The Program- The epidemic has begun.

Part two: the Funeral

They held my brothers funeral a week after his death. It was private- only supposed to be for his family. My parents wouldn't let any of his friends come to it. They thought them coming would spread the disease- like grieving their friend would make it even more contagious. I was the only teenager there. There were my grandparents, my uncle and aunt, their four little kids, my parents, and then me. I didnt even talk to anyone. They would come up, trying to talk, telling me they're sorry. All I could muster up was a small nod. The funeral started, and people took their seats. I stood with my parents. I couldnt help think of my brother. How if he were here, hed be able to make me laugh. Say something witty about my hair or the fact that if Aunt Sylvia's boobs get any bigger theyll drag against the ground. A small smile tugs at my lips thinking about it.

"Riley." Someone whispers nudging my arm. I look up to see my mother standing there staring me down. Everyone is looking at me.

"Go up there its your turn to talk." She says nudging me in the right direction. Slowly I walk up to his casket. Closed of course- after all, Suicide is contagious. we wouldnt want anyone to catch his sickness. Now would we?

"Daniel" I start, feeling the tears sting the corners of my eyes. "Youve always been there for me, making me laugh, smile, breaking me out of my shell i shouldve been there for you. Oh god i should've been there Daniel" Tears start to run down my face. I'm sure my family is staring at me wondering if I've been infected, I have a right to cry though. Ill be damned if they try to stop me. "You were the funniest most caring kind hearted person in the world but you left me. You fucking left me! Why did you leave me Daniel why did you fucking leave me!" I scream at the top of my lungs. No other sounds are there except for my sobs. Well- maybe there are other sounds. Just not hearable for me. My dad comes up behind me reaching his arm out to drag me away.

Fuck him. Fuck all of them.

I shake my head and before I know what Im doing, I start running. I sprint towards the woods. My family's voices grow farther and farther away. I just keep running. I go as fast and as far as they can take me till I dont even know where I am.

"Fuck!" I scream. I scream so loudly that Daniel probably heard. I break down to my knees crying. The pain much stronger than what it was before.

"Theyre going to take me" I mumble to myself. "Theyre going to fucking take me just like they tried to take Daniel." His voice rings through my head.

Id rather die "Id rather die." I repeat to myself. My voice steadier than is has been for the past week. I wont let them take Daniel from me. My memories of him, my friends, I wont let them take it. Id rather fucking die.

I pick u a sharp rock from the ground. Its edges surprisingly jagged. I take the stone pressing the sharp edges against my forearm, and drag it up leaving a long deep cut.

"Perfect" I mumble to myself. I can't tell if I'm still crying. All I can see is the blood on my arm, and the rock. "...I love you Daniel Im so sorry I let this happen, you were the best brother but I couldn't be there for you as a sister I hope this makes up for it." I hold the edge of the stone to my neck, pressing it in letting a drop of blood fall from the gap. Shaking, I take a deep breath ready to slit my own throat. "...For Daniel" I mumble.

Three. Two. One. Taking a deep breath I start to pull. But then, theres a voice from behind me.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Someone yells. I jump, dropping the rock to the ground. There blood dripping down my neck. Not enough to kill me. Just some from the small cut I managed to make before I was so rudely interrupted. "Did you hear me?? What are you doing with that!"

I turn around to find the person behind the voice. I expected to find someone dressed in all white sent from the program to find me. But no. There's no way in hell this guy is from the program. He wears normal clothes- badass almost. Jeans a white shirt and a leather jacket. Hes tall- taller than me. Probably six foot. He obviously works out, not in the big buff kinda way, just enough that hes toned. His hair is short, but not very short, and blond, like really blonde, messy. It doesn't look like he cares at all about what it looks like. He has green eyes. Not the kind like army green, so dark theyre almost brown. Theyre bright green contrasting against his light complection. I look him up and down also expecting to have seen him from somewhere before. But no. Ive never seen this man before in my life- and yet, he just saved my life. "Who are you." I mumble. My voice shakier than I expected it to be.

He sits down next to me, taking off his bag, and pulling out a wrap made of white gauze. Carefully, he takes my arm wrapping it in the material, soaking up the blood and stopping it from bleeding out anymore. I only then notice how much I actually bled out. A pool of blood sits below where my arm was hanging. I feel lighter. He daps another cloth at my neck wiping the blood, and covering it with a large band-aid.

"Jesus fuck. Do you want to be flagged?" He asks shaking his head.

"... are you going to report me." my voice is still barely above a whisper. I look up with him. Pain is in his eyes. He isn't going to report me.

"Of course not. You tripped, remember? You tripped and scraped your arm and neck against these rocks."

"I I tripped"

"Of course you did." He moves away from me a little, still sitting close though. "You wanna tell me whats got you so worked up?"

"It's my brothers funeral today I watched him kill himself. I didn't stop him I didnt even try" I can feel the tears threaten to fall from my eyes again, but I refuse to let them. I can't.

"I lost my sister." He says looking around. "It gets easier you know? Not better I guess. Just easier." I find myself nodding even though I don't think thatll be true. "You have a name?"

"Riley Peters"

"...Was your brother Daniel?" I look up at him shocked.

"...yeah he was. Did you know him?" He nods solemnly.

"Not that we were close. We werent even friends really, just went to the same middle school." I feel kinda disappointed. I was hoping he was closer. But then again, if he were closer, I wouldve known him.

"I'm Jackson, Jackson Byers."

"Hi" He stifles a laugh and I look at him shocked. I just told this guy that I was at my brothers funeral and he laughs??

"Sorry sorry Its just that I hear someone scream, and come to find out its a beautiful girl trying to kill herself, then I fix her up wrapping he wounds and shit, she tells me she's at her brothers funeral, and then all you can cough up is a 'hi?'" I can't help it, but the look on his face causes me to laugh. It was the first time Id laughed since Daniel killed himself. It felt weird, new. Good.

"I I guess thats a little weird." He smiles. Dimples press into his cheeks. I think I actually melt a little. This guy is good looking. No, not just good looking. This guy is mother of all things good hot.

"Riley?" He asks looking at me concerned. "Can I take you somewhere you're shivering." I look down at myself. I'm not shivering. I'm full out shaking. But instead of arguing like I normally would. I just nod standing up with him. "Here," He says taking off his jacket and putting it on me, "so people don't see your cut, and so youre warmer" He looks back leading me towards a small restaurant. I smile holding the jacket on me tightly. It was the first of many times that Jackson made me smile, and saved my life.

Its funny to me now, thinking back on it, that I met Jackson at a funeral. Its actually pretty fucking ironic that death brought us together. Because then, it was just a single person dead. But now, death, funerals, suicide, depression, it doesn't bring people together.

It tears us apart.