Emma lay on her bed for what seemed like hours. The music had been turned back on about five minutes after her outburst. No one cared that the hostess was down in her bedroom crying her eyes out. As long as she didn't announce it was time for everyone to leave, they could give a crap about her. But even though they didn't care, Emma knew she'd be the subject of their gossip in the coming weeks.
There was a knock on the door leading to the basement. Emma sat up. It opened. She didn't know who to expect. Manny, coming down to comfort her? Chester, coming down to apologize? Darcy, coming down to yell at her? Or maybe Paige, coming down to get the firsthand scoop.
The curtain that separated her "room" from the rest of the basement opened, and Chad stood there.
"Are you okay Emma?"
She sighed and sat up. "I'm fine, I guess."
"My brother's an idiot. Don't listen to him." He sat down next to her, handing her a Smirnoff. "Drink it."
"I'm already too drunk," she said, but popped the cap and took a sip anyway. It was refreshing- her throat burned from the whiskey of Jack and Coke. She turned to Chad. He looked almost caring in the moonlight. Something made her trust him. "I like him. I really do. And I saw him with Darcy."
"And you got jealous." Chad was smart.
"Yeah," she looked up at him, teary-eyed. "I'm such an idiot!" She started crying and locked herself in a deep embrace with him. He patted her on the back, and she pulled away. "Thanks. I needed that."
Then she leaned in, closed her eyes, and kissed him. She couldn't control her body, she couldn't pull away. She didn't want to. She leaned back, Chad on top of her, never unlocking lips. It soon turned from a gentleman's kiss to a passionate one, their tongues moving in and out of each other's mouths. It was an incredible sensation Emma never knew existed. Sean never kissed her like that. Jay was too sloppy and wild. Chad was the perfect kiss, tender and hot at the same time. She didn't even stop him when his hand moved up her cami. That was perfect, too: gentle, soft, caring. Not at all rough. They stopped for a minute and Emma pulled off his shirt. She moved her hands along his warm back.
They rolled over, Emma in top now. She took off her cami; she was now wearing her grey bra as a top. They didn't stop kissing the whole time. She tugged at Chad's belt until that was gone, too. They stopped. He was breathing heavily. Emma didn't know if she could ever want anybody more than she wanted Chad right now. But she had to stop. She had to control herself, and she knew it. She didn't want to be the girl to sleep with a guy the first time, even if she knew him before. She got off of him, and pulled her shirt back on. He looked at her with a sideways glance. "I understand. It's too soon." He got up and found his belt on the floor. He was buckling it when at that unfortunate moment Chester opened the basement door.

He didn't even say anything. He just silently turned around and walked out, slamming the door behind him. Emma and Chad exchanged a Look, before racing up the stairs. By the time they tracked him down, Chester was already outside and walking down Emma's driveway. Emma ran up to him and grabbed his arm, turning him to face her. Chad stood on the porch, not sure what to do.
"Don't look at me like that."
"I'm not looking at you like anything," Chester mumbled.
"Yes you are! Don't act like you're all disappointed in me!"
"It's hard not to based on what I just saw!"
"Yeah, well what about what I saw!" she screamed. "What about that?"
"That was different! You set me and Darcy up! We had every right to be making out!" Chester was screaming now, too. "And plus, we didn't have sex!"
"Well neither did me and Chad! You just walk in and assume crap that isn't true!"
"That's why his belt was off? Were you giving him head, too? Get another bracelet? Maybe pick up chlamydia this time?"
"Shut up, Chester, just shut up! Go home! Get out! I meant it when I said I hated you!"
"FINE! Fine," he said more quietly. "You can go mess around with my brothers, you can talk to them. But we're through, Emma. Don't even bother saying hi to me anymore."
By now another small crowd had formulated to watch this fight. Another rumor would start. Emma, having sex with Chad at her own party. She knew it would be hard to go back to school in August.
Darcy stepped off the porch, and ran to the sidewalk. "Chester!" She turned to Emma, angry with her. "Thanks for the perfect night, Em. You're a great friend."She walked to the end of the drive way and turned around. "Just so you know, don't bother calling me."
With that she darted down the street to catch up with Chester.


The next morning Emma woke up on the couch, Manny at the other end of it. She tried to sit up, but got so dizzy she immediately fell back down. So this was what a hangover felt like. But was the intense pain in her stomach the result of too much alcohol, or the ruined friendships with Darcy and Chester?
She started crying softly. Manny stirred, and sat up after a few moments.
"Em, what's wrong?"
"Everything," she said, her voice breaking. "I ruined everything. I ruined-"
"Shh." Manny gave her a hug. "Let it all out, Emma. Let it all out.
Emma sobbed on her best friends' shoulders, wishing that she would wake up and find out the previous night had just been a horrible dream.