"Hey, do you want to hang out on Saturday?" i ask, hopeful.
"Sure, that would be fun. What do you want to do?" Gale replies happily. I take a deep breath of the air surrounding us and close my eyes. I can smell his colonge.
"I don't know yet, but i have nothing to do and spending the day with you sounds nice." the words flow easily from my mouth and i feel the wind pick up. My blonde hair blows around.
"Kay, whatevers cool," he agrees and the rain starts falling as if on cue. "We'd better get going we dont want to get sock before Saturday!" He has to yell over the rain and i can see my favorite smile on his face through the sheets of falling water. The two of us run down the street back to our houses splashing in puddles like we are little kids once again. Then, we seperate him to his hose and me to mine.
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I know exactly what i have to do. No matter what. I wont back out. I promised myself. I wont hurt anyone else i love. And now Gale is a part of my plan. Thats probably not my best idea, but i just can't do this without him.
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Walking down the streets near the bridge, i decide. It's time for my plan to be unleashed.
"Oh look! The bridge, i know what we can do today!" i exclaim, suddenly hoping my words didn't sound rehearsed. They were. Now i am an actress, follow tue lines of the script that yesterday i wrote. Gale doesn't seem to notice. I am i great actress.
"What are we doing Stace?" He asks using my little kid nickmname. He is the only one who can call me that without me getting pissed. I turn, smile and reply,
"We should walk on the bridge, we haven't gone up there in forever!" That was true, the last time we went up there, just the two of us, was a few years ago.
"Your right, let's go!" Gale exclaims suddenly more excied then me. He's my bestfriend. I knew he would agree, but i wasnt expecting all this excitment. I can feel tue butterflys in my stomach for the first time as my plan seems to be falling into place. We let our parents know and put on warmer clothes, then we are on our way.
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The view is absolutly beautiful, if you look down, you see the dark eerie waves crashing, screaming, begging. I look away. To my right is Gale and everwhere else i look i see the adorable welcoming clouds or the awful city i just want to get away from.
"Hey, Gale? Can you promise me something?" I ask after some silence , hoping my voice doesn't give anything away. Silece for us aren't weird or awkward. We both know almost everything about each other that we can almost tell whats on the others mind. But today, he has no idea.
"Sure, what is it?" he asks absentmindedly completly focused on finding the ice cream cone in the sky o pointed out earlier.
"Today you'll let me do anything i need to. No questions asked?" I am trying to be vague so he will just promise and i will win.
"What do you need?"
"Do you promise?"
"Fine. I promise."
"Pinky promise?"
"Pinky promise"
We entangle our pinkys and bite our thumbs. Done. Mission accomished. My plan worked. I win. He can't break a pinky promise, everyone knows that. We walk a little farther and i abruptly stop. Gale turns and sees the strange look on my face. I am no longer an actress. I am finally me i will do what i need to do and finally everythin will be right.
"What's wrong Stacey?" He asks. Worried.
"Kay. Um. Well I'm about to do everyone a huge favor. I have hirt and lied to just about everyone. I cannot do that anymore. This is the only way i can fix the mess i made."
"Stace, what are you talking about?" He says calmly, but i can hear how forced it is. He's struggling to keep his voice steady.
"You know, there is no point in me being here anymore."
"Stace? What are you saying?" His voice cracks and his worry shows through. He opens his arms and puts them around me as if to protect me. You can't protect someone from themselves. His green eyes look distant like he is thinking to deeply. Remembering.
"I have to do this. I am going to jump." I announce flatly. I can't hold the truth any longer. I watch as tue horro of my words set in. Tears in his eyes. His face crumpled in pain. No.no. No. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Why did i bring him? I am a monster. Selfish. I just hurt the last person i had left.
"No...Stace." His words are only a whisper. It's like he is in a trance. I can see all of his thoughts clearly on his face. Realizing his promise. Seeing he can't save me.
"Just say i fell. It was an acciedent. Nobody will care anyway." I choke out. I feel the tears in my eyes, the butterflies in my stomach. His arms around me protectevly. I won't cry. I can't back out. I promised. He promised. All i can hear is our breathing. I don't know jow long we stay there. Wrapped in each others arms. Tears running down our faces. Gale breaks the silence with four words,
"I'm coming with you."
"No," I pull out of his embrace." You haven't done anything wrong. You have a perfect life waiting for you. You can't"
"Its not perfect without you. Nobody blames you Stace. And Stacey. I love you."
"How come I have to be standing on the top of a bridge for you to tell me that?"