The glowing full moon along with a cluster of radiant stars lit the midnight sky, while blackened smoke masked the stench of nose-pinching booze and the echoes of impulsive sex.

It was another Halloween bonfire that doubled as a birthday celebration. Delicate strands of fate surrounded the attendees like a spider’s web, and if any of them had been unlucky enough to detect their entrapment, they would have discovered that those fibers originated from a lone man at the party. Perhaps he existed as the spider, or perhaps he was the prey.

Those strings that had been still for some time were being tugged. Although, expecting drunk teenagers to acknowledge these subtle changes around them was asking too much, and perhaps if any of those drunken teens had taken the time to look at those beautiful stars, they would have seen that the twinkling lights were blinking, squinting, and grinning.

However, none of them noticed because they were much more concerned with partying their hearts out. The crackling of the enormous bonfire filled the air as raucous laughter echoed through the trees.

Although they were still in Kansas, these trouble-making sinners should have been from the land of Oz considering the way they drank, swore, fought, and fucked. There were about thirty to forty teenagers: from juniors to seniors, from geeky to popular, and all of them were enjoying themselves.

Some made casual conversation by the fire while they examined the class clowns dancing around the flames, each pissing away their dreams and seeing if their rods would catch fire. Others stood in groups while talking and mingling, sipping two-sixes of vodka and whatever else they stole from their parent’s stash. Among all these sinners and their peer-pressuring friends was an eighteen-year-old boy who stood out from the rest.

He was not tall or muscular, but slender and of average height. However, his size and muscularity went unnoticed because he had a face that drew attention no matter where he would go. Golden blonde hair fell about his neck with each strand glimmering from the firelight, while his sapphire blue eyes captivated audiences. His face was handsome, his smile genuine, and with a single glance at Jonas Ariel, anyone could tell he would never, ever betray them.

Across from Jonas was a young woman who was staring at him as if something were new about him each time she peeked. There were two reasons she had not yet approached the object of her desire, and the first was because her crazy, abusive, and jealous ex-boyfriend was standing twenty feet away. The second reason was because of a dark, disturbing, and unforgettable memory that had been plaguing her mind for months. Her friend was trying to offer her good-natured advice, and it completely disrupted her soured thoughts.

“Would you go talk to him?” Destiny pestered once again. Leeanna sighed while glancing at her.

“I can’t, Dee, I just I can’t do it,” and that terrible memory she tried to forget once again resurfaced in her mind.

“I told you he doesn’t care, didn’t I?” Destiny said, “I’ve been texting his friend Donny, and I asked.”

“You didn’t!” Leeanna said while wearing a scathing expression.

“Look, something had to be done, I won’t let this farce go on any longer.”

“Farce?” Leeanna rolled her eyes, “How is puking all over the boy I like a farce?”

“It was an accident,” Destiny argued, “Jonas of all people wouldn’t hold it against you.”

“I’ve been crushing on him since the first time we met,” said Leeanna, “Do you realize how excited I was that he showed up at my birthday last month?”

“I realize this, babe,” Destiny said, “But he showed up. That should count for something.”

“Yeah, he showed up,” Leeanna said, “And I ended up vomiting all over his crotch!”

“But it was the thought that counts,” Destiny nodded, “And I bet Jonas thinks so too,” and not wanting to recall that humiliating night any further, Leeanna changed the topic.

“Also, I don’t want to see him get hurt,” which caused Destiny to raise her groomed eyebrows in surprise.

“Nobody could ever touch Jonas Ariel and live to tell the tale, stop worrying, and go talk to him.”

“I wasn’t talking about Jonas getting hurt,” said Leeanna, as she twirled a strand of curly brown hair between her fingers. She acknowledged that Jonas Ariel was far from ever being in danger because his psychotic older brother took care of him like a guardian angel.

The Ariel brothers had always been the talk of the town, and some would whisper rumors that the oldest Ariel boy had been the one that started the fire which killed their parents, an early affliction of his sadism, while others would talk about how those two boys had sucked all the beauty and talent out of every child born in their same generation.

Whatever the rumor, they were all based on two concrete facts: Jonas Ariel was a darling in the eyes of his older brother, and if anyone ever screwed with him, they would have their esophagus ripped out and Drake would strangle them with it.

It was common knowledge that it would take an absolute dumbass to hurt him. Much later, when new stories were told, the townsfolk would often talk about that dumbass who hurt Jonas Ariel that auspicious Halloween night and about the terrible events that followed. However, those events had yet to happen. Jonas Ariel was laughing while mid-conversation with a tall, red-headed boy.

“So, as I was saying, bro, everything got crazy after my mom punched my dad,” Donny said, “And he’s all shocked while going on about some men’s rights or something. Guess what my mom said to him?”

“What?” asked Jonas. His expression showed great interest as if hearing about Donny Simpson’s parents’ domestic dispute would be the highlight of his night.

“Yeah, so she says, ‘I’ll give you some rights, you pussy,’ and she gave him a right hook!”

“Aren’t you sorry for your dad?” Jonas asked, but Donny shook his head.

