"There is no way you can tell me that homecoming could be better than this!" Julia giggled, her onyx rimmed eyes latching onto my own carefree ones.

This was a time long before any tragedy muddled my life, before the weight of guilt had made its home on my shoulders.

"Hey lady, I only suggested homecoming because I thought you would want to go!" I retorted, slinging my arm as Julia and I entered the flashily lit venue, black Xs decorating our hands, the no longer needed The Used tickets stuffed in my jacket pocket. Hordes and hordes of sweaty, tightly clothed people roamed before us. We pushed our way through a zoo of mohawks, tight v necks, tattoos, piercings, and sweat to get as close to the stage as possible. Julia's fist was closed tightly around the back of my jacket, not allowing us to separate more than a foot or so. Not that I wanted to; our bodies had this amazing magnetism that made it almost physically painful to walk away from her.

The crowd suddenly sprang to life as the band walked onstage and hot bodies pressed against us at either side. I raised my hands and clapped as they took their place, allowing a shrilly wolf whistle to pass my lips. Julia bounced on her toes, trying to get a better view. I leaned down, secured my wiry arms around the back of her knees and hoisted her onto my back piggy back style. Julia's hands locked in front of my neck, I could feel her warm body pressed against my back, swaying in time with the music. Her breath tickled my ears as she sang along happily with the song.

After a few songs, I felt Julia's lips tenderly brush against my ear, soft as flower petals. She planted a small kiss directly behind my ear before whispering, "Eli, let's get out of here,"

I pushed my way through the crowd and as soon as we escaped the mass of people Julia slid off of my back. The difference of quality in air from the pit to the bar area of the club was almost unbelievable.

"Where do you want to go Jules? We've only been here an hour," I smirked, grabbing hold of one of Julia's hands in mine and playing with her fingers. To my surprise, Julia stepped closer, dragging a hand softly down my chest before letting it rest on my belt buckle.

"I was thinking we can go back to my place," Julia murmured, her face mere inches from mine.

The next thing I remember is Julia and I were practically racing to her room. The minute her door clicked closed I had her slammed against it, my lips trailing down her neck. I hungrily pushed her sleeve down off her shoulder, planting my lips along her bare shoulder. The ropes holding us back were cut, loose and dangling, our lips repeatedly clashed hungrily with the need of a deprived addict. Our clothes were hungrily torn from our bodies without a second thought; and there was something beautifully intimate about our two naked bodies pressed together. I scooped Julia up in my arms, cradling her to my bare chest. Julia kissed my shoulder adoringly as I carried her to the bed, carefully lowering her into the plush comforter. A dark curtain of waves fanned out behind Julia, framing her perfect face. I started at her forehead and made my way to her knees in a journey of kisses. I wanted to commit every detail to memory; her full lips, the sun cast freckles that dappled her collarbone, the small perfectly shaped freckle on the inside of her breast, the curve of her hips beneath my hand and her deep, perfect belly button. I finally ended my voyage at her inner thighs, I stroked them gently with my thumbs as I pushed myself forward, my tongue plunged inside of her and explored. Julia's thighs began to shake beneath my hands and she knotted her fingers in my hair, gently towing my head up to hers. We began to kiss our way into a combative dance of lips and tongue, my hands roaming all over her as Julia caressed me in place that sent shivers down my spine.

Being with Julia, losing my virginity to her, it was magical. There was something about being able to share myself completely with someone that no words written in a journal could express. Every one moment that we spent in that bed, exploring the limits of our bodies and discovering new kinds of pleasure, was a moment I would never forget.

When we were done, we lay side by side in her dark room, watching as Dawn peaked over the horizon, her rosy tipped fingers extending through the window to bathe us with orange hued light. Julia's back was to my chest and stomach, my arm roped around her waist as I gently rubbed circles in the crease of her stomach and hips. One of her arms was tucked safely beneath our shared pillow, the other tossed carelessly over her shoulder to rest against my neck. Her nimble fingers occasionally twirled a strand of inky hair but for the most part we were still, the only noise was our gentle breathing.

"Eli? Are you up there?" The sound of Clare's voice swept away the memories of that night like a gust of wind dispersing smoke. I jumped, slamming the journal shut and shoving it beneath my pillow. That was one memory I doubted Clare would enjoy reading.

"Clare! In here!" I called, crossing the room in three quick steps and pushing open the door for her. "Hey beautiful," I murmured, the sight of Clare's beaming face filling my entire body with a strange giddiness.

"Hey you," Clare giggled, her cheeks reddening at my greeting. She tilted her head up, our lips meeting. Unlike our usual greeting kisses; I wanted this one to last. I cupped my hands gently along the round edges of Clare's face, keeping her face to mine just long enough to trace her lower lip with my tongue before letting her go.

"How's the room coming along?" Clare stammered, bringing her fingers up to brush her lips. I smirked; pleased to see the effect I had on her, it was so damn cute. "Pretty good, I guess," I grunted noncommittally, turning to face my room.

"I was just about to throw away some old tickets," I admitted in a strained voice. Clare squeezed my hand, seeing the conflict on my face, "That's great Eli, good job. I left my phone in my jacket downstairs, I'm gonna go grab it." She smiled, turning to leave.

I slid smoothly in front of her before she could set foot out of my messy disarray of a room. "Don't be long," I murmured, pressing my forehead to hers before briefly kissing the tip of her nose.

Clare wrapped her arms around my waist, her small hands locking behind my back. Her crystalline eyes met mine and she kissed me softly, "What's with all the extra loving today?" She smirked, "Not that I mind."

I pulled her closer, "I missed you is all," I murmured back, unable to keep the smile off my face. I pulled Clare into a brief hug, breathing in the warm aroma of flowers before releasing her to get her phone. When I was sure she was all the way down the steps, I turned the mass of tickets and began to scoop them into the trashbag by the armful. Countless movie stubs and concert tickets swam before me as they fell into their black plastic confinement. Only two tickets caught my eye. The first was the ticket from A Night in Vegas. I grimaced briefly before eagerly pushing it into the bag without a second look. That was a memory I wouldn't mind forgetting. The second was the two tickets from that fateful The Used concert. I raised one of them to my face, feeling the worn down plastic between my fingers. I pressed my lips briefly against them before dropping the ticket into the trash bag.

"Goodbye," I murmured, shaking the bag, a strange sort of lightness passed through me as I watched the ticket sink into the sea of trash.