I danced until my high-heeled shoe broke, and then took off my shoes and kept dancing. It was almost dawn and Eileen’s party was still going strong. Eileen smiled at me and I saw that her white teeth were glow-in-the-dark because of the black lights in the room. Somehow, this struck me as ridiculously funny and I began to laugh. And laugh. And laugh. The tears pouring down now, I clutched my side and saw that Eileen had started to laugh, too. Of course, this only made me laugh harder.

That was last year on Eileen’s 21st birthday. I have seen her only a handful of times since.

She always dabbled with drugs and alcohol, nothing serious, but ever since she turned 21, Eileen’s seemingly harmless pastime of smoking weed and getting drunk has spiraled into an ugly addiction. Ugly, because she can’t spend one day without getting drunk or high. Ugly, because her eyes, once brimming over with light and laughter, now are dull and jaded, like unpolished stones. Ugly, because I don’t recognize my best friend anymore.