The Circle Of Us

Chapter Three

"You're just another criminal. You don't deserve to live, no one likes you." The words rang in her ears, feeling like a bullet to the chest. The familiar boy had come by only a few minutes before, just to utter the words her parents had said so many times.

Rose sat silently on her tattered mattress, head hanging low. Her earbuds were in, playing "The Zombie Song". She had been doing this for two hours, as she had cried all the tears she had.

If I were a zombie, I'd never eat your brain

I'd just want your heart, yeah I'd want your heart, just want your heart, yeah oh,

If I were a zombie, I'd never eat your brain,

I'd just want your heart, yeah I'd want you heart, just want heart, 'cause I wantcha

She'd always secretly wished that someone would want her for her heart, not just her looks. Then, Chris came to mind.

That backstabber! I thought he loved me... but no, no one loves me. I'm just a useless nothing. I'm worthless, no one wants me. I'm a bother. Why did I go anyway? No one cares about my story. No one would care if I went to jail. They'd celebrate! The entire city would be happy. I'd rather die than keep going, then I could see my siblings again... Her thoughts raced, making a rash decision.

She opened the small hole in the mattress, and pulled out a razor. She brought it to her wrist, smiling sickly.

"Goodbye, shitty world. Hello, precious afterlife. I'll see you guys soon, Faun, Jayd, Sammie." her voice was a small whisper. She slit her wrist, adding to the cuts previously made.

The world started to spin, then to black. She heard someone shouting her name, but it was so far off, she barely heard it.

----

As she walked back to the alley, Fira heard a loud yell from one of the more hidden back streets. It sounded like the blonde who had pulled out a notebook during Rose's story, so she ran toward the source of the girlish scream. She soon found Blondie holding a handkerchief to Rose's wrist. The white was stained red.

"Oh, God!" Fira exclaimed. "What hap-" Then she saw the rest of the blood surrounding her friend.

"I - I just - I just found her like this," Blondie explained, aghast. "I didn't know what to do besides try to stop the bleeding. We need to do something!"

"Well, I'd say that's fairly obvious," Fira muttered, rushing over to the two and gently picking Rose up. "Let's go. Keep holding that handkerchief on, or else she'll bleed out in a few minutes."

The two walked quickly, seemingly in no meaningful direction. However, soon they stopped in front of a normal suburban house.

"What are we doing here?" Blondie asked.

"This is Scarlett's house," Fira explained. "Now shut up and follow me, Blondie."

"Blondie?" he spluttered, obviously insulted. "My name is Emrys!"

"I told you to shut up!" Fira exclaimed. She walked to a tree in the front yard of the house, right next to a window, and began to climb.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Emrys hissed. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"I've done this before," Fira hissed back. "And yes, while carrying someone - Julie doesn't know how to climb trees yet."

Emrys sighed and stood beneath FIra, prepared to catch either girl if they fell.

Soon, Fira reached the window. "Scarlett! Scarlett!" she called, rapping on the glass with her free hand.

"What's wro - oh," Scarlett said as she opened the window. "I'll be right out."