Before Real Life Begins

High school. Friends, drinking, drugs, romance, a life before the responsibilities of being an
adult. Four high school seniors: Kaiden, Alex, James, and Sydney were excited (well as excited
as one can be about going back to school) to take on their last year of high school the same
way they had the last 3 years: side by side. Ready to spend their last year together having fun
and trying new things. But everything changes when Kaiden is found dead, having died of a
drug overdose of cocaine mixed with fentanyl. All of his friends, as well as his parents, are
overly confused since they had only ever known him to smoke marijuana. His parents become
determined on finding out the truth of who Kaiden really was and what really happened the night
he died. Kaiden’s girlfriend Alex is the most devastated of them all though, unsure of how to go
on. A few days after the funeral, Alex finds a letter at the door. She opens it to see a paper titled
“Before Real Life Begins…” at the top. She’s thinks it’s a cruel joke when she sees Kaiden’s
signature at the top of the page, but on closer inspection she knows it’s Kaiden’s handwriting.
On the paper is a list of 11 activities that seem to be bucket list of things. A list of things to do
before he graduates. Alex becomes determined to find out the truth behind who delivered the
list and why Kaiden wrote it, as well as decides to help Kaiden’s parents discover what really
happened the night of his death. Her and her other 2 friends James and Sydney decide it’s their
duty to honor Kaiden by completing all the tasks on the list in the 5 months before they
graduate. But their friendship will be tested as they do so, with all of them struggling to face the
loss of their friend while also dealing with their own secrets: James and his sexuality, Sydney
and her secret romance with Alex’s brother Chris, Alex and her inability to cope, and Chris and
his knowledge of what really happened the night of Kaiden’s death.

Kaiden’s “Before Real Life Begins List”:

1. Go to class stoned
2. Perform in front of the school at an assembly
3. Have sex on school premises
4. Sneak onto the roof of the school and light off fireworks
5. Pull an all nighter and still go to school the next day
6. Try shrooms
7. Get in a fight
8. Come up with a senior prank
9. Quit my job in a dramatic way
10. Go on a road trip with my friends
11. Go for a midnight walk with Alex and stay out all night talking
 Character List

The Teenagers:

Alex Bell:

Not everything in Alex’s life is perfect. Her home life is exhausting. Her parents are always
pressuring her to pick a stable career to go into and apply to University. She also has to watch
her older brother, Chris, who she was once so close with, hide his clearly obvious drug addiction
from their parents and constantly struggle to remain stable. But other than her family problems,
her life is pretty decent. Finally a senior in high school with the 3 greatest friends in the world.
Finally in a relationship with Kaiden, who she’s always secretly been in love with. Ready to
graduate in 5 months and take a year off with her boyfriend to save up money and discover her
passion in life. But one morning she is given the shocking news that Kaiden has died of a drug
overdose during the night. Her entire world shifts.

The day after his funeral a note is delivered at her door. A note signed by Kaiden and in his
hand writing, titled “Before Real Life Begins” which has a list of 11 activities he wanted to do
before he graduated. Confused and determined to discover the truth, Alex starts to question
everything. Who delivered the note? Why did Kaiden write it? Alex shares the note with her
friends, James and Sydney, and they as a group decide it’s up to them to complete the list to
honour Kaiden. Alex is also soon approached by Kaiden’s parents, who are determined for the
truth of what happened the night of his death and Alex decides to help them in discovering the
story. As time goes on, Alex is not coping well with the loss. Everything gets worse when she
can’t connect any dots of how Kaiden would have died from an overdose, and also discovers
that her best friend Sydney is in a secret relationship with her brother.

Angry with the world, untrusting of everyone, needing a break. She sinks deeper into her own
personal loss, losing all sense of who she is and the future she was once so excited for. Relying
on weed and alcohol to get her through the day, unable to live with her reality. Still dedicated to
completing the list, even as her friends have lost interest and think she needs to move on. It isn’t
until their road trip that everything truly falls apart. Their friendships crumble. But the worst is
yet to come when she asks her brother to pick her up from the road trip. On the ride home with
her brother who is clearly incredibly high and unstable, she discovers it was Chris who was
there the night of Kaiden’s death. Chris who delivered the note to her. Chris who sold Kaiden
the cocaine. Chris who is to blame for Kaiden’s death.

