QUOTE : Okay, try this, ma’am,” Januscheitis said, setting down a shot glass with a clear liquid in it.<br /><br />“What is this?” Faith said. She sniffed it and her nose wrinkled. “Seriously? A Marine has to drink?”<br /><br />“Not has to, ma’am,” Januscheitis said. “Just interested. And it’s chilled vodka. Try it.”<br /><br />Faith tossed back the drink as the assembled group watched with sneaky smiles.<br /><br />“Okay, that’s not bad,” Faith said, shrugging.<br /><br />“No reaction at all?” Paula said, looking shocked. “No coughing? No choking?”<br /><br />“Was there supposed to be one?” Faith asked. She picked up the bottle, poured another shot and tossed it back. “There, happy?”<br /><br />“Try this one… ” Sophia said, carefully, sliding across a shot of dark liquor.<br /><br />“Ick,” Faith said. “That’s not so good. What was it?”<br /><br />“Twenty-five-year-old Strathsclyde,” Sophia said.<br /><br />“Which is?” Faith asked.<br /><br />“Scotch, ma’am,” Januscheitis said. “Good scotch.”<br /><br />“Tastes like piss,” Faith said. “Not that I’ve ever drunk piss. Okay, what else you got?”<br />Thirty minutes later there were a dozen bottles on the table and Faith had had at least one shot from each.<br /><br />“Okay, rum’s pretty good,” she said, smacking her lips. “Not as good as Razzleberry tea but not bad.”<br /><br />“She’s not even slightly drunk?” Derek slurred. He was, for sure.<br /><br />“Isn’t it supposed to be doing something by now?” Faith asked, taking another shot of 151.<br />“I mean, I’d just finished seventh grade,” Faith said. “I’ve been to, like, two school dances! I’m never going to get to go to prom… ” She took another drink and frowned. “That sucks. That’s one of the reasons I hate fucking zombies. I’m never going to get to go to prom.”<br /><br />“Marine corps ball, ma’am,” Januscheitis said. He’d stopped drinking when the LT started to get shit-faced. Which had taken enough straight booze to drown a Force Recon platoon. “Way better than prom.”<br /><br />“Really?” Faith said.<br /><br />“Really,” Derek said. “Marine Corps ball is like prom for Marines.”<br /><br />“Christ, it’s coming up, isn’t it?” Januscheitis said. “Time’s sort of gotten to be one of those things you forget.”<br /><br />“We gonna have one?” Derek said.<br /><br />“Bet you,” Januscheitis said. “Gunny will insist. Probably use the Alpha or the Money.”<br /><br />“That’d be cool,” Derek said, grinning. “Use the Alpha. Marine Corps ball on a megayacht captured from zombies? I can dig that. Besides it’s more trashed out. You know how ball gets… ”<br /><br />“Semper fucking Fi,” Faith said. “I get to go to prom.”<br /><br />“We’ll make sure of it, ma’am,” Januscheitis said.<br /><br />“Great!” Faith slurred. “So why do I gotta puke?