It all happened so fast.

The warm, thick red liquid oozed out quickly from the wound, pooling the ground below Stacey. But it wasn't her blood. It was someone else's. Someone very close to her. Someone she deeply cherishes.

She was hyperventilating. The blade of the knife dug itself in so deep, only the handle was visible. Several drops of blood spurted from the wound when Stacey removed it, splattering her own face as well and blinding her eyes with dark red.

She stared down at her hands. Fresh tears squeezed out from her wide hazel eyes.

Her hands were completely covered in blood.

But when she woke up, she was somewhere else. Someplace brighter, somewhere that made her feel more at peace with herself. Her heart hammered so fast and hard against her chest, she was so sure it would burst at any given moment. Beads of cold, nervous sweat rolled down her pale face, leaving a wet trail of perspiration.

Slowly, she sat up, glancing around the place to absorb her surroundings. Relief flooded through her sweaty, trembling body, her anxiety leaving her as quickly as it came. She was in her bedroom. It was early morning.

When she took a quick look at her hands, they were perfectly clean.

***

"Anne, for God's sake-"

"I saw you with her!"

"What the hell do you think happened?"

"I saw you kissing her!"

"Anne, shut up! Leave it alone!"

"You're lucky I have to go. But this conversation is not over, you hear me?"

Stacey winced when she heard the sound of the front door slamming hard. She stood at the top of the staircase, stiff as a rock, and listened as Frank sighed heavily with an inaudible grumble under his breath. Slowly and reluctantly, she crept down the staircase, the sound of her footsteps soft and gentle against the floor. She headed to the kitchen at the same slow pace, where she found Frank shoving his wallet in his pocket.

"Frank?" she said timidly.

Frank turned to her with a tired smile. "Morning Stace," he greeted.

"Everything ok?" she asked worriedly.

"Ah, fine," he waved it off, as if it was no big deal. "Your mother's just a bit grumpy today. Nothing to worry about."

Stacey nodded with much hesitation, though Frank didn't seem to notice. He pecked her quickly on the cheek and uttered a quick goodbye before exiting the house to leave for work.

With her teeth nibbling on her lower lip out of habit, she grabbed herself a fresh, ripe banana and left the house, peeling the banana open on the way and snacking on it for lunch. She walked to the direction of Anne's café to buy herself a coffee, deciding to hang out there until it was time to meet up with Jesse at the park.

The bells chimed in the café, greeting her cheerfully once she entered. The waitresses waved to her, including Anne, whose smile didn't seem to reach her eyes. Stacey responded with a concerned look aimed towards her mother. Anne quickly turned away, pretending to busy herself by wiping the counter, which was perfectly clean of any coffee stains.

"Mom?" Stacey said as she leaned over on the counter. "You ok?"

"Just grand!" Anne said with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Mom," Stacey said quietly so only she and Anne could hear. "I heard you and Frank yelling. Is everything ok?"

"Just a small argument, hon," Anne assured her. "Nothing for you to worry about. Coffee?" she offered.

"Uh... Yeah, ok."

In under two minutes, Stacey had a warm cup of coffee in hand. She stared down at the dark liquid, watched as the steam rose and swirled to the top, creating an odd zigzagged pattern. She brought the hot beverage to her lips and sipped it carefully.

"Got any plans today, Stace?" Elly inquired.

"I'll be heading to the park in an hour," Stacey replied.

"Ooh, that's the perfect place for a first date!" Donna said eagerly.

Stacey's eyes widened, her face heating up with deep redness. "I-I'm not going on a date!" she stammered. "I'm just hanging out with a friend."

Donna teased her for a good few minutes, then silenced herself once Anne shot her a warning glare. Stacey's shoulders sagged in relief and sent her mother a thankful look, yet stopped when she realized Anne was eyeing her suspiciously.

"Actually, I'm gonna go now," she said, masking her nervous voice with thick casualness. "I'll see you guys later, ok?"

"Have fun," Donna sang.

Stifling back a giggle, Stacey stood up, tossed her banana peel and her empty coffee cup in the trashcan, and fled the café in a hurry, escaping the dubious eyes of her mother.

Once she was well away from the café, she let out a long, deep breath she didn't realize she was holding back. She slowed down to a normal, even pace and continued down the sidewalk, trying to push her worries about her mother out of her mind.

