(The Prelude)

It all started the summer that Lady Gaga released the song "Just Dance." The song emoted from every radio station, store, TV show and dance club it possibly could. Karaoke bars had all kinds of Gaga impersonators and I gave all other motorists a private show of just how talented I was in my car with the windows rolled down. Her album and the albums to come would define my life and friendships for the next five years. That woman's voice, spirit and song helped launch some of the best and worst times of the next five years of college. My next five years to infamous.

With TV shows like Gossip Girl, The Hills and The OC there was a sense that teen life and your early twenties were supposed to be much more dramatic than it had been. I was stagnated and bored. My first year of university didn't live up to the beer pong parties, streaking, casual sex and alcohol that these shows had me out to imagine it to be like. However, this was a choice, not impossible. I realized the potential early on and began to set some moves to make this possible.

(Step 1: The Friends)

Most of my friends were dating their high school sweethearts, or had met a long term boyfriend. I had never been so lucky in this department. I was still shamelessly bedding my ex boyfriend who had sadly moved on to a new girlfriend who he now complicatedly cheated on with me. This was tit for tat in my eyes. However, I had manipulated it this way to everyone around me so that they too believed I was doing no wrong as she slept with him while we were together. I guess you could say I was sharing.
I am by no means a bad person with ill intent. I had no single motivation except that I liked the attention and I desperately needed it as these desires were not being filled at my home. I am naturally a people person, charismatic, intelligent and I have the potential to be good looking. I had long blonde hair, large blue eyes, a decent hour glass figure and pale skin as white as the moon.

Up until recently I had been brooding over my first love breaking my heart and moving on to his old flame right after. Imagine the shock I got when it became perfectly natural for us to continue sleeping together. This was UNHEARD of in my friend group, if someone breaks your heart, you leave. Easy for them to say when they found Mr. Right at sixteen.

It was during this low point that I decided I did not want to continue this ridiculous trend and when it became apparent that there was no future with Andrew, I moved on. Why waste your youth? I also decided to branch out of my friend group. One random night at the end of June I was invited to go to Crown Club, a popular pub in town and meet with some old coworkers from high school. The three of them were also in their early twenties and in a career position or in university; but most importantly they were single.

We arrived at The Crown Club around ten, we were all still kind of new to the bar scene. Minus the few times I snuck in with my fake id, I didn't really understand bar culture. I met three of the girls outside. They were beauties in their own right. Rei was a dark snow white type, with bright amethyst eyes. She was always dressed in the latest fashions. Ami was slightly tanned with big blue eyes. Her hair was a light blue, recently she took to dying it in order to piss her Mother off. Finally, there was Mina. She looked very similar to me with long blonde hair and large blue eyes. Often she dressed in expensive designer clothing, but tonight, she wore a simple baby blue dress that fit well with her freshly tanned skin.

I looked around at the people inside. Since it was still early the place was pretty dead. There were a few guys who looked young enough to be seniors in high school. Their facial hair was reminiscent of a well used SOS pad. They watched as we walked by but quickly shied away as I looked at them. One raised his eyes towards me and I gave him an exaggerated wink. He blushed and lowered his gaze to the floor. I guess his ID said 'Mclovin' on it too.

We went to the top floor and spread ourselves out in the lounge couches. My friend Elizabeth was a server there which was one of the best reasons to visit. She immediately came to us and took our orders. Again, our lack of tips and tricks to being a bar star didn't help any of us save money or headaches the next day. We all ordered margaritas or variations of sex on the beaches and cosmopolitans. These were the most sugary calorie inducing things on their drinks menu. Elizabeth brings up the drinks and bends down to my level. "Andrew's here with some friends. They're sitting at the table closest to the bathrooms." My heart stops. "Serena I'm telling you so that you don't go talk to him."

