Jenn was late, of course, even though meeting for happy hour had been her idea, so I ordered a Patrón margarita—rocks and salt—and read negative movie reviews on my phone while I waited. I hadn't seen her since the funeral, and my first thought when she finally drifted into Taco Tonto was that she hadn't washed her hair since then, but that it looked pretty cool. My second thought was that she had new sunglasses. I told her they were cute as we hugged hello.

"So, what's up?" I asked. "How are you?"

Jenn heaved a sigh and looked over her shoulder for the server. "Not much. I'm okay."

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, after she had a drink in front of her.

"Uh-huh. Why?" she said, stirring the ice with a straw.

"I don't know, you just look kind of… stressed."

"I guess I am. I just keep thinking about Younes and it's bumming me out."

"Younes is your trainer?"

"He's Kourtney's ex. Duh."

Jenn talked about the Kardashians like she knew them.

"But your trainer's name is something like that too, right?"

"My trainer's name is Greg."

"Oh. So, why are you bummed out about Younes?" I asked.

"I just think he's in like, a really bad place right now, y'know? I saw this picture of him on TMZ this morning, getting into a Ford Explorer in West Hollywood, and he just looked—I don't mean this in a mean way, but like—really pathetic. I mean, last month he was driving a Bentley, and now…" Jenn dug a mint-green pill out of her purse and swallowed it with a gulp of margarita, "…it's like nobody cares about him anymore, except to make fun of him. It's not fair. Kourtney keeps saying he cheated on her in Mexico but he and Jordan are just friends. He explained that."

"Okay, okay. Chill," I said. "I had no idea y'all were so close."

"Very funny," said Jenn, slouching in a huff. "I just think it's sad. That's all I'm saying."

She seemed serious but it was hard to tell because she was still wearing her sunglasses. Trying to reset the vibe, I told her about my job at H&M and the girl who got promoted to manager over me, "even though I've worked there almost a year longer than her."

By the way Jenn was picking at the salt on the rim of her glass, I could tell she wasn't interested in my non-story, and, truth be told, neither was I, but I just kept talking because "catching up" (with each other, not the Kardashians) had been the whole point of getting together.

"She didn't even thank me when I covered her shift two weeks ago because it was her and her boyfriend's two-month anniversary. I mean, who asks off for a two-month anniversary? But, whatever. I don't really care." I finished my drink. "It's just business, right?"

Jenn didn't hear me. She was rooting through her purse again. This time she came up with a pale orange football-shaped pill and took it. I signaled for another round.

"They've had their problems in the past," Jenn's voice was small and quavering, "but like, how could she be so… fucking heartless?"

At first, I thought she was making fun of me about the girl who got promoted over me, and her boyfriend. But then it dawned on me.

"Wait. Are you still talking about Kourtney and Younes?"

"Nothing lasts," Jenn said. "Everything turns to shit. It doesn't matter how much you love somebody or how hard you try. Nothing matters."

A tear rolled out from behind her shades, streaking her cheek with mascara, and landed in her drink.

"Ohmigod. Calm down," I said, handing her a cocktail napkin. "A Ford Explorer isn't even that bad of a car. My brother had one in high school. Remember he—?"

"That's not what I'm talking about," Jenn said.

I knew it wasn't.

Before happy hour was over, Jenn took two more pills—baby blue ones. Staggering like a zombie out to her car, she dropped her keys twice but insisted she was fine to drive.

2018 was a big year. By Christmastime, the girl who got promoted over me at H&M had broken up with her boyfriend and gotten fired for stealing, and Jenn's trainer went to jail for trying to rape his twelve-year-old cousin. I haven't spoken to her—Jenn—since happy hour that day because a week later, she went off the deep end again and had to move back in with her parents. Then, Taco Tonto closed and a frozen yogurt shop that is really awesome opened in its place. Whenever I drive past it, I hear Jenn saying, "Nothing lasts. Everything turns to shit," and think how she was right, but only half right.