Forbidden

Chapter One

It wasn't one of those extravagant school's-out-parties like you see in the movies. You know, the ones with the bonfires on the beach and the keggers. Or even the typical house party where there's a couple in every bedroom making out. No, this school's out party was small and truthfully, kind of lame.

            We were at Sasha's house. Well, the backyard really, around the bonfire. But there was no music, no fun games—the only thing we did have was a small amount of wine coolers. It was just me, Sasha, and our other two friends, Camden and Evelyn. Could four friends hanging out together on the last day of junior year really count as a party?

            "Maybe more people will show up soon," Sasha said, hopeful, even though it sounded more like a question.

            "Yeah," Camden said.

            "Maybe," from Evelyn.

            I smiled weakly.

            Don't get me wrong, I loved hanging out with them. They were my best friends—my only friends really. It was just that I wanted something else, something more. So far my high school experience was boring, and like this "party," lame. I felt like I was missing out. Everything and everyone played it out like high school was the most magical, craziest experience of your life. They say it's supposed to be the time of your life, but so far, I definitely hoped not or else I was in for a real non-descript life.

I remembered being back in eighth grade and spending hours during boring classes and boring lunches daydreaming about finally being in high school. There was something that felt so . . . intriguing and exciting, and even dangerous, about it. About wandering the halls with all the upperclassmen, all the older boys who could drive, and buy cigarettes—not that, that was a turn-on, it really wasn't, but it was the fact that they had the freedom, the power to purchase it if they wanted. I remembered fantasizing about driving myself, and always being so busy with parties every weekend, and a fun part-time job where I became friends with college students.

But none of that happened the way I expected. The upperclassmen were no different than the boys who were already around—just taller, with a little more muscle and facial hair; the girls just more catty. And by the time I was able to get a license, driving around didn't seem like fun anymore, not when I had to worry about oil changes, gas, and all that other crap that comes along with owning a car. It also turned out that having a part-time job sucked. I worked at a small little pizzeria owned by a nice couple, but having a job stopped me from going to parties—not that I ever got invited to any, but it was the point—and from being able to commit to any sort of extracurricular activity. Really the only thing that changed from middle school to high school was the work got harder and I was burdened with more responsibilities.

So with this party that Sasha demanded we threw, I was hoping that somehow word would spread, and everyone who didn't have something else to do would come, and it would just turn into this really epic thing. Or, at the very least, it would be more than just the four of us sitting out there.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," I announced, pulling myself out of the fold-up chair.

*!*!*!*!*!*!*!

Heading down the steps to go back out to the "party," I ran into Easton, Sasha's older brother and my secret crush. How I'd kept it a secret for so long was beyond me because every time I was around him I got tongue-tied and shaky.

"Hey," he said. "How's the party going?" He smirked at me. Oh, those dimples.

Relax, my pounding heart.