Girls Night Out

"Fine I'll do it." my friend Estelle laughs, standing up. I raise an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you won't back out?" I ask. We had all been sitting around the firepit in my backyard, playing a game of truth or dare just like we used to do when we were young girls. It was the first time I had seen my old school friends since high school graduation, and we were all having a grand time. I had invited our whole grade to be a part of the fun. But most of them were off in their own little groups and cliques.

"I won't back out." She sighs, rolling her eyes. I had dared her to drive my car down the West Highway as fast as she could, and see how long she could go without getting pulled over. I had told her whatever she got for a ticket I would pay.

Our little group was known for taking chances, it's why we were the most popular group in high school. I had been dared by Mirlene to dump the bowl of fruit punch onto my head (a dumb dare if you ask me) but I had done it. Estelle had dared Sherrie to jump in my pool with her clothes on, and she had done it! But my dare was obviously the best.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Mirlene confesses nervously. She is fiddling with the buttons on her dress, obviously uncomfortable with speaking up. "I mean, what if you hit someone?"

"Mirlene." I roll my eyes. "The West Highway is under construction. There isn't anyone else on it for miles!"

"Yeah." Estelle laughs. "I know Casey's only daring me to do it because she thinks I'm going to back out at the last moment. But I'm not! I'm ready for the challenge!"

"We'll see." I laugh. "Come on ladies, let's go!" I grab my purse from inside the house, and jump inside my red Toyota. All the rest of my friends pile into it with me, except for Mirlene. Mirlene has always been a party pooper, even when we were in high school.

"Come on Mirlene!" Estelle calls out. Mirlene shakes her head nervously, and kicks rocks with her sneakers. "I have to go, my dad's funeral is tomorrow. I have to comfort my mom and get ready for the viewing."

"Okay!" Estelle says. "But you'll miss all the fun!" Mirlene bites her lips and shakes her head.

"Come on Mirlene! Don't be a chicken!" I yell to her, leaning out of the window.

"I'm sorry Casey, I just...don't feel comfortable." She sighs, frowning.

"It's alright Mirlene." I laugh. "We know it's too much for you, we get it, you're sensitive." Sherrie and Estelle chuckle. Mirlene turns away from us, and heads back towards the firepit. We all laugh about Mirlene.

"She's so annoying."

"Since when did she get so paranoid?"

"Mirlene's turned into a chicken!"

"Maybe it's a good thing she isn't coming with us, she'd spoil all of the fun!" I laugh. Estelle honks the horn at Mirlene, and we all laugh. Tonight was going to be great.

With one last final honk, Estelle backs my car out of the driveway with all of us in it, and we start heading towards the blocked off highway.

In no time we are speeding down the empty stretch of road, whooping and laughing. Mirlene has no idea what she's missing. Sure there are a lot of bumps in the concrete, but it's not a big deal. We have the windows down, and the Lady Gaga music blasting. "Five miles!" I shriek. "Come on Estelle!"

Estelle steps on the gas pedal extra hard, and when I see the speedometer, it reads 95 mph. I had never gone this fast before, it was exhilarating. She makes it about another mile before I see the familiar blue and red headlights flahing behind us. "Speed up, speed up!" Sherrie, yells. Estelle turns around to look at the police car. I laugh, giddy with the rush of adrenaline. Bieng nineteen is so much fun. She waves to the officer and beeps the horn loudly. I shriek with laughter. The officer yells something from his window, but we are going so fast we can't hear it. Sherrie lunges forwards from the backseat and cranks up the music even louder. I unbuckle my seatbelt so I can turn around and see the slowpoke officer better. We whiz past the streetlights so fast it has a strobe light kind of effect on me. Estelle swerves around the traffic cones, dumptrucks, and various other construction vehicles. I yell to my friends, "I'd like to see him stop us now!"

But I don't see the concerete roadblock. I feel it.

The car flips.

For a moment I feel light

ethereal

weightless. Everything seems to slow down, time seems to stop. It only takes a second too late to realize that this would be the last memory I would ever have.

The next day.

Rain is falling steadily. The viewing is over, and Mom and I are heading to the graveyard, ready to visit my father.

"Thanks for staying with me last night, Mirlene." She smiles. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem." I reply. "We both needed each other's company."

We arrive at our destination. I hold the umbrella in one hand, and my bouquet of flowers in the other.

The weight in my chest is heavy, as we approach the spot where his grave is located. After laying a rose in front of it, I step back. From afar I hear the noise of crying, and indistinct muttering. I turn around and see not too far off, a group of people huddling around three graves. I walk over. Something seems familiar about the people.

It doesn't take long for me to recognize Sherrie's mother, Casey's aunt, and Estelle's brother. I had seen all of them a year ago, at the Carlton High School graduation ceremony.My mind flashes to last night. I remember the dares, the firepit, the car...

I lay a rose on each of their graves.

They had seemed so industructable, untouchable until now.

It's clear to me now that truths are way better than dares.