How To Save A Life, T. S [red white and royal blue hardcover txt] 📗

school and Mara and I were currently having a useless argument about chocolate.

 

“Mars, because it makes you smarter, it makes you better looking – trust me, you need it.”

 

“Are you implying that I’m ugly?” I asked feigning annoyance.

 

“Of course.” Mara replied with a smirk.

 

Before, I could reply, I felt hands slide around my waist and squeeze me tightly.

 What the hell? 

I glanced up to see Mara’s smile fade as she began to walk away.

I repeat: What the hell?

 

“Wait! Mara? Where are you going?” I called out as I tried to get away from whoever was behind me.

 

She didn’t look back as she replied.

 

“Home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

I sighed in frustration. Who was this annoying person?

Turning around, I came face to face with none other than...  a clown.

Leah.

 

“Hey babes.” She said in that annoying I’m-trying-too-hard-to-be-sexy voice.

 

“What do you want?” I asked, venom lacing my tone.

 

“Aww, don’t be like that. Anyways, ain’t you happy that I saved you from that... freak?”

 

Oh hell no. Did she just call Mara a freak? Now I was pissed.

 

“Look yeah, I don’t care who you are or who in the hell you think you are - but you sure ain’t it. Don’t you dare call Mara a freak.”

 

“Hasn’t she told you?” Leah asked.

 

“Told me what?”

 

“About Molly. Her ex-bestfriend.”

 

Who was Molly?

 

“I would tell you... but I need something in return.” She said running her hands down my chest seductively. I raised an eyebrow. Who does this girl think I am? I don’t do hoes.

 

“Nah, I’m good. If she wants to tell me then she will.”

 

The look on Leah’s face was priceless. I could tell that she wasn’t used to being rejected. What did guys even see in this girl? She was annoying, annoying and... annoying. They should make her into the Oxford dictionary definition of annoying.

 

“What the hell is your problem? Don’t you want this?” She said gesturing to herself.

“Is it that freak girl Mara? Coz you can do so much better than that.”

 

Oh, and she was conceited too.

 

“Look, I haven’t got the time to be wasting my life with bugs like you.” I said and walked away.

 

Bugs? Was thet the best insult I could come up with?

 

“Wait... did you just call me a bug? OMG! That is so rude.” She squeaked.

 

I didn’t reply to her. My mind was elsewhere.

Who was Molly?

 

------

 

The next day, I made my way to the library. Mara would be there. She went there any time we had free period. It took me ages to spot her but I couldn’t miss that Indigo coloured hair. But she was concentrated on a book. Hmm...

 

Sneaking up behind her, I snaked my arms around her waist and threw her up in the air.

 

“What the – Oh my gosh Austin it’s you,” She said sighing in relief. “What did you do that for you twat?”

 

I laughed. She was so hot when she was angry.

 

“I wanted to ask you something actually.” I scratched the back of my head nervously.

 

“Who’s Molly?”

 

Immediately I said that, her eyes began to water. Aw shit.

 

“Hey, I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to make you cry.” I said awkwardly. I wasn’t good in these situations.

 

--Mara’s POV--;

 

When he said her name, I broke down. I hadn’t told anyone my side of the story yet. Now the tears were flowing freely. How could this boy leave me so defenceless? But he needed to know. He would find out anyway.

 

“No, no. You deserve to know. I mean, you’re the only one in the school that doesn’t know.” I took in a big breath and began my story.

 

“Molly and I were best friends. In fact, we were inseparable. We had been best friends since we could walk. You see, Molly was always the popular one, the pretty one, the one that everyone liked. But me. I was the quiet one, the one that no one took notice of or liked. When we would come to school, I’d leave her so she could go to her popular friends like Leah and her posse. I thought she was happy. I mean, she had the popularity. But she wasn’t... she was depressed. And I knew nothing about it. Not until that day.”  I went quiet. The tears were unstoppable now.

 

Austin grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. For some reason, I liked it – I really liked it.

 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

 

“No, I can do this.” I said determined. “It was only two months ago and I remember it like it was just yesterday. Molly and I had an argument. She was supposed to get me afterschool but she had gone off with her other friends. I had waited in the rain for over an hour. That night, she came to my house and acted as if nothing happened – but I was angry. How could she ditch me, in the rain, and then act as if it was nothing. Me being the idiot I am couldn’t let it go, so I shouted at her. She left my house that night, but I could never forget what she said before she left.

‘You’re just like the others, you just don’t understand.’

At that time I didn’t make anything of it so I let her leave. But later that night I felt guilty so I called her phone. But I got no answer. It was weird. No matter how pissed off she was at me, she always picked up her phone – always. So I tried it again and again.

Soon I was fed up so I went to her house. Her mum let me in and I went up to her room.”

 

My heart was beating erratically and I was shaking. All the memories that I had tried to forget were flooding back.