Minutes later, she reached the park. She was rather surprised to see Jesse already there, sitting in the same spot on the bench, yet with no guitar. Just him.

Stacey nearly stumbled as she approached the silent boy. His head snapped up, his eyebrows raising out of sheer surprise when he spotted her coming near.

"You're early," he said once she seated herself beside him.

"So are you," she shrugged.

He stuck out his lower lip, clearly showing he didn't know how to respond to that. Stacey grinned a crooked, open-mouthed smile. Jesse stared over at the children on the swings, almost solemnly. She followed his gaze and watched with him, feeling her heart warm up at the sight of a little girl's mother pushing her on the swing, her eyes glazed with awe and compassion.

After five minutes of this, she stood up and looked down at Jesse. His eyes darted toward her, a hint of confusion written across his stone-cold orbs. She smiled brightly at him, despite knowing he would only respond with his usual blank stare.

"When I went home yesterday," she said, "I saw this place... It looked amazing. I checked it out... and I felt so free."

Jesse's eyebrows stitched up together, puzzled.

"I want to show you," she said. "I don't know much about you... but I think you might like it. A penny for your thoughts?"

He slowly blinked. "Erm... Ok."

Stacey contained her gasp and her cheer with much difficulty. Jesse stood up from his seat, and she lead him away from the park, the sound of the bright and happy children growing quieter and less audible.

As they walked on, she noticed him glance at her for a split second, almost curiously. Brushing it off, she continued on. However, it happened again. And again.

"Is there... something on my face?" she asked, her face heating up as she traced the tips of her fingers along the sides of her cheeks.

Jesse shook his head.

She opened her mouth to question him further, yet closed it as she slowly came to realize it would be better not to ask. He probably wouldn't even answer, anyway.

They went on down the sidewalk. At some point, Stacey lead Jesse off the trail of the sidewalk, and soon they were standing on dewy grass. The wet blades slapped against their ankles, staining them with the morning liquid and leaving off light green stains. The wind became stronger. Strong, yet gentle. The sound of crashing waves sang along with the breeze, the beautiful combination taking over Stacey's senses.

The edge of the grassy cliff was only several feet away. She turned to Jesse, who seemed mildly shocked at the destination, though it was clear he was trying not to show it too much on his face.

"If you go over there," she said, pointing her finger towards the cliff, "you can see the ocean. It's really pretty. Come see."

Without waiting for a response, she made her way towards the cliff and stood inches away from the edge. Looking on, she could see the sparkling water of the ocean that ran along a beach miles below them. The sun shone above the ocean, making it seem like it was glowing. The breeze that the strong water gave off was soothing and carefree, much like how she felt right then. The sound of seagulls squawking added on to the gentleness of the wonderful nature surrounding the ocean as they floated above it and touched the brilliant blue sky with their white, feathery wings.

Stacey was enjoying herself so much, she didn't realize Jesse wasn't standing next to her. Upon noticing this, she called whilst staring at the wonders the ocean gave off, "Come here! It's quite a sight!"

The sound of his voice rang through her ears. "I'm fine back here, thanks," he replied.

"Come on, Jess!" Stacey pleaded. "Try to have some fun!"

"You shouldn't be standing there either," Jesse's voice said in a rather snappy tone, startling her. "You could fall. Get away from there."

She spun around to face him. "What's your problem?" she inquired.

He remained silent once again. It was then she noticed that his cheeks had drained of its colour, replacing it with a shade of pale. His eyes were wide, like they were about to fall out of their sockets. It was an odd sight. He looked... terrified.

"Jess?" Stacey said worriedly. "Are you ok?"

Again, no response. He gazed wearily at the cliff and back at her. She glanced behind her own shoulder to follow his gaze, then turned back to him, perplexed. It took a few moments, but soon, she eventually caught on.

"Jesse," she said with a small smile. "You're afraid of heights."

She slowly approached him and watched as he looked away from her in embarrassment. He meekly shrugged his tense, rigid shoulders.

"Have been since I was six," he mumbled. "What can I do about it?"

