[The Untitled Tale of Edo & Jazmine]

Edo: Playing Around Before The Party Starts

As my mom and I pull into the gravel driveway of Lindsey’s house, I begin to process everything. I'm glad her party is at night. This makes me happy. Relaxed. In a way, I think of the night as my natural habitat. I like to go unnoticed and stay to myself, so any chance I got to fade into the background, I took it. What better way than fading into the black of night. Though it wasn’t very dark out, with the way the stars supported the shine of the moonlight tonight, my heart felt warm. I’ll be fine.

Lindsey’s mom greeted us at the front gate with a warm smile. My mom rolled down her window, and they began to talk. I zoned out, unable hear a word they said to each other. I was stuck in a void that I was not too sure how to snap out of. I surveyed the house in front of me. It was painted white, and the windows high up on the house indicated multiple stories. The lights on the porch were bright, and you could see the moths flying around them from the edge of the driveway. Lindsey wasn’t joking when she said her new house was mansion-like. There were no neighboring houses within eyesight, and the amount of land they owned along with this house was more than I had ever seen in Colorado. I didn’t even know there were houses like this in Spearfish. Lindsey told me dad isn’t around, so it made me wonder what her single mother did that she was able to afford this house with so much land around it. 

Suddenly, Lindsey’s mother said a few words that pulled me out of my void: 
"I'll take care of your child like he’s my own."

I'm sure she had said this to everyone's parents tonight but hearing her say that felt great in a way I can’t begin to explain. It made me feel a lot more comfortable, easing my nerves.
My mom rolled up the window and looked at me. Her face was completely serious, erasing any trace of happiness I had on mine right off. We sat here for a few seconds, just staring at each other. Her eyes were pitch black, reflecting the moonlight into mine. I knew better than to look away from her before she spoke to me.

Right as I began to think what the conversation could be about, she spoke. 

"I love you Edo." Her voice was stern, yet sincere.

"I love you too, Mom." 

"I do not want to hear about you causing a scene at this girl's party. Understand?" Now it was just stern. I nodded my head, and she continued to speak. 

"I know how you get boy, so if you feel your medicine begin to wear off or you start to blank out, listen to your music to calm down, or call me."

I nodded my head, not real sure if I had stopped nodding to begin with. My medicine was wearing off, but I wouldn’t say that to her.

"Well," mother started, "what are you waiting for kid? Enjoy the party." A smile came across her face that filled me with reassurance. Maybe she did trust me. I smiled back. 

"Thanks mom, love you."

It was here that I decided no matter what happened, tonight was about being with Lindsey for her birthday. She seemed to enjoy the idea of ​​turning seventeen much more than anyone else. Well, more than... 

"Edo!" My mother’s voice made me jump.

"What's on your mind?" 

"Huh? I was…just-" 

"Getting lost before you even got out the car." She seemed more worried about the outcome of my actions than about me.

"I have an idea," she started, reaching into her purse, “but I hoped you would be fine before I left.” She pulled out a clear Ziploc bag with two halves of a pill that didn’t look like my normal medication.
 
"Do you want to take half a pill? Just to make sure your mind is right."