Free After the Rains by Deborah Raney

offered her another beer.
    “I haven’t even finished this one,” she told him. But she put the bottle to her mouth and took several more swallows, as if that would prove her intentions to him.
    She purposely closed her eyes and took stock of how she felt. Kids always said that if you weren’t used to it you could get drunk pretty fast. But she felt fine. The smoke from the fire stung her eyes, but she didn’tfeel the least bit dizzy or lightheaded, or whatever it was she was supposed to feel under the influence. She finished off the bottle and took the fresh, cold one Evan supplied.
    By now, Sara was antsy and clutching her precious umbrella until her knuckles were white. “Come on, Nattie. Please, let’s go.”
    Natalie laughed and reached out to put a hand on her arm. “Sara, quit worrying. I’m fine. It’s really no big deal. I don’t feel one bit different.”
    Sara met her gaze, but she said nothing. Natalie could see that there were tears in her eyes. “Hey,” she said, softly. “Come here.” She led Sara to the edge of the copse of trees, out of hearing of the other kids. “Sara, I’m not going to get drunk. I swear, I feel totally fine. I’ll be careful.”
    “It’s not that, Nat. It’s just— I don’t like us being here. What about our parents? What about your sisters? It just doesn’t feel right.”
    “Why didn’t I just bring my father with me?” She tried to make it a joke, but her words came out sounding more gruff than she intended. Sara started toward the car.
    “Oh, good grief, Sara. Come back here.” No response. “Sara!”
    Her friend turned to face her. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this, Nattie. What are you trying to prove?”
    “I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m just sick and tired of being treated like a baby, and I’m tired of everybody else having all the fun.”
    “You call this fun? I’m sorry. I don’t get it. I don’t get it at all.” She wheeled and went on toward the car.
    Natalie started to follow after her, but something made her turn back. Sara could sit in the car and mope for a while. If she wanted to leave she could come and get the keys. But Natalie wasn’t going to let Miss Moral Police ruin her night. As she picked her way over the rutted field back toward the river, she took another drink from the bottle. She was suddenly feeling very thirsty. She finished the bottle and—without being quite sure how it got there—took a swallow from the fresh icy cold can of Budweiser that had appeared in her hand.

    Evan and his friends pulled her back into their circle. In spite of the chill, they were all without jackets, the sleeves of their T-shirts rolled up to flaunt fake barbed-wire tattoos that encircled each of their arms.
    Natalie eyed Matt Kimmell’s impressive biceps. “So who’s the artist?” she joked, feeling bold in the darkness.
    “What do you mean, man? These are real!” Evan pouted playfully and struck a muscleman pose. His friends followed suit, hamming it up.
    Natalie laughed. “Yeah, right. It looks more like somebody turned Matt’s little sister loose on you with a Magic Marker.” She’d never felt so witty and uninhibited. She ran a finger playfully over Matt’s tattoo, then turned to see Jessica Gorman and several other younger girls sauntering over to join them.
    “Hey, Amber. Hi, Jessi, how’s it going?” she said.
    Jessica beamed at her and shouted over the music. “It’s a great party, huh?”
    Natalie nodded. She thought she saw admiration in Jessica’s eyes. So much for Sara’s worries about setting an example. Wasn’t she doing just that? She could prove that you didn’t have to be drunk to have fun.
    She stayed in the circle for a while, then, feeling braver, decided to see who else was here. Pulling another can from the cooler, she started walking, following the banks of the creek.
    Judd Wright and his buddies did a double take when they spotted her. “Whoa! Natalie? Is that you?” But