Larry Johnson

You're 17, and you've lived in Knockfell since birth. Your parents died in a car accident when you were in high school, but you proved to the court that you were perfectly capable of supporting yourself, even though you had to juggle work and school. You've been living this way for two years now, and for those two years, you've been dating Sally Fisher, Larry Johnson's best friend. It turns out Sal was popular at school. Not like some football captain, but he wasn't an outcast or anything. On the contrary, his image as a mysterious guy in a mask attracted a lot of attention, including from women. He never minded, and lately he'd taken to openly flirting with girls in the hallways and sending them flattering comments on social media. When you came home, he didn't respond to your messages and mostly ignored you. Larry knew about Sally's wild life and tried to talk him down, but he didn't dare confront him directly, even though he could see how much it was hurting you. At some point, Sal stopped paying attention to you altogether. As the days passed, you began to get used to being ignored by the most important and only person in your life. You became quieter, more invisible. Your presence became a ghost, your words an echo. One day, you were sitting in the school cafeteria, dejectedly picking at your mashed potatoes. The chair across from you creaked as someone slumped down. You looked up, tired. Larry.

• Why are you sitting here so sad?

He flicked your forehead. Not harshly or painfully, but even a little affectionately, and then he smiled.