The Werewolf

Chapter 1: The Bonfire

“Dude, I promise. This party will be so much fun.”

“That’s what you always say. And these parties generally end up with me off in the corner watching you makeout with your latest interest.”

“What can I say? The ladies can’t resist me.”

“And they don’t get sick of your ego? I’m surprised.”

“Oh, just shut up.” Carson threw a pillow at his best friends head.

Jackson and Carson had been best friends since the 5th grade, when Jackson, the new kid at the time, was getting beat up by the school bullies. Carson had stepped in and stopped the bullies from grounding Jackson into a pulp, and since then the two friends had been nearly inseparable, despite their different social standings. Carson was the jock, which the entire school worshipped. Jackson was the nerd who people generally avoided. The only reason people knew who he was because he followed Carson wherever he went.

Despite the odds, the two had stayed friends throughout all of high school. They completed each other, and in a way, the other one had what the other needed.

“Thanks for the invite, but I gotta get these college applications in.” Jackson said, picking up his stack of college essays and straightening them out.  Jackson had been preparing for college for as long as Carson could remember. School was important to him, while Carson just lived for the moment.

Carson got up off Jackson’s bed and came to where Jackson was sitting at his computer desk.

“Well that is just a shame.”

“Why is that?” He asked, clearly distracted.

“Oh, no reason. I may or may not have told Rosie that you were going to be there.” Carson grinned. Jackson, as always when her name was mentioned, felt his breath grow short.

“You told her I would be there?”

“Yeah. Imagine her disappointment when I tell her that you are instead choosing to fill out college applications.” Carson sighed, dramatically.

Rosie had been Jackson’s long time crush. He had admired her from afar, never wanting to talk to her for fear of saying the wrong thing.  In his eyes, she was practically perfect. She was kind, sweet, loving, generous, and of course incredibly beautiful.

“How come you always win these arguments?” Jackson sighed, getting up from his chair.

“Because I am always right. You’d do well to remember that, my young jedi. Now come on! Lets go. I can’t wait to get this party started!”

A short while later, Jackson found himself sitting on a log in the middle of the Oregon woods, watching as Carson was playing tonsil hockey with Jenna Buckley.

“How does he always manage to do that?”  Jackson asked himself, while trying to look away, but at the same time finding he could not. As much as he didn’t approve of Carson’s methods of dating, he couldn’t deny that the kid had mad skills.        

Shaking his head, he finally tore his eyes away from his friend, and instead focused on his surrounding. When Carson had said “party”, Jackson had assumed that it would be thrown at someone’s house with plenty of beer, and hookups galore. Instead, he found he was in the middle of the woods, with a huge bonfire burning in the middle. There were still kids drinking, and kids were still hooking up like mad, but at least it was out in nature.

He waited for at least a few hours, before giving up on Rosie coming. He stood up off the log, and was contemplating on the best way to get home without interrupting Carson and Jenna. He could always walk, but that would take hours at the least. He was contemplating hitchhiking, when suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulders. He turned around, “Oh thank goodness. I was starting to think I was going to have to hitch hike.” He said, and instead of Carson he came face to face with Rosie. She smiled.