IMO you don't have to tell anything you don't want to, but pretending and being willfully dishonest by making up stories is not going to help you in the long run. You can not drink and still keep your integrity intact. Just don't drink...or like Scott said, don't go if it's too stressful for you right now. I did avoid alcoholic events for the first couple of months of sobriety because I didn't have a good reason to put myself in that position. I'm not saying you *should* do that, just that you have the option as an adult with choices.