at started off normally, with no sign of the troubles I would face later that night.

As like any other day, my close friends and I were hanging out at our local pizza restaurant, when one of their phones buzzed about a party close by.

I knew some of my other friends would be there, so I immediately jumped at the chance to go.

I had never been to a real “high school party” before, and I wasn’t going to lose this opportunity to experience this age old ritual. I knew my friends would make fun of me if I refused, calling me a “goody goody.”

The party was at a house I had never been to, about 15 miles away in a wealthy neighborhood, so I felt uneasy in this unfamiliar territory.

As soon as I walked into the party, the stench of sweat and alcohol hit me. The house was trashed, with bottles and cups lining the floors. The first thing I thought of was how long this was going to take to clean up.

There were couples going upstairs, people passed out on the floor and sweaty people dancing everywhere.

I never knew people actually partied this much, and I knew that I was never going to do that to myself ever. What I didn’t know was how wrong I was.

As the music pounded people looked like they were having fun, laughing and dancing.

Seeing that, I decided, I needed to let it loose with my girls and not worry so much about being the “good girl” everyone branded me with. Soon after, a guy offered me a drink. I hesitated for a second. I knew there would be moral and physical consequences that I would have to deal with later on.

However, I wanted to fit in and be free, so I took the drink, a brown liquid. As soon as I took the first sip, I felt the first wave of unsteadiness. The taste was strong and disgusting, but I didn’t want to spit it back up.

Soon, I took another and another. For the rest of the party a filled cup was always in my hand.

I started hallucinating and unsure what was and wasn’t, and to this day, bits of my memory are still a bit faded on what I thought was real and what wasn’t.

All I know for sure was that I made out with more than one guy at the party.

Toward the end of the party, I ended up in the bathroom. Looking at the clock, I realized how late it was.

Next to the toilet, I began throwing up uncontrollably. I slammed against the bathroom wall and the realization hit me, with all my other friends drunk, I had no one to turn to.

I was all alone and helpless.

Afterwards, I got up and realized my wallet was missing, and in the drunken state, the only thing I could think of to do was to walk home.

I stumbled with every step, unsure where each of my steps were landing.

I wasn’t sure when I stopped walking because next thing I knew, my eyes were opening the sun was hitting my face. My head was lying on pavement and my head was ringing.

On the unfamiliar road, I was unsure where and who to turn to. My head was ringing, and the only thing I could think to do was call a friend.

For the rest of the day, I was miserable and unable to do basic functions, like do my homework or my chores.

The rest of my weekend was ruined, I continued to feel the effects of the alcohol, it was almost unbearable.

With that, I knew that I would never drink again. Even with all the “fun” I was supposedly having, I would never get to remember it.

It wasn’t like the movies, with laughing and hanging out with friends, but I was alone, and with no one to turn to.

All I could remember was the terrible migraines and the constant throwing up. Not only was I left with physical consequences, but I had to deal with the moral ones as well.

As soon as my mom found out, she grounded me for a month and I felt the disappointment in the weight of her words. Drinking left me with terrible repercussions to deal with.

Even with people saying it’s fun and makes you a teenager, it is not worth the pain and embarrassment you feel the night after.

I’m glad that I was able to experience it to teach me a strong lesson in what drinking really does to you, but I’m here to say that the hype around it isn’t what it’s made out to be.

Drinking is not the only way to “let loose” and have fun.

People may make fun of me and tell me I’m uptight, but I know know first hand that my first night drinking was not worth it.

I should have let that night stay a normal and typical night.