The Apprentice

Dear Diary

"Miss Wilson, I understand you're probably going through a lot." Dr. Charles stated as he attempted to pry the blonde away from the ledge of the roof while keeping a safe distance. "And you know, if you just step back we can talk about it and maybe figure out some way to help you."

"Dr. Charles?" Natalie called from behind him. He motioned for her to stop but allowed Callie to advance.

"Al?" She spoke softly. "Talk to me, what's going on?"

"Why do you care?" The blonde scoffed.

"Of course, I care." Callie scowled. "How can you even think that?"

"Just leave me alone."

"This is about me, isn't it?" Callie realized. "Al, I asked if you were okay with me leaving school. Did you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie to you. I'm happy for you."

"Al, please, just tell me what's going on?" Callie took several steps forward.

Alana turned her head and began to whisper so that only Callie could hear her.

"My parents are getting a divorce."

"I'm so sorry, Al."

"My dad is moving to Oregon. I'm never gonna see him again." She sniffled.

"I'm sure he'll come to visit,"  Callie assured. Alana just shook her head.

"Are we still friends?" She blurted.

"What?!" Callie was taken back by her words. "Al, we're best friends. Nothing is gonna change that. Al, what's going on with you today?"

"It's not today! Callie, things have been wrong for a while, don't you see that?!"

"What do you mean wrong?" Callie continued using a soft tone.

"Nothing has gone right since you started med. Left me at school with her!" She scowled.

"Look, Al. We know you didn't push her, she made the whole thing up. You're not in any trouble." Callie made her way to the edge of the roof though still, a few yards to the blonde's left. She looked down and noticed the fire department getting ready in case she jumped, so they had a net to catch her down below.

"You don't get it. She knew that I was onto her. She said she was gonna make my life miserable." The blonde sobbed.

"Onto her?" Natalie wondered as she took a step forward.

"Olivia is the one that pushed Callie out of the window." Alana declared.

"Al!" Callie scowled.

"Why are you so quick to defend her?!" Alana hissed.

"Why are you so quick to condemn her?" Callie replied.

"I know she pushed you, Cal. I just can't prove it."

"I can." Callie sighed. "I remembered what happened and I recorded it on my phone. But it's an old phone and the speaker is broken so when the police department searched my phone they couldn't hear it."

"So why haven't you told them."

"Because I thought that once I left she would stop. I had no idea she would try to hurt you." She admitted. "Al, please just get down and we can talk. Just you and me."

"I don't wanna talk anymore." The blonde exhaled. "I'm done."

"No, you're not," Callie mentioned. "Al, I know that everything seems so hard right now, but I promise you it can get better. But only if you let us help."

"Just leave me alone!" Alana hissed. "You don't understand anything!"

"Really? I don't understand how it feels to be alone. To feel like nobody cares anymore?"

"You know what I meant." The blonde inched closer to the edge and everyone behind and below gasped in panic. Callie took a deep breath.

"Dear diary," She started. "Would anyone care? Would they cry if I finally stepped off of this ledge? Would anyone chase me and tell me that I'm not the burden I think I am? And that I'm not completely worthless? Would anything change? Would anybody even notice I was gone? I could really use a sign. Just a reason to keep on fighting. It just might save my life." Callie spoke.

"That was a diary entry I wrote when I was twelve." She explained. "I had stood on the edge of that roof every day for two weeks, wondering if it was worth it. And the day after I wrote that entry I had decided to jump." She clarified. "But I didn't."

"You didn't..."

"No, because I got a sign."

"What was it?" Alana wondered.

"I found something worth fighting for," Callie told her. "It was the day I met you."

Alana finally turned her head towards her friend.

"It was?"

"Do you remember?"

"You were sitting by a tree..."

~~~
Flashback
~~~

Callie was stationed beside a tree in the school yard as she scribbled in her homework book.

"Hi, Callie, right?" Alana wondered as she approached with a friendly smile.

"Why?" Callie furrowed her brow. "I-I mean hi. Uh- did you want me to move?"

"Why don't we start with hi? I'm Alana. And now let's segue directly into me asking you for a favor... it doesn't involve moving but it does involve hanging out with me for a while." She mentioned as she sat down beside the brunette.

"But aren't you hanging out with Olivia?"

"I can't do both?"

"Not legally."

They both giggled.

"Look, I'm new here and Olivia seems nice but I just feel like you and I could be great friends. What do you say?" She held her hand out for Callie to shake and that is exactly what she did.

~~~

"You had no idea that you saved my life that day," Callie explained. "And every day since. You were my reason to live."

Alana clenched her fists, still sobbing but refusing to move. Callie looked down at the firefighters gathered below and took a deep breath before pulling herself up onto the ledge to stand beside her friend.

"Now let me be yours."

***

TheTealWriter