Stacey watched him for a moment or so. "You know, when you think about it, it's not really how high you are that scares you," she said softly. "You're just afraid to fall. Right? Kind of like me. I'm scared of the dark. But when I think about it, I'm only scared of what can come out of the dark."

Jesse's wide, terrified eyes soon turned thoughtful. "Never really though of it that way... But I guess you're right," he said slowly.

She grinned. "Well, I can't just enjoy myself on my own here," she said cheerfully. "I'm gonna have to help you get over your fear so you can enjoy yourself too."

And Jesse was horrified once again. "Uh... No need," he said nervously.

"Of course there is!" she cried. "You have to face your fear at some point, don't you?"

"Maybe. But not today."

"Yes, today," she said stubbornly. "Now listen... I have an idea. But I need to ask you something first."

"Ask."

"Do you trust me?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just answer the question," she said.

He licked his lips in deep thought, then shrugged once again. "I haven't known you for long... but I think I do," he replied with slight hesitance.

Stacey smiled. "Ok... Then close your eyes," she instructed.

Jesse blinked. "Close...?"

"Your eyes, yes."

He glanced over her shoulder to take a look at the cliff. His breathing hitched slightly. But he did as he was told and slowly slid his eyes shut, hiding his icy irises.

Satisfied, Stacey gently placed her hands on his stiffened shoulders. "Now just walk forward... but slowly."

And so he did. The two made their way towards the cliff at a slow, careful pace. She could feel him growing stiffer with each step he took as they neared the cliff. She squeezed his shoulders in reassurance.

"I'm not gonna let go of you, I swear," she assured him. "Ok, just a little more..." She lead him forwards a few more steps. "And stop."

His breathing became shaky with fear. She saw that he had broken into a cold sweat.

Rubbing his back in soothing circles, she murmured in his ear, "You're only afraid to fall. But you're not supposed to look down, because that way, it'll only make you more nervous when you see how high up you are."

Jesse shakily nodded, squeezing his eyes firmly shut, forcing them against his eyelids.

"The trick is to look ahead," she continued. "Look ahead and see the beauty that the ocean holds. Open your eyes."

He took his time, but eventually, his eyelids lifted back up, revealing his fear-filled eyes. They widened once again... but in shock rather than in horror. He let out a small exhale of breath as he gazed upon the wonders of the ocean, its magic settling in slowly but steadily.

"Oh my God," Stacey heard him whisper.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she prompted.

He didn't give her his usual nod in response, nor did he speak. Instead, he did something she never thought she would ever witness him do. And God, it sure did catch her off guard.

He laughed.

It was short and small... but so real.

Sure enough, when she looked at him, he was smiling from ear to ear.

"Jesse!" she gasped. "Did you just laugh?"

Another laugh left his lips. "Gosh... I'm sorry," he chuckled uncontrollably. "Can't help it!"

And so, he continued on laughing happily. Stacey couldn't help but laugh along. Because right then, she saw him in a whole new light. Right then, he wasn't the quiet, cold boy that hardly spoke to anyone. He wasn't just the boy that remained silent and played guitar. He wasn't the boy that Kate thought was rude and heartless.

No... He was a warm, kind boy that loved to laugh. He loved to smile. He loved the feeling of peace and freedom, much like the way the ocean was giving off that aura. His eyes that used to be so stone-cold like ice were now filled with energy, life, and passion. They melted into this warmness that could make a small baby smile. The world seemed to have suddenly brightened.

All because he laughed.

"Why can't I... stop?" he said, now trying to catch his breath and slow his racing heart.

"Because you're enjoying yourself!" Stacey gushed. "When people enjoy themselves, they laugh. It's a natural instinct." She giggled as she watched him stare off into the ocean. "Keep laughing. I like it. It suits you."

The two laughed for several more minutes, enjoying the lovely feeling the crashing ocean waves gave off. Then, Jesse's smile slowly faded, and his fit of chuckles came to a halt. He turned away from the wonderful scenery and from Stacey and walked away from the cliff. Stacey watched him, her wide grin disappearing as well.

"Jess?" she called, racing towards him to catch up to him. Once she did, she said, "You were doing so well. Are you ok?"

"Fine," he sighed. "I really did enjoy myself. It's just..."

"Just what?" she asked serenely.

He swallowed thickly. "It's how my dad... died."