We all remember the good ol’ days in high school where just entering a Grade 11 classroom opened you to the vast opportunities of meeting new friends. Whether seated next to them in class or assigned to a group project together, there was always the possibility of meeting a new peer. Even after-school extracurriculars like dance or soccer allowed you to meet various individuals who enjoyed the same hobbies as you.

When Cera and I were girls, not too long ago, there was a small clearing in the forest that secluded our middle school. Our friendship began with the first ribbed stump in that little forest. Here, in Monarchia (as we called it), we were fairies with the wings of monarch butterflies, dining at a polished table of the sturdiest wood. It soon became the last one standing.

Whether you’re at a club, bar, party, or special work event, alcohol consumption has always been a shared activity amongst high school and college students, family and co-workers. Alcohol is so normalized during social events that when someone declines to drink, they are often judged, met with sideways glances, and pressured to drink despite saying no.