Faultless

I stepped into the room and saw them sitting alone in the corner. I walked over to them warily.

"What's the point in living?" they questioned once I was sitting down beside them on the cold, hard floor.

"There are lots of reasons," I replied gently.

"Give me one good reason to stay alive."

"Love?" I whispered into their ear.

"Who would ever love me? After everything I've done."

"Me, I love you, and I always will. The past doesn't matter anymore," I paused, "nobody's faultless."

They closed their eyes and their bottom lip trembled as they took in several shaky breaths of air. "Prove it," they suddenly looked up, their expression fierce, "prove that you really do love me."

"I would do anything for you. I would kill for you. Hell, I would die for you."

"Well then you had better start dying," they stood up, walked over to the chest of drawers that was nestled in the corner of the room, pulled out a gun and pressed it lightly to their head.

I jumped up, screaming at them to put the gun down. My entire universe was moving as if in slow motion as I lunged towards them.

"I'm so sorry, it was all my fault," they whispered.

And then they pulled the trigger.

~~~~~~~~~

-ONE YEAR EARLIER-

When quiet bookworm Izzy Simmons and her bubbly and confident best friend Arianna Hawley decide to befriend Rowley Secondary School's local weirdo, Jess Bailey, things suddenly turn from average to crazy. The question of whether or not Jess and her abusive older brother Adam were the reason for these changes is quickly pushed aside as they fight to retain their sanity in a world that holds no mercy.

So, why does someone end up holding a gun to their own head in a year's time? And more importantly, who will it be?