Rafferty stared down at the cup in front of her. Inside was a swirling blue vortex. Small crackles of Blue lit up the liquid intermittently, and she wondered again if this was really safe to drink.

She looked up, and three expectant faces looked back at her. Rafferty hated her fair share of things, but being put on the spot by a group of people was near the very top.

"So…. what does it taste like?" she asked.

"You know how fickle the Blue is. It's different every time," said Brianna.

"Sometimes you get oranges, sometimes rotten meat," said Seth.

"But after the third one it's alllllll good," said Katrin, and the girls laughed.

Rafferty had headed straight up to her room when they got back. She intended to tell the rest of her Hall all about the mission, they wouldn't forgive her if she didn't, and then head downstairs for an actual debriefing.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Before she could do any of that, however, Katrin and the others were banging on her door. They insisted she had to join them in at least one celebratory drink. It was tradition. A bottle of whiskey was produced, as was a well worn steel cup.

Katrin had placed the cup upside down on Rafferty's little table. When she flipped it over, it sparkled with Blue. Rafferty regarded it with equal parts fascination and apprehension.

She also wondered why they were in her room, as opposed to being in B Hall, where, you know, they all lived. They seemed to like her record player. Katrin quipped that they were spending the night, but Rafferty had assumed that she was joking.

Rafferty looked down at the cup again. She'd had whiskey before, plenty of times, though she preferred the dark beer they brewed in Falls Rock. This, though, was something new.

If I don't they're just going to make fun of me all night.

She grabbed the cup, raised it to her lips, and drained it all in one go. She was nearly finished when she noticed Katrin's eyes go wide, and it occurred to her that maybe she was supposed to sip it.

It's sweet.

It was sweet, and delicious. It was also strong, and she felt the wave of sweetness spread through her body, all the way to her fingertips. She lost her balance, and stepped backwards, falling onto her butt.

"Damn," said Seth.

"Hardcore," said Brianna.

It was quiet for a moment, and then they were all laughing. Brianna offered her a high five, and Rafferty almost connected on the first try.

"Well?" Katrin asked.

"Sweet. Like sugar cookies," Rafferty said.

"It's gonna be a good night, girls!" Katrin exclaimed, earning whoops from the others.

The cup was refilled and passed around. Eventually it was offered back to Rafferty.

"More?" Katrin asked.

"Please," said Rafferty.