This is my sucky life. And I know I was the one who drove it here but being an adult is hard. I remember being in high school and all my friends were talking about their futures. When it go to me, I told them I'd figure it out. And look at me now, twenty two with no future. With no job and nothing to do, I go to the bar and drink everything away. Hey, you would to if you were me. What makes it worse is that I'm still living with my mom, although she is the nicest lady ever! Free spirited, hippie, lovable, she makes sure I'm safe. Maybe that's why I had no plans. My mom always did say, "Live right now, in the moment, it might be your last." I wasn't exactly a hippie in high school. I kind of just didn't care. Even my three best friends were apart of some school activity. Lets see, my best friend, Pat was the all-star baseball player and apart of the welcoming committee. Jamie, was a cheerleader and prom committee and Chris was in student council. Whenever they were out doing their things, I was hanging out with the burnouts. That's right, the stoners, the kids with no futures but they were the coolest people you'd ever meet. I was always invited to prom and welcoming committee but it just wasn't my thing. I only knew one person in both of those clubs. You know what it's like being the odd man out. Everyone has their inside jokes and you're stuck there like a vegetable. It was noon and I slowly got out of bed. My alarm did go off at eleven am but where am I suppose to go at eleven am? I changed into black, ripped up, skinny jeans and a white t-shirt I got off the ground. I smelled it first before I put it on. I walked downstairs and went into the kitchen. Might as well make some cereal. I opened the fridge and saw that there was no milk. I grabbed my keys, put on my black high tops and grabbed my wallet. You're probably wondering how I have money, well, my mom usually leaves some me. It's really cool of her for doing that but I can't help but feel bad. All of her hard earned money goes off to her dead beat daughter? That's just who she is. One of the most free spirited accountants I have ever met. "Mom! I'm heading out for milk! You want anything?" I yelled.Yeah she works from home, most of the time. She said that working in an office is boring and I will not argue. I was an intern during my senior year of high school but everyone had to do that. So, I definitely didn't go grabbing for it first. I didn't hear her respond, so I went upstairs and knocked on her door. "Mom?" I asked, speaking through the crack.The flew right open and there stood a tall women with long-ish brown hair and cat like green eyes, "Nikki! I told you call me Ally! I'm not just your mother, I'm also your best friend!" I smiled a little and rolled my eyes, "That's still way to weird to me." I honestly don't get why she insists on being called by her first name. I think mom works perfectly. "You're an adult, that shouldn't be weird!" She giggled. I shrugged, "I'm going to the store, you want anything?"She went into her purse and grabbed like ten dollars, "Buy me some of that tea I really like!" I nodded and took the money. I already had enough for the tea but trying to fight her giving me money wasn't going to work. She always wants to give me money. I feel like a charity cause. I got into my old, beat up, van. I'm not a car person, all I know is that this is the type of car you would bring to beach. A hippie van with you will but instead of big and bright colors, it's a soft tan and brown. It was my mom's back when she was in school and it's still running fine. At least I have a car, a tiny bit left of hope, maybe. I drove to the market which is actually pretty far away. You defiantly can't walk up. I picked a spot in the back, I don't like being in the front, that's where everyone parks and it gets way to crowded. I got out and locked my doors, you never know. I grabbed a basket and walked in. I wondering around, picking up items for later tonight when I rent a movie. I walked into the tea aisle, the aisle that I dread the most. It's not that I hate tea, it's just that all this aisle is just tea and all the smells infuse with each other and it gives me a bad headache. It's also impossible to find her tea, such an obscure brand. I'm surprise they even sell it here. And it's not like a hipster tea, where it's six bucks for six bags, it's two dollars for one box and the box usually has like twenty bags. As I was looking, someone bumped into me. I turned around, with an annoyed look on my face but it quickly went away when I saw who it was. A tall guy with short, messy, dark, brown hair and nice, blue eyes that reminds you of the sweet summer sky. It was Pat, my best guy friend from high school. "Pat! Hey!" I smiled."Nikki? Hey." He smiled back."What are you doing in town? Shouldn't you be up at Penn State, three