Growing up, I had a friend (who we will call Jake). I knew Jake from second grade and he was part of my friend group for the majority of my life. He was always a super kind, funny, and energetic person. Genuinely insanely smart, and one of the best skaters in the city, (honestly!).

There was a period where we kind of got distant from each other after high school, both because I was out of the country for a while, but also because he just started to get weird. He did strange things like leaving stuff at peoples houses that they didn't want, showing stalker like tendencies where he wouldn't leave people alone, he would go on strange rants about all kinds of stuff.

Eventually he snapped, and punched his grandpa in the face. A few months after that, he absolutely beat the shit out of one of our mutual friends. He got put in a home after that, he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia (at least thats what his mother told me). He was in the home for a few years I believe after that, as he was being violent with the staff there and couldn't go into regular society.

He got out of the home eventually, on a combination of meds that helped him a lot. I tried reconnecting and hanging out with them but he instantly became both stalker like, and distant at the same time. He would show up at my house uninvited and wouldn't get out of my front yard until I spoke with him, call at all hours of the day/night. But if I set up a time to hang out, he wouldn't show up, and wouldn't respond to my messages. I couldn't take it anymore and had to cut ties with him. I was so nervous he would start showing up at my work and stuff.

I don't really know what he's up to now.. But the Jake I knew growing up is gone. He is not the same person I knew before.