First Offense

Koren goes on Vacation with her family, in Ocean City, a place she is familar with because of her childhood. She brings Natalie. With their own room, and a city life outside their walls, it is obvious that they would have the urge to sneak out; which they do. The first night is okay, they go to the beach, and find a bon fire. Of course, alcohol is there, just what Koren needs to make her feel comfortable and confident in her own skin. She "conforms to a beer-ad version of" (61) herself. She wants to "probe that [she] can funnel as much beer as they can [soroity girls], that [she] can unflinchingly take the same lascivious looks in the dark" (61). Drinking allows her, in her opinion, to enhance certain aspects of herself. Natalie and her sneak out again the next night, this time leading to more lies and more trouble. They have directions to a get-together, and they go to that house. They'r offered some drinks, and thankfully take them. Koren meets Greg,an older boy, who studies panting, and paints. He offers to bring Koren upstairs to show her what he paints, when she gets curious. Natalie stays behind. Trying to hide her real idenity, and to make her seem more appealing, she tells him that she is 18, and stretches the truth even more with other pointless information.
After him holding her for a while, talking, and kissing, Koren points out "That's the thing about social drinking: In the end, it's the drinking that creates the scene, not the other way around...What's responsible for the light-headed feeling? Is it the Molson, or the boy who is running his fingers through the ends of your hair? Are you chatty because you'r drunk, or because you're connecting with someone on a level that you have never before experienced?" (64) She also mentions that it eventually "becomes a question of which came first, the liguor or the Greg?" I think she makes a very good point, because at such an age of fifteen, distinguising between the two seems difficult. It appears as if she is forming a reliance on alcohol to make her feel comfortable and confident; as if she almost needs it to be who she wants to be.
However, when she decides to go find Natalie and leave, feeling "guilty for neglecting her" (65), turns out Natalie is no where to be found. Koren becomes worried and angry at the same time, wondering what happened to her friend. Greg helps her search the beach. Soon enough they find her, in a house, wearing different clothes, and clearly far gone. With morning approaching, Koren needs to get Natalie and herself back to the condo, through the window before her parent's realize their gone. However, climbing through the window is not an option right now with Natalie's condition. Throughout all this confusion and series of events, Koren tells Greg the whole truth about who she is, because without the comfort of alcohol and with the worries of Natalie, it only seemed natural for Koren to express herself that way. Natalie is really drunk, and drugged.
They make it to the condo, but through the front door. Koren's mother wants to talk to her after she has 'rested'. Koren lies through most of the discussion with her parents, and Koren's mother shares a wise word of advice, almost a commandment, "During times of booze, girls are responsible for nurturing one another", which is what Koren failed to do. With this first offense, Koren is only grounded for a week. Natalie feels viol.ated. She can't remember what happened the night before, but although she doesnt directly say it, it is implied that it is partially if not mostly Koren's fault. Koren even explains "I already know Natalie and I will stop seeing each other once we get home. I already know we will be like overs who have experienced something horrible together...We will have too many reasons not to look at eachother. There will be too much istory in the way." (81)


PG

pg 57 "But too me has always implied hedonism"
Guess: a way of living in the right direction
Definition: the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle

pg 68 "...divulge only the whites of her eyes"
Guess: showing
Defintion: unwrap; to make public

pg 69 "Together we move emphatically for the door."
Guess: boldly
Defintion: sudden and strong

pg 77 "These things aren't regaled but they are allowed"
Guess: considered good
Defintion: giving amusement to others