On a Friday afternoon in early March, Zac opened the door to their room and saw Ricki laying on her bed, reading as usual.
"Yo." He said.
"Hey." She said quietly. The last few weeks they had been becoming good friends; sharing the common bond of self pity.
"You sound excited." He commented, throwing his jacket at the foot of his bed.
"I saw Ashton with his new girlfriend today." She said.
"I told you I saw him with someone." Zac said, grabbing an elastic band to pull back his hair.
"Yeah...I couldn't really believe it at first. They looked really happy."
"Yeah...I know how that is." Zac said. Susan had long since gotten over him and moved on - with several people. Zac was mostly just embarassed for not listening to Ricki.
"Uh huh." She said, not taking her eyes off her book.
"Hey, there's a party tonight I was invited to....wanna go?"
"Nah...I'm not up to it."
"Oh, come on. It'll be fun." He said.
"I don't think so." Ricki said, removing her reading glasses.
"Why?" Zac asked. "Just tell me why."
"Because I...have to much work." She answered, sitting up on her bed.
"Right." Zac said. He wasn't buying it. He looked at her skeptically. Ricki sighed.
"You're right. Who am I kidding? I'll go...I guess."
"Cool." Zac said, flopping down beside her on the bed. "It'll be fun."
"You have yet to find that out."
Zac grinned. "Come on. Get changed."
Ten minutes later, Ricki had decided on a plain, grey shirt with red sleeves and jeans. She put her glasses back on and tied her shoulder length hair back into a ponytail.
Zac emerged from the bathroom wearing dark grey pants, boots, and a button down blue shirt.
"Wait, you're not going in that, are you?" He asked.
"What's wrong with this?" She asked.
"Ricki, you're a pretty girl; show it." He said, pulling off her glasses.
"Zac, shut up."
"Hey, I look nice. Put this on." He said, holding up a smaller, v-neck top.
"I hate that shirt. It goes down too low."
"Perfect." Zac said, handing it to her.
Ricki shot him a dirty look before heading into the bathroom to change. When she emerged, he pulled the elastic band out of her hair, letting it go loose.
"There." He said.
"Why do I feel like you're my mother?" She asked in a sarcastic tone.
"You're ready." he said, handing her her coat.
Ricki wandered around, mostly following Zac. As it turned out, the party was only several blocks away from their dorms, and was huge. She tried to act as his shadow as he walked with her down the crowded hallway. She didn't want to take the chance that Ashton would be there and see her pathetically hanging on him, and Zac didn't want Susan to see the same.
Then, she saw her. Susan. She was in the middle of a group of guys, talkind and smiling, the center of attention.
Ricki groaned inwardly. This was not what Zac needed. She pleaded for Zac not to turn around. Her wish was not granted. Zac promtly turned around to go back to the living room when his eyes raised and he saw her.
"Oh my." He said.
"Yeah." Ricki said, sighing. "I was hoping you wouldn't see that."
"Too late." He muttered, turning to walk the other way.
He suddenly stopped and turned around. "It's your turn to not look." He said.
"What? Why?" Ricki asked. She peeked out from behind him and scanned the room. Then she saw what he was talking about. Ashton was standing by a large group of people, and he was standing with another girl, and his arm was around her.
"Oh." She said, lowering her eyes slowly.
"Sorry." He said.
"Let's go in here." She said, leading him to the dining room. They walked around for a few more mintues, trying to mingle and and keep themselves busy.
"Zac, this sucks." She commented a few moments later.
"I agree."
"Why did we come?" She asked as they sat down on a couch.
"Hard to say." He replied.
They both sat, oblivious to the loud, wild party around them. "I say we get plastered." He said.
"What?" She asked, looking at him.
"Plastered. Wasted. Drunk." He said.
"Why?" She asked, frowning.
"Why not?" He asked. He walked over to a keg and filled two plastic cups with the cheap beer.
"We're both here at this sucky party, wallowing in our own misery. It's been my experience that alcohol is numbing."
Ricki accepted the glass he gave her and looked at the fizzing liquid.
"Let's go for it." She said with a sigh.
"You got it." Zac said. They clanked the plastic cups together and drank. Zac was surprised when he put his cup down that Ricki just kept drinking and drinking and drinking until her cup was gone.
"Holy shit." he said.
"I'm goin for another." She said, standing up. She headed for the keg again, not planning on stopping anytime soon.