At The No-Fault New Year’s Eve Party
Jennifer Schelter
Word Count 222
After two beers on an empty stomach, I strategically placed a popcorn bowl beside me and passed out on my friend Miles’s bedroom floor.
I was 17 and awoke to someone unbuttoning my dress. My first thought: They think I’m beautiful.
From the sound of their voices, I guessed it was Tom Fenderson and another guy.
I kept my eyes closed. I didn’t want to get in trouble for being a hussy or get them in trouble. Girls didn’t get boys in trouble.
“Roll her over!” one directed.
“Get off!” I said, swinging my arm.
“Let’s get out of here,” said the other.
After they left, I crawled into the single bed and fell asleep.
Hours later, Miles’ mother whispered, “Your Mom’s on the phone.”
“Shit.”
At 3 am, Mom sat in the car in her sky-blue bathrobe and slippers.
I got in and stared at our headlights on Miles' mother's bumper.
“What happened?” Mom asked. “What are you…drunk?”
“I had one or two,” I said, shivering.
The next day, Miles’ parents, Phoebe (one of my mother’s best friends), and Doc (Miles’ step-father) gathered in our living room.
They apologized that the party got out of control, felt bad, and hoped everyone was okay.
Hungover, I apologized, said whatever I said, and walked back upstairs.
Jennifer is a writer, actress, painter, and teacher. She shared a Tony Award at the Denver Center Theater Company in 1998 and has written and produced four one-woman shows, including Love Lessons from Abu Ghraib, produced by Amnesty International and Interact Theater in Philadelphia. She was named Philadelphia’s top yoga and mindfulness instructor after founding the largest civic yoga fundraiser for breast cancer awareness on the Philadelphia Art Museum steps. Annually, she leads the Radiant Retreat in Mexico, an immersive week in nature, yoga, and writing. Jennifer facilitates programs at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton, and Maine Media Workshops & College. Her watercolor paintings have been exhibited at Connecticut College, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and Woodmere Art Museum. She lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia, enjoying her garden, cats, and friends.