Matthew Summers was the cute quiet kid almost everyone knew, but was never his real friend. He was sweet, and a rainbow after rain. He was the friend you could go to when you needed a shoulder to cry on, even if he didn't have the strength to pour his own problems onto you.

He had no problem helping people, and maybe that's why he was walked on all throughout high school. While the more "popular" students were out partying and dropping out because they got pregnant, Matthew was in his room, doing their homework so they'd graduate with him.

And he didn't mind it, not one bit. He did anything to make a god damn friend. He could have done it in easier, more persistent ways. He could have actually talked to them instead of saying he'd do their homework. Maybe that is what would have made them stay. Talking. Communicating. Or maybe if he had the guts to humiliate himself he'd make a friend or two.

Guess he wasn't very good at making a real name for himself. He'd just be another face in the yearbook. A boy no one would remember until he showed up dead on the news and suddenly he was your best friend.

For the last four years, that's exactly who he was. A nothing boy. A boy with one friend, and a friend that planned to stay. A boy that, for the last six years, had been desperately trying to get the attention of this one girl who never saw him. Maybe it was because he was hiding from her, scared she wouldn't like him for who he is.

And with graduation barely a week away, maybe now would be a good time to say something.

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Benny and Gwen had been sitting outside on a bench in front of the school all day, talking about anything to keep themselves from going into their classes. Most of the classes were electives since they had well enough credits to graduate two times.

"— And it's not that I don't like Marvel. But I think it would be better if I was in it." Gwen joked as she ate a cracker, shrugging as Benny laughed.

"Then maybe you should be an actress then." Benny suggested as she looked out into the parking lot, and Gwen gasped.

"Holy shit! I could totally do it. Especially when since been in the school musicals and plays! I'd rock being uh.... Black Widow." Gwen made an odd fighting pose as Benny snorted, shaking her head.

"Maybe the Ancient One." Benny joked, and Gwen gasped obnoxiously.

"No way! I cannot rock a bald cap." She leaned back on the bench as the two fell in silence again. "What about Nebula?"

"Nope. Nebula's blue. You don't look good in blue." Gwen nodded quickly, grimacing at an old memory. "Maybe... Spider-Ghost."

"Hate heights."

"Good luck being a superhero then." Benny drank her soda as Gwen laughed.

"Oh! Maybe Captain Marvel. She's like— so overpowered and I'm into that." Benny did a spit take as she started coughing, laughing. "Okay... maybe not."

"Hey!" Benny and Gwen snapped their heads around, staring wide eyed at their superintendent.

"Shit." Gwen and Benny muttered in unison as they stood up slowly.

"Either get to class, or go to the principals!" Benny grabbed her soda and crackers as Gwen rushed inside the school, followed by Benny.

"Well. I guess I'll see you when school ends.. in an hour." Gwen laughed, shaking her head.

"What was the point of even staying at the school? I have a car we could have just left." She said as Benny shrugged.

"Guess we weren't thinking." Benny waved goodbye to Gwen as she entered her class, Mr. Whittemore frowning at her.

"Glad you could join us an hour before leaving, Miss Pickette." Benny snapped her fingers at her teacher, smiling as she found her seat towards the back. "Anyways. With our last week of school, we will be reading a few chapters of... "The Great Gatsby."

Everyone frowned in confusion at the books name, Benny slowly raising her hand. "Yes... Benny."

"We— read this in like... our freshman year?"

"I'm aware. But, no one took this book seriously, and if none of you remember, you all failed the Great Gatsby test. So we're reading it again." Everyone groaned in annoyance as Whittemore started handing out books.

Benny sighed quietly at the cover, wrinkled and cracked with time.

"Alright. Chapter One."

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Benny and Gwen met quickly after the bell rang, a grin on Gwen's face as Benny looked more annoyed than anyone in the school.

"The hell did Whittemore do to you?" Gwen raised a concerned brow as Benny whipped out her book, Gwen frowning in disappointment.

"The movie was better." She commented as Benny tilted her head with a frown.

"You only prefer the movie because Tobey Maguire is in it." She scoffed as Gwen returned the frown.

"Not true. I just can't visualize."

"Such a disappointment." Benny said sarcastically as the two started walking, Gwen shoving a book into her bag.

"So... Jenna Urich is throwing this party a few days after graduation. Her parents are going to be out of town for a week for some reason. You gonna go? Everyone's invited." Benny raised a brow.

"Everyone?" She asked, hopeful that she could have a teenage experience and go to her first party.

"Yeah— Well... Except for Hayden. Everyone hates him." Benny and Gwen eyed the tall red head as he walked towards them, his muscular frame hidden under baggy clothes.

"I think it's because he's homophobic."

"Dude. Of course it's because he's homophobic. He's only getting away with saying some slurs is because his mom is the principal and his sister is gay. Not to mention... 75% of the kids here are homos." Gwen said bluntly as Benny shot a quick glare at her. "What? Homosexual is too long, LGBT is to weird to say for some reason—"

"Oh my god you're homophobic too?" Benny let out a loud gasp as Gwen rolled her eyes, nodding.

"Yes. And you can even ask my girlfriend. She will call me every homophobic name in the book. We are a homophobic couple." Gwen joked as Benny and her walked out of the school and to her car.

"Oh wait— is that Matthew? Shit I forgot I owe him money for doing my homework." Gwen started walking faster towards the boy, Benny following behind. "Matthew. Matthew! MATTH. EW." Gwen yelled, finally getting the boys attention.

"Oh. Sorry." Matthew took out out his headphones. "What's up?" He raised a brow as Gwen started fishing through her pockets, pulling out a $20.