Sydney Gordon:

Sydney should be the popular girl. She has the looks, the style, the welcoming personality, the
carefree energy. But she doesn’t care about that kind of stuff (not a lot at least). She’s more
focused on her acceptance to Academy of Art University and her future career as a fashion
designer. Plus, she’s found the best friends a girl could ask for. Sure, Alex is a little moody,
Kaiden is Mr. Perfect, James never stops talking about sports, but it could be worse, right? In
fact, things do get much worse. After she hears news of Kaiden’s death, she knows her senior
year will not be what she had planned. Especially when Alex shows her a list ‘supposedly’
written by Kaiden, that Alex, James and her have now decided to live by.

Sydney has always known herself to be a good people person. Raised by her single mom, a
yoga instructor and a chiropractor, taught to trust in the plan of the universe and face life with
open arms. A few days after Kaiden’s funeral, Sydney goes to Alex’s house to say hello, but
instead runs into her older brother Chris (who Sydney always secretly thought was attractive in
a sad boy kind of way). Chris, distraught from the events of the week, is in need of a friend, and
Sydney faces it just as she does everything else: with open arms. She never planned to hang
out with him again, but when she sees him crying in his car, things between the two heat up and
she can’t deny their chemistry. Things especially escalate quickly between Sydney and Chris
when an item on the list says to “have sex on school premises” and Alex and James don’t step
up.

Not wanting to hurt Alex, who is struggling more and more each day, Sydney and Chris keep
their secret romance to themselves. Sydney notices Alex falling into a deep pit, and decides the
main problem is her obsession with the list that they can’t even prove was written by Kaiden.
Sydney suggests they stop trying to complete the list and move on. Alex is enraged by this idea,
blinded by her own pain. Meanwhile Sydney is also beginning to realize Chris is much darker
than he first seemed. When Alex catches Sydney and Chris making out, Sydney tries to keep
Alex calm, but it is no use. Sydney decides to break up with Chris anyways, his drug use getting
too much for her to handle. However, no matter how hard she tries, Alex will not forgive her or
listen to her advice that she must move on and live a life without Kaiden. She feels helpless to
help anyone. Until James suddenly opens up to her and confesses that he’s gay and that he
was in love with Kaiden...

James Hunt:

James loves basketball. At least he thinks he does. At least, he tries to make it look like he
does. In a family like his, with 3 older brothers, and a dad who has always taken pride in
strength and determination, how is he supposed to admit to himself, let alone others, that he’s
gay. Not the stereotype, not flamboyant and into rainbow colours, but rather, not interested in
sports, but interested in science. And not interested in woman, simply, interested in men.

James is also extremely anxious. Struggling with anxiety throughout his whole life, on and off
medications. It doesn’t help that James has to constantly hide who he is. In fact, he tries to
ignore the idea that he is gay, but struggles since he’s been interested in Kaiden since the day
that he met him in grade 9. Finally owning his own feelings, he realizes his first step in accepting
himself is admitting his feelings to Kaiden. One day after school he asks Kaiden if they can hang
out and talk for a bit. At the coffee shop nearby, James admits to Kaiden that he is gay and in
love with him, but that he doesn’t expect him to reciprocate it. Kaiden, although accepting, is
overwhelmed and leaves quickly, leaving James feeling embarrassed. When Kaiden is found
dead the next morning, what else is James to do other than blame himself.
Kaiden’s death only makes James hide his homosexuality even more and only makes his
anxiety 100 times worse. However, after Alex shows him and Sydney a list Kaiden wrote of
things he wants to do before he graduates, James starts to make his own list. A list for what he
wants to do before he graduates. Quit basketball, focus on science and tell his friends, his
family, and mainly himself, that he is gay. Spending way too much time focusing on his guilt,
anxiety and sexuality, James finds himself struggling in school, struggling on his sports teams
and struggling with everything overall. It only gets worse when he finally confesses to his dad
that he is gay, and gets shunned. This leads him down a dark path, rejecting his friends and
causing a distance. Until one day, he finally confesses his homosexuality, his guilt and his family
struggles to Sydney.

Chris Bell:

Chris doesn’t mean to be difficult. He’s used to being the disappointment. Going nowhere in life.
He barely even graduated high school, always stuck in the shadow of his younger sister. He
started smoking weed in grade 7, after constantly being bullied. As the years go by, he’s
continued to try all different kinds of drugs, and frankly, he’s not sure if the bullying has stopped
or if he’s always just too high to notice it.

