"Chris, are you even listening to me?" Claire asks, feeling a flare of emotion rise in her. Something sharp, warm, cutting to the quick and raising doubts that she's wanted to ignore ever since they first met. People are supposed to be able to work through differences, supposed to be able to accept one another's tastes. Opposites attract. Friendships are diverse. And so Claire thought that if there was simply enough time in Chris' life to be away from all of it, from the drugs and the alcohol, then it'd be enough. A part of her wants to believe that still, but in the moment, it all feels like he's tossing her feelings aside, not even stopping to consider that maybe she has a point.

It's just a party, she wants to say. Just one lousy party. It's not like they can't survive without each other for that long.

"I said I'm not comfortable with it. And, I don't know if you remember, but I did try all of this before. I've gone to two raves, and at the first I like... ended up kissing Arya because I was totally high on pot or, or ecstasy, or— god, I still don't know. I'm not someone who can deal with that," she tries again to explain, even as she sits up, brows furrowed so tight that it's almost painful. "I miss the stupid slumber parties where we didn't have to do any of that. And given the new start, I just want... what I was comfortable with before. I don't think that's wrong."