Short Stories | Sean x Kaycee

Guardian

He was listening, but he had no strength to take all of that. No strength to take in a stranger's problems when his was shittier than hers.

"Days ago, I learned my best friend was raped by her boyfriend. And I was also still in the middle of mourning for my childhood friend who passed due to leukemia," she continued.

Fuck, he thought, pressing his eyes shut. Why is the world cruel?

"And I thought, why is the world cruel?" she said, exactly echoing what was on his mind that he opened his eyes. He could feel her turning to look at him. "I thought about it, too, you know?" she stated.

He could feel his own breaths inside his ears.

"The world knows how to beat us. But instead of leaving the world...why not fight back against the world –?"

"I'm sorry," he said, voice shaking, cutting her monologue, spoiling the encouragement in her voice. "You don't know shit about me."

The girl shrugged, giving him a small smile, facing the waters again. "You're right. I don't know anything about you. Sorry," she said dejectedly. There was something in her sudden, sad voice that made guilt start stirring in his guts. Like it was as if she actually knew how to drive guilt into his system.

Then his heart lurched out of his chest when the girl started climbing over the railing, and sat on the ledge, legs dangling dangerously over the waters.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked, voice hitching in panic.

Did she really just got affected of what he said?

"Well, why do you care? You don't even know shit about me," she said, turning to him, her face sad, but her eyes glinting with some mischief. He couldn't quite read her face in his state of mind.

"Fuck," he muttered, as he took careful steps towards her. He came there to end his life, and yet, he realized he couldn't actually bear to watch someone take theirs. "I'm –I'm sorry, okay? J-Just don't do this –"

The girl huffed rather playfully. "Why shouldn't I? You were also going to do it, too," she slightly pouted.

"Ah, shit," he muttered angrily, mostly to himself as he put his hands on her waist, ready to pull her back, when someone yelled.

"What are you doing?!"

The girl yelped in surprise just in time the boy pulled her back and caught her in his arms, hands holding on to his nape and shoulder for support. He turned to see a car stopped behind them, the driver watching them in both worry and frustration. Some cars had pulled over, too; people stepping out of their vehicles in concern, as if they were ready to respond if anything should happen.

He couldn't lie, but his heart warmed at the thought, despite it banging hard against his ribs with how fast everything had happened.

"S-Sorry. W-We were just p-playing," he stuttered. He didn't really know what to say.

"This isn't funny, boy!" another man exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Get off the bridge, then!" someone yelled. One by one, the onlookers left them, leaving a couple of older men, staying to probably make sure that they were safe.

He let out a sigh and his head snap up as he heard her giggle in his arms. He looked at her incredulously, and she had the nerve to throw her head back in laughter. He frowned as he set her on her feet.

"Now you get my point?" the girl asked, eyes bright, and grinning beautifully up at him.

Now he felt he was whiplashed at the change of her demeanor. She had the nerve to pull a prank? Did she think this was a joke? His frowned deepened. "What?"