A/N: I would beg and plead and apologize repeatedly, but I feel like it's getting redundant ._. If you're still reading, thank you so much and please enjoy:) This is a pretty special chapter to me, and it's a bit short, but it has a huge point.
WARNING: I should actually put a trigger warning on this chapter, it gets pretty depressing and I apologize.
Life is complicated and strange without companions. When one is alone, it leaves them to spiral into the depths of insanity. To be lonely is to be robbed of life's pure joy. Even if a person prefers confinement in comparison to socialization, there's at least someone they care for, whether it be human or animal. If not, this brings us back to causes of insanity.
The last thing Sebastian anticipated was insanity. It was a fear he had grown to despise as a child, seeing as though he had no way to help it. He tried to talk to the other kids, but eventually he gave up. He was an outcast, and he knew it. Teased and taunted by his own name daily, picked on by how scrawny and weak he was... these only made matters worse. They'd call him 'fishbone' from day one of elementary school.
One day, while sulking in the grass, far enough from the playground, Sebastian heard yelling not far from his spot in the field. He checked around him, until he noticed a girl running towards the school, blonde hair in a messy halo around her face as she sprinted, and a group of other kids chasing her. At first he assumed it was just a stupid game of tag, until he noticed the kids pelting the girl with stones, now near enough for him to hear what they were shouting.
"Hey new kid! Come back, we only wan to play!" laughter from the surrounding children followed.
"Come on, newbie!" called another, "What kind of name is Riley for a girl anyways? unless.." The kid stopped in his tracks and pointed in her direction, halting the whole group, "You're not even a girl!"
A chorus of "EWWWW"s erupted from the group, ending in them chucking the rest of the rocks at the girl then walking away, talking loudly about how gross the new kid was.
Sebastian saw the girl sink to the ground and bury her face in her hands. He shyly got up and walked slowly towards her, then carefully sat by her side. They said nothing for a while, just sitting in silence between the two. Finally, Sebastian rested his had on his knees, and spoke.
"They make fun of my name, too."
Riley smiled and turned to him. "Can't be that is it?"
".. Sebastian"
"like.. The crab in the Little Mermaid?"
Sebastian scowled and shook his head "No way. That's pronounced, 'seb-a-stian.' Mine is 'Seb-ahs-tee-an'"
Riley snorted. "Big difference."
Sebastian nodded. "Major."
After that day, the two were inseparable. They lived a bike ride away, (for Riley a skate board ride,) from each other, and never took that for granted. Video games, board games, you name it. They'd go to the beach at the lake and build sand castles, and when it snowed it was ice skating and snowmen. Rainy days were spent reading in Riley's library, or hide and seek in Sebastian's ginormous house. Riley even offered to pitch in whenever Sebastian's uncle gave him a list of nasty chores. They knew each other's secrets inside and out.
One particular night in the year of seventh grade, Seb climbed up and into Riley's window, only to find her sobbing on the floor next to her bed. After a lot of coaxing, the brunette was able to get her to tell him what was wrong. It was that moment in which Riley managed words between sobs. "I.. I like.. girls." Seb blinked, totally unsure what to say. He eventually sat down next to her and muttered, "Well at least one of us should."
The rest of middle school was a breeze, but then high school came around. Riley had been brave enough to tell one person (other than Seb), about her sexual preference, and now it was all over the school. She was teased to wits end, things like 'lesbo' and 'fem fag' written in sharpie all over her locker. Even the teachers disliked her due to the fact she wasn't, 'just like everyone else.' Seb saw it killing her everyday, no matter how much he tried to cheer her up. One day, after a rather long day of school, Seb decided to try out one more form of comfort. He stuffed a carton of ice cream (hopefully it wouldn't melt on the way), a few different types of chocolate bars, and a stack of chick flicks from the movie rental side of his uncles shop into his backpack, and made his way towards Riley's. From about a block away, he saw flashing lights. Time slowed around him, all he could hear was muffled sirens, and the beating of his own heart pounding in his ears. He reached Riley's yard and jumped off his bike, just in time to see a team of police men rolling a cot into the ambulance. He ran towards the truck, only to see locks of familiar blonde hair spilling over the side of the cot before the doors shut, and it began to drive away.
She had left a note for him. Seb didn't have the urge to read it. The police took it for a while, then gave it back to him and asked if he wanted them to read it to him. He said no thank you, and pocketed the note, with no intention of ever gazing upon those words.
A/N: Okay so explanation time.
Riley does have a major part in this story, and has a huge contribution to the plot, but that's not all.
This past year at my school, a boy at my school committed suicide. It wasn't due to sexual orientation or anything, but there had been rumors of bullying. There's another main reason though, which is not really my story to tell.
Anyways, I knew him. We weren't exactly friends per say, but he was in this class with me called 'living leadership,' where we're encouraged to display feelings and opinions to a couple of upper class men. That boy was in my class. He had such a good heart, and an awesome way of looking at the world, and the most fabulous blonde hair I have ever seen. I miss having him around, and this chapter is kind of a tribute to him. He loved to skateboard, and that was a huge part of his life. So if you would, send good vibes towards his family and friends, they've been so strong through it all.
Ride on, Riley.
