Chapter One: The Message

Something strange happens to Jayden at that party...

Everyone has discovered something about themselves at one point or another. Maybe you discovered that you are actually half Chinese. Maybe you discovered that you don’t look much like either of your parents. And maybe you discovered that you have a natural talent for dancing. Whatever it was you discovered, everyone has had this happen to them. Discovering something new about yourself can be a very exciting thing, but can also be a dreadful experience.

You never know.

Jayden discovered something new about himself that one day. It was the end of yet another school day and Jayden and his best friend Elliott were already outside, their backpacks slung over their shoulders as they walked towards the school’s exit.

“Yesss!” Elliott yelled, stretching the word as he did his arms. Elliott practically hated classes, but loved socializing. Even though his grades were close to failure, he managed to keep a goofy smile on his face despite the troubles of the life of a 17 year old.

Jayden smiled at his best friend, who was now waving at people passing by as he instead shoved his hands into his pockets. Jayden was pretty much the most popular guy in their school. Not only did he have the best grades, making the teachers adore him, but he was the best looking guy in school. His dark hair, high cheekbones and mysteriously gold eyes made practically every girl wanted to date him.

While walking back to their streets, Elliott popped a question. “Hey, are you going to Toby’s party today?”

It was a Friday and Toby was the kind of guy that threw the best parties. Then again, he was rich and his house was huge, so it made sense. Somewhat lazily, Jayden replied, “Yeah. My mom agreed and I didn’t even bother asking my stepdad.”

He looked away slightly when he said the word ’stepdad’. He said it with boredom, sadness, and a hint of anger. Elliott understood his actions. At age 13, Jayden’s father went missing, and was presumed dead, leaving him alone with his mother until she remarried to a man named John Navarro only a year after the incident. Jayden never took a liking to him and always referred to him by his first name, proving that he did not accept him as a father.

“I don’t get why you hate your stepdad so much,” Elliott began. Jayden looked ready to retort as he glared slightly at Elliott who added, “I mean—he’s a pretty cool dude. Especially as far as dad’s go.”

Jayden merely shrugged and the atmosphere got pretty quiet. Elliott, being the outgoing guy that he is, couldn’t handle the silence for even a minute, and something popped into his head. “Hey Jayden, did ya know that Rebecca’s gonna be at Toby’s?”

That caught his attention. Jayden whipped his head around unusually fast when Elliott said the name ‘Rebecca’. Elliott was referring to Rebecca Wasserman, a girl who was in the 11th grade with them, one of the prettiest girls in school, and coincidentally, the girl that Jayden had a small crush on.

“Yeah, I heard,” Jayden blew it off like it was nothing before adding, “but I heard Madison was coming too.” He scoffed at the name.

Now Madison was a whole different story. She was basically a nuisance. She’d been in love with Jayden ever since she first met him and followed him everywhere. It wasn’t that Jayden hated her. It was that it got pretty annoying to have his own personal stalker who seemed to get in the way of spending time with the girl he likes. “You know, you should just ask Rebecca out already,” Elliott suggested. “I mean, maybe if you do, Madison will get the message and back off.”

“Dude,” Jayden responded with an idle look on his face. “Why would someone like Rebecca like me?”

Obviously Jayden didn’t get how that one sentence could be so wrong.

“Who, whoa, whoa,” Elliott said, making hand gestures to add dramatic effect. “You’re telling me that Rebecca wouldn’t like a guy like you?” He paused letting Jayden nod in confirmation.

“You’re the most freakin’ popular guy in school!!” Elliott yelled, flailing his arms around as Jayden raised an eyebrow.

Elliott sensed Jayden’s disbelief and added, “No seriously! There is no way she wouldn’t like you. Every single girl in this school likes you!”

Again, Jayden seemed doubtful and wondered if he literally meant that last part. They attended the type of school where the Elementary, Middle and High school divisions were merged, but placed in separate buildings. Jayden didn’t think that even the Elementary and Middle school girls thought that about him.

