I couldn't tell you the first time I met Isaac. He and I shared a similar circle of friends so we attended all the same parties and maybe had a class or two together throughout our four years of high school. We had always sort of known each other, in a friendly sort of way. We weren't necessarily friends. Just two people who acknowledged each other's existence.
March fourteenth was like every other Friday in my high school career except that's the day everything changed. Ava's still-boyfriend Noah was having a party at his house as he did most weekends - they weren't so much parties as they were excuses for our standard group of friends to get drunk and hook up with each other. Sophomore year him and the other guys in our clique had built a literal shack in his backyard for us to hang out in. It was pretty cool actually - inside was three couches, a decent stereo, laser lights, a strobe light, and even a fog machine (for no apparent reason other than it looked cool and added to the trip primarily provided by weed). The place we'd come to call simply The Shack became our usual hangout, even on nights where there was no alcohol or drugs. Outside of The Shack we always had a fire going, usually where anyone staying sober would hang.
On this particular Friday night, I arrived at The Shack around 8. People were already tipsy and someone had apparently left to retrieve marijuana from their stash at home. I said hi to everyone around the fire then went inside to see who was already hooking up and what alcohol was left/available. Unfortunately all that was left was half a bottle of Fireball whiskey, something I despise. A friend of mine heard me complaining and told me that he had beer in his car, but to keep it on the down low. I retrieved a few cans of Coors Light from the cooler he had in the backseat of his truck before settling down on a part of the couch not yet occupied by a horny couple. I drank my beer and watched people dance. Eventually feeling the music myself, I started dancing with Ava and grinded to one song with the guy who gave me the beer. It was a good night so far, however not unlike several others I had experienced in the past.
A few hours later I was tipsy. I wouldn't say I was drunk, but I was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol. I went outside for a little air and in that time nearly everyone had left. Growing cold, i stumbled back inside The Shack, nearly collapsing. The laser lights were on and was only increasing the dizziness. I tripped and fell onto a couch. There was someone sitting there and so I started laughing. "I'm sorry, it's just the lights in here..." And then I started laughing again. One of the side effects when I drink - nearly uncontrollable laughter.
"It's okay, are you alright?" I looked up and recognized Isaac James as the boy I'd accidentally fallen into. I smiled like an idiot and nodded. "Yeah I'm fine I just had a few beers and I'm dizzy anyways and then I came in here and the lights were making me more dizzy and I just kind of fell into you." Another side effect - talking without thinking or breathing. I remember he kind of laughed and somehow we started talking, what about I don't exactly remember.
What happened next is all very blurry. We were talking and I was suddenly exhausted - a third side effect alcohol had on me - so I was pretty much laying in his lap. He was drumming his fingers on my back and somehow we ended up kissing. I don't remember who initiated it or what made it happen. But it was a short kiss, maybe three seconds, and that was it. It was sweet and almost innocent. There was no other intent, no indication that this kiss was just foreplay for some heavier sex stuff later. It was perfect.
Not even fifteen minutes later Ava was pulling me out of Isaac's lap, telling me we had to leave if we wanted to be home in time for curfew. I stood up reluctantly. My head felt heavy. "So I'll see you around," I told Isaac. He enveloped me in a hug and I remember gripping him tightly because I honestly didn't want to leave. I was enjoying talking to him and, of course, that perfect kiss. I felt someone tugging on my shirt. Ugh, Ava. "I really have to go," I whispered into Isaac's chest. We kissed one more time ,short and sweet again, before he let go of me and let me leave with Ava.
Four minutes later as Ava drove us back to her house, I got a text from an unsaved number:
Hey it's Isaac(:
