Nikolai ran his pale fingers thorough his silver hair as he drove home from his girlfriend, Gwendolyn's, house. As he drove slowly through her quit neighbor hood, he thought of her. She had been oddly for the past few days; wearing only long sleeves even though the wheater had been growing warmer, keeping to herself more than usual, overall she was not her usual cheer full, outgoing self at all.

Nikolai cared about his girlfriend more than anything else in the world. One thing that was particularly bothering to him was the way she had said goodbye to him not ten minutes before. He replayed the moment in his head. He'd given her a goodbye kiss at the door as usual and was trailing his fingers through her chesnut hair, admiring the pure white streak that always framed the right side of her face; always returning no matter how any times she attempted to dye it out.

She'd given him and odd look and he thought he'd seen a flash of sadness in her eyes. Before he could ask her about it she had said, "Nikolai, thank you for being such a wonderful boyfriend. You have been my happiness ever since you asked me out. Thank you so much for giving me happiness."

She'd kissed him again and has shoo'd him away before he could ask her what she was talking about. He still couldn't shake the bad feeling he had is his gut.

As Nikolai maneuvered his car onto the highway about half a mile from their school a large billboard caught his eye. He pulled his car over to the side of the road and studied it. In the center was a bleeding hand, a tombstone on the left side below some words. On the other side was more words below two boys in suits with sollom looks on their faces and whose hearts were bleeding.

Nikolai whispered the words to himself as he read them, "is someone makes themselves bleed…they do not bleed alone."

Suddenly something clicked into place and it all made sense, the long sleeves all the time, the withdrawn attitude, spending all that time alone, the odd goodbye. It was her last goodbye, she was planning on killing herself.

Nikolai realized this in horror and immediately turned around and rushed back to Gwendolyn's house as fast as the speed limit would let him. It would do no one any good if he got into an accident while trying to save her. He got to her house quickly and knocked loudly on the door, calling out, "Gwendolyn! It's me Nikolai! I need to talk to you! Please open up!"

When he received no answer he groped around in the potted plant on the porch until he found the spare key and let himself in.

He wove quickly through the multiple rooms of the house, trying to find some sign of his girlfriend. He soon arrived outside the bathroom door. Seeing a light on under the door he tried to enter, only to find the door locked. Reaching up to the top of the doorway, he discovered the key to be missing and realized that Gwendolyn must have taken the key with her when she locked herself in to try and prevent anyone from finding her. Backing up slightly, he kicked the door with all of his strength. There was a loud crack and the door slammed open, revealing a sight that shook Nikolai to his very core.

Gwendolyn lay limply in the bathtub. Her skin was horrible pale, the walls were painted with the blood that still flowed from her wrists, and stained both the water that surrounded her as well as the pure white streak in her hair that Nikolai loved so much. It was, to him a sign of her pure heast that made her the kind and loving person that Nikolai had fallen in love with. It was not stained deep crimson with her blood.

Nikolai instantly sprung into action and pulled her body out of the water and lay her body gently on the floor. He cradled her head in his lap as he called an ambulance and tried to staunch the bleeding from her arms. After the ambulance was on its way, Nikolai hung up the phone and cradled his love's head and whispered, "Why Lia? Why would you do something like this to yourself? Don't you know that I can't like without you? Don't you know I love you?

Several hours later, Nikolai sat in the local hospital's waiting room with Gwendolyn's older brother, William Kirkland. William had gotten home to an ambulance taking his baby sister away, while her normally strong and stoic boyfriend looking more scared and shaken than the Scotsman had ever seen the Belarusian teen. Nikolai had explained the situation to William on the way to the hospital and they were now waiting for news on the girl's condition.

After what seemed like forever, a doctor came into the waiting room and asked, "Is there a Mr. Kirkland and a Mr. Braginski here?"

Both men stood and approached the tired looking doctor and waited with baited breath to hear if the girl they both cared for more than anything else had pulled through or not.

The doctor gave them a weary smile and said, "You are extremely lucky. Had Mr. Braginski found her even a few minutes later than he did it would have been too late. She will be fine. You may both see her now, but I warn you; it's not pretty."

They were lead to her room by the doctor who told them to call is anything happened. The teens shared a look of slight fear as they mentally braced themselves for what was beyond the door.

Upon entering the room, their eyes feel upon the girl on the bed. Her face pale as she lay with her hair splayed across her pillow like a chesnut halo. The streak in her hair once again its natural pure white color. They stood on either side of her bed and each took one of her small, lithe hands in theirs, taking cared to avoid all of the tubes and wires that she was hooked up to.

Her eyelids fluttered open and lavender orbs fell upon the faces of their owner's oldest brother and her love. Upon seeing the worry, sadness, and heartbreak in their eyes and knowing that she was the cause of it, her own eyes filled with tears. She began to cry and apologize as she realized how much heartbreak and pain she would have caused the two boys that she loved more than anything have Nikolai not found her when he did, and her plan had been successful.

Nikolai gently wrapped her in his arms and stroked her hair softly, s her brother rubbed her back in a calming manner. Nikolai kissed the top of Gwendolyn's head and said a silent prayer of thanks to whatever higher spirit that had watched over them that night. It had shown him the billboard that had lead him to his realization, causing him to turn back. Had he not seen it; then Gwendolyn, the girl who was his life, his love, his everything, would be dead.

Unfortunately, not all suicide attempts end in a happy ending such as this one did. More often than not they end in a graveyard. Suicide is one of the top 3 leading causes of death among teenagers in America. Not all people realize what is going on like Nikolai sis until it is too late. This is tragic, but true. We must take a closer look at those around us and learn to recognize the signs if anything will ever change. Thank you.

A/N: This is a piece I did for my health class. I actually drew the poster. I wrote this story and have decided ot upload it here in the hopes of raising some awareness for teen suicide by showing it to other teens. Hopefully we can take a look around and notice our friends around us who are hurting and who need support. Maybe if we pay a little more attention and learnt o notice the signs better then we will be able to help get our friends and loved ones the support and help they need and maybe even save a life.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and if you ever need someone to talk to who will not judge you and will just listen and help then I am always here. If anyone at all needs someone to just talk to about their problems then I am here to help. I will never judge someone no matter what and I will be here with open arms, an open mind, and an open heart. I will listen to anyone's problems and will do my absolute best to help anyone who asks for it.

And of course as always your reviews and feedback afre always appreciated.