Despite Jayden’s doubt, he shrugged and accepted Elliott’s words as they stopped in front of his house. It was a pretty big house, but it’s size was nowhere near the Toby’s house. Although a person passing by could easily tell that whoever lived there had quite an amount of money. Before marching into his house and up to his room, Jayden commented, “Fine. But only as long as Madison doesn’t interfere.”

Elliott grinned, signaling that Madison wouldn’t be anywhere near him. Jayden unlocked the door and waltzed into his house. His mother was sitting at the coffee table, drinking her tea and reading a novel with a bright yellow cover.

His mother smiled when she saw him. “Hello Jayden! Are you still going to that party today?”

Jayden walked over to her. He was always on good terms with his mother. It was his stepdad he didn’t like. Him coming along only made Jayden a little more distant.

“Yeah, why?” was all he really said. His mother just kept smiling, making a gesture as if to say “it’s nothing.” Jayden shrugged and walked up to his room. He was in a reasonably good mood for two reasons. One was that he was going to a party with a chance of getting the girl he likes and the second was that his stepdad wouldn’t be back ’till Jayden left the house.

The time until the party started flew by fast. Taking a nap after school was how Jayden spent it. Before he knew it, he was already dressed for the party (quite casually as well) and at Toby’s house, holding a glass of punch while leaning against the wall, talking with some friends from school.

The party was very lively: there were brightly coloured lights flashing and moving in different patterns across the main room where everyone was. There was loud, upbeat music boomin from the advanced sound system that Toby’s parents had bought him—Jayden often wondered how he could work such a complicated piece of technology.

Despite how wild the party seemed, it wasn’t like the parties you’d see on TV where everything got out of hand and the guests would break almost anything in sight. Instead, it was fun yet surprisingly under control.

Elliott was also at the party, though practically on the other side of the huge room. He was dancing with a group of friends through most of the pary. About halfway into the party, he stopped dancing and walked over to the refreshment table.

There, Elliott saw Jayden and immediately headed over to him, waving his hands to get his attention. Jayden turned his head, averting his gaze from the group of students he was speaking with, to Elliott, who has already stopped waving his hands about wildly.

As Jayden strode toward him, Elliott yelled something, loud enough that he would hear him over the music. “Dude!” he started. Jayden seemed to be paying full attention to him as he continued, “Rebecca’s right over there!” Elliott motioned to what they called ‘the spectator area’ which was a place by the dance floor where people sat at a bunch of tables eating and talking.

At the table in the spectator area that Elliott pointed to, Rebecca sat there giggling at something her friend said while a barely eaten plate of food sat in front of her. She was wearing a bright pink shirt with a cropped white cardigan and a pair of dark wash skinny jeans. Her chestnut brown hair was in a side ponytail.

Jayden was already looking over at her as he replied, “So?”

“So?” Elliott repeated. “So get over there and ask her out already!”

Jayden looked reluctant, but then Elliott added, “C’mon, you promised you would earlier as long as Madison didn’t interfere—and is she around? No. So hurry up and ask her before ome other random guy does!”

Finally Jayden gave in and started to make his way to Rebecca, who was almost all the way across the room like Elliott was earlier in the party. It seemed quite far, especially since many people in his way were trying to talk to him.

He felt more nervous with each step. It was one thing to ask out the girl he likes, but it was another to be rejected. What with all the guys Rebecca turned down, he was sure he’s end up one of them.

Finally, as Jayden was almost at Rebecca’s table, his phone started vibrating, letting out a sound that resembled a doorbell chime. He took out his phone, sure that it was his mom, asking when he’s be back.

His eyes widened in both surprise and confusion. Suddenly, Elliott, who had been following him the whole time, popped out from behind Jayden, who stopped in his tracks.

“Dude what the hell are you doing? You chickened out didn’t you? Oh man, how many times do I have to tell you—” Elliott stopped his rant when he Realized Jayden was holding his new cellphone,  which was opened and displaying a new message. Elliott leaned over to read the message, his brows furrowing in confusion. The sender was unknown and the phone number didn’t show up on the screen.

‘Come to the park right now.’