 

“But she wasn’t in there. I called for her but she didn’t answer. I noticed two small notes on her bed. It was addressed to me and her family. I read the first one and in that note was an apology about what he had done and her depression. She hadn’t told me abot her being depressed and I felt betrayed. But as I reached the end of the note, I noticed that something was off. There were teardrops on the sheet and the last sentence was;

‘Bye, I’ll miss you forever Mara, P.S. Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault.’

 That’s when I noticed that there was water seeping out of the bathroom door. I was confused. Why would she write such a letter and why would she flood her bathroom?

And then it hit me like a tonne of bricks. I ran as fast as I could and flung the bathroom door open. The only thing that was running through my brain that moment was ‘Please don’t tell me she did that. Please.’

But she did.”

 

My breath caught in my throat and I began sobbing again. Austin held me close and soothed me. But the memories were just too bad.

 

“You can stop if you want to.” H e said quietly.

 

“No. I can’t. I have to finish.” Taking a deep breath I proceeded to finish my story.

“I found her in the bathtub. She was underwater and the water was blood red. I reached in and pulled her up... but it was too late. She had slit her wrists. She was dead. I held her in my arms. I cried and screamed until her parents and older brother – Mark - ran up stairs. Her mother and father ran to call the ambulance. Mark grabbed me and tried to sooth me but there were tears running down his face too. And that’s how we stayed – crying in each other’s arms – until the ambulance and my parents came.”

 

 

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 (A/N) I'm so sorry for not posting earlier but I had some MAJOR writer's block. Anyways here's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. It is a bit deep but I just had to tell her story. Please Heart and Comment xxx

Chapter Three

Chapter 3;

 

--Austin’s POV--;

 

My heart broke for her.

 

Did I console with her? Yes.

 

Did I make her feel better? Yes.

 

But did I say I was sorry?

 

No.

 

I had nothing to be sorry about and if I did say it, I wouldn’t have meant it. I hated it as well when people said it to me.

 

Sure, Mara had gone through a lot by losing her closest friend – but in all honesty, her story wasn’t that bad compared to... others.

 

She had trusted me enough to tell me her story. But was I ready to re-open closed scars – to a girl that I had met just a little while ago?

 

Before, my answer would’ve been ‘No’ without a doubt but now... I wasn’t so sure.

 

--Mara’s POV--;

 

It took me a while, but I had finally calmed down. To be honest, it was a bit nice to tell someone my story. It made me feel like a whole load of weight had been lifted off my shoulders. One of the things I liked about telling Austin my story was that he didn’t apologise.

 

Most people would’ve said ‘I’m so sorry’.

 

I hated that.

 

They were empty words.

 

Looking up, I caught Austin looking at me. No, more like gazing. There was a weird emotion in his eyes that I couldn’t decipher.

 

My eyes trailed down from his warm, dark brown eyes to his pink, inviting lips. I really wanted him to kiss me...

 

Subliminally, we both began to move closer to each other...

 

“Eh - em.”

 

We sprang away from each other. I blushed furiously – I couldn’t bring myself to look at Austin. But did I regret what we were about to do?

 

No.

 

I turned to look at who had interrupted us and I came face to face with... The Librarian. She was a short, stumpy woman that always reminded me of a Hobbit. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was Bilbo Baggins’ mother.

 

 “I will not allow any forms of PDA in my library. Now get out.” She said in her old, nasal voice.

 

Throwing her my harshest glare, I grabbed my things with Austin following close at my heels. Well this was going to be awkward.

 

“C’mon, let me take you home.” He said as he walked past me.

 

What? Was he just going to act like nothing just happened?

 

“Well, Mara, are you just going to stand there looking lost? Or are you going to get into the car?”

 

If he was going to act indifferently, then I would too.

 

------

 

Channing Tatum was walking towards me in all his half-naked glory.

 

Poke.

 

I began to walk towards him too. Nothing could destroy this moment.

 

Poke.

 

Poke.

 

His hands circled my waist.

 He then leaned down and said...

 

“OH MY GOSH! THERES A SPIDER CRAWLING UP YOUR NOSE!”

 

Screaming and batting at my face in panic, I did a very uncoordinated ninja roll off my bed. But instead of landing on my feet like the gracious ballerina I was, I landed on my arse – on the ground.

 

*Major Facepalm.*

 

Who was the beast that dared wake me up from my amazing dream you ask. None other than annoying, stupid, despicable, infuriating Austin Parks.

 

The glare I gave him could’ve killed him, sent him six feet under, resurrected and then killed him again.

 

“Woah, woah, calm down tiger.” Austin said playfully.

 

Did he seriously think that this was a joke?

 

Oh hell no.

 

“What do you mean calm down you twat!? Why did you wake me up!? Shall I dash you? How