I heard crying coming from the girls' bathroom. I sighed, knowing who it was before walking in—and grateful that no one saw me, a guy, walking into the females' restroom.

She looked up from her hands to see me looming above her, a few feet away. Her mascara was smudged around her puffy eyes and her dress looked wrinkled.

I took out my phone and clicked a random picture to edit. I wrote one thing on it and showed it to her.

Mark?

She let out a short, maniacal laugh. "In the gym, hanging out with his friends."

I nodded and put my phone away. She started getting up, trying to freshen up and look presentable. But I noticed something slightly sticking out of her person. A white cap attached to an orange-tinted bottle.

Before she saw I even looked at it, I took it out of her purse and started waving it, the clacking of noise coming from inside it brought me relief.

"Hey—" she started to protest before she saw what I took. Her eyes narrowed on the bottle before she looked back at my face. I studied the label, noticing that the name on it was not hers.

"Give it back," she demanded, reaching her hand out.

I simply shook my head and put the bottle in my pocket.

I realized, then, why I was fascinated by her. And I knew I should help her. She's tempted into taking the drugs.

I grabbed her by the wrist, pushing aside the slightly queasy feeling I got aside.

"Wha—hey! Let go."

I didn't let go, though. Instead, I dragged her outside of the school, the sound of music coming from the gym fading away with every step we took.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, still struggling against me.

I stayed quiet, only focused on getting her to the destination.

"You know this could be considered kidnapping, right?"

I only loosened my grip on her wrist, giving her the chance to escape if she really wanted to. I knew she wouldn't, though. She never wanted to go to the dance in the first place. And I doubt she thinks I'm really dangerous.

As I predicted, she continued following me—or, at least, let me drag her along.

When she realized where I was taking her, her eyes widened. "Are you taking me to the graveyard?"

I nodded, giving no further explanation. Now she might think I'm dangerous. I was surprised that she didn't stop following me, though. Maybe she was really just following the pills.

Once we were walking in the yard, it didn't take long for me to lead her to a particular grave.

She stared at the headstone.

Lilanna

January 8th, 2024–September 2nd, 2039

Beloved Daughter & Sister

"Actions speak louder than words," I said, my voice deep and gravelly, feeling strange after being mute for so long. "I learned that the day I promised her I wouldn't waste my words."

An image of my sister raced through my head and I almost smiled at the feeling of not wanting to throw up.

"If you're going to start talking BS about how there's hope and—"

The sound of me chuckling cut her off.

She pouted, crossing her arms. "What?"

I shook my head. "I'm the last person to talk to you about hope. Except to tell you that it's pointless."

She opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out for a moment. "I . . . didn't expect that to come from you."

I shrugged, looking her in the eye. "Tell me something. Why did you go to the dance?"

"What do you mean? Why would I miss the dance?" She was playing dumb.

"It was obvious—well, to me—that you didn't want to go. So why did you? To get away from your brother?"

She stayed silent for a moment, trying to look for an answer. "I wanted to act normal."

"You're not normal?"

She shrugged before letting out a hysterical laugh and looking up at the shining stars. "I don't know. I mean . . . I don't feel normal."

"And what does normal mean to you?"

"Having a complete family." I saw tears start to well up in her eyes.

I nodded, watching my cold breath float up into the sky. "You'd rather join the ones you've lost rather than live with the ones you have."

"I . . . I don't know."

She was still unsure if she wanted to live, I realized. I still had a chance to save her.

"Alright." I put the bottle of pills on top of the gravestone. It balanced perfectly. I motioned towards them. "Go ahead and take them."

She looked confused, looking back and forth between me and the capsules. "I . . . what? Aren't you supposed to talk me out of it?"

I smiled. "I'm not going to waste my words. Just . . . am I going to want to apologize for giving you this choice? If you really don't think you can live here anymore, then go for it. I can't stop you otherwise the feeling will just get worse. But if you still have things you want to do or accomplish here before you die, wait till afterward to overdose."

She eyed the bottle warily like it could disappear when she binks. "I . . . I don't know."

"Neither did I," I said. "I still don't."

I took the bottle, opened it and poured a few into my hands. I gently took her hand and poured some into her hand too.

"I like the idea of having a choice," I said as she stared at the life-ending substance. "But it eats at me every second I don't choose."

She gulped, her gaze not straying away from her hand. "Why . . . why are you . . . what are you doing?"

I shrugged. "You swallow yours, I swallow mine. Deal?"

She looked up at me then. "What? W—Why are you going all Hunger Games on me?"

I felt a smile starting to grow on my face. "What's the difference between taking a couple pills and climbing Mount Everest? You're risking your life in both. You never truly know what the outcome will be—just hope you do. You could die. You could live."

"People climb Mount Everest to reach the top, though. To feel accomplished."

"And once they've literally reached the top of the world, where do they go?"

"Back . . . down." She looked at the ground.

"And what's the point in going back down when you've been at the top, so close to reaching the stars? Wouldn't you be okay with ending it all there? Having everything you've wanted and feeling happy with yourself at what you've done? But then be forced back down away from it all?"

"I . . . I don't know."

"Have you reached your peak? Where you've gotten everything you've ever hoped for?"

"No . . . I haven't. And I can't."

"And you probably never will."

She looked back up at me, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Why are you saying this?"

I put my pile of drugs into her pile and closed her fingers around them into a fist. "Because it takes so much work to reach for the stars. Yet, something even babies could do to end everything."

"So?"

I looked into her irises, letting go of her hand. "It's your choice to reach for the stars. But when you make the choice not to, I'll give up with you."

~*~

Song: The Rose - She's in the Rain

Thanks for reading, lovelies,
Nuela <3