Miss Spencer put her hand up to her mouth and stumbled toward the bathroom. Through the door, Hayden and Calli could hear her retching.

"Let"s get out of here." Calli guzzled half her beer.

"We can"t just leave her like this. What if she pa.s.ses out or something?" Hayden said. "Let"s just wait a few minutes to make sure she"s okay."

Calli rolled her eyes. She sat back down and took a few more swigs of beer.

Several minutes pa.s.sed, and Miss Spencer still hadn"t come out of the bathroom.

"Do you think she"s all right?" Hayden asked.

Calli peeled the label off her beer bottle. "She"s a big girl, Hay, I think she can take care of herself."

"I"m going to go in and check on her."

Calli sat back in her chair. "Knock yourself out, Florence Nightingale."

Hayden gingerly pushed open the bathroom door. "Miss Spencer, are you okay?" She found her sitting on the filthy floor, her head resting on the single commode. The room reeked of vomit and alcohol.

Hayden walked toward her. "Miss Spencer, is there someone I can call for you to take you home?"

Miss Spencer lifted her head and looked at Hayden. Her face crumpled, and she started to cry.

Hayden knelt next to her and gently pushed her hair out of her face. Miss Spencer"s face was tear-stained through her makeup. Hayden reached up and flushed the toilet to get rid of the stench. Miss Spencer retched again, but only tendrils of stringy mucus came up.

"Oh, Hayden. I"m so ashamed. I can"t seem to do anything right anymore." She sat up straighter as though trying to reclaim some dignity.

Hayden stood and went over to the sink. She wet a couple of paper towels and handed them to Miss Spencer. "Here, maybe this will help you feel better."

Miss Spencer took the towels and wiped her mouth and face.

Hayden crouched down next to her. "How are you doing?" Hayden asked.

"Better." She tried to stand but grabbed her stomach and sat down again.

Hayden looked around the dirty bathroom. Graffiti and phone numbers with lurid suggestions littered the walls. Just above Miss Spencer"s head was a drawing of a p.e.n.i.s with hairy t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es and outstretched cartoonish arms chasing another p.e.n.i.s that apparently didn"t want to get caught. Used paper towels and something yellow and rubbery had been tossed on the floor behind the toilet. Just being in here gave Hayden the w.i.l.l.i.e.s.

"We"ve got to get you out of here," she said. "Do you think you can walk?"

Miss Spencer stood but wobbled. She grasped the toilet paper dispenser and held on for dear life. She collapsed against the tiled wall when it came off in her hand.

"Wait here. I"m going to get Calli to help us." Hayden left the bathroom in search of Calli.

"Come on, I need your help. I"ve got to get her out of here and take her home. She can"t even stand up. Will you help me?"

"I suppose." Calli downed the last of her beer and followed Hayden into the bathroom.

"Pew, it reeks in here," Calli said as she swung the door open. Hayden flashed her a look that said, "Shut up." Each girl took a side as they draped Miss Spencer"s arms over their shoulders for support and successfully walked her out of the bathroom. They continued through the crowded bar and into the fresh air of the parking lot.

"Aw, that feels so good," Miss Spencer said as the cool night air hit her face.

"Now what?" Calli asked, turning to Hayden.

"Well, she can"t drive in this condition. We"ve got to take her home," Hayden whispered.

"Great." Calli looked annoyed. She turned toward the bar"s entrance as if she were expecting someone she knew to walk through.

"Miss Spencer, I don"t think you should be driving. Tell me where you live, and we"ll take you home."

All of a sudden, tears welled in Miss Spencer"s eyes. She started to cry again, and sobs shook her body.

Hayden looked over at Calli, who rolled her eyes.

"Miss Spencer, can you tell me where you live?" Calli shouted as if Miss Spencer were deaf and not drunk.

"I"m staying at the Holiday Inn on Route 832."

"Okay, I think I know where that is. It"s pretty close to Waldameer, right?"

