Charlie's Monologue

I stood on the balcony of the clock tower, breathing heavily. My front faced a small gathered crowd about fifty feet down, and to my back left, was Paul Richmond. I didn't understand him. Why wouldn't he let me die in peace? The school, the entire school, already wanted to see me dead. If I did jump, if I were to end it right now, they would laugh and joke about how I was a coward. But Paul was different. He actually cared about me. Why? Why would he care about someone as insignifigant as me? I was crying now, as he tried to talk me away from the ledge. It was the second time he had seen me cry. Why didn't I care if he saw how much of a coward I was? He had only moved here this year. I had only spoken to a few times. Why was he the closest friend I had? He reached his hand out, and I scooted down the ledge and away from his hand. I could …show more content…
"Take my hand, come down. I'll help you through this." I believed him. Why? He was Charlie's friend. Charlie had taken eveything from me. He was who made me like this. He caused me all of this pain. I felt something caught in my throat, and I looked back over to Paul, breathing heavily. "Have you ever heard Aesop's fable of the bat?" He looked at me in confusion, cocking his head to one side. "Um, no. What does that have to do with anything?" he asked, taking his hand down to listen. I looked away from him, down at the ground. At the paople waiting for me to jump. "Once, a long time ago, there was a war between the birds and the beasts. The bat wanted to join, so he went to the beasts. When he asked to join their side, the beasts replied to him, 'You are no beast. You have wings. You must be a bird.' So then he went to the birds. When he asked to join their side, the birds replied, 'You have no feathers or a beak. You must be a beast.'" I cast a glance over to Paul. He clearly understood. I could see it in his eyes. A whisp of my green hair blew in my face, and I moved it aside, looking down