Originally Posted by
behindblueyes 
... she wants everyone at her favorite bar. No excuses...
I don't make excuses, I don't lie.
I say no thanks and I don't have to explain myself. If they insist on knowing why, I give the the vague, "I have other plans."
If you feel compelled to tell a fib, for whatever reasons, in order to come up with a justified excuse--that's fine. At least you didn't go. But I hope you gain the strength to look after your own sobriety and understand NO is a complete sentence.