Previously: We got in a car and drove to a party.
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Marines: For as much as Tessa “doesn’t like Hardin,” she sure does keep close tabs on him. We start this chapter with Tessa telling us that Hardin has already disappeared into the party. She hopes she doesn’t have to see him for the rest of the night. I’m guessing this is a “hint” that we will probably see him again, before the night is through. (S: Probably before this “chapter” is through.)
Tessa walks into the party behind Steph and Nate and she’s handed a red solo cup on the way in. Since she has no idea who even handed her the cup, she puts it down somewhere and keeps walking.
Samantha: She puts it down for judgey reasons but I’m taking this as an opportunity to say that if you don’t know who gave you a cup of alcohol at a party, don’t drink it. For real. #SnarkAdvice
Mari: Maybe we should keep tabs on Tessa’s actually good decisions.
- Not drinking unidentified booze at a party.
They get to somewhere with a couch and there are a bunch of Steph’s friends sitting there. Tessa knows they are Steph’s friends because I guess all the people with tattoos have gathered here, at this couch, and of course all people with tattoos are automatically friends. It comes in the contract they sign before the receive ink AND SELL THEIR SOUL. Or whatever.
Hardin is there which OH MY GOSH. WTH. Tess JUST said she hoped she wouldn’t see him and here he is 25 words later, the shock is unreal. (S: MY JAW IS ON THE FLOOR HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED.)
Steph introduces Tessa to a bunch of people and all of them are really nice to her, EXCEPT FOR THAT DICK HARDIN.
Samantha: Okay, sorry, but also she says that they smiled and nodded at her “one by one.” It’s just such a weird visual since they aren’t going around and introducing themselves one by one or whatever. Just taking turns nodding.
Mari: Please, please, please imagine Tessa making eye contact with each one of them and waiting for their nod.
One guy named Zed asks what her major is and she proudly replies, “English!” Hardin snorts at this because obviously he has to have an I’m-a-douche reaction to everything Tessa does.
Zed says that’s awesome because he’s “into flowers.” Tessa laughs with him but she has no idea what that means. Neither do I.
Samantha: Damn, I was sincerely hoping you knew.
Mari: Nope! All I can offer you is a picture of “Zed” with flowers.
(1. made that for you guys. 2. I actually did my best Google-fu and the most I can come up with is a shady website that says some people call marijuana “flower.” That makes some kind of sense in this context and also makes my gif of actual flowers EVEN BETTER.)
Zed offers Tessa a drink, which Tessa politely declines. Someone with pink hair mutters about Steph bringing Miss Priss to a party. Tessa ignores her, but tells us that she isn’t prissy she’s just worked really hard to get to where she is and obviously if she has a drink or wears purple eyeliner, everything will be RUINED. That’s not prissy at all.
Tessa excuses herself to get some fresh air. She wishes she were back in her dorm reading (S: Reading a “novel.” Not a book for miss non priss, a cultured novel.) or Skyping Noah or even sleeping. There is no “even,” there, sweetheart. Sleeping is the best of those options. Tessa takes out her phone to text Noah about how much she misses him and how lame college is. He texts something back, but Tessa’s fun times are ruined when someone spills a drink on her.
Tessa says this party could NOT get any worse. She gives us a recap of what terrible things have happened so far:
- Someone called her prissy
- Someone spilled a drink on her.
I think that’s it. Did I miss anything?
Samantha: Hardin showed up after 25 words!
Mari: RIGHT. Let me revise:
- The person she drove to the party with is still, in fact, at the party.
- Someone called her prissy
- Someone spilled a drink on her.
There.
Tessa heads inside to find a bathroom, but all the doors to everything are locked. “I try not to think about what people are doing in the rooms.” Probably having a better time at this party than you, ya priss. (S: Lololol.)
Upstairs, Tessa finally finds an unlocked door, but it isn’t a bathroom. It’s a room. Hardin is on the bed and Pink Hair is straddling and kissing him.
Cliffhanger and time for yet another Cliffhanger Quiz!
What could POSSIBLY happen next, in one second, when we turn the page?
a. As Pink Hair straddles and kisses Hardin, A SUDDEN BABY APPEARS, because if you kiss boys you get pregnant and have a baby.
b. Pink Hair and Hardin both suddenly lose all their scholarship money because if you kiss boys you cannot be successful in college.
c. Tessa jumps onto the bed and asks to join.
d. Tessa chokes on her shock and dies. Pink Hair and Tess feel so bad about killing her with their sinful ways, they also die.
e. Not a damn thing and Tessa basically just leaves the room and has more melodramatic thoughts about how horrible parties are.
I tried to make it easy for you guys.
Samantha: You’re so considerate.
Next time on After: Could anything else worse even happen at this party? Find out in Chapter 8.
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
I'm a 28 year old graduated English major and almost librarian. I can often be found singing too loudly (poorly) in the car or spending some time (hours) on Tumblr. I am a lover of Harry Potter, the Spice Girls, and too many other things.