At the party, she drinks a sort of punch called “hairy buffalo” which has bits of fruit and a lot of liquor in it. She quotes John Donne at some point, though she knows no one is interested in what he had to say 400 years ago. She asks if anyone has heard of a recent author she likes, but she knew no one would have. Some people talk about Bright Eyes. She sort of likes Bright Eyes, but so does everyone who's been a teenager, so she doesn't think much of it.

All night, she feels as if every conversation is a sort of fight with the other person, where she is trying to defeat them with louder and more interesting words.

She has a mixed win-loss record, she thinks.