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"Hoas prom?" I asked

"Ben is really sweet," she answered "I had fun But then Becca and I had a huge fight and she called me a whore and then she stood up on the couch upstairs and she shushed the entire party and then she told everyone I have an STD"

I winced "God," I said

"Yeah I’m sort of ruined It’s justGod It sucks, honestly, becauseit’s just so hu, and she kneould be, andit sucks So then I went to the bathtub and then Ben caainst Ben, but he wasn’t very good at, like, listening He’s kinda drunk I don’t even have it I had it It’s cured Whatever It’s just, I’uy God, I can’t believe I ever told her I should have just told Margo when Becca wasn’t around"

"I’ is that Becca is just jealous"

"Why would she be jealous? She’s proo"

My butt was sore against the porcelain, so I tried to rearrangeher knees "No one will ever be the new Margo," I said "Anyway, you have what she really wants People like you People think you’re cuter"

Lacey shrugged bashfully "Do you think I’ outside Becca’s bedroo she’d take her shirt off "But so aht, If only I had the body of Jase Worthington Walked like I knealk Kissed like I kne to kiss

"But not in the saive a shit if people like you"

Which was both true and not "I caresucks without Margo," she said She was drunk, too, but I didn’t mind her variety of drunk

"Yeah," I said

"I want you to take me to that place," she said "That strip o whenever you want," I said I told her I’d been there all night, that I’d found Margo’s nail polish and her blanket

Lacey was quiet for a while, breathing through her open mouth When she finally said it, she almost whispered it Worded like a question and spoken like a stateht so until tonight, but now I don’t know"

"She’s dead and we’re alldoing this"

I thought of the highlighted Whitman: "If no other in the world be aware I sit content, / And if each and all be aware I sit content" I said, "Maybe that’s what she wanted, for life to go on"

"That doesn’t sound like o, and Lacey’s Margo, and Mrs Spiegel at her reflection in different fun house , but Lacey’s open ainst the cold gray tile of the bathroom wall, asleep

It wasn’t until after two people had come into the bathroom to pee that I decided to wake her up It was almost 5 AM, and I needed to take Ben ho her flip-flop withcalled that," she said "You know that you’re, like, currently h she was drunk and tired and lying "So listen, we’re going to go upstairs together, and if anybody says anything about you, I will defend your honor"

"Okay," she said And so ent upstairs together, and the party had thinned out a little, but there were still so Mostly there were people sleeping in sleeping bags all over the floor; soela and Radar were lying together on a love seat, Radar’s legs dangling over the side They were sleeping over

Just as I was about to ask the guys by the keg if they’d seen Ben, he ran into the living roo a sword ht, which had, I assu at me with the sword "I SPY QUENTIN JACOBSEN! YESSS! Come here! Get on your knees!" he shouted

"What? Ben, cal up at him

He lowered the beer sword and tapped lue beer sword, I hereby designate you my driver!"

"Thanks," I said "Don’t puke in the et up, he pushed me back doith his non-beer-sworded hand, and he tapped ain with the beer sword, and he said, "By the power of the superglue beer sword, I hereby announce that you will be naked under your robe at graduation"

"What?" I stood then

"YES! Me and you and Radar! Naked under our robes! At graduation! It will be so awesome!"

"Well," I said, "it will be really hot"

"YES!" he said "Swear you will do it! I already made Radar swear RADAR, DIDN’T YOU SWEAR?"

Radar turned his head ever so slightly, and opened his eyes a slit "I swore," he mumbled

"Well then, I swear, too," I said

"YES!" Then Ben turned to Lacey "I love you"

"I love you, too, Ben"

"No, I love you Not like a sister loves a brother or like a friend loves a friend I love you like a really drunk guy loves the best girl ever" She s to save him from further eonna get you ho," I said

"Okay," he said "I just gotta thank Becca for this awesome party"

So Lacey and I followed Ben downstairs, where he opened the door to Becca’s rooh you suck so much! It’s like instead of blood, your heart pumps liquid suck! But thanks for the beer!" Becca was alone, lying on top of her covers, staring at the ceiling She didn’t even glance over at hio to hell, shit-face I hope your date gives you her crabs"