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THEE ART OF PEER PRESSURE


Thee Art of Peer Pressure

So you get up to get dressed anyway after arguing with them about not wanting to go. Now you're regretfully ironing your clothes, skimming over each wrinkle with lackluster movements. On the drive there you promise yourself that drinking and smoking is out of the equation. You arrive, and so you tell them. They stare at you, looking for holes in your promise. You’re hammered with questions about why you're acting differently. You’re killing their vibe, how selfish of you. They pour you a drink anyway.

“Here, don't be a bitch”.  Those five frigid words stumbles around your promise, teasing your character. You latch on to the cup as if the drink represented every drop of your pride. You force down the first gulp. A burn hits your throat then spreads through your chest like wildfire. The feeling was all too familiar. You loosen up moments later and ask for a little more. They ask you to drive like always. They pour you more while you steer. You throw it back. Your body tingles, the music feels louder, and the mood lightens.Ten minutes until destination. You shuffle through your phone looking for another song to please the crowd. In that split second, you hear thunder and glass. Like a shotgun fired into the air and the shells shattered the sky.  It takes you a few seconds to register the deer you slammed into. This can’t be happening. You don’t deserve this. Thankfully nobody is injured so they call an Uber. They ask if you’re going to be okay.

“..yeah.”

It was all they needed to hear to send them on their way. Help arrives, but not the tow truck you called. A state trooper notices you and wants to make sure you’re okay. You paint him the perfect misleading image of your night. He points his flash light towards the car and notices a couple red cups. He asks if you were drinking. “No I wasn't...."

The morning comes bearing heavy regrets and repercussions. From the car insurance policy you forgot to reinstate last week, to your DUI from last night.

It’s hard to tell whether you’re living for yourself or for others. 

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