Nitin sat on a fallen pine log at the outskirts of the tailgate, taking a break from his epic but so far fruitless search for his ex babysitter. From this vantage the mind altering smog that hung over the throng obscured everything making it impossible to find anyone. It also had made Nitin lightheaded, so he ditched Reed and Charlezz for some fresh air. He poured his Coke Moshe onto the carpet of pine needles and recommitted to his plan. He slipped the blue envelope from his back pocket and fondled it. He computed every possible iteration of what could happen tonight. He prayed it would be the version where the babysitter had also written him a love letter confessing her undying love and in this mutual cosmic kismet they commit to getting married once they were both done college. He wasn't betting on this possible reality though.

The worst outcome he computed, and he computed many, would be the one where she'd laugh in his face, then pants him in front of everyone and laugh at his weiner. This was also not likely. Not the babysitter's style. Nitin also had to consider that she might not remember him at all. He might have just been one of countless kids she had babysat to line her pockets with dollars and they may have all merged together in one cognitive kid blob. Or the absolute nightmare scenario that Nitin had to admit was likely is that she hadn't shown up to the party at all and he'd be left with a lifetime of what-ifs.

Nitin was so immersed in these speculations that he hadn't realized that he was no longer alone, until a voice drew him out of his contemplations.

"Love letter?"

Nitin was surprised to find an eighteen year old with a moustache sitting beside him. Nitin admitted to this stranger that it was in fact a love letter.

The guy dropped his face into his hands and shook his head, "Damn. I should have written a letter."

Nitin arched his eyebrow, unsure if he was being mocked, "You're confessing your love tonight too?"

Moustache looked up from his hands with a love lorn expression and Nitin could tell at once that this was a kindred spirit. Another romantic.

"Jinny Kim," Moustache sighed, "She's been my debate partner since sophomore year. She's brilliant and beautiful and..." His head collapsed back into his hands.

Nitin nudged over a bum-sit closer, "And?"

"And she's going to Brown and I'm going to Santa Barbara," He started to beat himself up. "I can debate with her about anything, but could I just tell her I like her? No! Do you know how many late nights we had in my room prepping and I never once pulled a move? GAWD!"

"Well you have tonight." Nitin comforted.

"You're right," He chilled, "and so do you it seems. What are the chances?"

Nitin looked up and could see the aligned planets in a part in the haze, "the syzygy." He whispered to himself.

"I'm Glen by the way." He offered his hand and Nitin shook it.

Nitin liked Glen and his cool moustache at once. He felt a tang of regret that Glen was graduating because he just met his first friend in high school. Another ship passing in the night.

"I'm going to tell her tonight no matter what!" Glen said, resting his chin on his fists now, "You nervous? Because I'm nervous."

"Terrified if I'm being honest." Nitin admitted.

"You know, a little liquid courage never hurt anyone."

Nitin leaned back, intrigued, but unsure. He confessed that he was going to keep a clear head tonight, but Glen laughed and said, "It's good get a little loose sometimes. It brings out a more," he took a moment to search for the right words and found, "...truth."

Nitin thought Glen was making a lot of sense. He was older and his moustache proved he was cooler too.

"You really think it's a good idea?"

"Obvs, Nitin, we're brothers here. Same quest. I got your back."

"Okay!"

"Yeah?" Glen said with happy surprise!

"Yeah! I guess one drink won't..." but before Nitin could say hurt Glen injected a hypodermic needle into his deltoid.

The sting should have made Nitin jump away, but he he was too stunned. He only watched with bulging eyes as Glen pushed the injector all the way down.

"What the fuck, Glen!? What the fuck!?" Now that the damage was done, Nitin found the wherewithal to leap away.

"Whoa fella. Whoa! You have to calm down."

"You injected me!"

"Nitin, really, you have to chill right now, you definitely do not want to jump head first into a bad DMT trip."

"What!? I thought liquid courage is like alcohol."

"Alcohol?! No man, that's the old meaning of it. Like how gay used to mean happy. It means intramuscular DMT now."

Nitin had never been more frightened in his life. His heart pounded so hard that he worried it would jail break out of his rib cage. He had never done even a single drug before. He hadn't even been drunk. That was always Reed's thing. And now, his first time doing a drug and it was a needle drug that was an acronym. DMT. What did it stand for? Acronym drugs were the worst kind of drugs, "What does it do!? What does it do!?"

"Nitin you have to calm down or you could lose your mind."

"Just tell me what the fuck it does to me!" Nitin screamed in an uncontrolled panic.

But just as Glen was about to explain, a rapturous cheer tidal waved across the crowd as the front gates to the Bailey Estate swung open.

Nitin saw the wave of sound ripple the air around him. The whole world was a pond of ripples. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

The potent hallucinogen took hold. The ripples rippled through him and stirred up his brain.

"You're going to do fine," Glen brushed his moustache with a pocket comb. Glen slapped his knees, sending a thunder of ripples through reality, "She's definitely going to blow you tonight! I know it! Well, wish me luck too!"

Glen pulled out another needle and injected it into his neck.

Then he turned to Nitin, stone serious and said, "Remember, if you're freaking out it will only get worse unless..."

But Nitin couldn't hear the important part. Glen's words were marbles in jelly. But Nitin had to know how to save his sanity, "What should I do if I freak out!? What!?"He wasn't sure if he screaming or just thinking it. Was there a difference anymore?

The trees got drippy. Colourful radiation glowed from the haze over the tailgate. It looked like a swarm of beetles in grey cotton candy. Nitin knew he had to flee. His quest for the babysitter was over. His new quest was to get himself to a hospital A.S.A-fucking-P.

As Nitin stood to run to the closest E.R, a river of costumed revellers flowed down the driveway towards the front gates and Nitin got swept up in the current. He spastically shot his head left to right. Had everyone's eyes always been that small? He couldn't fight against it. And in wide eyed horror, muttering Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck, he resigned to the hellish circus insanity the swept him deeper towards the party.