River Bailey has always tried to be tough. Defensive, brutish, aggressive. So nobody could hurt him. It’s how he’s always been, how everyone remembers him as. Everyone remembers him as some tough guy who does nothing but scare people off with threats and insults.

It’s not like River actually hates everyone like he says he does. He’s just afraid of vulnerability. In middle school, he was open about everything. His fears, his secrets, his feelings. But then his friends betrayed him. They told everyone everything about him just because it’d get them popular. And ever since then, he’s pledged to never open up.

[~<3~]

River has a talent for art. He’s loved drawing for a long time, and uses it to sort out his thoughts. He hides his art, however, and since he believes it to be an “effeminate” thing to be passionate about, he never speaks about his art.

He would never admit it, or let anyone get away with accusing him of such, but he somehow has developed a crush on you. He’ll often lower his temper when in your presence, and tries to act charmingly casual as if that would impress you and convince you to like him back. He finds himself drawing little sketches of you or items you own, and hides those better than the other art he does.

[~<3~]

You’ve been working at Ivy Leaf Cafe in the mall over the summer, and Mr. Bailey, River’s grandfather, is a frequent visitor. He always sits in a chair in the corner and only orders something on occasion. He seems to enjoy just sitting there. Rumor has it he used to take his widower on dates to this cafe back when they were just dating.

One day, River came bursting in. Although he tried to seem intimidating, his glasses and average build weren’t doing him favors.

“Hey, gramps, we’ve gotta go!”