The premiere episode of "Forever" unveils Justin during New Year's Eve in 2017, nestled comfortably yet restless in the confines of his room. His mind is cluttered with the pressures of an essay deadline, a weight that eventually prompts him to abandon his thoughts and reach for his phone. A message from his friend Darius piques his interest, inviting him to a festive gathering.
Justin endeavors to gain his parents' blessing, but encounters resistance from his mother, Dawn. She demands an exhaustive breakdown of the party's details, which Justin neglects to inquire about from Darius. Dawn, a staunch advocate for open communication, finds Justin's lack of information infuriating. She initially denies his request, but his father, Eric, steps in to mediate. With a cautionary word to be cautious, Eric grants Justin permission to attend.
At the party, Darius introduces Justin to Chloe, yet Justin, somewhat of a reserved soul, retreats into his shell. His attention is drawn to another guest, who eventually approaches him. To his surprise, she reveals herself to be Keisha, a former classmate from elementary school whose identity takes Justin a moment to recall. She playfully teases him for his momentary lapse in memory.
Their conversation blossoms, and Keisha's initial anxiety melts away. A charming flirtation ensues as they catch up on old times. Darius's interruption momentarily separates them, but fate intervenes, reuniting them just in time for the New Year countdown. Justin whisks Keisha into a closet, where they share a passionate kiss as the old year bids adieu.
Post-party, their connection continues via video call, the air thick with mutual attraction and endearing awkwardness. They make plans to meet again the very next day. The morning unfolds with Justin engaging in basketball and speech practice before enlisting his mother's help to transport him into town. Dawn eagerly obliges.
In town, Justin reconnects with Keisha, and they embark on a retail adventure. He generously offers to buy her a gift, and she selects a charming bag. As they exit the store, they engage in a playful banter that segues into a tender handshake, which swiftly evolves into hand-holding. Their stroll is interrupted by a chance encounter with Darius and a few mutual acquaintances. Darius appears momentarily startled to see Justin and Keisha together, but he merely promises to reach out later, leaving unspoken words hanging in the air.
Meanwhile, Keisha and Justin embark on a cinematic adventure, their spirits lifted by the promise of an engaging film. However, as the narrative unfolded on screen, so did an unexpected romance between them, culminating in a tender kiss. But their moment of intimacy took an unexpected turn when Keisha, in a spontaneous gesture, attempted to perform fellatio on Justin, who gently halted her. He inquired if this was her way of expressing gratitude for his recent gift, a question that struck a chord of offense in Keisha, leading her to storm out of the theater in a huff. Justin, realizing his mistake, swiftly pursued her to apologize, but Keisha was already consumed by a rant about a mysterious video. Justin, utterly perplexed and unaware of the video's existence, watched helplessly as she stormed off, warning him not to pursue her further or attempt any contact.
Upon checking his phone, Justin stumbled upon a message from Darius, revealing that Keisha's sex tape had been leaked. Panicked, he tried to reach her, but found his number blocked. Dejected, Keisha retreated to her home, shrouded in a gloom of despair. Her grandfather, Joe, sensing her distress, tried to offer comfort. Yet, Keisha resorted to a lie, claiming her worries stemmed from gaining admission to her dream school, Howard. Joe, concerned that her relentless focus on the future was blinding her to the joys of the present, advised her to seek happiness in the now. To lift her spirits, he took her to his favorite local diner for dinner.
There, they were joined by Keisha's aunts, who inquired about her boyfriend, Christian – an up-and-coming basketball player ranked sixth in the state, and incidentally, the male protagonist in Keisha's leaked sex tape. Though Keisha had moved on, her secret remained confined to her friend Chloe, who had been striving to help Keisha restore her social standing. Chloe even offered to involve her father, a lawyer, but Keisha declined.
Later that night, Keisha's mother returned from work, and they shared a comforting cuddle in bed. Unfortunately, Keisha overslept, prompting her mother to chauffeur her to her new school. At her new environment, Keisha attempted to maintain a low profile, but a persistent classmate wouldn't leave her be. In a fit of retaliation, Keisha confronted her physically, earning a penalty of 40 hours of volunteer work. Her mother, furious, demanded that Keisha get her act together. Later in the day, Keisha discovered that Justin had reached out to their elementary school friends and initiated a hashtag campaign to get her to unblock him. Chloe found it subtly endearing, but Keisha remained unmoved.
The following day, Justin decides to forgo his afternoon classes in favor of visiting Keisha. He tenders his apologies with sincerity, gradually regaining her favor. He demonstrates empathy towards her predicament and beseeches her not to hold Christian's past indiscretions against him. Upon arriving home, Justin is met with a message from Keisha, which reveals her long-harbored affection for him. Before he can craft a reply, his mother intercepts his phone, having discovered his deception – a forged email sent from her account, the means by which he justified his class absence. She confiscates his laptop as well, assigning him to complete his homework assignments on her outdated computer. Meanwhile, Keisha anxiously awaits Justin's response, unaware of the turmoil unfolding in his household.
