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Whitney made the two-hour drive to the game anyway; because the event wasn’t a party, it was acceptable to take a second car. In the parking lot afterward, Seth mentioned to Whitney that the group was going out to dinner. Whitney turned to Bianca and Madison. “Would you guys mind riding with me so I don’t have to drive alone? We could be one car and Bobby, Seth, and Giselle could go in Seth’s car.”

Bianca and Madison exchanged a look. “Uh,” said Madison, “well, Seth is bringing me home after dinner.”

“I could drive you,” Whitney said.

“Uh, maybe!” Madison said.

Whitney watched in disbelief as Bianca and Madison speed-walked across the parking lot and jumped into Seth’s car. Whitney got into her own car and, crying, followed the populars’ car to the restaurant. She sat at their table, quietly sipping lemon water and pretending she wasn’t upset.

Now, her inhibitions drowned in seven shots of vodka, Whitney threw herself at other guys in front of Luke until he got fed up and left the party. Meanwhile, Whitney’s friends told Spencer’s brother that she wanted to sleep with him. He texted Whitney from the living room. “I want to see your underwear on the outside. Let’s go to my truck.”

Whitney flashbacked to junior year prom, when she had been so intoxicated that she had almost been date-raped. Luke was the only person she’d told about that. Whitney found Spencer in the dining room and told him she didn’t want to sleep with his brother. She and Luke were exclusive.

Spencer got angry. “Luke’s a fucking loser, Whitney. He looks like a girl and is this tall!” Spencer held his hand up to his nose. “You’re better than that. You’re stupid if you don’t fuck [my brother] tonight.” She didn’t do it. Whitney spent the rest of the night passed out and vomiting.

The next day, still hungover, Whitney volunteered to be the designated driver for that night’s New Year’s Eve party. Irene asked for a ride. Whitney checked with Bianca online. “Tell her ‘No,’ ” Bianca said. “Tell her there isn’t any room,” though there was.

Without a spot in the party car, Irene spent New Year’s Eve at home.

ELI, VIRGINIA | THE NERD

Eli desperately tried to organize an outing for his Spanish camp friends. He invited eleven of them to a large local mall. He had reservations about inviting Debra—he was sure she had laughed at him behind his back since middle school—but he asked her anyway.

“Hey, Debra,” Eli called out from his seat as she entered their Spanish classroom, “Me, Raj, and Ashley are going to [the mall] this weekend. Would you wanna go?”

Debra, who was semi-popular, looked around the room, seemingly embarrassed. “Uh, I have to ask my mom first,” she said, her voice cold and dismissive. She leaned over to whisper to a friend, who stared directly at Eli.

Am I really that awkward? he thought.

That night, Debra IMed Eli:

Debra: Why’d you ask me to go with you guys this weekend? 2

Eli: I thought you’d want to go . . .

Debra: okay. It’s just, I mean . . . I’ve been kind of a jerk to you. And I don’t know why

Eli: Hahaha don’t feel bad about it.

Debra: but I do. I have so much fun when I hang out with you and everyone but then I get to school and I’m like a witch-with-a-b and idk why

Eli: I blame the school environment in general for people’s bitterness. Seriously. I don’t hold anything against you. (He sincerely believed that. Later, he explained, “People feel a need to act in conformity to what everyone else wants them to do. I know that half the people aren’t really like how they act in school.”)

Debra: because I know that I am/was a jerk. And I just wanted you to know that I do feel really bad

Eli: Thanks, that actually really means a lot. To be honest, I didn’t think you were mean. I just thought you didn’t like me as a person.

Debra: no I do. But at school I get negative feelings towards you FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON

Debra: and I do like you so I’m like wtf brain. Stop it.

Eli: I really appreciate that you said all that, but