The bitter wind bit through Chloe’s jacket and roughly blew though her red hair, sending shivers down her spine. “This is it. This is the day I jump.” She repeated in her head over and over again. She stepped up onto the ledge of the ruins of the old office building on Sixth Street. It used to sell appliances, some of its very products sat in Chloe’s bedroom and the houses of people she knew.
Though she had been dry eyed all night, one look at the street hundreds of feet below and tears began streaming. A pale, shaking hand reached up toward her eyes and wiped away the tears. She was done crying, done with pain- it was the very reason she was standing on the ledge ready to jump. “On three,” she thought, starting to doubt she should. “One, Two, Thr-“
Her phone began vibrating violently in her pocket; so much for jumping. She stepped away from the edge and into the building, answering her phone as she answered.
“Hey Maddie, what’s up?” Chloe tried to keep her voice smiling and steady for her best friend.
“Is this a bad time?” Maddie sounded extremely upset.
“Yeah. I was just about to kill myself.” Chloe thought bitterly.
“Nah, what’s bothering you?”
“My parents are fighting again….” An awkward silence followed for a few seconds. “Is there any way I can crash at your place?” Maddie pleaded desperately.
“Yeah, alright. Let me grab my keys I’ll be over in a few.” Chloe answered flatly, but her friend was too ecstatic to notice.
“You’re the best!”
And with that the line went dead. Taking one last longing look at the promised end of her troubles, Chloe entered the elevator and hit the lobby button. Death could wait one more day- her friend, for this moment, needed her.
***
“Zara go away!” Chloe demanded of her little sister. “Maddie didn’t come over to hang out with a brat like you!”
“Fine.” Zara pouted, plucking up her hot pink nail polish she had brought in for Maddie to paint her nails with.
Zara flipped her cinnamon hair over her shoulder and slammed the door. Thirteen year olds will forever be immature children. Maddie let out a giggle she was suppressing and went back to painting Chloe's toenails midnight blue. They argued forever over the color, Chloe wanted black but Maddie wanted something bright and fun; however, considering she was the one who begged to paint Chloe’s nails she settled with something barely not-black.
Chloe wiggled her toes as they dried, which contrasted greatly next to Maddie’s neon green nails.
“So, what where you doing with your boring life before I came over?” Maddie implored, poking her friend in the ribs.
“Nothing interesting,” Chloe murmured, just loud enough to hear. “Just, you know, about to kill myself.” She thought grimly.
“Of course not.” Maddie grinned widely from ear to ear. “Let’s watch Mean Girls!”
Before Chloe could object Maddie was up putting the movie in and off into the kitchen to microwave some popcorn. Chloe glumly looked over at her desk, where a brand new pair of shiny metal scissors lay in an opened package. Quickly stealing a glance at the door before pulling herself to her feet, Chloe walked over to her desk and slid the sharp metal instrument into the back pocket of her skinny jeans. She pulled some pajamas from her drawer, and opened the door to the hallway. Before entering the restroom located right next to her bedroom she called into the kitchen.
“Hey Maddie I’m gonna change into my PJ’s!”
“Alright- don’t take too long the movie is going to start any moment!” Maddie replied as the microwave beeped signaling the end of her wait for the popcorn.
Chloe took a step on the familiar tiled floor known as her bathroom, and was immediately greeted by, in her opinion, ugly reflection. Bright red hair danced in gentle curls and stopped at her mid-back; her bright green eyes complimented her hair well, it was the sort of emerald green that pierced through your soul. She had a pale complexion, and though all three of these features weren’t generally regarded as pretty- she was actually quite stunning.
Chloe took a deep breath- she had never actually cut herself before; not that she hadn’t considered the notion. She was afraid of being caught, if she was her plans of suicide would get a lot more complex, and most likely dashed against the pavement- instead of her body, which should have been by now. However, seeing as her plans where ruined for at least a night because of Chloe’s love for her best friend; she at the very least planned on punishing herself for her mere existence.
Chloe slid off the skinny jeans, revealing a pale thigh, and opened the scissors quickly. The sound of metal on metal made her grimace, though it was a soft noise, she felt the whole house could hear the precedence of the actions she was about to carry out.
She pressed the cool metal onto her thigh, and dragged it across her leg, a stinging sensation radiating through her body. She hissed softly at the pain and quickly put the scissors under the sink. Blood flecked across the new cut in little crimson orbs. She pressed toilet paper to her leg to clean up the blood, and when she discovered it continued to trickle freely, taped a folded square down over it.
“Never doing that again.” Chloe mumbled under her breath. She painfully changed into the soft pajama pants, and quickly changed her shirt before rushing back into the bedroom. She closed the door just as the movie began.
“Finally! I was about to see if you like died in there! Hurry, turn off the light and sit down.” Maddie exclaimed, her attention being drawn the television screen. Chloe flipped off the light and crawled under the blanket next to her best friend, and the warm bowl was set in between them. “Perhaps one more day of life could be bearable.” Chloe thought, and with that she too was sucked into the movie known as Mean Girls.