I nod in agreement and let her leave before I make eye contact with my three companions.
"What's going on there?" asked Rei.
"Nothing, we're still sleeping together though."
"What happened? I thought you two broke up and this time it was done done," said Ami as she took a sip of her drink. She suddenly got a devilish look in her eye as our conversation took a turn."Is he still sleeping with it?"
""It was done done, but we're Andrew and Serena. As far as I know she found out he was sleeping with me and ended it, but I mean karma's a bitch. She started it."
"That's true I guess. I want to say two wrongs don't make a right, but I mean she has no female friends,"
"Watch it, I'm a guys girl too if you recall..."
"Yes but you have girl friends. I don't understand how Hotaru stays friends with that bitch."
"She's using her for business purposes"
"I'd pick my friends over sales"
"I'm not bothered by it, besides, I know I'm nicer"

I was lying and letting myself play the victim. I knew what I had done was wrong, but I really just didn't care anymore. I was 20 and played it safe all my life and lost every guy I ever liked to girls like her, I'm not about to play fair now. Rei stands up and peers at the crowd below. She waves at me to come look.
"Yeah, she really cared and didn't want to be near him ever again."
I looked over the railing and sure enough there was Andrew and two of his friends sitting with Natsumi and three other girls. I grab my phone; Ami puts her hand on mine.
"What are you doing?" She asks.
"What does it look like? Texting!" My thumbs fly over the t9word keyboard.

Serena to Andrew: 'What are you up to tonight?'

Rei watches him intently from the balcony. She sees him pull his phone off the table quickly to look at it.
"He looked at his phone, Natsumi tried to peak and he pulled the phone away. She laughed and shoved him. Slut."

Andrew to Serena: 'at home with some of the guys, you?'

My mind flares with anger. Mina goes to join Rei at the balcony.
"If it helps, those girls look stupid"

Serena to Andrew: 'oh really? Cool. Can I stop by?'

Andrew to Serena: 'sorry, guys night, probably gonna get high and pass out, what are you doing tomorrow night?'

I was fuming at this point. Hadn't he learned that he always gets caught when he lies? I stand up at the balcony and look over. Now the whole place was packed and I could see Elizabeth eyeing me. I mouthed an 'I'm sorry.' I send her a quick text.

Serena to Elizabeth: Sorry for the drama I'm about to cause in your bar, I swear this is the first and last time.

I stand up and down the rest of my third cosmopolitan. My stomach is doing that thing where it feels like it's slowly turning inside out. Not in a painful way, but in an uncontrollable throbbing way. I felt sick, and I'd felt this way before. It was a form of panic attack only to be resolved by yelling or getting the anger out. Ami rubbed my back and glanced nervously at the other girls. This wasn't the first time she'd seen me do this over a guy.

"Should we go?" She asks and makes a grab for her purse.
"Nope it's still early."
"Are you going to cause a scene?"
"No but I'm going to let him know he got caught"

I walk down the left staircase. The right staircase would take me out the door and I could put the whole thing behind me like the mature adult I was supposed to be. Keep my pride intact. However, I was willing to suffer my pride for spiteful pettiness.

I confidently set my foot on the last step of the stairs and his friend Greg was the first to see me.
"SERENAAAA! Come drink with me!" He yells. Andrew turns to look at me with a deer in the headlights expression. The color drains from his face, but quickly he composes himself. He raises his glass to me out of sheer shock, not sure what other gesture he can do. Caught red handed. I smile my prettiest smile tap my empty glass to Andrew's, not even entertaining Natsumi.

"Have a good night boys, I'm off to a club. I won't be seeing you for a while Greg so take care."

I walk with Ami, Rei and Mina following me out of the bar. We get outside and I can feel my eyes welling up, but I fight it. It's only karma for what I had been doing. I should have known better than to fall for that trap. Instead of crying I decide it's better to laugh. The girls look at me bewildered by my laughter.

"I'm free. Next time, let's invite Lita out with us, odd numbers are good luck,"

That night I learned that nothing bonds girls together like a perfect combination of drama and booze. I felt like I was in an episode of Gossip Girl or The Hills. We were young, pretty and ready to make huge mistakes. This was going to be the summer that I had dreamed about.