Hanging Tree

Chapter 2

CALUM

I stood by the shop with Michael, looking around. "Why are we even here, dude?" I asked Michael.

"We're supposed to wait for Luke. Remember?" He said.

I groaned and looked at my watch. "You do know its been 20 minutes right? How long more do we have to wait here?"

Michael just shrugged his shoulder and looked around. I sighed and pulled out a cigarette box. Before I could take one out Michael said to me, "Dude. No smoking zone."

I looked around and realized it was true. "Going over there," I told him as I walked into some kind of park. I lit my cigarette and took a deep breath in. I puffed the smoke out as I walked around. It was actually a really quiet park. There was no one here actually. I  continued walking around till I saw a sign. It read as 'Hanging Tree.' I've heard people talking about it but I never really cared.

I looked in front and saw a girl with black hair and a rope. She was tying the rope on the tree and she stood on a stool. My brain processed what she was doing and I ran over there quickly.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

She turned and looked at me and went back to what she was doing. Her eyes were red and puffy. She looked as if she had been crying. She didn't answer me as she continued tying her rope. I threw my cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to face me. "I asked you a question you know"

She rolled her eyes at me and said, "Its called a 'Hanging Tree' for a reason you know."

My doubts were now confirmed by what she said. "I'm not going to let you do that," I said as I stood on the stool trying to untie the rope.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? I don't even know you!"

I ignored her and continued doing what I was doing. Once it was untied, I got off the stool and looked at her. "Look. I may not know you but I do know that you're human. You're most probably a year or so younger than me. Maybe things might not be great in your life right now, and if I say its going to get better you wouldn't believe me. But believe me, it will. I promise you."

She looked like she was going to burst out crying again. "You don't know anything. You don't even know my name. Why should I believe you?" She was trying to avoid eye contact with me.

I moved closer to her and made her look at me. She was indeed crying. Alot. I sighed and pulled her into a hug. At first tried to push me away but eventually gave in. "I may not know you but I know how it feels. I know my appearance doesn't fit the way i'm acting towards you right now. All these piercing and tattoos tend to scare away people. But trust me, I'm a nice guy. I couldn't just watch you do that to yourself. I don't care what past you came from or what people say about you. There should never be a reason for a pretty girl like you to kill yourself."

She looked up at me and said, "You think I'm pretty?" I smiled and nodded at her. "Who wouldn't?" And with that she turned away.

I sighed. That probably wasn't the right thing to say. "Can I have your phone?"

She pulled away from my hug and asked, "Why?"

I just rolled my eyes at her and asked for it again. She gave it to me wearily and I took it. I typed in my number and saved it for her. "My number is in here, if anything ever happens to you. Don't even think twice of calling me. I'll be right there when you need me."

I gave her back her phone and took out another cigarette. I lit it up and put it in my mouth. I looked back at her and said "Now lets get you home."

She looked at me and said, "Why would I do that? I don't know you."

I smiled at her and said "Babe, if i wanted to kill you or do anything to you. I would have done that earlier. I don't think you should be afraid of me right now"

I saw a small smile creep up and she nodded. I'm glad I walked here. If I didn't, a precious life would be gone. I can't believe she would even try suicide. Im just glad I could stop her.