First Taste & First Waste

In first two chapters, consisting of 53 pages, Koren (14 years old) begins describing her first drink, and her relationship with whom she is sharing it with; Natalie Burke. It is in this first chapter that pieces of Koren are revealed that show what kind of person she is. She is a follower. She is someone who seems uncomfortable in her own skin, yet follows others to give herself some dignity. She follows Natalie around, believing in her friend's confidence, which may or may not be a false face. Natalie is the adventerous one, and of course, the one who introduces her to alcohol. It is clear that this is not something Koren would have done on her own, but she seems to have decided that it is good to have her first drink with her best friend. She is among someone she trusts, and she wants to know that the person she drinks with "won't laugh if she advertendtly reveals all of" (Zailckas 9) her secrets and deep thoughts.
Once the deed as been done, they fill Nantucket Nectar bottles with the Southern Comfort, and they head on to a birthday party. At the party, Koren reveals her secret drink to some of the girls, and soon every girl at the party knows. I assume she feels as powerful as Natalie did; having the opportunity to give someone their first drink.
Alcohol seems to make Koren comfortable. She is not drunk, but she is comfortable. She is not shy, and she even flirst a little bit with a boy she probably would never have talked to. She was at ease, and had a feel of confidence within her.

In the second Chapter, Koren begins explaining her boring life, and how her mom seems to make her do everything that she couldnt do herself as a child; ballet, piano lessons, CCD,- the whole time Koren wishing she could have her summer to herself, having nothing to do, eating poptarts and watching tv. Natalie transfered schools and promises that her and Koren will get drunk offically during christmas vacation, but Koren doesnt think she can wait to. It appears that being drunk and just the excitment of drinking has occupied her mind.
She is still concerned with the fact that her mom wants her to be someone she isn't. Koren barely talks to people in school, and is considered "well mannered, coreous, and attentive," pg 33. In other words, Koren is boring when it comes to her social life. Soon she becomes friends with a girl named Billie, who seems to be rather strange but in a comforting way to Koren because Billie's life is so unconventional compared to her own.

Soon enough they drink together on halloween, and Koren finally gets drunk. She explains in like "all my worries fall over and die like canaries in a mine shaft." (45, and once again, she is at ease with herself. However, she makes the mistake of telling one of her penpals, who is very upset about it, and doesnt even want to write to her anymore; Koren is a little taken back by what she says but wants to believe nothing bad will happen to her, so she goes on with her life, being exhilirated by breaking the rules.


PG-

pg 28- "In grade school i begged for ballet slippers and jodhpurs."
Guess: special kind of shoes used to another type of dance
Definition:tight-fitting trousers that reach to the ankle, where they end in a snug cuff, and are worn primarily for horseback riding.

pg 28 "At fourteen I long for unmitigated free time to spend my summers like normal kids do."
Guess: something with no obligations
Definition: Without qualification or exception; absolute

pg 32 "She puts on a quiet face of bemusement and I can imagine her thinking..."
Guess: confusion
Definition:deeply thoughtful; preoccupied; perplexed and bewildered

pg 37 "At Watsons, they meet men in droves."
Guess: groups
Defintion: in great numbers

pg 43 "They;ll probably assume we're conduction a séance"
Guess: ceremony
Definition: an attempt to communicate with spirits

pg 46 "Everyone is talking at once, bruiting irrelevant stories."
Guess: speaking in a certain way
Definition: to echo; to spread or disseminate a rumour