For a brief moment, I soared through the air, the snowflakes whirling around me. It was really quite beautiful. For a brief moment, I was suspended, flying. I laughed at all the problems that had brought me to this point, jumping off my own roof in a desperate attempt to escape. They didn't matter anymore. But, suddenly, the feeling disappeared as the ground came rushing toward me. I tried clawing the air, like they always do on Loony Tunes, and somehow make it back to where they fell from, but it failed to be as effective as it is in the cartoons. The last thing I heard as I hit the ground was a sickening crack. Then everything went dark.

I woke up to white ceiling. Something beeped quietly in the background, and the white ceiling filled my view. This must be heaven, I thought, wondering how I had made it to heaven. I slowly turned my head, and saw Miranda dozing in a chair next to the hospital bed. Hospital bed? I had survived, then. She woke suddenly with a start and stared at me until she realized I was awake. Then she jumped up, shouted with joy, and threw her arms around me.

"Gordo, you idiot, I thought you weren't going to make it! The doctors said. . . " She pulled away from me, glaring, and looked as if she were going to hit me. " You complete idiot! How could you do that? I mean, if I hadn't decided to come over to talk to you, you would have DIED!! WHY would you jump off the roof?" I stared at her until the words registered in my brain. My body felt like it was in slow motion. Painful slow motion.

" I--I dunno. Seemed like a g--good idea at the time..." I tried to smile. At her look, though, I quickly changed the subject. " So. . . what's the d--damage report?" She sighed.

" You broke a few ribs, your leg, your wrist, pretty bad concussion. You're lucky to be alive, you know." I closed my eyes. My head throbbed.

" I suppose." I felt her standing next to my bed for what seemed like the longest time, and finally heard her footsteps retreating and my hospital room door closing behind her.

I think I fell asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, Lizzie was standing over me, her face a mask.

My head really hurt, but I tried to sit up anyway. