Author's Notes: Oh hey, first fanfic. That's something.

The story is rated T for a reason. If you are uncomfortable with mental illness, please, back out of this story now.

The kids are all around 17-18, or seniors in high school. They're not the same as they were in the show. Sorry.

This story will not have a happy beginning. But I assure you, there's light at the end of the tunnel.

Eddie liked to think of himself as lucky. He had two loving parents. He was rich. But there was no satisfaction, no sense of accomplishment. He could get whatever he wanted. It bothered him immensely.

Oh, and whatever he wanted was a lie. Money couldn't buy love. Money couldn't buy satisfaction.

As he got older, he got more... rebellious. He hated how he'd be forever detached from most of the world. In a form of rather pathetic rebellion, he'd started buying all his clothes from thrift stores. It wasn't much, but it was something to him.

In a more extreme form of rebellion, Eddie started sneaking out at night to attend parties. He was able to buy a fake ID, and what he couldn't get into with that, he had money to buy his way in. He didn't have the guts to actually indulge in any of the more... risque actions offered, though. Look at me, I can't even do that right, he bitterly thought one night.

And love...

Eddie never let go of his affections for Tamika, even as he accepted that she probably didn't feel the same about him. They remained in contact. He listened to her, even when her anger intensified. He just wanted to help her. But despite this, he felt empty. No satisfaction, no love.

School schedules came in today. He's part of the top music class again. Rumors say that only seven students got in.

Eddie feels nostalgic. He can't quite understand why.

Kim always wanted to be just Kim, not Kim and Kam. Kam always wanted to be just Kam, not Kim and Kam. But not like this.

Kim's fashion interest more or less became an obsession. She refused to wear clothes from stores anymore. She only wore her original pieces. She can feel the stares of people as they pass by, but it means they've noticed her, right? That they think she's onto something, right? That someday, models will wear her designs, right...?

Kam's the only one that compliments her. She created a wardrobe for all seasons and occasions by hand, and nobody paid her any mind. Kim's just glad that somebody noticed her, even if it's the one person forced to be close to her.

Kam accepted that he'd never stand out. He's accepted that he's going to disappear. Why wouldn't he? He's discarded the brighter colors of his youth. He always wears dark colors these days. But not outlandish. He just blends into the crowd. He just... exists. Oh wait. Except nobody notices him. He's invisible to the world.

Kim's the only one who notices him. He got the top marks in all his classes last year and nobody noticed. Kam's just sad that her attention's going to be wasted on somebody nobody will remember.

Kim thinks Kam needs to be noticed.

Kam thinks Kim needs to be notice.

Nobody deserves to be forgotten, they both think.

School schedules came in today. They're part of the top music class again. Rumors say that only seven students got in.

Kim recalls a straw hat. Kam remembers a saxophone. Neither one can explain why.

Philly Phil lost his father between sophomore and junior year. It was a closed-casket funeral. Car crashes were never pretty. His mother was more or less the only thing keeping him going day to day after. He's realized just how great his mom is. He really doesn't deserve her.

Phil's wardrobe these days always includes one of his dad's old hoodies from his college or home city. Even if he's already wearing long sleeves that day. He thought that he'd have accepted his dad's death by now. If nothing else, he's gotten worse.

In freshman year, he got a compliment about his eyes, and that it was a shame he was always hiding them. That year, he asked his optometrist about getting normal glasses. Phil had to admit, he liked them.

These days he wears them because they're all cloudy and scratched. All the better to hide his eyes.

His mom works most of the time to make ends meet. Phil feels guilty about adding to her burdens. Incidentally, he doesn't ask her for help for that reason. Let it be far from him to add his mental problems to her list.

He's withdrawn into himself, but he can pretend to be normal. Just a normal guy who wears three layers even in the middle of summer and forgets to cut his hair for months. Not like he can really hide, he's already over six feet tall and towers over most people.

I'm sorry, mom, Phil thinks one day. But he won't say it. He doesn't have the nerves to hurt himself or her like that.

School schedules came in today. He's part of the top music class again. Rumors say that only seven students got in.

Phil thinks about jelly doughnuts and a biplane. He's not sure why.

Tamika always had a temper, but it got worse as she got older. People are afraid of her, and she gets mad at things she probably shouldn't. She always apologizes when it goes off like that, but the damage is already done. She can't take back what she said.

Tamika asked her parents for help. But as soon as she was in the therapist's office, her temper would go off and she'd call the session off. A vicious cycle that just wasted her parents' money. She hated it, and that just made her more angry, just at herself.

Tamika still talks to Eddie. He doesn't judge her for her outbursts and he always forgives her. She's glad to count him as her consistent friend. But she feels guilty for always yelling at him, even if he tells her it's okay.

She has a number of hairties. She tries to rein in her temper by slapping them against her wrist when she feels an outburst coming on. But it never works. All she has is marks on her wrists.

It's only when she's playing music that she truly feels calm. Tamika works at a local cafe at night as a guitarist. People love her music. She's glad that she feels at peace for once.

School schedules came in today. She's part of the top music class again. Rumors say that only seven students got in.

Tamika's thoughts jump to chalk. And she can't find out why for the life of her.

Li'l D asked Madison out this summer. She said yes.

Li'l D and Madison remained in contact after their first year at Westley. Li'l D's mom asked Madison to keep an eye on him. It usually resulted in a jam session.

They were always in the same music class as the years went on.

Madison's a lot taller than Li'l D now. He's barely grown since his youth. Neither one makes a big deal of it. If anything, Li'l D likes it because he can get away with a lot more.

Nothing really happened with them over the years. They've gotten more mature, yes, but they still feel like their younger selves. They like to talk about their adventures in first year under the covers.

The only thing that's sad is that it's over now.

School schedules came in today. They're part of the top music class again. Rumors say that only seven students got in.

Seven, huh? Li'l D and Madison talk over the phone.

They wonder if they'll see their friends from first year again.

Author's Notes: Hey, thanks for making it to the end of the chapter! If you liked it, leave a review. Or just add it to your alerts and/or favorites.

Sorry if this was boring. This was done more to establish what the kids are like now.

Thanks for reading. Hopefully the first real chapter will come out soon.

Thank you!

~ Dante M. Galileo