How To Save A Life

“Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life”

 In Long Island, New York, there was a girl. She had beautiful wavy hair that was a golden red and gorgeous hazel eyes. She wasn’t your typical girl, she was different. She was an A-B average student, a younger sister, a daughter, a cousin, but most importantly, a broken soul. Everyone thought that she was happy; they thought she had the perfect life.

Little did they know, she had a smile on her lips and scars on her hips. Even though she self harmed, she was still the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen. Not only did she have a beautiful face, she had a beautiful name. Paige Ann Hughes, wasn't it perfect? Although she didn’t see her beauty, I certainly did.

You may be wondering who I am. Well, my names Levi Benjamin Montoya. I have short brown hair, which Paige says is my best feature, and brown eyes. I’m typically a happy guy and I like to make other people happy. I have Type 1 Diabetes, which means I have to inject myself everyday with insulin. I also have high anxiety and I used to have really bad depression, but Paige helped me out of it.

I’ve known Paige since we were four. In preschool, she was my very first friend and we’ve been best friends ever since. I fell in love with Paige three years ago, when we were fourteen. It was our freshman year in high school and I started to notice how truly perfect she really is. Paige was always into the football player kind of guys that would just break her heart. I was the opposite of that, maybe that’s why she never thought of me as anything more than a friend.

My name is Paige Ann Hughes, and I’m seventeen. I have major depression, along with anxiety and paranoia. I’ve been cutting for about four years; I started when I was thirteen. I guess the reason I started cutting was because I felt so alone and useless, and I still do. I tell people I’m just tired, but in fact I’m depressed. I tell people I’ll be fine tomorrow, but I know tomorrow will be worse.

Levi is my best friend and he always has been. We’ve known each other since our pull-up days, when we were running around our classroom with our shirts off, coloring on each other’s stomachs. Those were the simple days, before I even knew what true sadness was. Back then, sadness was having to take naps after lunch and having to sit in the corner for a time out because I was being too loud. Now I’m shy, quiet, and depressed.

Levi has been through everything with me and he’s never left my side. I guess that’s why I’ve kind of developed feelings for him over the years. I know he’ll never like me back, so I’ve pushed my feelings aside. He deserves to be happy and to be with the best girl in the world, which I know isn’t me. I wouldn’t expect him to want to be with someone who’s depressed and suicidal.

One day when Paige and I were thirteen, I was going to surprise her at her house with cake and ice cream because it was her birthday. I knew she was home alone because both of her parents were off on business trips. They always cared more about work than Paige. So, I used the spare key under the doormat to let myself into Paige’s house. I was careful to be quiet, so Paige didn’t hear me come in. I quietly walked up the stairs and was walking towards Paige’s room. I heard her beautiful voice; she was singing what seemed to be a lullaby.

“Go to sleep and close your eyes

And dream of broken butterflies

That tore their wings against a thorn

You know the pain they’ve endured

Silver metal shine so bright

Scarlet blood that feels so right