“That’s what you deserve when you take out a second mortgage to fund your secret and expensive lifestyle of cocaine and hookers,” his expression became a grimace as he said, “That’s the reason I’m moving to Wisconsin next month.”

“I’m sorry, Donny,” said Jonas, “Is there anything I can do for you?” His earnest expression and his big blue eyes captivated his friend, who got choked up for a moment, not knowing what he did to deserve such a good person in his life, and it forced him to fight the urge to bear-hug his friend.

“Could you do me one last favor, before we part?” as he spoke, Donny became distracted by a vibrating cell phone in his pocket. He paused while his freckled hand shot into his jeans, and he pulled out a smartphone. “I need you…” he began, while his eyes were darting back and forth across the touchscreen. “I need you to get with Leeanna Narwitz,” and Jonas sprayed his beer all over Donny. Through a blocked windpipe, he spluttered a single word.

“What?” he asked as he heaved deep breaths. Donny flipped his phone over and revealed a conversation between him and someone named Black Beauty. “Who in the world is Black Beauty?” asked Jonas as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His perfect teeth glimmered as he smiled at his friend.

“Destiny Jackson,” Donny said, “Remember her friend’s birthday party last month?”

“Oh,” he bemused, “Pukey girl, right?”

“Pukey girl’s friend,” Donny added, “The sexy light-skin girl with the fat ass.”

“Oh,” Jonas said once more, “Wait, you need me to do what?”

“I need you to distract Leeanna Narwitz, while I catch vibes with her friend Destiny,” he added, “Got it?”

“Donny, having her puke on my junk was one thing, but asking me to hook up with her in the woods is asking a little much,” and Jonas wondered if his friend had one too many drinks.

“Come on,” Donny said, “You told me she’s cute.”

“She is cute,” Jonas nodded in agreement, “But you’d be hesitant too if you had a mushy bacon cheeseburger barfed up all over your balls.”

“Okay, okay,” Donny looked queasy, “You’re making me sick.”

“I don’t mind distracting her,” Jonas laughed, “But it’s better for the both of us if I keep my junk in my pants,” and Donny considered the proposition as he tilted his head back and forth.

“Okay, but you have to at least kiss her.”

“What the fuck, Donny, I’m pretty sure Leeanna Narwitz is with Tommy Phillips, the boxer guy with the nose piercing,” said Jonas, and he added, “Besides, you should at least go on a date with Destiny, it’s not healthy to make the focus on sex so early in a relationship.”

“Jonas, are you my therapist, or my friend?” he added, “I don’t have time to start a relationship, and I’ve had a crush on Destiny Jackson since kindergarten. If I don’t get this done tonight, I might never see her again and I don’t want to live a life full of regrets…” Donny’s words trailed off as he struck a lonely pose, and his expression became a face full of tender longingness as he peeked at the fat-bottomed, bushy-haired girl. Jonas gave him an exasperated expression, but he felt rather guilty seeing his friend’s look of desperation.

“Fine,” Jonas said as he gave in to his friend’s pestering, “I’ll distract Leeanna while you make your big confession.”

“And the kiss,” said Donny, “You have to kiss her.”

“Donny,” Jonas rolled his eyes, “Why in the world do I have to kiss her?”

“Because if you two start dating,” said Donny, “You could set me and Destiny up on a double date before I leave. It’s perfect, come on.”

“Sometimes I get the feeling you're only friends with me because of my face,” Jonas narrowed his eyebrows suspiciously, and Donny made an aggrieved expression as he quickly defended himself.

“How could you possibly say such a thing?” There was mock displeasure in his voice, “Honestly, what kind of friend do you think I am?”

“You told me so,” Jonas rolled his eyes, “No matter. If the moment plays out, I’ll kiss her. Oh, and when I get my ass whooped by Tommy Phillips, think of it as a going-away present.”

“Tommy won’t touch you,” Donny gave him a silly expression, “Drake would end him.”

“Drake isn’t here right now; he had some shit to do.”

“And I’m grateful for that,” Donny nodded, “Your brother gives me the creeps.”

“He’s a good guy,” Jonas tried to say, “A little misunderstood, that’s all.”

“I heard he once beat up three cops.”

“It was two,” Jonas rolled his eyes, “And they weren’t even actual cops, it was two crack heads playing dress-up while trying to mug people.”

“One of them is still in a coma, Jonas!” Donny’s face stretched in bewilderment at how his friend treated the neighborhood psycho like a cute little dog.

“It was self-defense,” Jonas said, “At least the jury thought so.”

“No one would ever have a wink of fun with him here.”

“He’s tons of fun,” Jonas was feeling offended, “He drinks beers like us, and one time he even saw the Lord of the Rings with me when I asked.”

“I think he wanted inspiration on how to be a proper Dark Lord.”

“Do you want to gab about my big brother,” Jonas said, “Or do you want me to go over and put the moves on Leeanna Narwitz?”

“Put the moves?” Donny clenched his jaw as he tried not to laugh, “Nobody says that anymore.”

“Do they have a face like mine?”

“Touché.”