Chapter 3
It happened on the rooftop–that’s where I found Jared, right as he was about to jump.
Instinct took over. I rushed forward and yanked him back from the ledge. We both hit the ground hard. My arm scraped against the rough concrete, leaving a bloody patch that stung so much I couldn’t help but gasp.-
But I couldn’t say anything. The words just wouldn’t come. All I could do was point at him, then at myself, trying to make him understand.
He stared at me, confused and a little lost. Frustrated, I pushed myself up and drew a huge X in the air, right in front of him, hoping he’d get it.
No. Not like this. Suicide isn’t the answer.
He seemed to understand, but his smile was so bitter, and his eyes were just… empty. There wasn’t any fight left in him. Trying again would take more courage than he had, and sitting there on the cold rooftop, Jared was just too tired.
He grabbed a small stone and started writing on the ground:
[You shouldn’t have stopped me. It took everything I had to come up here, and now it’s all gone.]
I read his words, then smacked him lightly on the head before grabbing the stone from his hand and writing back:
[There’s a lot of pain in this world, but you can’t just run away from it. Unless you truly have nothing left–unless there’s nothing in this world you care about–only then could you jump without regret.]
But I could see it in his eyes–he couldn’t do it. Not really.
Jared was stuck in his own darkness. He kept thinking about escaping it forever, but deep down, he was hoping someone would pull him back.
wanted to be that someone.
I believe saving a life matters more than anything. Maybe, just maybe, I could earn a little good karma for my parents.
That’s how we met.
I found out Jared used to be the golden boy–brilliant, popular, with a future everyone envied. Then a car accident took it all away. He couldn’t speak or hear anymore, and the doctors said he probably never would again.
He couldn’t handle the fall from grace. Who could??
And me? I’d lost my voice, at least for a while, so Jared saw me as someone like him. He pushed everyone else away, but not me. To him, we were in this together.
To help him, I lied. (I was born deaf and mute. I’ve never heard a sound or spoken a word. You think you have it bad? At least you remember what you used to have. You have to keep going, Jared. Wait for your miracle.]}
A kind lie sometimes blooms into hope.
Back then, Jared desperately needed someone who understood. Someone who’d share the pain and let him know he wasn’t alone.
And by some twist of fate, I was that person.
We met on the hospital rooftop.) saved his life, and we became friends.
Day by day, hanging out on that rooftop, our friendship slowly turned into something more.
it was on that same rooftop, under the open sky, that he finally confessed.
He signed, *I thought the world was nothing but pain. But then I met you. Elise, even if things never change, as long as you’re with me, I’ll be okay. Because I have you.*
He promised. He would never let me down.
The sunset was beautiful that day. The golden light washed over him as he stood there, hand reaching out to me, making a promise for forever.