"For the homework." She smiled as the boy shook his head. "Dude, take it."

"I don't need it." Gwen grabbed Matthew's hand, slapping the money into it. "I don't know what to use for it."

"Gas money... or maybe a car repair..." Gwen and Benny slowly turned to the Jeep sitting next to Gwen's car.

"Duct tape works just fine." He frowned, looking over at his Jeep. "Besides, I don't need to be paid to do peoples homework." He turned back to Gwen.

"Well too bad. You've gone like... four years doing peoples homework and not getting paid. Last time I checked, I'm a paying customer. So take it, or I'll shank you. Bye!" Gwen rushed to her car, leaving Benny and Matthew standing their awkwardly.

"Uh... hi." Matthew said, his voice slightly shaky with nerves. Benny pressed her lips together tightly, waving before walking towards her friend. "Right. Dude, shut up." Matthew shook his head to himself.

"Matty!" The boy turned around to see Harry walking towards him, a grin on his face. "We're you just talking to Benny Pickette? Dude, it's about time." Harry slapped his friend's shoulder as Matthew sighed, shaking his head.

"No. I said two words... And she didn't respond. She waved." Matthew and Harry waited until Benny and Gwen backed out before they got into Matthew's Jeep.

"I mean, it was something, right?" Harry shrugged as Matthew started up his Jeep, driving out of the parking lot. "Have you figured out how you're going to actually talk to her?"

"Uh... No." Matthew spoke sheepishly as Harry groaned.

"Come on, dude! You can't go six years liking a girl you've only talked to... three times! three times in six years!" Harry raised three fingers into the air as Matthew waved him off.

"I'm working on it, Harry! It's harder than it looks." The two fell silent for a moment as Harry tried to think, fixing the hood on his jacket.

"Hey! What about the party next week?" Harry suggested as Matthew looked at him for a short second.

"What about it?" Harry looked at Matthew with a dumbfounded look.

"For a really smart guy, you are incredibly stupid." Harry scoffed as Matthew frowned.

"Well that was a bit harsh."

"No matter. All the seniors are going to be at this party. Well... Except Hayden. No one likes him." Matthew shrugged in agreement as Harry continued. "Drunk people usually got a lot of balls bigger than their pants. Use that to talk to Benny. Just... don't puke on her."

"Drunk? Harry... I've never even had a sip of my dad's beer before." He frowned as Harry laughed.

"Great! You're a lightweight. So like... two shots of whatever the fuck Jenna is going to have, then you grow a pair and talk to Benny! It'll be great." Harry looked out to the road as Matthew pondered the idea.

"But what if Benny gets drunk and doesn't remember anything? That confidence will be for nothing." Harry shrugged, shaking his head.

"Benny's never been to a party, she probably won't have a lot to drink. You know.. She wants to remember her first party." Matthew nodded slowly, the two falling back into silence.

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Benny waved goodbye to Gwen as she dropped her off, watching the blonde back out of her driveway. Her dad's squad car was still gone, and the family car was in the driveway, so Nathan was still home.

"Great." Benny muttered to herself, fixing her backpack and slowly walked up to the front door.

"Nathan?" Benny called out as she walked inside, hearing scuffling from upstairs, followed by pounding footsteps as her brother walked downstairs.

"Jesus you gotta be so loud? I just woke up." Benny eyed her brother up and down, trying to read him as he scratched the back of his head and forced a yawn.

That's when she had noticed the white under his noise, and she dropped her bag in disappointment. "For fucks sake, Nathan." She grumbled, taking her shoes off and grabbing the box of tissues, throwing them at him. "If you're going to keep doing drugs, at least clean up after yourself."

"You can't tell me what I can and can't do." He glared, wiping his nose.

"No, I can't. But I can tell you is that you're killing yourself. Fucking up your nose and lungs with all of that shit you take. You fucked up your future."

"Hey! Watch it!" He threw the tissues at her, which Benny was quick to dodge. "I don't want to hear about my future when— when you don't even know what you're doing." His words became slurred together for a moment.

"At least I got one to worry about! You're over here taking dads money to buy yourself some fucking pills!" Benny yelled as she started walking past her brother, leaving him in silence for a moment before he followed her into the kitchen.

"You don't know... How hard I tried." Nathan said quietly as Benny scoffed.

"Guess you didn't try hard enough." She poured him a glass of water, setting it on the table. "Drink the damn water."

"I'm not drunk."

"No, but you got a dry mouth, don't you?" Nathan glared at his sister before plopping down in his chair, Benny crossing her arms. "Where are they?"

"Where's what?" He shrugged, shaking his head. "I'm not saying... shit."

"Okay... How would dad feel if he knew?" Nathan shook his head again, slightly more aggressive.

"Don't. No he can't— he can't know, Ben. I don't.. want him to know." Nathan gripped the glass tightly as Benny nodded, humming.

"Why? Because he'll just send you back where they watch you all the time? Make sure you don't take anything?" She asked as Nathan stayed quiet for a moment. "Where are they, Nate?"

"Shut up." He grumbled, Benny leaning forward slightly.

"If you don't tell me, I'll just search for them when you're asleep."

"Shut. Up."

"I am trying to help you, Nathan!"

"SHUT UP!" Nathan slammed the glass down onto the floor, shattering it to pieces as he stood up, staring down at her with a hateful look. Benny's blood flooded her ears as her heart pounded.

Silence filled the kitchen before Benny sucked in a sharp breath, slowly walking out, leaving Nathan alone by the glass.