There was no way I was going to go on this trip without at least Juliet. And I was excited when Dylan decided to come along too. They don’t know Tea very well, and none of us have ever met Tanner, but they were down for a fun weekend. When I first told Dylan about this, he invited Tristan as well, but luckily for me Tristan said that he had too much work to do. Peyton was invited too, and she was planning on coming along, until she remembered that she had a big paper due on Monday.

Juliet, Dylan and I share an Uber to Grand Central Station. Juliet and I over packed a little and we’re laden down with bags that wouldn’t fit in the trunk.

“Why did you two have to pack so much?” Dylan asks. He only packed one small suitcase, the size of a carryon. “It’s just two nights.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Juliet rolls her eyes.

“Just pack a couple of outfits and that should be enough,” Dylan insists.

“And what happens when you don’t feel like wearing one? Or it’s inappropriate to wear it? No, you have to have backups.”

I didn’t pack as much as Juliet, but I definitely took too much. There seems to always be shirts and pants that you think you might wear, that you almost should wear, but for some reason never do.

“So what’s going on with you and Tristan?” Dylan turns to me.

Juliet makes a face at him as if to ask why the hell he’s bringing him up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It just seems that something’s off, but Tristan didn’t tell me what exactly.”

I shrug.

Tristan and I haven’t spoken much since that night. Though he did corner me by the bathroom this morning and insisted on talking.

“Alice, I just want you to know that I don’t want to break up,” he said. “That’s the last thing I want.”

“You don’t want to break up? I thought that was exactly what you wanted.”

“No, not at all. I just want to take a break. A breather.”

“That sounds like a breakup.”

“No, not at all,” he said.

“And what’s the difference?” I asked.

“I just need a little time. A little space. But I want to be with you. I don’t want to be with anyone else. And I hope you don’t either.”

“So I’m just supposed to wait around for you? Is that right?”

“Look, the way I see this break is just that. A break. I’m not going to date anyone. And I hope you don’t either. I’m just confused. And I need time to get myself back together.”

“Alice?” Dylan asks. “You okay?”

“Huh? What?” I ask.

“You seemed to have spaced out a bit.”

“Oh right, sorry. I don’t know what to say about Tristan. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Wait, are you two back together?” Juliet asks.

“No, definitely not. But apparently, according to him, we were never broken up. Just on a break. Whatever the hell that means,” I say.

We ride the rest of the way to Grand Central in silence. My mind drifts back to Tristan, unwillingly. I still don’t completely understand the difference between a break and breakup, nor do I really care. I’m not sure if I’m down to be on this break, whatever it is. All I know is that I’m looking forward to going on this trip and forgetting all about Tristan and everything that has happened this weekend. I need to dance, drink a little too much, and let go of all this crap.

* * *

The three of us meet up with Tea and Tanner inside Grand Central. As we walk toward them, I smile at the fact that all girls seemed to have over-packed and both of the guys under-packed. Tea makes all the introductions as soon as we come up.

Tanner is definitely hot. He’s about 6 foot 4 with gorgeous eyes and lustrous hair. His dark hair matches his dark eyes and his five o’clock shadow makes him look mysterious. He’s three years older than Dylan. And while Dylan often comes off cocky, Tanner seems confident and self-assured. Perhaps it’s something that Dylan will grow into in time.

Tanner and Tea make a cute couple. He helps her with her bags on the way to the train and gives her a peck on the top of her head as we wait. I’m suddenly really thankful that Peyton decided not to come. They’re the only couple here and the balance of power is definitely on the singles. It would not be the case if Peyton were here.

Everyone gets to know each other during the two-and-a-half-hour train ride to Atlantic City and it feels like we’re old friends by the time we arrive in the hotel suite that Tea and Tanner got for our stay.

“Are you sure you two don’t want us to get our own hotel room?” Juliet asks.

“No, of course, not,” Tea says a little too fast. I notice that Tanner isn’t so quick to vote for everyone staying at the suite. “That’s why we got the suite. So there was room for everyone.”

Well, almost everyone. The plan is that Tea and Tanner get the bedroom, which is separated from the living room with two French doors. And the three of us sleep on the couches in the living room. There are two long couches, one for Juliet and I, and Dylan will sleep on the floor.

“As long as I’m not the one sleeping on the floor, I’m fine,” Juliet announces and starts to unpack her bag.

* * *

“This is going to be a fun night,” Juliet says in front of the bathroom mirror.

The three of us cram ourselves into the bathroom and share it. Unfortunately, there are only two plugs – one short of how many we need. Tea is blow-drying her hair and I’m flat-ironing my hair. Juliet, who’s planning on curling hers, waits patiently for her turn while applying false lashes.

Both Tea and Juliet came on this trip prepared. Not just in terms of the clothes they had packed, but also with their makeup kits. Juliet’s makeup bag can be a whole separate carryon bag. Tea’s isn’t so big, but it unfolds and once it’s all unfolded, it puts mine to shame.

I only packed a small Ziplock bag of only what I need. Now, I’m starting to think that I need a lot of more. After Juliet and Tea unpack their supplies on the counter, it looks like the backstage of a Victoria Secret show. They both have so many tools and brushes that I don’t even know what they’re all for.

“So you know they have eyebrow extensions now, right?” Juliet asks Tea.

“Yes, I know. I saw it on Instagram. Aren’t they amazing?” Tea asks.

“I’d love to get some. I think I over-plucked mine a little bit in high school.”

They both stare at their eyebrows in the mirror. I’m suddenly become super self-conscious of my own eyebrows. Perhaps, they’re not up to snuff.

“Well, not everyone can have naturally beautiful brows like Alice,” Tea adds.

“I know, right? They’re amazing!”

I roll my eyes. “A few years ago, they were too bushy, but now they’re apparently just right.”

“Well, a few years ago, everyone was wearing low-rise jeans and showing their hip bones. And now, it’s all about high rise,” Juliet says.

“Yeah, that’s the cool thing about fashion. It changes all the time,” Tea adds.

“That’s also the stressful thing about fashion,” I add. “It changes all the time.”

I free up one plug for Juliet to plug her curling iron into and go to the living room. I don’t contour my face – just put on some foundation, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow and lipstick. That’s enough for me.

There’s a knock at the door. When I open it, I see Tanner with a bag of alcohol and a case of beer. Since he’s the only one of us who can legally drink, he was sent out to get everything for the pre-game.

“Pre-gaming is about to commence!” Dylan announces.

Pre-gaming is a very important tradition in college. Since most of us aren’t legally able to buy drinks, we use the time before we go out to get a little drunk. Plus, the drinks are way cheaper this way. Dylan asks everyone what they want. I ask for a martini. Forty-five minutes later, just when we’re all ready to leave and I’m finally done with it, I’m already feeling like I had a little bit too much. Unfortunately, I keep drinking.