Unfiltered Story #260439

To make everything clearer for overseas readers, New Zealand has different license classes when driving. Learners, where you are “learning” and should have a full licensed driver in the car. Restricted, where you can drive yourself alone between specific hours of the day, no passengers unless a full license driver of two years is the passenger seat. Finally Full, where you can have passengers and you can drive all hours.
I am the only one of my friends with a Full license at this time, being of the younger age and having worked hard to get it as soon as possible.
As such, I am often the driver of the group. I don’t mind this usually. Except after this occasion.
One of my ‘friends’ (let’s call her T) had a birthday party planned. Big celebration, special venue, food and the works. She asked me to drive her and other friends to go to where we were going to get all dressed up before the party etc, to the venue and then home after the party. I agreed, cause she was my friend and also I was the only one who could drive, and it was convenient for everyone as I could drive a people mover (nine seater van) that my parents graciously allowed me to use for the night.

It started alright. We all had our nice dresses and headed to the place we were going to get ready. There was only the 6 of us at the time.
Only to find that the place was some poor woman’s apartment. T had actually planned a private special makeup and hair session all for herself via a voucher deal, but neglected to inform the lady that she was coming with a 5 people entourage.
The lady was amazing, and gave us all tea and let us get ourselves prepped in her living room though.
The hair and makeup took ages though. T was very fussy and got it redone multiple times.
The party and nibbles were scheduled to begin at 5:30 at the venue. Thankfully T’s family had gone in early to set up so these had been sorted. By 6, us girls were hungry, as we hadn’t eaten lunch (T said there would be snacks during the afternoon but clearly she was relying on the fact the makeup lady might provide). When we said a few of us would go to a local place to get munchies, it was like asking if we could chop off her fingers. Needless to say, we were asked to wait.
At about 6:20 we were ready to go. Oh but alas! There were two more people to pick up that were waiting!
When we finally were done with collecting the remaining party members and made our way in, the party had started. With travel time to location, given it was a busy weekend night and we had pickups, a usually short drive was about 45 minutes. We arrived shy of 7:15pm.
Well…. most of us. By the time the drop off was complete, other party members had taken all the easy access car parks. For those who have little experience with people movers, parallel parking can be a nightmare on city streets. After another 15 minutes of circulation and grace of the heavens for a father who emphasised the importance of the parallel park while I was learning to drive, I finally arrived closer to 7:45pm after a walk to the venue.
At which all party food had been consumed, as there had not been enough prepared. By now I was starving, but cake was close I was told as I entered the room. Just after a brief slideshow in dedication of T.
T had a slideshow prepared for sure. Of many photos of her life. Now I understand this, as it was an important birthday for her and it was a tradition to do a slideshow with music and your favourite song.
But what T could never comprehend was why people started talking amongst themselves and become rather bored by the time song number six started playing. She was very insulted and kept asking for silence.

I was grateful at one point to be able to sneak out long enough to a little local shop (like a mini grocer, we call them dairies) and buy a much needed snack boost that was a small bag of nuts. Best salted peanuts in the world!)

You would think that was the end of the night but no.
Following the party, and a few alcoholic beverages on the part of the other girls (sober driver, happy to admit!) seven of us, including T, piled in the people mover and decided to go out to a local beach which had a playground, fountain , aka a tipsy girls paradise. Plus there was a fast food place there that T was dying to go too (not that she had been stiffed the food at the party like the rest of us)
We got there and alas! Takeaway was closed. Well, the girls all still want fun on the playground and in the fountain, so why not stop at another location afterwards, as there were at least three in east driving distance.
Clearly this was too much for T, and she demanded right then and there that I drive everyone home.
Now her house was the first stop on the list from where we were. But, as it was her night and her say, she had me drive everyone else him first before returning to her house to drop off.

In hindsight, I wish I had been more assertive then than I am now. I was not used to conflict at the time, and trusted that people had reasons for their actions that were decent.
Nowadays, I’m very good for standing up for myself in any situation that is remotely like this.
Funnily enough, I don’t speak to T now. Wonder why?