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Facebook post #1,836



From: Melissa

Hey girl! Seriously, stop fighting it, you're coming out with me and Gaby tonight whether you like it or not. It'll be great. There's no use sitting at home alone on Valentines day, just give up.





I had been getting messages like this one from Melissa and Gaby all week. They went out to a nightclub in Boston last week, but it was sold out and they couldn't get in. While they were standing outside, this guy Eric and his buddy Andrew, who went by Riker, came outside and started talking to them. It turned out that they happened to be the people who ran that dance night that happened every Thursday. Eric invited them to come back next week, and they would be put on the guest list and let in free of charge. That day happened to fall on Valentines Day. Since then the messages trying to convince me to tag along had been endless.

Don't get me wrong. I really appreciated being invited but the truth is that nightclubs just really aren't my thing. Why would I want to spend the night in a dark dirty room filled with Sleazy dirty guys who just want to get in your pants? Especially on Valentines Day.  I would much rather spend my time at home with a good book, and no that's not cheesy, I'm an English major. I repeatedly turned them down. Besides, they were planning on leaving around 9:00 to get there in time and then were meeting up with those two guys. I had a class that night that didn't end until 9:30 and I knew they wouldn’t want to wait, and I really didn’t want to be the fifth wheel on what is supposed to be a romantic holiday. That's even more pathetic than staying at home by myself with a book and a bubble bath. So finally after one last reply, they gave up.

I went and changed out of my sweats and into jeans and a sweater for class, and threw a bag of clothes in my trunk for dance class the next morning. I had been on the road about twenty minutes when my cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Ashley? It’s Sadie."

"Oh hey, what's up?" I wasn't sure why she was bothering to call me now. She was in my class and I was only about another fifteen minutes away from the school.

"I just went to our classroom and there was  note on the door. Apparently Mr. Watts is sick and the school is short handed for subs tonight so class got canceled. I figured I would try to reach you before you left."

"Well I haven't gotten too far. Thanks for the heads up. Do you have a ride home?" She usually caught a ride with someone from class.

"Oh yeah, Chris is actually going to come and get me. He planned this whole romantic dinner for me at his house, and then we're going out for drinks and dessert at this fantastic place in Natick."

"That sounds great. Well have a good time." Click.          

Well so much for my big valentines day plans.

I looked up to see where the next exit was so I could turn around a head back home, and then I realized which one it was. Exit 24. The very exit I would take to get to Melissa and Gaby's school. I had to get off the highway there anyway. And now I was actually early. I decided it wouldn't hurt to get out of the house for a night with the girls and took a right off the exit. I called them on the way and asked if I could still come, and of course they said yes. I parked in the lot behind there dorm and got a jock standing outside with his buddies to use his key card to open the front door for me. There room was on the fourth floor, and when I opened the door was hit with a strong mix of hairspray, perfume, and pizza. Gaby was at the sink in some sweats curling her hair with her makeup done. Melissa was getting out of the shower and there was a large pile of clothes on her bed. They both stopped and stared at me when I walked in.

"That's not what you're wearing is it?" They replied in unison.

"I was going to class, what they hell was I supposed to wear? I thought I could just throw on some of your makeup or maybe borrow a shirt if really necessary."

They both just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Unlike me, Gaby and Melissa were both Fashion majors. Gaby focused on design, while Melissa was more interested in merchandising. They both came from well of families and had a nice bank account where their parents each deposited a heavy monthly allowance for them. Fashion was pretty much there lives, and they were heavy into the alternative music crowd's scenester/hipster look.

"OK Fine! What do you suggest?" I finally said in an attempt to break the awkward shunning I was receiving.

"You always have clothes in your car. Here," Melissa threw a trash bag at me. "Go out and put all the clothes you have in it and I'll figure something out.

I went back out to my car and stuffed the bag full of every clothing item in there. When I got back in, they were both crouched over Gaby's computer trying to figure out the directions to the club. I walked over and they showed me the flyer advertising the party. And I wanted to bail.

"You're kidding right!!?"

"What? What's wrong?" Gaby asked.

"Have you read the flyer? It says 'Dress to get fucked' and there are girls in lingerie on it. There's no way I'm going"

After a twenty-minute battle, they finally convinced me that it would be fun. It was just a tag line, and we would all be hanging together all night. Besides, what could I do, I was outnumbered.

"I got the cutest outfit for it" Gaby said as she gave herself one final spray of hairspray and went to her closet. She pulled out a cute black vest and some black satin flats that were adorable. The she went to a drawer and pulled out a red lace bra and a red plaid school girl skirt that was no more than about 5 inches long I swear. She went to the bathroom to get changed and came back out, bra hanging out of the vest in all. It was something I wouldn't wear out, but Gaby could pull it off. She wore crazy stuff out all the time. Not just to clubs, but to class and restaurants and everywhere else as well. She was almost 5'11" with a slender frame and tan skin. Her hair was dyed black and fell, now curled, a few inches below her shoulders, and you could tell her heritage from her large greek nose.

Melissa came back from the bathroom with her hair and makeup now done as well. She gave Gaby credit for not wearing her "hooker boots" with that outfit and began to pull together her own from the massive pile on the bed. Melissa was shorter than me and Gaby at around 5'5" with an average sized frame. She had reddish hair this month which she also curled. She was more the funky creative one so I was more interested in seeing her outfit. She pulled on a black camisole under and red and black patterned silk button-down blouse with short sleeves. Next she layered some opaque red tights under some lacy black fishnets, and pulled on a short black fitted skirt and some flat, knee-high black boots. She finished her ensemble with a bunch of her gaudy jewelry, and a blinking heart necklace she bought for the occasion earlier that day.

