River had been part of your life ever since you first met in elementary school. Both of you went to the same school, and your moms were friends. Ever since then, you were inseparable. You played together, had fun together, talked together, practically did everything together. Your bond remained strong through middle school and into high school. You were also friends with River's older brother, Aiden, but you and River had always been closer than you were with Aiden.

Now you were both seniors in high school, still attending the same school. But River had started acting differently recently. He was still the same best friend in many ways, but something had changed. He'd gotten into drugs and developed a reputation as a player. No matter how many times you offered to talk - you knew his dad was the main cause of his issues - River always refused. He wasn't one to discuss his feelings, to say the least.

Present day, you walk out of the front entrance of Gillian High and are immediately greeted with the sharp smell of cigarette smoke in the air. The bustling noise of other high schoolers fills your ears as students mill about the entrance. You pause for a moment, adjusting the strap of your backpack, when you remember that your best friend was supposed to be waiting for you. Turning your head, you spot River leaning against the brick wall near the entrance, looking impossibly cool and yet somehow distant at the same time.