The Voice of Depression; The Voice of Reason

He ran through the halls, hot tears blurring his vision, making him run into the dark red brick walls he thought he knew so well. The halls were vacant of anyone but him so his footfalls echoed through the seemingly endless void. He headed for the least used hall in the school as it was class time and the hall was hardly ever used, leaving the hall bare. There was a very low chance that he was going to be stumbled upon by someone else.

He slowly sank to the cold floor and wept silently. He wept for the misery, pain, and sorrow that had just blossomed in his life. His fragile heart shattered like glass against the ground, just laying there for anyone and everyone to step on. He curled up into a ball, his sobs racking through his body like the tremors of an earthquake. He heard soft footsteps echo upon the cool floor and he honestly couldn't care less at this point.

The sound of the footsteps stopped next to him, the mystery person squatted down next to him and gave him a warm and comforting hug. The mystery person smelled of jasmine and oranges, such an odd combination but a nice, soft combination. The touch was warm and inviting, inviting him to just curl up in their arms and cry until he couldn't cry anymore. And that was exactly what he did. His vision cleared up just enough to realize that the mystery person was his best friend.

Jennifer looked down at Sam, and smiled sadly, not offering words, but her gentle touch. They had been best friends since they were little kids in diapers. They played with each other on the playground growing up, they comforted each other and they knew each other's deepest, most darkest secrets. Jennifer did not even have to ask him what was wrong. She knew what he was running from as soon as he started running. He was running from the demons of his world. The cruel, cold hearted souls that tormented him day in and day out. He let his frustration and agony go with the hot, salty tears that streamed endlessly down his face, soaking the front of Jennifer's light lavender blouse.

"It will be alright Sam. They know nothing about you. They only know your name, not your story Sammy. I'm here for you." She tried to sooth him, calm him, tried to make his pain less than what it was, but the pain was a deadly snake, wrapping around his heart and squeezing it like a vice.

"They said things, Jen. Harsh things, terrible things-" Hiccup "about my family. About dad and mom, and, and-" He sat up and tightly hugged his knees. His hiccups turned worse and his voice was sandpaper.

"Sam, I don't care what they said. It doesn't matter to me. And just because your dad has problems that does not give them the right to be mean about it." He shook his head violently.

"I can't do this anymore Sam. I can't live like this. I have two choices, and I know that you'll argue against both." She gave him a hard glare. If looks could kill, he'd be dead ten times over.

"What are you thinking?" Her tone said, 'Don't lie to me or I'll find out eventually.' He gulped and looked away.

"I want to leave. I'm sick of this world and greedy, selfish beings that call themselves humans. They call me worthless, stupid, weak, and not fit to live. I've come to believe them. I believe them, Jenny." The girl looked horrified at his confession and at his misery.

"Sammy, you deserve to live. I can't let you do that to yourself, to your family, to me. If you commit to that, they win, and I lose my best friend. Your dad loses his son, even if he doesn't show it, he cares and loves you. If you die, this world loses a wonderful person." He looked up at her and wiped his bright red face with the back of his hand.

"Jen, I don't know what to do." He sniffed and wiped his nose with the sleeve of his black sweatshirt.

"I know what to do, we can do this, we can talk through this. Come, my friend, and let's just go home, that will give you time to calm down. If you want, I can stay over so you are not alone." The boy slowly nodded. He felt a little better.

"Yeah... I, I would like that. Maybe I just need something to take my mind off all this." Jennifer gave the boy a bright smile.

"Well then, come on. You're going to play video games with me." She dragged him to his feet and Sam took his first steps towards hope.