The bar was loud, people moving back and forth in chaotic, unpredictable movements. “Jo! We’re over here!” She looked up to see Sky waving her down, standing at a high top table. People moved back and forth across the bar, and Jo could already feel the panic building up like bile in the pit of her stomach. 

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she pushed her way through the crowd until she came to the table. She placed her hand on the table, Jo tapped her finger against it in an anxious rhythm. 

“What would you like to drink?” One of Sky’s friends said. “Sky is going to get drinks.” 

“Uh,” Jo looked down at the menu, but the words blurred together, causing her to be unable to read the words. “Sky, you can order for me.” 

“Are you sure?” Sky said with a tilt of her head, brows furrowed slightly.

“Yeah.” Jo said quietly, her words nearly getting drowned out by the noise of the bar. 

“Okay.” Sky drawled as she started to move away. “But don’t get mad when you don’t like it.” Jo watched as she disappeared into the crowd. 

It was only then that Jo realized her mistake, as she was left alone with Sky’s friends. Forced to face her worst enemy: Small talk. 

“So, what kind of art do you do?” One of the women, the one with chin-length dirty blonde hair, asked. Jo really should have gotten their names. 

“I, uh,” Jo struggled to get a full sentence out, eyes darting to where Sky was leaning on the bar. “I do portraits mostly.”

“Oh! That’s really cool!” The woman who had brown hair cut into a pixie cut spoke. “Do you think you could draw me?” 

“Make sure to get her good side.” Topher joked, elbowing her in her side. “Hint, hint. She doesn't have one.” 

Jo awkwardly laughed as the brunette let out an indignant ‘Hey!’ going to slap Topher. “I, uh, don’t usually draw people I know.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

“Aw, that’s too bad.” The brunette said, leaning back as she groaned. “I would have loved to get a portrait done by a professional artist.” 

“Professional?” Sky scoffed as she set a tray of drinks on the table. “What about Jo screams professional?” She rolled her eyes as she began handing out drinks. Jo would have been insulted if she hadn’t known Sky since they were teenagers. Her younger sister had always been one to say what came to her mind and sometimes it came across as insulting, but Jo knew that was just who Sky was as a person. “First round of drinks is on me.” Sky handed Jo a dark drink in a tall glass with a lemon wedge on the lip. “I got you a Long Island iced tea.”

“Thanks,” Jo mumbled as she pulled the drink toward her, taking the straw in her mouth. Sipping the sweet drink, the aftertaste of alcohol clung to the back of her throat. 

“To me!” Sky cheered, holding up her colorful drink before throwing it back. 

“Woah. Easy there Sky.” Topher laughed. 

“I’m celebrating, Christopher. I’m allowed to get blackout drunk!” She reached out, shoving his shoulder, causing him to roll his eyes. 

Soon the conversation turned to events at the place they all worked, and Jo realized she had nothing to add. Jo felt incredibly out of place. She sipped at her drink, half listening as she bitched about something, or rather someone, Sky would be working under. ‘I don’t even have anything to add. So, why am I here?’ Jo thought as her eyes darted between the four people that she was stuck with. 

An obnoxious slurping sound caused her to look down to see that she had already nearly finished her drink. Grabbing it, Jo started to move only to stop short when Sky called out, disappointment lacing her words. “Are you leaving already?” When she turned, she saw her sister giving her the biggest pout she could muster. 

“I’m getting a refill.” Jo held up her glass, shaking it so that the ice clinked against the sides. The loud music thudded in her ears, pulse picking up as she moved through the crowd toward the bar. She took a seat, waiting for the bartender to notice her. 

“Oh. How can I help you?” 

“I just need a refill. You can add it to Sky’s tab.” She did say she was paying after all.

“Okay. I’ll have to see your I.D. and what did you have?” 

Jo fumbled for her wallet, struggling slightly to remove her I.D from its holder before managing to set it on the bartop. “I had a long island iced tea.”

The bartender checked her I.D before handing it back and Jo watched as he began to mix her drink. She went to put her I.D. back in her wallet, or tried to, but found herself struggling more than she should have. ‘I can’t be drunk already, can I?’

A glass was set in front of Jo as the bartender laughed. “Having trouble there?” She knew that he was joking, but the idea that someone was watching her caused anxiety to spike. She slammed her wallet closed, shoving it into her pocket, taking a long sip of her drink. Jo set her drink down, staring at her glass as condensation dripped down the glass. Her breath was beginning to catch in her throat, as her chest tightened with each attempted breath.