Her Name Was April

Chapter 4: The Party

*Friday Night*
"Well here we go.", thought Jasper.
He got out of his car and grabbed the 6 pack of Mike's Hard Lemonade out of the trunk. He laughed of the thought of it...lemonade and alcohol. Who wanted the fake stuff, when Xander would have cases of the real stuff.
"Shit. I'll drink it, that's why I got it right?", Jasper whispered to him self, and chuckled.
"Who the hell are you talking to?"
Jasper turned around to see a brunette girl in black skinny jeans, and a white Of Mice & Men shirt.
"My self I guess", he laughed nervously.
"Is that...," she sighed then continued, "yeah you'll be drinking that all by yourself. I brought Absolut"
"Absolut?"
"It's vodka honey."
"Oh, well may I ask who you are?"
"My name is Aliss."
"Aliss Cartner?"
"In the flesh, and you're Jasper White."
"Yeah everyone knows who I am now apparently."
"Well you're friends with Xander, everyone knows who he is."
"Ahh yeah true true."
"I guess I'll see you inside."
Jasper nodded, then threw the 6 pack back in his trunk. He'd rather not embarrass himself with the fake alcohol. He walked up to Xander's house, opened without knocking, and walked inside.
"Aye it's Jasp!", shouted Xander, who just by looking at him, you could tell he had already had a couple drinks.
"Yeah bro, where can I get a beer?", replied Jasper.
"In the kitchen dude," Xander walked past a bunch of people, stumbled a bit, stood in front of Jasper and continued, "follow me."
They walked towards the kitchen, just to see that it was packed with people too. People were drinking and making out everywhere. But there was no music. Wasn't there always loud music in the movies? Xander grabbed a beer of the counter and poured it into a red solo cup.
"Here bitch.", said Xander as he handed it to Jasper.
"Dude where's the music?"
"DJ isn't here yet, he should be here soon."
"You got a DJ?"
"Hell yeah bro, fuck, it's not a party with out Harrison Young D Jaying for us!"
"Harrison Young? The white ginger with dreads?"
"That would be him."
"Wow, I didn't know he could DJ"
"Yeah dude,", Xander took a gulp of whatever he had in his cup, then looked over at Jasper and continued, "Here's the plan, once everyone gets here, we gotta get you a girl to talk to. You seem miserable."
"Nah bro I'm good. One step at a time, this is my first party.", Jasper looked around. He saw a bunch crazy people doing a bunch crazy things. Like: drinking and jumping around, practically spilling there alcohol. Making out in closets, in the kitchen, on the couch, outside, everywhere. People where taking pictures and laughing. Jasper couldn't believe that this whole time, he had been missing out on this. Then he remembered, where's April?
"Yo where is April?"
"Should be here soon with Drake."
"Knowing her, I thought she'd be early."
"Nah, not with Drake. He's a little...you know...controlling. He probably wanted to stop someone and do something"
"Controlling?"
"Yeah like, everything done his way, when he says so"
"Oh.. He's one of those guys."
"Yeah he's a piece of shit, but she loves him so, don't say anything."
"Alright, well Imma sit down."
Jasper sat down on a stool, and Xander left. He then heard him yell at a couple heading upstairs about staying out of his parents bedroom, because they'd notice. Jasper was a little slow but he eventually realized they were gonna have a little "fun".
It made him laugh. Wasn't that supposed to be a special thing? Not just something you do because you're drunk and wanna have fun?
Yet somehow it made him think of April. If she wasn't with Drake, would he make a move like that? No probably not.
"One step at a time..." He remembered himself saying.
Step 1: Wait for Juliet.
He laughed, here he was too. Waiting for her to show up, but with Drake. Was he really a piece of shit, or was the buzz getting Xander to over exaggerate?
"I guess I'll find out won't I?", He thought to himself.
He finished his drink and went to fill it up.
"Here try some Absolut, it'll burn a bit, but once you get use to it you'll be fine.", said a voice from behind.
He turned around and there she was again. Aliss.
"Alright, full up my cup."
And she did. A smirk fell upon her face, as if preparing to laugh when he drank it.
"Well....drink!"
He took a sip, and it burned so bad. He curled his lip. It burned his throat. He coughed.
"Hahaha, told you!"
"Shit burns like hell", Jasper replied in between coughs.
"Alright well I'll see you later wuss, keep drinking."
She walked off, and Jasper made his way to the door. He got a sudden urge for his fake lemonade alcohol. But when he reached the door...she opened the door.
His April Clark. Well....Drake's April Clark. He stood beside her, in blue jeans and a North Fairview jacket.
Jasper looked at April, and that's when he noticed the bruise on her arm. He felt the blood rush to his ears, he felt hot. His face turned red, and the alcohol in his system made it worse.
But Drake moved past him and shouted,
"WOO! Where's the beer bitches?"
Jasper looked at April in the eyes. Her mascara was wet, and running down her cheeks. She had been crying.
"Hi Jasper, enjoying the party?"
He looked at her, and wondered what had happened. He ignored her question and asked her,
"What happens to your arm?"
"Oh this," she looked at her arm, and pulled her shirt sleeve down, "it's nothing, Drake just picked me up too hard when he picked me up from my house."
Jasper didn't seem convinced.
"He's a sweetheart you know."
"I bet," He looked back and saw Drake drinking the Absolut straight from the bottle and talking to some other guys, "Andrea was right, he does like to drink and kick it."
"Yeah he does."
Jasper looked at her, raised an eyebrow. Then pointed to her arm and eyes.
"Maybe he likes to kick it a little too hard?"
Her eyes teared up, and she pulled him outside.
"YOU CANT TELL ANYONE!"
She wasn't mad, she seemed frightened. She hugged Jasper, and cried in his shoulder.
That's when Jasper knew, that he had a greater chance than he thought.
Drake was an abuser. Like in the movies. The "good guy" in the romance movies always helps the girl stand up to the "bad one", and then he gets the girl.
"Screw step one.", Jasper thought, "Step 2: Make her realize that she deserves better."
She let go. Wiped her eyes with her shirt, then smiled sheepishly.
"Let's go inside."