually hanging with an actual cheerleader.
    But here’s the best part—Jenny has her very own car! It’s a silver Honda Accord, not new, but still in nice condition. It used to be her mom’s, but she told me her mom got a brand new BMW (navy blue) for Christmas, and now the Honda is Jenny’s! Man, some people get all the breaks! But I’m not complaining, not at all. If I can’t have my own car, what’s wrong with having a friend with one? I just hope Jenny still likes me after spending a few hours together. And now I have to figure out what I’m going to wear!
January 6, Saturday (breaking the rules)
    Okay, you are not going to believe what happened today! First of all, Jenny and I went to the mall just as planned, and we actually had a really great time—but that’s not the part you’re not going to believe. We saw a couple of Jenny’s friends while we were having an Orange Julius at the food court, and so we all just talked and stuff (and,by the way, they both really liked Jenny’s new haircut), and anyway, the next thing I know, one of the girls (Heather Larson) invites me to come to her boyfriend’s house where he’s throwing a birthday party for one of his buddies tonight. I said, “sure, why not,” but the whole time I’m freaking out, thinking there’s no way my parents will let me go to a party at some boy’s house.
    But wonder of wonders, they said I could go. Actually, it was my mom who said I could go (my dad was off at his office again—he’s been putting in a lot of hours lately). I’m pretty sure the only reason my mom let me go is because she’s so impressed with Jenny. I’m pretty certain that if I set both Jenny and Beanie side by side, my mom would pick Jenny to be my best friend (not that Jenny’s offering, but she is being pretty nice to me).
    So anyway, Jenny picks me up and we drive over to Brian Whittier’s house (that’s Heather’s boyfriend and a fantastic basketball player by the way) where it turns out, Brian’s parents are gone for the entire weekend—and I guess it should come as no surprise that, with no parents around, the alcohol is flowing in abundance. I have no idea how Brian got all of it, and of course I don’t ask. And even though I feel slightly shocked about the whole thing, I don’t let on at all. I just act like everything’s cool.
    But just the same, I don’t consume a single drop of alcohol. The truth is, I’m way too scared. I know for a fact that my parents would kill me if they knew what was going on here, and the whole time I’m looking over my shoulder and worrying that this party’s going to get bustedbig time, and then I’ll have a police record, and how in the world would I explain all this to my conservative, church going parents? But what complicates things even further is that everyone at the party is being all cool and chummy to me, and they’re all kind of goofy and relaxed (not at all how they act in school), and I’m actually having a pretty good time (other than worrying about getting busted).
    So I don’t let anyone know that I’m not drinking anything besides club soda. And pretty soon I even start acting all silly like them (like it’s contagious or something). Of course, it’s a little disturbing (not to mention slightly gross) when a couple of kids get really sick. And one girl throws up all over my favorite shoes—talk about disgusting! But I tell her, “No problem, it’s okay.” Not that she’ll ever remember since she’s so totally wasted. I seriously doubt if I’ll ever get the smell out of these shoes. But all in all it’s not so bad. Not really. But there is one thing that bothers me.
    And so now I’m going to be totally