To Save a Life

The Bridge

Since it's opening in 1937, 1600 people have eneded their lives by jumping off San Francisco's golden gate bridge. Why would one more, a scrawny 16 year old boy, make a difference?
These were the thoughts going through my head on June 11, 2014 as I leaned over the railing of the country's most iconic bridge.
The bullies who follow me everywhere? Certainly not.
My depressed and extremely alcoholic mom? Maybe, once she noticed I was gone.
My dad? I'd like to think so, but I hadn't seen him in 6 years.
My little sister? Angel. She was probably the only reason I hadn't leapt yet. My 9 year old sister was my biggest (and often only) fan. If she was older than me, she'd take me to therapy. She'd told me. My mom wouldn't take me because in her eyes, all I had to do was "toughen up".
And I certainly couldn't take myself seeing as my mom wouldn't let me get a driver's license.
Angel was the only thing that even in the deepest lows of my depression and schizophrenia, I still loved. I raised her more than our mom did honestly. I taught her to be kind, so that maybe someday she could help people in trouble, and make the world a brighter place.
She'd even bring me food when I couldn't get out of bed too. That's why my note was addressed to her. And no, I'm not THAT heartless that I'd leave a 9 year old girl her brother's suicide note. I left it in for her, for when she's old enough and able to understand.

Now of course I wasn't planning on just leaving Angel alone with my mom. I had that figured out too.
See, I'm not exactly the smartest kid on the block. Especially when it comes to science. So, despite my numerous protests, the school had assigned me an upperclassmen home tutor. That's how me and Dawn became.. kind of friends. She was technically only one grade above me as a senior, but was taking college level math and science, so she became my tutor.

So of course, Dawn was around and saw how my mom was. And we didn't talk about it much, until I had started thinking about suicide. See, Angel absolutely adores Dawn. So over spring break I asked Dawn if she'd be willing to watch Angel one afternoon for me. She agreed, and soon she started taking Angel (and usually me as well) places. They weren't 'dates' exactly, but I did develop a little crush on her.
That crush ended however when she began dating the, you guessed it! football team quarterback, Brad.
Angel's crush on Dawn however, did not end. Which is why that morning before my attempted jump, I slipped a note in Dawn's locker, along with my note to Angel.
So there I was: throwing my legs over the railing, and sitting on the ledge; looking down the 220 foot fall. But just as I stood up, my other angel appeared.