Soon Maria’s drill team friend joined them and Pat figured she was doomed to be on the peon fringe of every conversation for the rest of the night. Richard slipped off to find Brian.

Just as she was trying to look interested in some catty conversation Maria and Diana were having with Maria’s friends, Danny Willis and Ben Kranich walked by, each with a pitcher of beer.

"Patty!" Ben cried.

"Benny," Pat said.

"Hey!" Danny said. "Having fun?"

Pat decided to come clean. Maybe they’d feel sorry for her. "It looks like I’m kind of out of it."

Ben and Danny looked over at the group of drillteamers and Diana. Several of them waved and Diana gave Pat on of their "thumbs-up" looks, which made Pat semi-forgive her.

Danny leaned in. "What’s the matter, Pat?" he whispered. "Have nothing in common with whore corps?"

Pat swung around and hit him on the shoulder. "That’s not nice!" she said, noting with horror that her voice resembled Diana’s "where the boys are" tone.

"I’m only kidding; I like all girls," Danny said. Whore corps was the derogatory nickname at Seb for the drill team. Actually, Pat was rather surprised Danny would use the term, he seemed to be friends with a lot of the girls.

"I heard that about you," Pat said.

"Well, if you’re not a drillteamer, come be asshole," Danny said.

"Excuse me?"

"It’s a drinking game, c’mere," Danny said.

They lead her over to the kitchen table.

"This is Pat," Danny said as he positioned her in a chair at the table.

To Pat he said, "This is Clint Vick and Mike Beaudroux."

"I kind of figured," Pat said. Mike and Clint nodded.

"Last person to the table is automatic asshole," said Clint, he shoved the deck of cards towards Pat.

"What does that mean?" Pat said warily, as she watched Ben fill all of their cups with beer.

"Relaaaaax, Patty, it’ll be fun," Danny said. He scooted his chair next to hers. She could smell the beer on his breath as he explained the rules. "We can be on the same team for the first round." He swung an arm around her shoulders and fanned out his hand in front of her face.

"Remember she’s automatic asshole," said Mike.

"I know," said Danny. "Okay, the object of the game is to throw out the highest hand in each round and get rid of your cards before anybody else. If you do that, then your President, and the next person is vice president, the next is secretary, the next is treasurer and then the last person is the asshole."

"What do the offices mean?" asked Pat.

"Nothing," Danny said with an amused smile at the others, "it’s just the order. So, right now, Mike is president, Clint is VP, Ben is secretary, I’m treasurer, and well, you’re new so you gotta be asshole."

"I don’t have to chug or anything, do I?" said Pat.

"If the president says to you have to," said Mike.

"Oh and call him Mikey," Danny whispered into Pat’s ear, "he loves it."

Pat looked over at Mike. "I don’t think so, I don’t really want to chug that whole thing."

"A smart asshole!" said Mike.

Pat nodded as she shuffled the cards and began to deal. She and Danny had to forfeit their best two cards to Mike in exchange for his worst two. Pat had to drink for complaining about it. Clint started the round by throwing out the three of clubs. They snickered when Pat asked if the three of clubs was the traditional starting card.

"The traditional card?" Mike shook his head. "Drink for sounding like we’re English class."

"Aw man..." said Pat. She was starting to enjoy herself.

Danny continued to whisper in Pat’s ear throughout the hand. "Okay, see how he threw out a double five? We’ve got to find something to match that or beat it or else we have to pass and we can’t get rid of any cards."

When each round ended, Mike cried, "Sweep, asshole!" That was Pat’s cue to clear away all the cards from the previous round so they could start the new round.

"Am I still asshole after this hand?" Pat whispered.

"Not if we get any higher, that’s why we have to play smart," Danny tapped his temple with one finger.

"You guys can’t both be in the same position all night," Clint said.

The other three boys started laughing and Pat took a sip of beer as she felt her cheeks burn.

"No, you might want change positions a little later on," Ben said, "but you guys can’t be on the same team right now."

"But that’s not fair, we’re both playing the same hand," said Pat.

"All right here it is," President Mike said. "whatever Danny gets, you’re in the position right below him."

"So let me get this straight, Pat is under Danny?" said Clint.

"Yeah," Mike said through a chuckle, "Pat’s under Danny."

"But what if Pat wants to be on top?" asked Clint.

"Yeah, some girls like it better on top," Ben said.

"How would you know, virgin boy?" Danny said.

"What are you laughing at? Drink asshole," Ben said to Pat, who had covered her mouth with one hand, vainly trying to stiffle a giggle.

For the next hand, Danny said she was on her own. After a few misdeeds and drinks, Pat began to catch onto the game. Soon she rose through the ranks. And finally she had a round where she was able to lose all her cards first, thereby becoming president for the next round.

"Hold on, hold on," said Ben, the current president, "She needs to chug right now. This isn’t right. We played and we’re wasted, she’s sober and she’s president."

Pat tapped her temple. "Maybe I just played smart," she said, with a smile at Danny.

Mike leaned over to look directly at her. "Are you sober?"

