RIVER

Vander had asked River to accompany him to Benzo's shop, River didn't have to but Vander thought it would be good for her to finally meet Ekko. Vander walked into Benzo's shop, River following behind him. She looked around a bit as she followed Vander.

"This is River" Vander said as he gestured to the girl behind him, River looked at him "nice to meet ya" Benzo greeted with a smile. River smiled a little and nodded her head in greetings "likewise"
"Ekko!" Benzo called out loudly. River heard footsteps come down the stairs of the shop.

A little boy with white hair poked his head through the doorway "yep?" he asked Benzo "how bout you show River here around a little bit" Benzo told the young boy "come with me" Ekko walked off and led her up stairs. "I already know who you are" Ekko blurted out, River raised a brow "oh?" Ekko's eyes widened "no! I mean. It's just that Powder talks about you a lot" he corrected himself.

"oh" River whispered "yeah she kept telling me that I had to meet you because your so great and stuff" Ekko told her with a grin, River blushed in embarrassment, she didn't know how to reply to that.

"Anyways, let me show you my ideas" Ekko told her and grabbed some pieces of paper with scribbles on them. Ekko then started telling River about how one day he wanted to try and make hoverboards so that he could go anywhere he would want and no one could catch him. Ekko seemed really excited about the idea and River even helped him come up with new ideas on how to build one properly.

It was safe to say that the two got along really well, The two had been talking for about two hours before River and Vander had to leave. Vander said that Ekko had to see the rest soon since he hadn't actually been at the last drop since River had been living there. Vander and River were now walking side by side.

Vander gave River a side glance and smirked "so?" he said. River looked at him in confusion "so?" she repeated "what did you think of Ekko? you two seemed to really hit it off" Vander smirked suggestively at her. Once River knew where he was getting at her face instantly contorted into disgust.

"what! no! no." River shook her head "well i'm just saying. Seems like you two got alone" Vander shrugged "no, i-i'm not into bo-that. Just no" River now had a deep blush on her cheeks with her eyes wide "can we not talk about this anymore" River begged causing Vander to chuckle.

"alright alright"

Vander opened the door for River and walked in after her "how bout you go back down to Powder" Vander smirked making River confused "uhh ok?" was what she said before leaving and going into the basement. Once she walked in she saw the four all sitting on the couch's.

Vi sitting in the single arm chair, Mylo and Claggor sitting on the double one towards the door and Powder sitting across from the matching bigger one, closest to Vi. River went and sat on the other side of the couch Powder was on and rested her elbow on the arm rest, her chin propped up in her hand.

Everyone was staring at her "what?" she asked "where have you been" Mylo asked before smirking mischievously "meeting up with your boyfriend?" Rivers face scrunched up in disgust, River didn't notice, but when those words left his mouth Powder rolled her eyes at the thought, Vi noticing and instantly connecting the dots.

"yeah actually" River smirked before leaning forward in her seat, Powders eyes widened and she looked to her lap and played with the strings of her pants "your boyfriend was really nice" River she shrugged and leant back again.

Mylo obviously not catching what she just said grinned "yes! I knew it" Mylo looked proud of himself, everyone stared at him and snickered "wait" Mylo finally realised and his eyes widened "i-i don't have - what! no! you tricked me!" Mylo stumbled over his words "it's ok Mylo. I support you and i'm proud of you for feeling comfortable enough around us to admit it" Mylo stormed away yelling "I like girls!"

River laughed and shook her head, her and Vi fist bumping "god... why'd we stop teasing Mylo?" Vi thought out loud. River stayed quiet, not being able to come up with a reason "didn't he actually get upset one time?" Powder finally spoke, everyone looked at the blue haired girl confused.

River cocked her head as she stared at Powder "did he?" she asked "yeah.. he was making fun of your accent yet again, and you said something that I can't remember. But I remember Mylo getting offended then telling Vander we were bullying him and we got told off" Powders pointer finger on her chin as she thought back on the memory.

Everyone laughed once they remembered "Oh my god yeah! Vander ended up saying that he saw how badly I treated Mylo and that Mylo was only joking when he said stuff about me" River chuckled and rolled her eyes at the memory "did he really say that?" Claggor asked her with wide eyes, River nodded her head in confirmation.

