Go Ask Alice

Upon Alice’s arrival at her grandparents’ house, life proves dull for her. She spends most of her time reading, finishing a book every day. Her old friends are busy, and Alice feels lonely again. However, she runs into Jill Peters, an acquaintance from her old school, who invites Alice to a party. Jill runs with the popular crowd, and Alice jumps at the opportunity to make friends with her.

Alice tries to dress nicely and curl her hair for the party. She finds Jill’s friends relaxed and welcoming, as if Alice had always been a part of their friend group. Jill brings out a tray with Coca-Cola bottles, announcing a game of “Button button, who’s got the button” (26). Ten of the fourteen are laced with LSD, though Alice is unaware of this when she selects her bottle. She hallucinates for several hours, experiencing sensory distortion (like tasting colors and seeing sounds), euphoria, and different worldviews. She has trouble communicating with the other partygoers as she attempts to describe her experience. As the LSD wears off, Jill takes Alice home and ensures that she’s safely in bed. While Alice enjoyed the experience, she doesn’t plan to use drugs again.