Through Thick and Thin ~ RIVER PHOENIX (On Hold)

Chapter 1

Ana-Rose leaned back on the park bench and took a sip of the now cool, bitter coffee. If you knew something about her, she isn't always all over the sweet stuff. She liked to maintain a good health always. There was a light wind shifting through the trees in front of her. It felt nice, the warm wind, hitting her face. Ana-Rose felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to face her best friend, River. She smiled up at him and patted the spot next to her. "Hey, Rio. What are you up to?" River sighed. "What?" She asked.

"My sister, she left the house after she was mad about me not showing up to her friends house," he said, annoyed. Ana-Rose frowned and looked at him.

"Why would you have to go there?" She asked. "I mean, like, why would she be all mad?" River shook his head.

"Rain wanted me to 'fall in love' with Emilia. That was definitely not gonna work. Emilia has been crushing on me for ages, now. But I can't be forced to like her. Now she's mad because Emilia won't lend her the new Cyndi Lauper CD," he finished. Ana-Rose giggled at that, but internally winced at the thought of River falling in love with someone else. She had thought things through about her feelings for River after all of a sudden being shy around her best friend.

Ana looked to the ground and bit her lip. River, too, was hiding his liking for her. "So," he said to break the awkwardness. "What are you doing in your life?" Ana fake smiled, due to her hard feelings on what he said, but managed to keep an enthusiastic voice.

"Well, not much, really. I'm just gonna go for my license in a few weeks."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Rain came stomping up towards them, her face full of rage. "River!" She called. "River!" River cringed and turned to face his sister.

"Yes, Rain?" He said, clenching his teeth at her name. Rain grabbed his shirt collar.

"Why don't you like Emilia? Why? Why?!" She asked. Ana-Rose grabbed her book and empty cup of coffee.

"I think I need to go," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Ana, wait!" Yelled River, watching as she disappeared behind an old, brick apartment.

"What is it, Rain?" He asked.

"River," she said, more calmly, "you know Emilia has had a crush on you for a long time. Please give her a chance."

"You're only doing this for a stupid CD," he said, turning his back on her. He thought of Ana. She would probably be happy for me, anyway, he thought.

"No, Rio. It's not about that. Look, I'm trying to help her, so please," she pleaded.

■■■

Ana-Rose walked away, her head low. She decided to stop at the local bakery to think, going through the back so that River wouldn't see her. She twisted the knob and revealed the nice building's interior. Florar curtains hung on the large windows. Three couches were placed in front of the windows with a chocolate brown coffee table in the centre. This was their way of accommodating guests. Three tall tables were lined up in the centre of the room, for people choosing to sit there. There was a nice scent of goods baking. This is where Ana and River spent most of their time; it was nice, and well, vegan. Ana-Rose met River at the bakery with his brother Joaquin the summer before. She found a person she could finally be friends with, and that shared her view on the world.

Ana's old best friend, Brittany, was the nicest girl you could meet. Back in the eighth grade, she was the smartest of all the students. Brittany's parents owned a cabin in the mountains, where they would take Ana-Rose and her sister, Bethany, to enjoy the real world. That's when Ana decided to care for the world a lot more. Unfortunately, by grade eleven, Brittany had become the cliché 'Popular Girl'. She now hated Ana because 'her rep wasn't good enough for her'. If you heard the clapping of heels in the hallway, it was other Brittany or a teacher. Brittany and Ana-Rose did not get along anymore. Brittany also made everyone think of Ana as an outcast, a basket case. So, Ana was left without friends until River appeared in her life. Hopefully she could find a friend in school, at least before River transfered.

Ana looked out the window, where she saw River and Rain calm now. Ana-Rose figured they made a compromise.