Pat, who had taken small sips of the bitter drink and felt perfectly normal, shrugged her shoulders in exaggerated innocence. "What do you think?" she said, adding a small laugh for effect.

It worked. "Aw, she’s drunk, you guys just suck," Mike said.

He tossed in his last hand and became her vice president. The last round ended He nudged Pat. "So what are you going to make them do, Miss President?"

"A toast to me!" Pat said, holding up her cup. Ben, Clint, Mike and Danny drank accordingly. Then Ben stood and said, "Got to drain the vain."

"Did you ask El Presidente?" said Mike.

Ben looked at Pat. "I can do it right here if you want."

"Ugh, no, go you’re dismissed," said Pat. Ben grinned and left.

"Asshole, go fill the pitcher," said Mike, pushing the pitcher towards Danny.

"Wait a minute, who’s president?" Pat demanded.

"Oh, sorry."

"I thought so," Pat said. "Asshole, go fill the pitcher," she said.

"What a leader," Clint shook his head.

Danny smiled at her and headed off towards the keg.

Mike shuffled the cards and looked at Pat. "Sooo," he said, looking at Clint, who raised his eyebrows, "I guess your brother likes Suz Coughlin, huh?"

"What?"

"Your brother, Brian. He likes Suz Coughlin."

Pat shook her head, shrugging. "You know what? I don’t know, ask him. All I know is that she’s some friend of Anne’s."

"Oh. Well they’re just seen together a lot," Mike said.

"Where, tonight?" Pat asked, looking around.

"Tonight and before then. You know, Ben kind of likes her and everything."

"Well, I wouldn’t know. Brian and I don’t really talk. You’d have to ask him. I’m sure if he knew..."

"Well, whatever," Mike said suddenly.

"Yeah, whatever," said Pat, taking another sip of beer.

Pat looked up and saw Diana motioning towards her.

"I’ll be back," Pat said.

"Mmm-hmm," Mike answered.

When Pat went over to her, Diana grasped her arm and motioned with her head towards Richard and Maria, who were sitting on a little card table in a corner near the door. "I can’t take that anymore, so let’s go, huh?" she said.

Pat looked over Diana’s shoulder. "Them? Oh, trust me, there’s nothing going on there; they can barely get through an hour without fighting, don’t worry." Pat turned to go back to the kitchen, but Diana kept hold of her arm.

"Well, they’re doing okay now," she said. "You haven’t been seeing what’s going on. Maria’s been totally ignoring Brian and talking to Richard all night."

"So?"

"So I thought they never get along, what the heck is this? All of sudden they’re best buddies?" Diana said.

Pat looked at Richard and Maria. They certainly looked friendly at the present moment. Richard was tasting a cup of what Pat assumed was beer as Maria whispered to him. Richard tilted the cup to his mouth and back, making a face that seemed to delight Maria. She started laughing, leaning away from Richard as he offered her the cup. "Well, I don’t think this means that they like each other like you’re thinking," Pat said, unable to keep a little doubt out of her voice. "Where is Brian anyway?"

"With the drunk twins. Let’s go get him. Even if I went over there they would ignore me so the whole reason I came here is out the window. Let’s go, Patella, it’s getting late anyway."

The way she was talking annoyed Pat. Diana was never done telling her what a drag she was, to go loosen up, to go talk to people, and now that Diana wasn’t having any fun it was time to go?

"Where is Brian?" she asked again.

"I don’t know, let’s just find him and go," Diana snapped, looking around.

"Oh calm down. I told you don’t have anything to worry about anyway. Why don’t you take your own advice and go mingle," Pat said.

Diana faced her, eyes narrowing. "In a hurry to get back to your little game?"

"I’m president," Pat said, deciding to ignore Diana's crabby mood, "do you want to play?"

"Pat, I hate to tell you, but the only reason they’re all paying attention to you is so they can piss off Brian."

"Actually, only Danny is talking to me to piss off Brian. The rest are just playing cards," Pat said coolly, "besides it doesn’t matter why they’re talking to me, you’re the one that liked him in the first place."

"I’m so sure it doesn’t matter to you," said Diana. But she looked surprised at Pat’s calm reaction.

"What’s your problem?"

"What’s yours? You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me," Diana said.

"No, I’d be over at table in the game instead of staring at Richard and Maria."

"I meant the party, Patella."

"You keep forgetting that I was invited by Danny himself. Maria got you here. Except, oh yeah! She dumped you. So I guess you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me and Brian." Pat turned and went back to the kitchen.

The game had still not resumed because Danny and Ben were still back at the keg.

"They’re still not back yet?" said Pat.

Mike and Clint shook their heads, intent on the impromptu game of poker they had started.

"All right, as president I’m going to collect my cabinet," Pat said.

"Go for it," said Mike, without looking up from his hand.

Pat felt like an experienced party-goer as she bobbed and weaved throughout the living room, avoiding the flying limbs of a group of girls dancing, and avoiding the direction where Diana, Maria and Richard were sitting. She even smiled and waved at a few familiar looking people. This party stuff was getting easy.