The fluorescent lights hummed softly above, casting a glow over the rows of lockers that lined the hallway. The afternoon sun filtered through the high windows, creating patches of warmth on the cold, tiled floor. Two students sat side by side on the hard tile floor. One with hunched shoulders, the other with eyes filled with concern.

Emma fidgeted with the ripped edges of her sleeves, hiding the faint traces of old scars on her wrists. Her long, dark hair fell in a curtain around her face, her eyes fixed on the ground between her legs. Beside her was Jake, his blue eyes searching her face, looking for any sign that she might talk first, wondering if he could find the right words to say.

“Emma,” he began softly, his voice barely above a whisper, “I’m really glad you’re here. I ... I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t.”

She didn’t respond immediately, her fingers continuing to pick at the loose threads of her sweater. The silence between them was heavy with unspoken thoughts and emotions.

“Why did you do it?” Jake asked, his voice trembling slightly. “Why did you try to ... you know?”

Emma finally looked up, her eyes meeting his. They were filled with a mixture of sadness and vulnerability.

“I felt so alone,” she said quietly, her voice breaking. “Like no one cared. Like nothing I did mattered.”

Jake’s heart ached at her words. He reached out, his hand hesitantly resting on her thigh. “But you do matter, Emma. To me, to so many people. We care about you. I care about you.”

“I just ... I didn’t see a way out.” Tears welled up in Emma’s eyes, and she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. “It felt like everything was closing in on me, and I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want to feel that way anymore.”

“I’m so sorry you felt that way.” Jake squeezed her thigh gently. “But you don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here for you. We all are. We want to help you, Emma.”

“I know. I just ... it’s hard to believe sometimes.” She gave him a weak smile, the sadness still evident in her eyes. “But thank you, Jake. It means a lot.”

He smiled back, his eyes full of sincerity. “Always.”

“You’re not alone, okay?” Jake said softly. “Promise me you’ll remember that.”

“I promise.” Emma took a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “Thank you, Jake. For being here for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He pulled her into a tight hug, his arms wrapping around her slender frame.

“I’m always here for you, Emma. Always.”

As Emma leaned into the embrace, she could feel the weight of the world beginning to lift from her shoulders. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she wasn’t alone. And for the first time in even longer, she had hope.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice muffled against Jake’s chest.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly, holding her close. “You’re going to be okay. We’ll get through this together.”

Emma started to pull away from their comforting embrace first, her eyes searching Jake’s face.

“I appreciate you being here for me,” she said, her voice still slightly shaky. “It means a lot.”

“Anytime,” he replied, his blue eyes still locked on hers. “I mean it.”

They gazed at each other for a moment longer, the tension in the air shifting from sadness to something else.

“Jake, I...” she began, her cheeks flushing slightly. “I, uh...”

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice low.

Emma took a deep breath and leaned forward, her lips lightly brushing against his. It was barely a touch, but it was enough to send a shock through both of them.

“Sorry,” she breathed, pulling back. “I shouldn’t have-”

“It’s okay,” he murmured, his hand finding hers and gently lacing their fingers together. “You didn’t have to apologize.”

She looked down at his hand, her pale fingers intertwined with his. She caught a glimpse of her wrist, the scars still visible beneath the fabric of her sweater.

“I should go,” she said softly. “It’s just ... hard. After everything that’s happened.”

“It’s okay,” he whispered, leaning in and pressing his forehead against hers. “I understand.”

“Thanks,” she said, offering him a small smile. “I’ll see you around, okay?”

“Yeah,” he replied, his fingers lingering on hers. “See you around.”

As she walked away, Emma could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was the near-death experience or the kiss, but something had changed. And for the first time in a while, she felt like she might be okay.

Jake watched her go, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He knew there was a long road ahead, but he was determined to be there every step of the way. And no matter what, he would make sure she knew she wasn’t alone.

As Emma stepped outside at the end of the school day, the afternoon sun was shining brightly. It was a beautiful day, and she was alive.

“Hey Emma.”

The sound of Jake’s voice made her jump, and she spun around to see him standing a few feet away, a shy smile on his face.

“Oh, hey Jake.”

He walked over and stood next to her, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Jake spoke up.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his blue eyes searching her face for an answer.

“Better,” she replied, offering him a small smile.

“I’m really glad to hear that.”

“Me too.”

There was another brief moment of silence before Jake cleared his throat.

“So, did you still want me to come over tonight?”

“Yes!” Emma blurted out, her cheeks turning red as she realized how eager she sounded.

“Great,” Jake said, a grin spreading across his face. “We better not miss your bus then.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Emma’s heart skipped a beat as she grabbed her backpack and started walking towards the bus loop, Jake following closely behind.

After a twenty minute ride, the bus dropped Emma and Jake off a block from her house. The two of them walked side by side down the sidewalk, Emma needing to take extra steps to keep up with his height.

As Emma opened the door and stepped inside, she was met with a familiar silence.

“Mom? Dad?”

“In the kitchen,” her mother called out.

Emma motioned for Jake to follow her, and the two of them entered the kitchen to find her mother drinking a glass of wine and staring at her phone.

“Hey mom,” Emma said, her voice slightly nervous. “Uh, this is Jake. He’s my friend from school. He’s gonna hang out with me for a bit.”

