Kids These Days

Chapter 34: Becca

There's an impossible amount of clothes in Andy's closet. Graphic tees overflow from the shelves; a dazzling assortment of vests and sweaters spill off the tangled hangers; and an explosion of basketball jerseys, leg warmers, and mismatched shoes clutter the floor.

"How do you find anything here?" I ask, trying not to gawk. I don't think I've owned more than three shelves of clothes in my life.

"I have a system," Andy says proudly. "What do you want to wear? I'm a few sizes bigger than you, but we can make it work."

I consider trying on the same outfit I borrowed for Rachel's open house, but that seems too formal for a party. "I don't know. Just pick something out for me."

"Say no more!" Andy disappears into the mess, triumphantly reemerging with a colorful t-shirt, the band name The Replacements splashed across the front. She tosses me a leather skirt to pair with it. (I choose, out of respect for our friendship, not to argue.)

It takes Andy several outfit changes to decide on a pair of baggy orange pants and a sequin top that looks like a disco ball. As she's putting the final touches on her eye make-up, I head down to the kitchen to call the ranch.

"Please tell me you're going out tonight," Ronan says, picking up on the second ring. "I'm languishing from boredom over here."

"Did Floyd say it was okay for you to leave with your sling?"

"Who cares? If anything happens to it, you can just heal me again, right? I'm joking, I'm joking! But if you don't tell me where this party is, I swear I will wander the streets until I find one."

Andy's stepmom opens the fridge to grab a banana; I wave awkwardly at her. I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm Andy's latest girlfriend. (Which would be a lot easier to explain if I wasn't wearing her clothes.) "Okay, yes, we're going out tonight. Is Finn still grounded?"

"Let me ask him. Finn, bro -- you still under house arrest? He says tonight is his last night."

There's some muffled arguing in the background. Finn's voice crackles through the static. "I'm sick of it! I'm sick of my parents acting like they know everything..." And then: "... not going out alone with a sling... and don't say you're feeling better!"

"Well, that was easy," Ronan says cheerfully. "Finn is un-grounding himself. We're sneaking out tonight. Now, before you start saying responsible shit like, 'don't sneak out of the house on the last night of being grounded", let me remind you that I am languishing. So, what's the address?"

There's no point in arguing with Ronan when he's made up his mind. Or Finn, for that matter. I give him the details, tell them to be careful, and hang up.

Andy's stepmom tries to look very interested in her banana and not at all like she was listening in on our conversation. "You're going out tonight? With Andy?"

"It's, uh, a study party," I say.

I get the feeling she doesn't believe me.

***

"I'm pretty sure your mom thinks we're dating," I say, as we pass the lines of cars parked bumper to bumper outside Chris's house. (He lives on the opposite side of town, in a white brick house with a two-car garage that takes its Greek pillars very seriously. Andy was furious when she found out Oliver already took the Volkswagen for the night.)

"Stepmom," she corrects me. "And she probably thinks you're an improvement. She was chill enough when I came out, but you're the first girl she hasn't lectured me about."

I decide to take that as a compliment.

We join the line of people waiting on the porch. While Chris's spacious lawn may not be good for the environment, it's perfect for a rowdy party. I can tell that nobody is worried about getting busted by the cops for a noise complaint. Rock music blasts through the open windows, and car horns honk as friends from school reunite. Andy introduces me to at least a dozen of her peers by the time we make it through the front door.