Make It Stop (September's Children)

Bullying is a serious issue, as well as suicide. Make It Stop- Rise Against

Lyndsey raised the gun to her temple.

 

Aaron glanced down at the small wooden stool that supported him.

 

Laura took a shaky breath as she let the thin blade rest on her skin for a moment.

 

Darren stared at the churning waters beneath the bridge he was currently perched on.

 

Kyle rolled the bottle of pills from hand to hand, a small frown jutting out his lower lip out a bit.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“If I fail Gayne’s test, I’ll kill myself,” Arianna complained, sinking down in her seat. Next to her sat Laura Trainte, absentmindedly pulling her sleeve up and down as her friend talked. Arianna didn’t notice Laura eyes flash, nor did she see the slight pucker between her friend’s eyebrows.

 

“You’ll do fine,” Laura reassured Arianna, rolling her eyes slightly.

 

“Ugh, I don’t know. I’ll probably be staring at Kyle the whole time…” Arianna couldn’t help the small smile that graced her face. Laura laughed, flipping her hair back. The two spent the rest of the class goofing around.

 

At her locker, Laura looked down three or four lockers to see the new girl staring at something yellow in her hand. Shrugging, she grabbed her backpack and made her way outside. The girl tripped on the sidewalk, scraping her knee.

 

Laura looked up in time to see a colored boy she knew glance back down and keep walking. Frowning, she made her way home. She paused when she saw her father’s car in the driveway, he was home early….

 

She recoiled when his fist raised, ready for the blow. He only growled at her and pushed her back. Choking back a sob, Laura ran and locked herself in the bathroom, fumbling around in the cabinet.

 

~*~

 

Darren  sighed as he leaned against the concrete barriers. He felt guilt weigh heavily in his stomach as he thought about Laura. The eighteen year old knew what it was like to be down on the ground, and yet he had not helped her.

 

Scowling, he glanced behind him at the empty stretch of bridge. He knew what it was to be helpless, to be so alone even his shadow resented him. All because his skin was a different color than theirs’. Sliding his backpack off of his shoulder, he grabbed a support.  

 

Heaving himself up, he swung onto the thick concrete barrier he’d just been leaning on.

 

~*~

 

Disgusting Little Dyke

 

Lyndsey bit her lip as she faced the bright yellow sticky note on her locker. This had been the sixth one this week, and it was only Thursday. Her father didn’t know, or else he’d call the school in a rage. Being a wealthier, he often got things to swing in his direction.

 

Blinking back tears at the thought of Chelsea, her late mother who would have most likely been in a greater rage than her father, Lyndsey closed her locker. She missed her mother more and more these days.

 

When she got home, she trudged her way up the stairs, the ache for her artwork almost as great as the ache for her mother. Opening her door with a grin, she let out a half scream, half sob. Her window was wide open, and the tips of a ladder could be seen from her vantage point.

 

The words ‘Dyke’ and ‘Nasty’ were written all over her latest portrait of her mother she’d only finished two days ago. Tears rolling down her cheeks and strangled sounds escaping her throat, Lyndsey rushed to her father’s study where she knew he kept a strongbox.

 

~*~

 

It was routine.

 

Everyday after school got out; Kyle made his way to Aaron who then supplied him with what he needed. Each day he hated himself more and more.

 

He knows that he never should have taken those pills after his injury had long healed. He knows it, but yet Kyle always seems to forget in the haze

 

Today his hate finally had reached boiling point, and he’d already written the note. To his mother, to his father, to his friends who all overestimated him; he’d written them a short and bittersweet note.

 

Now all he had to do was decide. The haze was calling to him, offering a peace he only seemed to ever know when he was in its arms. On the other hand, Arianna, a crush of his, had called him over earlier. She’d given him hope that her stutters meant she wanted something more than just advice on their worksheet.

 

~*~

 

Mr. Carne

 

That’s what all his students called him. Teaching was still new enough to him that he didn’t feel right calling them students. After all, Most were more than half of his age.

 

Despite being young, they still respected him. Aaron was grateful that they gave him what past teachers, his family, even his boyfriends had never given him. Hope.

 

Yet, he mused as he secured the rope to his garage ceiling, this had not stopped his dark past from shading the way he viewed things. Securing a noose around his neck, he knew that no one would miss him.

 

~*~

 

Lyndsey raised the gun to her temple.

 

Aaron glanced down at the small wooden stool that supported him.

 

Laura took a shaky breath as she let the thin blade rest on her skin for a moment.

 

Darren stared at the churning waters beneath the bridge he was currently perched on.

 

Kyle rolled the bottle of pills from hand to hand, a small frown jutting out his lower lip out a bit.

 

~*~

 

The next day at school, people began to notice the empty seat. A few even began to count the absences.

 

One…Two…

 

~*~

 

“Yes, yes, it seems that both a teacher and a student have committed suicide. The young girl, Lyndsey Eldridge, was only seventeen. Her father found her Thursday night. The teacher, a Mr. Aaron Carne, was found in his garage by a neighbor. They will be missed greatly. Town officials say….”

 

The teacher turned off of the TV, turning to speak to the class. Kyle was staring at his hands, wondering how he had never noticed. His head, along with most of the class, snapped up when the door walked in and Darren entered, looking sad.

 

He gave a note to the teacher, who frowned and her mouth fell open. “Class, it seems that a classmate of ours…she has been admitted to the hospital. Laura will be out for the next two weeks…”

Darren took his seat, and for just a few moments, his eyes met Kyle’s. For just a moment, they felt like something connected them in some way. Kyle stuck his hand out, and Darren reluctantly shook it.

 

Things got better from that point.

 

They always seem to.

Author's Note

I know this isn't that great, but it's the best I could do right now.
Reviews, please?

Reviews

[_]

Probably the saddest thing I ever read. Whoooooooooa, so many stories at once it was friggin mind blowing. Wicked story, brilliant writing. :)

[Mark Anthony Games (Hum..]

I think a great deal of your self is in these words, so that shows talent and courage. To stand up too bullies most certainly but in doing so we must be sure to not absorb that darkness and become the bully or aggressor ourselves. The Bully must be thought of as a victim needing help, why else would a soul become so contaminated if it were not for toxic waste seeping in to the fabric of our society. Each time you turn away from a person needing help, every time you allow fear to erode an opportunity, every time you hold back words you feel need saying and every time you chose to be the person they expect you to be instead of being your self you contribute to that poison infecting society. Our society will continue to become infected until we all find the courage to be ourselves and be honest about our emotions. Emotions are what make us human and the emotion we think are so unique to us are more often suffered by millions of others. The words you place here make those emotions known and those who read it will relate to your words and realise that their emotions are not unique to them, so you will ease their suffering and apply first aid to help decontaminate a soul. If we all shared like this then eventually we might just make the change to a better, honest, loving and caring world for us all to share. Well done

[Sophie]

I think I may cry. So good!

[Sunny Skye]

i like it. Good job!

[Steven Cash]

Like Ahmad said, very powerful

Great job, Amanda

[Melodie. M.]

i like it..and who says this isnt great? :-)

[Dark and Mysterious]

Who says this isn't great! It's awesome (In the writing sense not what happened). Here's to standing up against bullying....

[Ahmad Cox]

I really enjoyed this poem. It has a very powerful message that most people don't tackle.