He knows that no matter how many different drugs he tries, it won’t change the fact that he’s
friendless and going nowhere in life. He also knows selling drugs will one day get him in shit.
However, he never thought that it would make him into a murderer. One night in February, Chris
receives a text from Alex’s try hard boyfriend Kaiden. He asks if he could possibly buy some
cocaine from him. On top of that he asks if he could come to his house to deliver it so Alex won’t
see. Chris just recently bought some new type of cocaine that he hadn’t tried yet but with no
plans for his night, he decides to accept Kaiden’s request.

He can tell Kaiden had been crying. He also knows he is nervous to do the coke, when he asks
Chris if he would stay and hang with him for a while. Kaiden snorts the cocaine, and begins to
express to Chris how afraid he is to grow up. He watches as Kaiden writes out a list of all the
things he wants to do before he graduates. He doesn’t expect to find out the next day that
Kaiden has died from a fentanyl overdose. Ridden with the guilt of Kaiden’s death and watching
his sister struggle to cope, he slips deeper into drug use. He thinks he’s found more meaning in
life once he starts a secret relationship with Alex’s hot friend Sydney, but once Alex finds out
about their love affair, he finds himself so unable to live with the guilt. Things only get worse
when Sydney breaks up with him.

He thinks Alex may have finally forgave him when she asks him to pick her up from her road
trip, but he only then sees how truly damaged Alex has become. She begins looking in his bag
for weed, only to discover cocaine. Unable to hide it anymore, Chris confesses to her what
really happened the night of his death. That it was him who sold Kaiden the drugs and him who
delivered the note. Alex immediately expresses her hatred of Chris and storms out of the car. In
the end, Chris realizes there’s no hope for him anymore, and crashes his car into a tree.
Kaiden Woods:

Everyone thinks he is perfect. Attractive, popular, athletic, smart, funny. No one ever stops to
wonder if he’s okay. He isn’t. Everyone’s expectations constantly weigh on him. His parents
constantly pressure him on his grades, and applying to medical school. But his friends are
amazing, and his girlfriend is the greatest thing in his life. Weed helps too but the anxiety of
hiding it from his parents always gets to him. He feels like he isn’t even free to enjoy his last
year of high school. His last year before real life is going to start.

After failing a science test, and being scolded by his football coach, he needs to get away. Too
many mentions of his future and the person he should be are crowding his head, so it’s great
when James asks him to hang out after school. They go to the local coffee shop, Kaiden ready
to forget his awful day, but then, James goes on to confess that is gay and struggling to accept
it. He then goes even further and tells him he has been in love with him for 4 years. Kaiden, with
way too much on his mind and not sure what to do, leaves in a hurry and decides he needs to
ease his mind. Try something new. He texts Chris, Alex’s brother, who he knows does a lot of
drugs, and asked him for some cocaine. Not wanting Alex to find out, he asks him to deliver it to
his house.

Before Chris gets there, Kaiden’s parents yell at him for getting a call from his science teacher
about his failed test. They also yell at him when they find out he’s been missing football
practices. Kaiden’s emotions consume him and he feels like everything is too much. Luckily,
Chris arrives once Kaiden’s parents are asleep. Needing company, and afraid to do a new drug,
Kaiden asks Chris to hang out. They’ve never been very close but Kaiden just needs someone
to talk to. He snorts a line of cocaine and immediately feels the energy pulsing through him. He
quickly grabs a piece of paper and expresses to Chris that he can now see all the things he’s
been missing out on. All the things he needs to do before real life begins. As he finishes the list,
he starts to feel dizzy and nauseous. He feels his body going limp and his heartbeat slow, he
keeps passing out on and off. The last thing he remembers seeing before he slips into oblivion
was Chris getting up and leaving his room...

The Parents:

Sophia Bell:

Sophia knows she’s not the best mother in the world. But she’s trying her best. Her children,
Alex and Chris, couldn’t be more different. How is she supposed to know what to do when her
son starts smoking pot? With Chris finally done high school, and now officially an adult at 18,
she decides to lean up on him and let him make his own decisions, no matter how stupid. It’s
her son. She could never just kick him out. Luckily she has Alex, her smart, determined
daughter. However, things turn sour when Alex’s boyfriend dies of a drug overdose. Sophia had
so much hope for the person Alex would become but she now watches her daughter turn into
someone she doesn’t even know. Cursing, fighting, doing drugs, sneaking around. She expects
this kind of behaviour from Chris, but Alex? Her standards for Alex are much higher. Then of
course, there’s her relationship with her husband, that’s been crumbling ever since they couldn’t
control Chris. Her feelings for Ryan have faded, she knows that. But what is she to do now?

