The love letter and the suicide note

9:32pm

"So, who's Bear Cub?" Carly asked once Astra hung up and set her phone down.

"You won't believe me even if I told you." Astra chuckled to herself.

Carly gave her friend a look and then walked over to her bed and sat down. She put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a big smile. "Try me, I like hearing stories that people don't think I'll believe."

"I dialed my uncle's number a few nights ago to talk to him. I thought that since, um, since Harley died, and I hadn't talked to him in years, that it'd be a good idea to call him. To hear his voice and know that I'm not alone, that I still have a family member."

"Oh honey, I know most of your family is gone, but you are not alone. You have me, and I may not be your family, but you're my best friend and you'll always have me." Carly pulled Astra towards her for a hug as tears formed in her eyes. "Now, is Bear Cub your uncle?"

"No, I must've accidentally typed a wrong number and it wasn't my uncle that I called. It was a stranger-"

"What? You've been talking to a stranger? What have you told them? How do you know they aren't a stalker or a murderer? What if-"

"Carly, it's okay. He's not a bad person."

"Oh it's a he huh. Well, you shouldn't trust strange men who you don't know. I'm sorry to say this but a lot of men aren't good, he could hurt you." Carly pulled away from the hug to grab Astra's face.

"Just listen to me. He's not a bad person okay, yes, I don't think it's that smart to meet up with a strange guy in a week, but the feeling I have is good. I have a very good feeling Carly. He's not bad."

"Meet up in a week?! Oh no honey, you can't meet up with a strange man. That's just not safe at all, what's gotten into that beautiful brain of yours?"

"Carly it's okay, I-"

"How old is this man anyway? What has he told you?"

"He said he was 19. That's all he's said." Astra didn't want to tell her that he was suicidal and planning on killing himself in a month. That would be a cruel thing for her to do, to tell someone else a secret or private problem of someone else.

"And you believe him? For all you know he could be an old man who kidnaps gullible girls like you." Carly folded her arms and gave her friend a look.

"He doesn't sound like an old man." Astra rolled her eyes. "He sounds pretty young, besides, I already told you I don't believe he's bad. Trust me Carly, please, he's just... he understands what I'm going through."

He's suicidal and needs help. He needs someone who understand him and cares. He needs her help.

Astra wanted to say those out loud but she knew she couldn't. She couldn't tell Carly that he was suicidal. That would be the worst thing she could ever do.

Or maybe it could be the best. If someone was suicidal, shouldn't the person tell someone? And if they did tell someone, and no matter what that person did to help them and it didn't help, shouldn't the person they told tell someone else?

She didn't know any parents or older adults to tell, but maybe if she told Carly, Carly would be able to tell someone and he'd get the help he needed.

Astra didn't want him to hate her though, so she couldn't tell Carly. If he got worse, she made a promise to herself that she'd tell Carly, and they'd find him help together.

"Honey," Carly put her hands on her shoulder again. "If you believe with all your heart that he's a good person, and he won't kidnap you or hurt you, then okay, I trust you. But, if anything happens to you I won't hesitate to murder someone myself."

"I love you." Astra hugged her tightly with a smile.

"Love you too." Carly hugged her back. "What would you say if I went with you to meet him?"

"Um, no, I don't think that's necessary-"

"Well, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not. I'll be there just in case something happens. You can count on me." She squeezed her tighter.

"Wow, thanks Carly, I can always count on you to save the day." Astra said sarcastically as her face squished into her friends shoulder.

"You're welcome!"