River had now noticed that Powder had moved close enough to River that there arms were almost touching, for some reason River felt the impulse to move a tiny bit closer so that there arms were touching. It was funny, River's entire life she hated being touchy with her family or friends, the thought of it repulsed her. But for some reason, with Powder... she craved it.

"I think Vander only said that so Mylo would feel better" Vi shrugged her shoulders. River shook her head in disagreement "nope" was all River said. They all talked for a little longer before doing their own thing.

River stared at her reflection in the mirror in the bathroom, since she came her hair had grown from above her shoulders to below them. She hated it. She desperately wanted to chop it but she didn't want to look completely horrible all because she tried to do it herself. So instead she grabbed the scissors and knocked on Vi's bedroom door.

"come in!" she heard Vi call out. River opened the door, standing there awkwardly, Vi raised a brow at her expectingly "can you cut my hair?" River asked hesitantly with a soft voice "yeah, of course" Vi smiled softly at River. Sometimes Vi forgot that River was only a year older than Powder.

She seemed mature and kind of acted like a teenager, Vi saw herself in River a lot. The two then went into the bathroom, Vi stared at River in the mirror "so why'd you ask me to cut your hair?" Vi cocked her head, River shrugged "I trust you not to give me a horrible haircut" River replied in a monotone voice.

Vi smiled "you trust me huh?" Vi said teasingly, River rolled her eyes at her "shut up, you know what I meant" she said making Vi chuckle. Vi was starting to view River as another little sister, she wouldn't let anything happen to River "all right Rivera-Star" Vi said making Rivers jaw drop "noo! i'm gonna kill Powder" River grumbled.

Vi had started cutting Rivers hair shorter "soo. What's going on with you and Pow Pow" Vi asked River, River's ryes widened and the tips of her ears went red "what? n-nothing? why?" River said flustered "I don't know... maybe you have a little crush?" Vi asked her "i'm only twelve" River tried to defend herself.

"so what?" Vi shrugged "when I was your age I was kissing girls" she smirked "is that.. ok?" River hesitantly asked the pink haired girl "is what ok? "being a girl... and liking girls" River asked "yeah of course" Vi smiled "liking girls for me was always the same as girls liking boys. It was never a big deal it was just another thing about me" Vi said with a gentle voice.

"one time I asked my parents if it was ok if I liked girls the way I should like boys... but I ended up getting beaten and kicked out for a month before I was allowed to come back. They told me that if I thought that... I was broken, I didn't deserve to live for such disgusting thoughts"

Vi was shocked, she put the scissors down on the counter and wrapped her arms around River's shoulders, she rested her cheek on top of Rivers head and held her close. The two didn't say anything, they just enjoyed each other's company before separating.

"Questioning if you like girls doesn't make you broken or disgusting. Loving someone doesn't make you a bad person... no matter what gender. And don't let anyone tell you anything different" Vi told her firmly, River nodded her head "all right, all done" Vi said as she ruffles up rivers hair, she cut it so it was short again, but there were some pieces shorter and longer than the others so it wasn't just a straight line.

"you look good" Vi said, River turned to Vi with a real, genuine smile. Something that was rare for Vi to see. River brought Vi in a hug of gratitude "thank you for everything" River mumbled, Vi gladly hugged back, holding Rivers head "no problem, Vera" Vi winked, River laughed and left the bathroom.

River felt better after talking with Vi, everything felt a little more clear. River walked into her and Powders bedroom to see Powder in her bed, River didn't mind, it was a usual thing for her and Powder to end up sleeping together. Powder had told River that she struggled to sleep alone sometimes.

Powder looked up from a bomb she was making "woah your hair looks cool!" Powder jumped up and skipped over to River, Powder reached up and let her fingers play with Rivera's hair for a moment "who did it?" Powder cocked her head "Vi" Powder nodded her head.

Powder grabbed her hand and pulled her on the bed with her, River leaned against the wall, Powder rested her head against Rivers shoulder "look" she held up her bomb "it's filled with nails!" Powder said in excitement before giving River a green crayon. The two sat on the bed drawing on Powders bombs for a bit until the day had passed and they'd fallen asleep on the bed together.

Vi quietly opened the door and peaked her head through to see if the two girls were all right. Vi grinned when she saw Powder basically on top of River, her head in Rivers chest while River had her arms wrapped around Powder.

"they'll realise one day"

AUTHORS NOTE
i'll go into the actual show in a couple chapter's just because there is a few things I want to happen before that. anywayss enjoy.

much love x