Before Forever

Fifteen year old Jasper combed his hair, spiking it up near the front. He had to look his best; this would be his first real party.

He was overly excited at the prospect of being able to make all of his own decisions; what to drink, where to go, who to talk to... It was a breath of fresh air. Moving to Ontario had been a fresh start for him, and he was determined to make the most of it.

Jasper studied his outfit in the mirror. Red and orange plaid shirt, dark skinny jeans and Nikes. Perfect. After spraying himself with a light spray of his favourite cologne, he made his way down the hallway.

"Oh, Jasper!" His mother rushed to him, engulfing him a huge hug. "My little boy." She sniffled, "all grown up."

"Mom." Jasper groaned, pushing himself away. "I'll be fine. I have my cell phone on, you can call at any time. Okay?"

She forced a smile and collected herself. "Yes, dear. I know. Have fun!"

Jasper sighed as he exited the house. Sometimes, his mother drove him crazy. But he loved her anyways.

The party was only a few blocks away, and he had the full moon lighting his path, so he wasn't too worried about the late hour. As he approached the two storey, red bricked house, he was shocked to realize that he could feel the vibrations of the music, even from the sidewalk.

When he entered, he was immediately overwhelmed with heat, sweat, and crowd after crowd after crowd. Strobe lights were set up strategically, giving the whole place a club-like feel. Everywhere he looked, every room that he went in, people were drinking, dancing, talking, and kissing. Nobody was alone.

Except for him, of course.

Sure, he had made a few friends the previous three days. But he most definitely would not find them among the throngs of teenagers draped over ever couch and leaned against every wall. Making his way over to the kitchen, he jumped as a pale hand appeared on his shoulder. Jolting around, he came face to face with a tall, blond, intoxicated girl; he recognized her as the school's "it girl."

"Heeeey, bahbee..." she slurred, her tongue peeking out through her lips. "Wanna dance?"

"Uh...." Jasper brushed her hand off, wincing at the sharp scent of Coors Light. "No thanks."

He hurried away before she could protest, slightly shaken by the experience. Now he was nervous; he realized that at least three quarters of the partiers were drunk. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

He could feel a panic attack coming on. His eyes were wide, his stomach was churning and his head was pounding. Bursting through the back door he stumbled upon a mahogany deck, breathing slowly and deeply.

That was when he saw him.

A blond boy, maybe two or three years older than him, leaning against the railing, staring up at the starless sky. His dark eyes were illuminated in the moonlight, his broad shoulders and lean physique made Jasper melt from the core.