Victoria was still fuming about her fight with Emory. How dare she tell her that she couldn’t walk home with a boy? “I mean, she’s from another era, but I’m not!” the thoughts rang through Victoria’s head. “I belong here!”
Just then, her cell phone rang and distracted her from her thoughts.
“Hello?”
“Hey Vicki, this is Clyde.” Victoria’s heart jumped.
“Oh, hah, hey Clyde, what’s up?” 
“Well, I was just wondering if maybe you’d want to have some fun tonight? My older brother’s a bouncer over at the beer joint down the street and can get us in… you wanna go?”
Victoria bit her lip. Although she liked to go against Emory’s dumb rules, she had never been inclined to break the law before. 
Then her fight with her mother came freshly into her mind, and adrenaline rushed through her.
“Alright,” she said resolutely. Could you pick me up? We’ll have to wait until my mom’s in her room for the night. Let’s say, 10 o’clock?”
“Sounds great, see you then!” 
Victoria peaked her head out the door. It seemed like her mom and dad were already in their bedroom; she could hear the mumble of conversation through their door. There was no way they were already in for the night, Victoria thought, but she would watch for them until it was time for her to sneak out.
The night passed quickly enough, and when it was almost 10 o’clock, Victoria pulled on her best “bad girl” club outfit. She had bought it and snuck it into the house on the way back from school the other day, in the event that Clyde asked her out (the memory of their quick kiss on the beach still emanating in her mind).
The car ride to the bar had been kind of strange. Victoria sat awkwardly silent as Clyde drove. When she had gotten in his car, he had complimented her outfit, but since then, they’d been silent. Victoria nervously glanced out of the car window from time to time.
When they arrived at the bar, Victoria’s nerves escalated. 
Clyde’s brother quickly let them through the ropes and they slipped inside. The music was blaring and the lights were low. This was the first time Victoria had ever been to a bar. She looked around at the different games, the people, and the bar itself. Clyde had already walked straight up to it.
“One round on me!” he called to the bartender. Victoria ran to catch up with him.
“Clyde! We can’t order drinks, we’re not old enough!”
“Calm down, kid, nobody’s gonna rat us out. I come in here all the time.” 
Victoria didn’t say anything else, but accepted the drink he offered. But instead of drinking it, she let the liquid touch her lips and just pretended.
Clyde, however, downed nearly half his drink in one gulp.
"Come on, I'm a champ at shuffleboard. Betcha anything I can beat you!" Clyde taunted. Victoria laughed and tried to loosen up a little.
He was right... he kicked her butt at the shuffleboard.
"Alright, alright," Victoria said, laughing. "You win this one. But I bet you I'm a really good aim at darts!"
Before he could blink, Victoria had run over and grabbed the darts. She had only played once, but she had picked it up rather quickly. But she was determined to beat Clyde at something.
Well, she had been correct about her darts skills. She had already made several good throws before he could even make it to the board. They laughed and played for a long time.
They were both competitors by nature, so they got riled up.
"I got it! That's a bullseye!" Victoria called.
"Not a chance!" Clyde said, smirking. "That's totally on the line."
At one point in the night, Clyde even hopped up on stage and started playing the guitar and serenading Victoria.
"I didn't know you played the guitar!" she said, giggling.
"Yeah, I'm in a band!"
It was a softer side to him that Victoria had never seen. But it didn't last long...
...because Victoria was haunted by the fact that Clyde kept drinking. It didn't stop with the first one. That was only the first of many trips he would make to the bar that night. It was one drink...
...after another...
...after another.
She was about to say something to him, until Clyde suddenly turned to her and whispered, “Follow me.”
He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her through a door in the back of the bar, so that they were outside behind the building.
“God, Vicki, you’re so beautiful,” Clyde’s voice slurred with intoxication.
“Clyde, you’re drunk. I need to get home. Let’s call a taxi-”
“Wait!” he said, grabbing her around the waist. “You’re so sexy, I just wanna-” He began kissing her. As much as she liked the danger, he was beginning to scare her. 
She could feel herself wanting to succumb to his advances. But deep inside she knew she didn’t want to start a relationship through alcohol. She pulled away.
“Stop, Clyde.” This time, she said it more forcefully.
She didn’t get a chance to see whether or not he would oblige, however, because just then, flashing blue and white lights lit up the night.
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