Ryan Bell:

This wasn’t the life Ryan thought he’d be living. Things used to be amazing. His two beautiful
children, so innocent, so sweet. His amazing wife, his soul mate, always so kind and generous.
But once Chris began being bullied, and smoking pot, he knew things were going to change.
Ryan knows Chris does other drugs. He’s not an idiot. But tired of fighting with Sophia, he
doesn’t know how to help his son anymore. Alex on the other hand, was always so cooperative.
He never thought she would do drugs, or skip class, or become such a difficult child. He can’t
blame her though. Her boyfriend passed away. He doesn’t know how to help, especially when
Sophia is becoming so harsh with Alex. He’s still in love with Sophia. He is willing to fight for this
marriage. But it’s difficult when she can’t see how their children don’t need strict rules, or to be
ignored. They just need support, and love.

Leah Gordon:

Leah has always believed everything happens for a reason. Her ex husband was a drug addict
and abusive to her before she finally kicked him out when she got pregnant with her beautiful
daughter Sydney. But if it wasn’t for her husband she would’ve never had Sydney. Everything
works out in the end. Since Sydney is such a smart, independent young woman, Leah is able to
focus her time on her yoga and her chiropracting work. However, when Sydney’s friend Kaiden
dies, she knows things won’t be easy. Sydney is surprisingly strong with the loss of her friend,
but Leah gets suspicious when Sydney begins to always be out of the house, sneaking around.
She soon discovers Sydney’s secret love affair with Alex’s troubled brother, and advices Sydney
of the dangers of being with a drug addict. Leah will always support Sydney but can only hope
she makes the right decisions for herself in the future.

Dean Hunt:

Dean takes pride in his sons. He always wanted a son, and now he’s lucky enough to have four.
Four sons to continue his legacy. Four sons who and are strong, athletic, smart men. Four
perfect children. Well, almost perfect. He finally thought his son James was over his whole
anxiety faze. He was off his medication, doing well. But when James’ close friend Kaiden dies,
he knows things will get bad. Back on the medication, struggling in school, acting strange. He
really knows things are off once James stops showing an interest in basketball. Now that
Kaiden’s gone, James only hangs out with Alex and Sydney. Surrounded by girls, his emotions
become strong. Dean struggles to support him in his friendships and his constant grief over
Kaiden. He barely recognizes James anymore. It isn’t until James comes out to him as gay, that
he realizes James isn’t his son at all anymore.

Madelyn Woods:
Madelyn is always so proud of Kaiden. He is her main passion. She always talks to everyone
about how Kaiden will become a doctor, and how Kaiden is a football star, and how Kaiden has
tons of friends but still maintains a 95 average. He is her pride and joy. It isn’t until his grade 12
year that things change. He starts struggling in his classes, struggling on the football team. He
no longer seems passionate about anything. She knows he just needs some stern motivation to
go back to the perfect son she always had. But after Kaiden dies of a drug overdose, Madelyn
doesn’t know what to think. What she does know is that it was not her sons fault. She knew her
son. Her son didn’t do those things. She will find out what happened to him if it’s the last thing
she does.

Thomas Woods:

Thomas has always thought his son Kaiden is amazing. Him and Madelyn have raised an
amazing young man who is going to do great things. Sure, he seems like he is stressed
sometimes, but nothing a guy like him can’t handle. That’s why he is confused when Kaiden
starts struggling in school and not commiting to his football. He can tell something isn’t right. But
Kaiden’s a strong guy he’ll get through it. It isn’t until Kaiden dies of a drug overdose that
Thomas realizes they didn’t know their son at all. Madelyn is in denial, thinks someone did this
to their son. Although she might be determined on finding out what happened the night of his
death, Thomas is more determined on finding out who Kaiden actually was. Although it’s hard to
admit, Thomas knows that it’s him and Madelyn’s fault for not paying closer attention to who
their son really was, instead of the imaginary idea they had made up of who they wanted him to
be.