We're Here to Take Your Hearts

Clarissa walked out of the school gates and sighed. She made a desicion last night. She decided that tonight things were going to change. Just as she was about to cross the cross-walk she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Sarah there, nearly crying.

"Clarissa?" Sarah asked, almost whimpered.

"Yeah."

"Come home, please. It's not the same. Pete, he's going crazy. He sits at the couch all day, staring at the wall. He won't go to bed either. We asked him why and he said he needs to make sure he stays there so he can greet you when you come home. We tried to tell him you wern't coming back, but he just starts to cry and argue with us. Please. William is threatening to send him into the mental hospital. Pete won't even listen to music because he says it reminds him of you. He did get off the couch once though. He went into your room, he was in there for a while, then walked back to where he was sitting. So please, will you come home?" Sarah pleaded.

"I-I'll think about it okay?" Sarah nodded and turned the other way and climbed into the blue mercedes waiting for her.

Clarissa turned the other way and glanced down at her wrists. They have never been touched with a razor ever. Her body has never been poisoned with drugs. Her mind however, was contaminated with the darkest thoughts any person could dream of.

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Everyone sat at the couch, where Pete continued to stare at the wall. It was six at night and everybody, except Pete, got up to go eat dinner. They sat at the table began to eat in silence. Just how they've been doing for the past three weeks. Ever since Clarissa left.

Clarissa took a deep breath and put her key in the lock. She quietly turned it and opened the door.

The sound of forks and knives hitting plates had seased when they heard the door open and the familiar sound of Converse hitting the wooden floor got closer to the Living Room.

Clarissa walked into the living room and saw Pete. He was pale and thin from barely eating. His eyes were fixed on the wall and he sat there in silence. Clarissa set down her backpack and Pete looked up at the sound.

"Clarissa? Is that really you?" He whispered. She nodded. He got up from his spot and ran to her. "They-They said you wern't coming back. But I told them you were. I knew you were. I knew you'd come back. We can live together now. We can start over." He said, wrapping her in a bear hug.

"Pete, I'm not here to stay." She said quietly.

"What do you mean? We can be happy, and, and..."

"I came to say goodbye." She said, she caught the sight of something shimmering around his wrist. It couldn't be... She thought, Oh but it was. Her bracelet. "Is that my bracelet?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, I missed you so much. I needed it. That's how I knew you were coming back. You would never leave it." He said, sounding hopeful.

"Sit down." She intructed. They sat down on the couch, still looking at each-other. "Pete, I'm leaving. I came to say goodbye and give you these." She said, holding out her pair of gold drumsticks, signifying she was Drumline Captain.

"But..."

"Shh. I can't do this Pete. No matter how hard I try I can't get over the fact that I lived and they didn't. So please, just go on with your life. You'll forget me soon enough."

Tears brimmed Pete's hazel eyes. His lip began to quiver like a child's. Clarissa leaned in and hugged him one last time. Pete wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.

"Don't go." He whispered.

"I have to." She whispered back.

"Don't go."

"I have to."

Pete began to sob just as everyone in the house walked into the room. Clarissa pulled away and looked at them.

"Goodbye." She whispered. She stood up, grabbed her bag and walked out the door. Pete sobbed and whimpered on the couch. He buried his face in a big pillow next to him and cried louder than anyone could have imagined.

"Pete, what did she say?" Patrick asked.

"She's leaving. She gave me her drumsticks and talked about how she couldn't get over that she lived. And she left." He cried.

Everyone looked at eachother.

"Pete, we have to go now."

"I don't want to leave." He whined. "No, leave me alone."

"Pete! If we don't leave now it will be too late. She might kill herself!" Spencer yelled. Pete looked up. He nodded and got up from his seat, still crying.

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Clarissa sat in the tree. The tree that she hid in when Pete and Patrick were looking for her. She opened her backpack and pulled out a razor. She looked from the razor to her wrists. She clenched the blade and cut deep into her right wrist. Then cut the left. She smiled at the pain.

She listened to the silence, that was broken by footsteps running and getting nearer. She looked down from the tree and could see Pete, Joe, Jon and everyone else running towards the tree. She sighed and looked back at the knife.

She counted to three in her mind and plunged it into her stomach hard. She winced in pain, then feeling dizzy she fell out of the tree.

"CLARISSA!" Pete screamed. He ran to the girl and lifted her up. "No, No, NoNoNoNo!" He carried her bridal style out of the thick forest and sat her on the cement. He examined her wrists, then feeling a warm, wet sensation coming from under her shirt he looked.

He could see the deep gash in her stomach. He cried and took her into his arms.