She stood on the edge of the rock, toes gripped onto the edge. The rock she stood on slowly dipped into the ocean and the water licked at her feet. She smiled at the thought that she would be gone.
That those who suffered from her imperfect ways and mistakes. All of those who mocked her in the hallways and on the street, those who pointed at her as she passed, and all because of one decision that had been blamed on her. Was it her who was to blame? Over the months, she had come to think that. Her mind had be altered and tampered with from her peers. The laughing and the flying of fingers and accusations would finally end, because she would not be there anymore. She wouldn’t be there to be mocked, or pointed at. She wouldn’t be there to hear the whispers that flowed with the wind, as if she couldn’t hear them.

Letting a single tear roll down her cheek, she took a final breath. And without catching it, she jumped, plunging into the water. As she sunk, she found comfort in the solitude. She opened her eyes even though the salt stung them. She looked up at the air bubbles, leaving a clear trail of her path down into the water. She hugged her knees to her body and sunk slowly, down deep under the surface.

Her back hit the sand, and the pressure of the liquid above pinned her shoulder’s down. Her ears popped. The ocean was still, despite the sand stirring around her. She was only fifteen feet under. Her mind had become a metal clock, counting off seconds until the end. When she closed her eyes, an image of her family appeared.

They had believed that she was getting better. They had thought that the bullying had stopped, and she was going to her classes. They all thought what they wanted to hear. What they wanted to hear was not reality. Memories weighed down on her chest. Her heart slammed against her rib cage. She felt her hands began to tremble and her time count had been lost. The family who loved her would be gone. They had only been trying to help, but she had rebelled, pushing away. She didn’t want to die. She didn’t want to be forgotten. Her legs grew weak as she tried to push her body from the bottom. She opened her mouth to cry for help, but salty water flooded her lungs.

She frantically waved her arms in the empty space. Her eyesight was starting to fade, darkening at the corners. Her body screamed for air, for a single breath, but none came.

This was it. She knew that no matter how hard she tried, there would be no way to make it to the surface in time. She flared her legs, but it only seemed to push her downward. Her whole body shook. She knew she had made a mistake, one much greater than the last.

There was a plunge that came from above her. She craned her head with the little strength she had left in her and saw his face drawing closer. Her body went numb as his hands grabbed at her.

His fingers latched onto her arm, and he pulled at her weight towards the surface. He had looked down on her, her face was cold, her lips hinting blue. He had hoped he had not been too late. He pushed her head through the surface first, then shattering it with his. He inhaled a deep breath, hoping that she would do the same. Gasps and coughs came from her as she spat water out. Heaving for air, she relaxed her body a little bit. He crossed his arm over the girl’s chest and kept her afloat. He tread the water and pushed her up as far out of the water as possible.

Without wasting further time, he ferociously thrashed his legs propelling him to the rock, with the girl in his arms.

He had known the girl since kindergarten. At one point they had been friends. He remembered that she had blocked everybody out of her life. He saw her get harassed every day at school. Every time someone said something mean to her, he had wanted to speak up. He had wanted to say something to defend her. But he had never thought of anything to say. Instead, he watched her die inside, crumbling like ancient columns. He knew she didn’t do it. He knew she wasn’t like that. She wouldn’t have done anything like that. It was a ploy, and deep down he knew it, but was too scared to show it. But right then, time nor memories were not on his side.

Carefully, he hoisted her limp body onto the rock and then his, delicately cradling her head in his arms. He carried her over to a dry spot. Her breaths were big and uneven, spitting out water in between. He reached for his phone that he had thrown on the rock before he had dove in, leaving the screen cracked. He dialed three numbers he never had imagined calling. His back rested against a smooth rock, and he positioned her in such a way that she was leaning on his chest.

“Hailey?” He asked. “Hailey, can you hear me? Stay with me, just breathe deep even breaths. There should be an ambulance soon.” Her body was so limp. He could tell she wanted to say something but couldn’t. She nodded her head, she could hear him. He gently rubbed her back in an attempt to warm her. She had finally stopped coughing out water she took in a huge breath. His finger’s scraped the wet hair out of her face and mouth.

Her voice was faint, and he could hardly make out what she was saying. “Noah?” She croaked. “Thank you.” She tried to smile. The sirens blared over both of their ears, and Noah bolted to the noise, screaming and shouting. Kind looking men dashed around the corner, and lifted her off the rocks into the truck where she soon drifted to sleep.

She awoke in a white room. Her eyes darted about until they fell on him. He sat in a chair, and looked up at her with a smile. “You’re awake. How are you feeling?” She let out a groggy ‘fine’ before comprehending what just happened.

“I don’t understand.” Hailey shifted up in her bed. “I thought everybody hated me.”

“Only the people who don’t know you like I do. I watched it you know. How you slowly became distant.
Every time I saw someone say something to you, I wanted to say something so bad.” Noah choked. She registered the comment for a moment.

“Really, you can honestly sit there and say that you would miss me if I we’re gone? If you hadn’t have saved me?” Hailey exclaimed as a soft clear tear rolled down her face. Her question hung in the air, and it seemed to be plastered on the wall of the room. He hadn’t thought much of what he had done.

“Why would I save you if I wanted you gone?" He sighed. “I hope you know that I care about you. We were such good friends when we were younger, and I want that back. It hurt me to see you die inside, because you mean something to me.” She could see a tear glisten in his eye as he looked to the ground. Tears slipped from hers as well.

The door flied open, and both looked up to the figure standing in the doorway. Her mother. Her eyes were puffy and red as she had obviously been crying. She moved quickly to her daughter and wrapping her arms around her. Her mother then moved to Noah, taking the open seat next to him.
“Noah,” Her mother sobbed, “Thank you.” She struggled to say anymore.

After a brief talk with Hailey’s doctor, her mother left the hospital, but promised to visit her in the morning. Noah did not leave. He vowed to never let her slip away again. He promised himself he loved her too much to lose her.

“There is one thing I don’t get. How did you know I was there, on the rock? How did you get out of school?” She pulled loose strands of hair behind her ears.

“I had a feeling that something wasn’t right. When you weren’t at school, I knew something was wrong. We always used to go to that rock, remember? I don’t even know myself, but I ditched class and sped down the highway, that’s for sure.” He reached for her hand as she looked down at herself. “Hey, Hailey? You aren’t ugly, so please stop thinking that.”

All of that was ten years ago- ten years of finding the meaning of life with two people who loved each other more than life itself. Now, Hailey delicately grabs the bouquet of flowers set aside for her. Her white dress flowing behind her, she walks down the aisle, something she could openly admit that she thought would never happen. Noah stands at the end, his breath caught in his throat. To Hailey, Noah would always be her hero- although he refused to look at it in any other way that a human being doing their purpose on earth. He smiles the same smile he did ten years ago when he told Hailey he loved her. The same smile that he cracked when he asked her to prom, the same smile that he wore when he asked her to move in with him; he never changed much. But his smile carried three little words on it that Hailey was hungry for.

Ten years ago, none of this would be happening. Ten years is a long time. In ten years, life can change. And ten years is long enough for one person to do their duty as a human and stand up for someone in need of it. In ten years, you can buy the homeless man on the corner a coffee. Within ten years, you can stop for a moment and help someone collect their fallen belongings. But ten years is long enough to leave your mark on the world, no matter how big or how small. My challenge to you- is to do something in ten years. Your time starts now.

And you never know who you will meet along the way.