Because Mom Wasn't Enough

Am I the only one who thinks that you should stay alive?

Jo's POV

"Jenny?" I called. The figure on the bridge turned slightly and I walked over to her. "Hi." I said, sitting next to her. The girl didn't look up. She sat there with a look on her face that I had never seen before. I've never seen someone so broken before.

"Hello." She said. Her voice was weak and I could tell she had been crying. Her hair was being blown back by the wind and it looked like she had a black eye.

"My name is Jo." I said quietly.

"Hi Jo. Beautiful night isn't it?" I nodded.

"Yeah, it is." We sat there in silence for a while.

"Why did you come here?" She asked suddenly.

"Why did you?" I retorted. She looked at me with an annoyed look.

"You read the letter, didn't you? That's how you know who I am?" I nodded. "Then you should know." SHe looked away again, seemingly ashamed to say it out loud.

"I came here because I don't want you to do this." She laughed dryly.

"Yeah sure."

"No, really. You left that note in an abandoned park. It was only chance that I found it, and I knew no one else would come by. I didn't want you to kill yourself."

"Why do you care what happens to me? You don't even know me."

"I don't want your blood on my hands. Just because I don't know you doesn't mean nobody does. And someone cares. It would be my fault if they lost you."

"Gee, that makes me feel a whole lot better. You did this so you wouldn't feel guilty after I was dead. What else have you got?"

"You have your whole life to live. I know what it's like to lose someone. It hurts, and everyone who loves you would be devastated. I know what it's like to feel like no one cares about you. I know what it's like to know that you're the reason others are unhappy. And I know that it gets better, if you just wait it out." She paused, her eyes gazed out across the city. The reflection of the lights lit up her eyes, but they looked so distant.

"I have waited." She whispered. "I've waited too long, and I can't wait anymore. Even if it got better, it will always get bad again." She cringed in memory of something. "It always gets bad again." I placed a hand on hers.

"What's so bad? What in your life has gotten so bad that you can't endure it for a second longer?" I asked, desperation lining my voice. "What would your friends think if you jumped? What would everyone in your school say?"

"They would say the same things that they say to me everyday." She sighed. "I have no friends." 

"We're friends. right?" She shook her head.

"As much as you don't care about me, I don't care about you, Jo. Besides, I don't accept charity friendships."

"Thanks... Well, what about your parents? Imagine the police telling them you killed yourself. What would they do?" She turned her head so she was looking straight at me. "Jenny, how did you get that black eye?" I asked, tentatively. Her eyes welled up with tears and they started streaming down her face. I pulled her into a hug.

"Th-They hate me..." She sobbed into my shoulder. "They all h-hate me!" I stroked her hair and tried to comfort her. I never understood that this is what a lot of Vic's fans feel like. I thought Jenny just wanted someone to show up and stop her, but she really just wants someone to show they care.

"She sits up high, surrounded by the sun. One million branches and she loves every one." I sang. "Mom and Dad, did you search for me? I've been up here so long I'm going crazy!" Jenny listened to me and slowly stopped crying. "If I were you, I'd put that away, see you're just wasted and thinkin' 'bout the past again. Darling you'll be okay." I finished the song and Jenny sat up. She wiped the tears away and looked at me.

"What song was that?" She asked, her voice shaky and broken.

"Hold On Till May, by Pierce The Veil."

"It's beautiful." I nodded.

"Yeah." I started. "It really is..." I looked down at my hands and thought about Vic.

"Jo?" I looked up. "What were you doing in the park?" Jenny asked.

"I...was upset. My dad and I don't get along very well."

"Neither do my dad and I." She said, motioning to her eye.

"Yeah, but this is my fault. I haven't been a good daughter. Things have been kind of rough between us and I haven't put in the effort to try and fix our relationship. He's on tour a lot and I'm not used to the new life I guess, after my mom died."

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, we didn't get along either. At least my dad tried to find me when I ran away."

"You said he toured a lot, is he in a band or something?" I nodded.

"Yeah, he actually wrote that song." Jenny nodded and pondered the thought for a moment.

"So he saved my life twice." I looked up at her and her expression of pain and anguish had softened to one of exhaustion. "You should make up with your father. He seems like he really cares about you." She stated. I nodded.

"I know. Jenny, you should go home and get some sleep. We can work everything out together okay?" She nodded and I stood up, holding out a hand to help her. "Do you have a phone?" I asked. She nodded.

"Uh, yeah, here." She took out her phone and handed it to me. I punched in my number and gave it back.

"Call me sometime okay? I don't have a cell phone at the moment, but that's my home phone." She nodded.

"Okay. I'll see you later, Jo." I nodded and we went our separate ways.