Chapter 4 I END IT ALL TODAY.

CASEY.

I stood at the edge of the rooftop, the wind whipping at my hair and tugging at my clothes, fear coursing through my veins.

My sneakers scraped against the rough concrete lip, and every tiny shift made my stomach drop.

This was it. An end to all these.

My legs wobbled a bit, and I grabbed at the low railing behind me for balance, trying my best to steady my breathing.

Below, students were gathering, faces turned up, a growing sea of phones and wide eyes. Some looked horrified, mouths open, whispering to each other.

"Is that Casey?"

"What's she doing up there?"

 I cried harder, tears blurring everything, hot streaks down my cheeks. One wrong move and I'd tumble. My mind raced with flashes of the last. I didn't want to die. But living like this, invisible except when they needed a target... it felt impossible.

"Casey, honey, please step back from the edge!" Ms. Ramirez, my English teacher, called up, her voice strained and loud through the megaphone someone had grabbed. "This isn't the way. Come down and we'll talk. Whatever's going on, we can fix it together. You're a good kid. Don't do this stunt."

Another teacher, Mr. Hale from gym, joined in. "Casey, think about your parents. They love you. This isn't worth it. Walk back slowly. We're here for you."

Their voices irritated me even more. They've been observing without bothering to step in, and now they suddenly care? Oh, they don't. They just want to avoid having my death tarnish the reputation of their foolish school. They let me down.

The only people I was about to disappoint were my parents. Just thinking about them made me cry even harder.

More kids pressed closer to the building, and the crowd grew larger. Then I spotted Ethan and his friends pushing through the onlookers, joining the group at the bottom. Ivy was there too, clinging to his arm and smirking up at me.

Ethan looked up, his face showing clear annoyance. He didn’t seem to care at all—not even a hint of concern.

“Seriously?” Ethan shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. “You’re disrupting everyone with this ridiculous stunt. The whole school is out here now. Just jump down and get it over with if that’s what you want instead of wasting everyone's time. I have practice in twenty minutes and can’t deal with this nonsense.”

His friends laughed, one of them giving him a friendly pat on the back. “Yeah, Blake's right. We have drills.”

Ivy chimed in next, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Go on, trash girl. Finish what you started. No one is falling for your act.”

I shook my head in disbelief, my heart shattering completely. My life didn’t even matter enough to Ethan for him to skip hockey practice.

 The crowd murmured, some kids looking uneasy now, but no one challenged him. Teachers tried again.

“Mr. Blake, that’s enough!” Ms. Ramirez snapped. “This is serious business. Everyone step back.”

But Ethan just shrugged it off, scoffing loud enough for me to hear. “What? She's the one up there seeking attention. If she’s going to do it, just do it already.”

I leaned forward slightly; the edge dug into my shoes as the wind roared in my ears and tears streamed down my face.

"Come on, Casey," another teacher pleaded. "Think about your future. Scholarships, college. Don't throw it away over some campus drama."

"Drama?" I yelled down, voice breaking. "It's not drama. It's every single day. My life is hell."

 My legs trembled harder. I wanted to step back. I wanted to run home and hide. But the fear kept me frozen, and the pain pushed me forward.

Ethan rolled his eyes, checking his phone with boredom. "Whatever. If you're done monologuing, make a choice. You're holding up practice for the team."

His words struck like another slap. I'd been in love with a guy who saw someone about to end their life as a waste of time.

"I wish you could walk in my shoes for just one day, feeling as much pain as I did." Swallowing hard, “I just wanted someone to care,” I yelled. “Just once.”

Suddenly, something shoved me hard from behind.

I lost my balance instantly, toppling forward with my arms flailing.

A scream erupted from my throat as I fell through the air. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"I don't want to die," I cried out, tears blurring my vision as I plummeted.

I fell directly onto someone, my body hitting them with a heavy thud that knocked them down to the floor. My forehead struck theirs hard, pain flaring sharply between my eyes.

Through the intense pain, I attempted to open my eyes and see who I had landed on.

A strong wind whipped up dust as I tried to. It was Ethan. After that, I lost consciousness.