Miss Spencer nodded as Hayden and Calli balanced her between them and walked her to their car. Hayden unlocked the Civic, and she and Calli helped her into the tiny backseat. Miss Spencer lay down and tucked her long legs underneath her to fit inside.

"What about her car?" Calli asked.

Hayden thought for a moment. "I hate to leave it here. What if someone breaks into it or steals it or something?"

Calli"s face split into a wide grin. "I"d be happy to drive it home for her. All I need is her keys."

Hayden turned around to ask Miss Spencer for the keys. "She"s out cold."

Calli climbed into the backseat of the Civic and gave Miss Spencer a pat-down that would have made any TSA agent proud. "Got "em." Calli pulled the keys from Miss Spencer"s front pocket.

Hayden watched Calli sprint across the parking lot to the Mustang. She shook her head when she heard the engine rev. She turned back to check on Miss Spencer again, then headed toward the Holiday Inn.

Hayden drove into the night as a million thoughts ran through her head. The one that stuck with her most was, what could have been so terrible that Miss Spencer would drink herself into a stupor?

Hayden saw the yellow-and-green-lighted sign and turned into the lot. She drove around the front of the hotel and parked under the lighted canopy. The many miniature light bulbs in the ceiling reminded Hayden of the pictures she saw in Life magazine of Broadway in New York City.

Hayden checked her rearview mirror and was relieved when she saw Calli was still behind her. It wouldn"t surprise her one bit if Calli took off for a joyride in that cool car. A tiny bit of envy pinged in Hayden"s heart.

While Calli parked, Hayden reached back and tried to wake up Miss Spencer. "Miss Spencer...Miss Spencer...we"re here...wake up."

Calli opened the pa.s.senger side door. "Jesus, she"s still out."

"I know." Hayden looked toward the hotel entrance, gauging how far it was and if she and Calli could carry Miss Spencer there.

"What are you gonna do now?"

"We can"t just leave her in the parking lot. I"m going to have to take her inside. I might need your help. Then once we get her in her room, we can leave."

Calli glanced toward the backseat. "I hope her room"s on the first floor."

"Yeah, me too."

"Well, let"s do this." Calli looked at Hayden.

Hayden reached into the backseat and touched Miss Spencer"s arm in one last attempt to wake her. "Miss Spencer...Miss Spencer...wake up."

She didn"t move.

"c.r.a.p." Hayden opened the car door and got out. Before she turned around, Calli had pushed the front seat forward and practically got into the backseat. "Miss Spencer!" Calli shook her former teacher by the shoulder. "Miss Spencer, wake up!"

Miss Spencer stirred. She half opened her eyes, then closed them again.

"Miss Spencer!" Calli was now shouting.

"What?" Miss Spencer sat up with a start and smacked her head on the roof of the car. She rubbed her head where she hit it and looked around. Her hair was a tousled, snarled mess. She startled when she saw Hayden and Calli looking at her. "Where am I?"

"We"ve brought you back to your hotel. I didn"t think you should be driving," Hayden said.

Miss Spencer looked around, squinting. The bright lights appeared to hurt her eyes. By the look on her face, it was coming back to her. That was when the tears started anew.

"Oh, for Christ"s sake," Calli said. "Here we go again."

"Calli, you"re not helping."

"Well, I don"t want to be stuck with her all frickin" night."

Hayden ignored Calli"s comment. "Miss Spencer, we"ve got to get you out of the car. Do you think you can stand?"

She looked blankly at Hayden as tears streamed down her face.

Hayden looked up at Calli, who shrugged. She opened the glove box and pulled out a couple of fast food napkins. She handed them to Hayden, who pa.s.sed them on to Miss Spencer.

Miss Spencer blubbered something inaudible about "you girls" as she swiped at her eyes. A few minutes later, she took a deep breath and struggled to get out of the cramped backseat. When she got herself free, she stood on the asphalt on wobbly legs.

