Prompt: Have you done a prompt over how Mitch and Rio met yet in Kill The Lights/Swan Song?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I checked the time and got off of my bed. I pushed my window open and swung out, climbing down the side of the house and dropping to the ground.
I shoved my hands in my pockets as I started walking. I reached up, gently rubbing the scar on my shoulder. Jace hadn’t talked to me in weeks, and I missed him. He and Shane were back to school now, and I only had a couple of weeks until my senior year started up.
I made my way to a quiet building and snuck around the back of it. I climbed up the fence surrounding the back and dropped down, making my way over to the crates where I could see three figures seated.
“We were wondering if you would ever show up,” Trevor said, blowing out smoke. He put the cigarette back to his lips.
“Who’s he?” I asked, nodding towards some attractive kid sitting on the crate next to Trevor.
The kid was tanned, with dark hair. He had on glasses that made him look both intelligent and super attractive at the same time. He gave me an easy grin.
“This is Rio Snyder. He’s a friend of mine who’s going to start hanging out with us,” Trevor said.
“Oh, alright,” I said, sitting down across from him. “I recognize you, actually. You go to school with me.”
He nodded. “Mitch Marion,” he said. “We’ve had class together before.”
“Glad one of us remembers.” I turned to Trevor. “Trev, what are we up to for tonight?”
“Just relaxing, I guess,” he said with a shrug. “Maybe getting high.”
“I don’t do that,” Rio said.
“Your brother does,” Patrick said, and snickered when Rio punched him.
“His brother is a heroin addict,” Trevor said to me.
“Is that my legacy? I want that on my grave. ‘Here lies Rio Snyder, his brother was a heroin addict’,” Rio said.
“You’re sassy,” I said. I recognized Rio now, but I had never really talked to him much in school.
“Thank you, I aim to please,” he said.
“Want to see something really fun, Mitch?” Trevor said.
“No,” Rio groaned. “Trev, don’t do it.”
“I’m doing it,” Trevor said and snatched Rio’s glasses away from him. He tossed them to me. “Go get them from Mitch.”
“You’re an ass,” Rio grumbled, standing up.
“How blind can you be?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“He’s got horrible vision,” Trevor said, laughing.
Rio stumbled towards me, nearly falling over the stuff littered on the ground. I caught him before he could trip and handed him his glasses.
He put them on, blinking a few times as his vision adjusted. “You are all assholes to me, and I despise each and every one of you.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I said. “I gave you your glasses back.”
“Something tells me I’m going to come to despise you,” he said, sitting down on the crate again.
“Really? I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship,” I said.
“I would rather lick a donkey’s ass,” he said, but he was grinning.
Patrick leaned back. “Dude, I want to get high. Let’s go already,” he said.
“I’m going to skip out for tonight,” I said. I was trying to avoid alcohol and drugs right now. At least until I was stable from my breakup with Jace. I didn’t want to rely on a substance. I had Jake keeping an eye on Jace at school.
“I’m skipping out too,” Rio said.
“You two can bond,” Trevor said, standing up and dropping his cigarette. He put it out with his foot and Patrick stood up as well. “We’ll be back in a little.”
“We’ll be eagerly awaiting your return,” I said.
“And you said I’m sassy,” Rio said, laughing.
“Shut up Rio,” I said.
Trevor and Patrick disappeared over the gate, and I briefly wondered how they were going to climb over it again before deciding that was their problem. I leaned back, looking up at the sky.
“You look distracted,” Rio said.
I glanced at him. “If you must know my life, my boyfriend and I broke up recently and he’s not talking to me,” I said. It was whiny to blurt it to a random person, but it did feel nice to get that off my chest. I didn’t want to talk to my parents or brother about it.
“Relationships suck,” Rio said with a nod. His eyes darkened and I was shocked at how bitter he suddenly looked. “But people do that all the time. They just cut you out like you’re nothing.” He gave me a bright smile. “I’m sure it’ll work out eventually. And if it doesn’t, you’ll keep going.”
“You’re a complicated person,” I said, realizing just how complex this guy really was.
He grinned smugly. “Am I? I like to think I’m easy to figure out.”
“Whatever,” I said, returning my gaze to the sky.
“It wasn’t just a regular break up,” Rio said, and I glanced at him in confusion. “You and your boyfriend. There’s something else.”
“He was like a brother to me my whole life,” I said. “I’ve never gone more than a few days without seeing or talking to him. Never in my life. But it’s been weeks, and I told him we would talk when he was ready, and I don’t know if he’ll ever be ready again.”
“Well don’t get so hung up on it. You can’t base your whole life on whether or not this guy talks to you again,” he said. “Take it from someone who knows what it’s like to lose a brother; you have to keep going on.”
“Yea, I know, I’m just trying to find a healthy way to get my mind off it,” I said. “Other than getting high or getting drunk or fighting.”
“Those aren’t really healthy,” Rio said. He grinned at me. “Come hang out with me tomorrow.”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
“Like you said: this is the start of a beautiful friendship,” he said with a laugh. I rolled my eyes but smiled, just a little.