Now it was my turn.

They both started across the room towards me, and started shifting through the bag of clothes at my feet. For the most part they were disappointed. The majority of the clothes in my car were dance clothes or my typical sweatshirts. They found a pair of suede knee-high heeled boots with a buckle around the ankle that I changed out of before going to work in the office at my dance studio last week, and through them on the nearest bed.  I had packed a short black skirt and a black crop top with little white polka dots for my class the next day, and they decided that these would complete my outfit. My original plan was to wear leggings and a camisole under those items, but as I went to pull the from the bag I was scolded like a little kid and told to just put on what they gave me. I was so done being there Barbie doll. I threw on the clothes, and one of my baggy sweatshirts over it to keep me covered for the mean time. I went to the bathroom and finished my hair and put on some cute pink makeup for the occasion and I was finished.

About forty-five minutes later Melissa and Gaby were finished as well, and we were finally able to head to the car. As we drove Melissa explained to me how she and Gaby met Eric and Riker last week. They called Riker and were instructed to call him back when we got there so he could make sure we got in ok. And I pouted a bit in the back seat during the ride, wondering why I ever decided to go.

We got there before there was too much of a line outside. But there was enough that three half dressed girls getting to cut everyone and walk right inside did draw some attention. I unfortunately had to leave my sweatshirt in the car because there was nowhere to leave it inside, and I was freezing my ass off by the time we walked in. Gaby told the bouncer that we were on the guest list and were told to go in and find Andrew Riker.  The guys both saw us when we walked in and waited while they checked our ID's inside. Gaby and Melissa greeted the two with big hugs and Eric introduced himself and Riker to me, making sure to mention that they were the guys running this thing. Great, it seemed like the night would be just what I had expected. I said hello and then us girls walked over to the bar on the far side of the room and sat at the short end facing the stage.

The three of us were just sitting there talking for about twenty minutes before Eric came back again. He asked us if we were excited about the night and then turned so that he was talking to Gaby at an angle that made her half turn her back to us. I leaned over to Melissa.

"I guess Eric has a thing for Gaby, huh?"

"Looks it. He didn't seem that interested last week, but maybe I just wasn't paying attention."

"Has she said anything about him?"

I turned to see them with their heads leaned close together talking quietly together. Every once in a while Eric would laugh. Melissa looked over too.

"Not before, but I bet we here something by the end of the night."

At that moment the first band started playing and the joint got to loud to talk in so Eric said he had to go check on everything and would see us later and excused himself.

Three bands played, each kind of blending into the other, and then the DJs took the stage to get the dancing started for the rest of the night.

There was a photographer set up in a back corner that was separated by the rest of the room. Groups of hipsters gathered around to get their pictures taken with their friends against the clubs brick wall. We decided to walk over and get one of us. The photographer took a particular liking to us, as well as some of the other party goers, and it was almost an hour later that we finally went back out to the main area of the room. And there was Eric again.

"How are you guys doin?" he asked all of us.

"Pretty good, but we could use some water so we're going over to the bar"

We pointed in the general direction and headed toward the end of the bar. There were only two young female bartenders and a large crowd, so three girls at the end asking for water didn’t catch much attention, but the next thing I knew, Eric was behind me with three bottles of ice cold water for us. And after thanking him he brought us over to the stage and told us when we were done drinking to go up and dance.

The rest of the night passed by very quickly. We talked, we laughed, but mostly we dance. It ended up not being fantastic but not being as nearly tragic as I imagined. But by the time 2:00am rolled around I was exhausted, and my feet were throbbing. I had a morning dance lesson and was ready to head home. We waited for the crowd to leave so that we could thank Eric and say goodbye. When we found him, he came over and said hang on a few minutes while me and Andrew cash out for the night and then we'll take you guys out to eat. The two girls agreed before I had a chance to object, but when almost thirty minutes had gone by waiting for them I was starting to get impatient. Just when I was about to ask them to leave, Eric and Riker strolled in. Eric was going to walk us to our car while Andrew finished a few more things, and we would meet him in the parking lot behind the club.

We walked down the street a ways to our car and Eric pointed out the way back to the lot. After waiting for Riker for another ten minutes I decided to get changed. I had thrown a pair of jeans in the car when we left the school so I would have them for the ride home. I got out of the car so I could stand and pull them on when I heard someone talking to me from the open car door.

"What are you doing?" Eric asked me.

"It's freezing, and I'm in a tiny skirt. I'm changing into my jeans."

"Don’t put those on, I like the skirt."

I really wanted nothing more than to put my jeans back on, but now Eric was watching my every move. I decided if he stared at me while I pulled my pants on under my skirt, there was a good chance he was going to get a look at something I really didn’t want him seeing. Or I could just get back in the car with the skirt, but at least be left alone. I stood there for a moment thinking and the reluctantly got back in the car and immediately put my sweatshirt on to cover my bare stomach. I had to do something. Finally Andrew came out and the two boys got in Eric's car and we followed them to an IHOP. Unfortunately, that was the only thing open at three in the morning nearby.

The food was terrible, but we all chatted and had a lot of laughs. The only akward part was that I kept looking up at Eric and finding him just staring back at me. I repeatedly just asked "What?" and he just shook his head or replied "nothing". After he paid the tab we walked back to our cars and although they offered us a place to go watch movies I had to finally draw the line and we all headed our separate ways.