Miss Spencer took another deep breath. "Okay...I"ll be okay. You girls go on home now, it must be late. "

"Are you sure you"re all right?" Hayden asked.

Calli shot her a look. "She"s fine, let her go."

Miss Spencer placed her hand on the hood of the car and steadied herself. "Yes, I"m fine."

Hayden and Calli leaned against the car as they watched Miss Spencer walk away, trying to maneuver from the parking lot to the hotel. She looked like a pinball bouncing from car to car to steady herself, and she crisscrossed the parking lot trying to find the hotel entrance.

"Hayden, you better go get her," Calli said. "She totally missed the front entrance and is about to let herself into the valet parking booth."

"I"m on it." Hayden sprinted to the rescue. She took Miss Spencer by the hand and walked her back to the car.

"Wait here while I take her to her room," Hayden said.

Calli let out a sigh. "I don"t know about you, but I"m done here."

"What do you mean you"re done? Can"t you wait five more minutes until I get her to her room?"

"This is bulls.h.i.t. I want to have a good time and not babysit someone who can"t hold their liquor."

"Jesus, Calli, after all the c.r.a.p you"ve put me through, the least you can do is wait for me."

Calli pushed off the car and started walking toward the road.

"Where are you going?"

"Don"t wait up."

"But...how are you going to get home?"

"Don"t worry, I"ll find a way."

Hayden couldn"t believe Calli would just take off and leave her here. Not only did she still have Miss Spencer to deal with, now she had to worry about something happening to Calli. And what if something terrible happened to Calli? She didn"t know anyone in Erie.

Hayden"s head throbbed. She was exhausted by all the drama, but she still had Miss Spencer to contend with. She looked over and found her sitting on the curb next to the Civic, holding her head in her hands. Her blond hair spilled into her lap.

Hayden took her by the arm. "Come on, Miss Spencer, let"s get you inside. Can you tell me your room number?"

Miss Spencer stuffed her hand into the front of her jeans and pulled out a dark green key ring with the number 223 printed in white. She handed it to Hayden.

Hayden tugged her upright by both arms, and they slowly made their way into the hotel and through the brightly lit lobby.

"Do you know where your room is?"

"It"s on the second floor. I think the elevator is over there around the corner."

The night clerk watched as the two women made their way to the elevator. Hayden prayed that he wouldn"t stop them or, worse yet, try to help them. She was totally embarra.s.sed as it was without having to explain the situation to a total stranger.

They made it to the elevator, and thankfully, no one was there when they got on. Hayden pressed the b.u.t.ton for the second floor. As the elevator lifted, Miss Spencer covered her mouth with her hand.

"You doing okay?"

She nodded, but Hayden sensed she was lying. The elevator doors slid open, depositing them onto the second floor. Hayden found Room 223 and opened the door. Hayden walked in and flipped on the light. She was taken aback by what she saw. Either the Holiday Inn maid service was on strike or Miss Spencer wasn"t into keeping a tidy room. It looked like a bomb went off in there. Two large suitcases sat on the floor in front of a metal TV stand. Clothes were strewn on the floor, the chairs, and the air conditioner unit. Fast food restaurant bags and mismatched shoes littered the floor. In the middle of the round wooden table that was present in every Holiday Inn sat a red leather makeup case the size of a microwave oven. Most of its contents-eye shadow, lipstick tubes, and an a.s.sortment of lotions and creams-spilled over onto the tabletop. One of the two double beds was unmade; the sheets bunched up in the middle made it look like someone was hiding under there.

Miss Spencer walked over and collapsed onto the unmade bed. A few seconds later, she bolted upright.

"What"s wrong?" Hayden asked again.

"I think I"m going to be sick." Miss Spencer tried to stand, but she plopped back down. She lay back and draped her arm across her eyes. Hayden picked up a plastic wastebasket and brought it over to the bed. By the looks of things, there was no way Miss Spencer was going to make it to the bathroom in time.