billion miles away?" I questioned.He shrugged, "I decided not to take summer classes and come up here to see my old friends." I couldn't stop smiling. This is amazing. I mean still kept in contact but he was always so busy with school, I never really heard back from him, "So, you're going for environmental studies?" He nodded, "Yeah, it's still pretty boring to talk about." He laughed, "I'm also in their theater program. But decided to ditch the summer play.""What was it?" I asked."Let me take you out for lunch, I'll you there." He offered."Alright, but I got to first find my mom's tea." I added.He started to look with me, "Still that weird brand? What is it, again?" "In...in..in..co-""Inconnu, that's a French word I believe." He laughed.I blushed, it seemed to just slide off his tongue. We finally found it and checked out. I told him, I had to take the milk home, so it wouldn't spoil. Since he only lived a black away from my house, he said he could walk up. So, we both left. I hurried home, put the tea in the cabinet and put the milk away. I freshened up, put on some make-up, nothing special just so I don't look like a mess. I heard a knock on the door and answered it, it was Pat. I smiled."Mom! I'm heading out with Pat because he's in town!" I yelled all of that and regretted it half way through. She didn't answer but I just assumed she was too bust working or she just didn't hear. I have my phone if she needs to call me. Pat and I got into my car and drove off. We're going to the old hang out spot. A diner that was meant to look like it was the 50s. It's still doing great, one of the best features in our small town of Hilltop, Georgia. I looked at the time, one-thirty six. I smiled."Doesn't Jamie work here or something?" Pat questioned, rolling up his window. We both got out at the same time and walked in. I nodded answering his question. If we're lucky, her shift is almost over. I will admit, I only ever saw her twice this summer but it's only the beginning of summer and plus she has two jobs. And there she was, walking out in dark, blue, skinny jean with a pink, floral print, blouse, she was looking down at the menu, "Hello, welcome to 50 Nifty, how many?" It wasn't a menur she was looking it, it was the seating to make sure, there was enough room, looks like important guess were coming. So, still with her head down, Pat smirked. That smirk, only meant one thing, he was going to do something funny. "Hello, seating for two, we're pretty important lawyers." He said, using a British accent. I must say, he perfected it! Back in high school, he would try so hard to get that accent dead on. It never worked for him. But now, he got it. Him and his best guy friend, who also happened to be one of my best friends would always try British accents. Suddenly, Jamie, frantically, got two menus and tried to keep herself calm. Poor Jamie. I didn't say anything though because I was too busy trying not to laugh. Pat looked at me and hinted for me to do a British accent. Like hell that was going to happen. But he practically begged. So, I closed my eyes and put myself out there, "Yes, please, this is very important." He smiled. And luckily for me, Jamie was freaking out so much that she didn't even notice. Finally she got the nerve to look up and her expression changed so quickly, from nervous to annoyed. "Patrick! What the hell!?" She questioned, slapping him with the menus. She took us to our seats, "I'm off shift in about three minutes, so just wait to take your order, I want in!" Jamie smiled and went to the back. He just looked at me smiling, I couldn't help it, I was cracking up! But it was Pat's fault! "I mean, it wasn't a bad accent but you would offend anyone who's British." He laughed with me. "I wish I could insult yours!" I replied.He shrugged but his shrugged was almost like him bragging. Soon, Jamie showed up and sat next to Pat, she was smiling. "Nice accent by the way!" She smiled at Pat."Thank you." He said in the exact same accent.I smiled at the both of them. They would make such a cute couple but refuse to date. I have no idea what that's about. "When did you get into town?" Jamie questioned."Actually today, I was going to visit Nikki first but I was curious to see if Chris was still working at that market." He shrugged."Well, it doesn't and I have zero idea where he works now, I know he goes to community college though." Jamie added."He works at that one bar, the one right by the 'Welcome to Hilltop' sign." I replied like it was a normal thing."Really? How do you know that?" Pat asked.I slumped in my seat, "Well, I'm regular there." He smiled and shrugged, didn't think anything of it, "Well, we have to go an see him!""He's off work, want me to ask him to come over here?" I questioned.Jamie and Pat nodded, giving me a "duh" look. Chris was the only one who has seen me more than five times over since high school ended. And once I hit twenty-one he saw me ever, single, day. I'm surprised he's not tired of me yet. So, I texted Crhis, telling him to get his butt down here. He texted back, saying he would be right there. But I could tell he just woke up because his texting was not good at all. It's usually proper but when he wakes up, it's not. "By the way, Pat, I love your shirt! Light blue is totally your color!" Jamie smiled.Pat was wearing a light, purple t-shirt with blue jeans and he was wearing a grey hoodie but took it off when we sat down. We waited about twenty minutes and then I saw Chris walk in. I yelled his name and we sat next to me. Chris was wearing a white v-neck shirt with black, skinny jeans and black converse. He looked exhausted, it was almost impossible for him to keep his bright blue eyes open and his hair was black and short but still managed to be messy., I almost feel bad waking him up. "You okay, man?" Pat asked."Yeah, I'm fine, it's just super early for me. I usually go to work at eleven pm." Chris replied."It was Pat's idea to invit you." Jamie laughed.We all laughed."Was not! I just said yes to Nikki's question. She was the one who suggested it!" Pat threw me under the bus. "I like seeing old friends." He shrugged, "Great idea, Nikki." I blushed and rolled my eyes. Chris is always so nice to me. "So, what's that play that you skipped out on?" I questioned."Wicked, this is literally the third summer that they're doing it. I was in it last year but it was pretty boring." Pat shrugged, "But Chris, I gotta know, do you own the bar?""Co-run. My dad owns it, he bought it off the old guy who use to own it. We should head tonight." Chris suggested."Yeah! Drinks on my tab!" I said jokingly. We all laughed. Catching up with old friends is amazing! But it makes me feel so out of place. It's high school all over again. We're sitting at lunch, they're all talking about their futures and I have nothing to say. Jamie, Pat and even Chris are all in college. College wasn't even Chris' thing but I guess things change. Jamie goes to Georgia University and we all know where Pat goes. He's obviously the smartest out of all us. It sucks sitting here, I can;t say what I'm going to do after I graduate college. Pat is getting his law degree to be an environmental lawyer, Jamie's going to be a vet and Chris, well we haven't gotten to him yet. Chris shrugged, "I don't know, I'm probably just going to take over the bar. I only went to college because my dad made me." As we were talking and Pat was trying to motivate Chris and I, a waitress with long black hair and dark brown eyes, who was wearing blue jeans and a light green t-shirt with red Vans, walked up to us. We already ordered and she doesn't have our food. "Valerie, I'm off for the rest of the day." Jamie said.The women shook her head, "No, um, Nikki, is your mom home?" I shrugged, "Probably working or outside.""Well, I called her a few times and she didn't pick up." She added.No duh she didn't pick up if you have to come to me and tell me. "I'll talk to her when I get home."Valerie nodded and left. We stayed there, until Chris had to go to work. I drove Pat and Chris, Jamie drove herself. Chris hurried in and went behind the bar. He's usually the only one who works night shift. Pat, Jamie and I all took a booth. I went up to get drinks. Chris looked at me with a serious look."You're not paying, I'm not adding more debt to you." He said. "I'll just get more money from my mom and pay you off." I replied.He shook his head and made us some drinks. "Shots?" I asked, sitting down with at least ten shot glasses."I'm fine with just one, someone has to drive you guys home." Jamie giggled."More for us!" Pat smiled. I would say we had about twenty shots each. Jamie brought Pat home and offered me a ride but I said no. It was a fact that getting me out of the bar was one to impossible. I felt relief when I was here. I went up to the stools. And yeah, I'm drunk. Chris rolled his eyes. By two am, someone showed up to help Chris out. "I gotta take her home, do you mind?" He asked.The guy shrugged. Chris picked me up and was carry by my arm. "Life is amazing! I just love it so much!" I slurred. "Yeah, yeah, I know." He rolled his eyes, putting me in the passenger seat of my van. He drove me home and took me into my house. It was dark in my house and my mom was probably reading a book up in her room. So, Chris dragged me up to my room and tucked me in. It was routine for him. He usually went to my mom's room, to tell her I was home. He knocked on her door a few times and then walked in. Maybe she was sleeping. He went over to her clean, white bed and saw no one. It was weird. So, Chris looked all over my house and found no sight of her. He didn't think anything of and crash on our couch, something that he usually does.