“Hmm,” her mother responded, barely looking up from her phone. “You have a friend over?”

“Yeah, he’s-”

“I didn’t realize you had friends,” her mother interrupted, taking a sip of her wine.

“Mom, I-”

“Well, as long as he’s here and someone is watching you. I might as well take the opportunity to go out,” her mother said, setting her glass down on the counter and grabbing her purse. “Have fun, you two.”

With that, she rushed out of the room, leaving Emma and Jake standing awkwardly in the kitchen.

“Sorry about her,” Emma said, her eyes fixed on the floor.

“It’s okay,” Jake replied, reaching out and gently taking her hand. “I’m here for you, okay?”

“Thank you,” she murmured, squeezing his hand. “You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”

Jake smiled softly, his thumb tracing gentle circles on the back of her hand. Emma’s heart skipped a beat, and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach fluttering wildly.

“So, what should we do first?” Jake asked, his eyes scanning the room.

“Let’s just hang out in my room,” Emma suggested, her cheeks flushed pink. “We can watch a movie or something.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jake said, smiling widely.

Emma led him up the stairs and into her bedroom, shutting the door behind them. She grabbed her laptop and handed it to Jake.

“Do you mind finding a movie while I change?” she asked.

“Sure,” he replied, taking the laptop and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Thanks, These skinny jeans get to be a bit much by the end of the day,” she said, grabbing a pair of shorts from her dresser.

Emma disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She let out a deep breath, her hands shaking as she pulled her shirt over her head.

“Okay,” she whispered, trying to calm her nerves. “You can do this.”

After a few deep breaths, she started to struggle her way out of her jeans, the tight denim hugging her legs. She hopped on one foot as she attempted to get her jeans past her ankles, the fabric finally giving way and landing in a pile on the floor.

She stood in her small black bra and cute skull covered panties. She brushed her hair and took a quick look at herself in the mirror, her eyes landing on the scars that littered her wrists.

“No,” she thought, turning away from the mirror. “Tonight is about my friend Jake, not them.”

Emma slid the straps of her bra down her shoulders and pulled her arms through. She spun the bra around her body and unclipped it from the front, letting it fall to the floor. Her breasts were free and she stood there for a moment, taking a few deep breaths.

“Okay,” she thought. “Now just put your clothes on.”

She took another deep breath and turned to her shorts, picking them up and pulling them up her slender legs. She slipped the elastic band over her thin thighs, the shorts resting low on her hips.

Emma took a moment to check herself out, admiring her small breasts and cute butt. She couldn’t help but smile, feeling a sense of confidence for the first time in a long time.

She reached for her baggy shirt, her hand grasping a pair of scissors instead. Her heart skipped a beat, the memory of last night rushing back.

“Oh no,” she thought, her hands shaking.

She gripped the scissors tightly, the blade shimmering in the light. The temptation was overwhelming. The pain. The relief. The escape.

“Emma? You okay?” Jake called from the bedroom.

“Yeah, I’ll be right out!” Emma replied, dropping the scissors and grabbing her shirt.

She slipped the shirt over her head and pulled it down, her arms sliding into the short sleeves. She took one more deep breath, the smell of the laundry detergent filling her nose.

“Today is a good day,” she thought, opening the door and stepping out into the bedroom.

Jake was sitting on the bed, Emma’s laptop balanced on his knees. He looked up as she entered the room, his eyes immediately traveling up and down her body.

“Wow,” he said, a smile spreading across his face.

“What?” she asked, a look of confusion on her face.

“You just look ... really nice,” Jake replied, his cheeks turning pink.

“My sleepwear is nice?” Emma laughed, looking down at her oversized shirt and shorts.

“Yeah,” he said, his eyes locked on hers. “Really nice.”

“You’re so weird,” Emma said, rolling her eyes.

“Well, you’re beautiful,” Jake said softly, his blue eyes full of sincerity.

“Thanks,” she whispered, a blush creeping across her cheeks.

“Come sit,” Jake said, patting the space beside him on the bed.

Emma made her way across the room, sitting down next to Jake. She could feel the warmth radiating from his body, her skin tingling at the thought of being close to him.

“So, have you found a movie yet?” Emma asked, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

“Yeah, there’s this new comedy,” Jake said, his shoulder bumping against hers.

“Let’s watch it then,” Emma said, a shy smile playing on her lips.

Emma took the laptop and pulled her side table out, placing the laptop on top.

“I do this all the time when I watch movies.”

“Cool,” Jake said, leaning back on the bed.

Emma crawled onto the bed, laying on her side with her head on her pillow.

“Do I join you in the bed?”

“Yes,” Emma giggled, “but only if you want.”

Jake laid down behind her, his chest pressing against her back. She could feel his body heat warming her, and she shivered involuntarily.

“Are you cold?” Jake asked, his breath tickling her ear.

“A little,” she replied.

“May I?” Jake said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against his body.

Emma’s heart raced, her body relaxing into his. She couldn’t remember the last time someone held her. It was a feeling of comfort and one that she wanted to last forever.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” Emma whispered, her eyes fixed on the laptop screen. “I’m sorry I tried too...”

“It’s okay,” Jake said, his chin resting on her shoulder. “I know things have been tough for you. I’m glad you’re still here with me.”