Kevin Levin was unsure what was going on. one minute he was in the church ready to marry his fiance, Gwen Tennyson, and the next minute, they're standing outside with emergency crews, trying to talk her cousin off of a building a few blocks away. Ben started blankly down at the crowd below, but Kevin couldn't shake the feeling he was looking directly at him. he looked over at Gwen when they gave her a megaphone.
"Ben! you don't need to do this! please! come down and we can talk this out!" Gwen said. Ben shook his head.
"I'm tired of talking! you don't listen anyway!" Ben shouted back. he looked at the letters in his hands. one for his mom, one for his dad, one for Gwen, one for Grandpa Max, two for Kevin. he pulled a picture from his back pocket and smiled at it tearfully. he put it away and looked down at Gwen. "you two just go back to what you were already doing, I planned this for today so you wouldn't fucking be here to see it!" Ben shouted. Kevin took the megaphone.
"Tennyson, do you honestly expect us to just go get married while you're standing on the edge of a building threatening to jump!?" Kevin ask. Ben didn't try to stop the tears pouring down his face.
"yes!" Ben shouted back down. he flung around pulling a gun when two cops came up behind him, planning to grab him and keep him from jumping. "back off! I don't wanna take anyone with me! just myself!" Ben shouted at them.
"is that a gun?" Gwen ask tearfully, afraid of what her cousin might do. Kevin nodded quietly.
"Ben put the gun down and back away from the edge! we can work this out! just please come down!" Kevin called up. Ben dropped the gun, turning his back to the edge. he clutched the letters in one hand the picture in the other and let himself fall backwads off the edge.
"BEN!" Gwen screamed. Kevin grabbed her quickly, so she wouldn't see the splattered mess that was once her cousin. paramedics brought the letters over to them, but handed the picture spacifically to Kevin. Kevin looked the picture over, it was a picture of he and Ben back when they were kids. they were best friends, even if just for a day. Ben must have managed to get a picture of them, but why would he clutch this as he jumped? maybe he should open his letters and find out. he opened the first one, clearly marked open first.
Kevin,
I hope you keep the picture. I know by now someone will have given it to you.
don't worry, I'm sure the fall didn't hurt as much as everyone thinks it does. I
bet you're wondering why though and for you, and only you, I will explain. back
when we met, I didn't think anything of the feelings I felt for you, simply because,
I'd never had a best friend and assumed it was how you were supposed to feel, but,
I was wrong. I came to terms with my feelings for you about three years ago. I knew
you'd never love me, because you love Gwen, but I'd finally worked up the courage
to tell you... then you ask Gwen to marry you, like you knew I was going to tel you
and wanted to prove you could never be mine. on that very day, I swore to myself I'd
never get between you two, I mean hey, if you love something let it go right? though,
I suppose it should be someone in my case. if you haven't figured it out yet Kevin,
I love you. thats why I could never be your best man at the wedding. I'm sorry it
came out this way. goodbye Kevin,
Love always,
Ben.
Kevin suddenly felt horrible, if only Ben the truth. if only Ben knew Kevin was only marrying Gwen to try and get over his feeling for the boy. he stared at the letter for a moment then opened the second.
Kevin,
I realize that the first letter was unfair to you. you should know,
I only told you and no one else, because I didn't want else to
blame you for what I did, but I felt like you deserved to know
the truth. if I'm not the one that can make you happy, you
should at least know why I jumped... one last attempt to
make you happy. I hope it worked. please take care of
Gwen for me, she has a hard time, loosing a family member.
good luck with the marriage,Gwen can hard to handle
sometimes. I hope you both have a happy life together,
now without me there to bother either of you. I'm sorry
I couldn't agree to being your best man. I'm sorry I ruined
what was supposed to be the best day of yours and Gwens
lives, but hopefully you only found out after the wedding.
I'm sorry,
Ben.
Kevin blinked away the tears forming in his eye's and looked over at Gwen. she had collapsed to the ground in grief and paramedics were trying to make sure she was okay. she looked up at him.
"I-I can't marry you. not today." Gwen sniffled. Kevin nodded in agreement.
"I was about to say the same." Kevin replied. dispite what Ben had asked in his letter, Kevin went home, by himself. he and Gwen didn't share an apartment, Kevin liked his privacy, that and the fact he'd much rather have shared it with Ben. he did something he rarely did, grabbed an entire six pack from his fridge and sat on the couch to think. ten days later, when Gwen had heard nothing from him since Ben's suicide, she went over to his appartment. she knocked but recieved no answer, so she used her key to go in. there was a loud bang sound and thump followed it. Gwen raced upstairs to see if Kevin was okay, screaming when she found him laying on the floor, a gun shot through his head, blood pooling around him, the picture Ben left him clutched in his blood covered hand, a gun on the floor next to him,and a note on his bed. she ran to call the police after picking up the note.
To who ever finds this,
tell Gwen I'm sorry. I include one of the notes Ben left me,
and hope she understands, I never meant to hurt anyone.
I never thought Ben would go that far, just because he...
he was afraid and upset. afraid I would never have the
same feelings for him he had for me, upset that I was
going to marry Gwen. truth is, I love Ben, with all my
heart, but I was a coward about my feelings for him
so I went after Gwen instead. I know Ben told me not
to feel guilty in his letters, but I do. I feel guilty
because, if I'd just told him, I loved him he'd still be alive.
Ben's death was all my fault. he may have jumped,
but to me...I pushed him. that's what it feels like.
I pushed him over the edge and
he tried to catch himself, but in the end he couldn't...
Gwen, if you find this... I'm sorry. I really am.
Kevin.