High School

5

Bennett's p.o.v
~
The morning sun looked perfect as it was slowly rising with the sky's pink color filling with orange, streaks of clouds across. I always came on my rooftop to get away from my parents bullshit. I hated the fact that my parents weren't allowing me to move out the state for college, I wanted to experience life. I didn't want to stay in San Francisco anymore, the name just seemed boring to me. I had applied to Harvard University, which I had an actual interest in. I didn't get why they were so against it, I was going to be 18, I had a dam right.

I exhaled out releasing a fog of smoke tasting the weed on my lips. My body suddenly felt more relaxed , they don't understand Bennett. I rolled my eyes as I hear shuffling coming from behind me. I look seeing Natalia crawling towards me , I furrow my brows. "How'd you get in?"

"I waited till your parents went in there bedroom." She answers sitting beside me. Her hair was in a messy bun with a huge sweatshirt over her body , wearing red shorts and sandals showing her newly done toes. She seemed like she had something on her mind, I knew that her and her father didn't have a good relationship but I always wondered if there was always something more then what she said. They'd argue , but that was all she had said to me. Natalia's eyes seemed like there was death lurking in them, she reaches taking the blunt from in between my fingertips.

She inhales closing her eyes, wanting the stress to go away. I licked my lips , "What's wrong ?" I ask as she exhales sighing heavily. She seemed sad, normally when she's sad she has a little happiness but it seemed like it faded. She seemed like she didn't have any confidence or happiness left, like something was eating it away. Her eyes met mine, she seemed dead. My heart dropped as a tear fell down her cheek.

"I want to die."

My eyes go wide as those words slip out of Natalia, the smiling girl. I study more of her as she lays down on the roof smoking away at the blunt. Her face shows depression and I haven't seen her this bad since she was 12. She always said a little joke when she was expressing her sadness, but she just wanted to die. My chest tightened at the thought of not having her around , she influenced me a great deal. She was the one who helped me when I was cutting and when I was struggling to live. I scoot next to her laying down. "Natalia, what's wrong?" I ask looking at her but she didn't look back.

She sighed throwing away the finished blunt as she points up . I look up seeing the little stars in the sky fading away, "I wonder what it's like to be one." She said setting her hand down on her stomach "I wonder want it's like to be off the earth..." she pauses looking more sad "dead."

"Natalia!" I say "What the fuck are you talking about?"

She meets my eyes "Bennett..."she begins "I don't think I can take it anymore." She sits up as I follow her movements , tears escaping her eyes. My heart felt like it was ripped out as she begin to cry. I wrapped my arms around her, I held her tight as she went on. "I'm tired of the same shit Bennett." She sobs into my chest "I hate my fucking parents , I want to die. There ruining my life." She grips my shirt "I have no where to go, everything's getting worse everyday." She continues to cry against me.

I feel her body shake in my arms as I felt sudden guilt. I didn't know why , but I did. She seemed so helpless and it broke my heart, what was her father doing to her and why wasn't her mother caring? I bit my lip , she did have a place to stay. I guess she hasn't thought about it but me and Asher's home were available, we always were. She seemed lost and alone it just hurt knowing that I wasn't a good enough friend to see the pain. "Your staying with me." I answer making her head lift up. Her eyes were wide with a tiny bit of red in them.

"What?" She sniffs getting loose of my grip "Bennet that's nice but-"

"Who said it was up for a discussion?" I state. I couldn't help her at home always but atleast she can escape them for a while. I wasn't going to let her go home , god forbid she does kill herself. I shake that thought away as I stand up reaching my hand out for her to grab , "Let's go get you settled." I smile wanting to show comfort.

She smiles back taking my hand , I pull her body up as she stand up. She looks at me as if I had just saved her from something drastic making me feel proud that I could do this little deed to ease her suffering. She suddenly wrapped her arms around me, "Thanks." She whispers as I looks down.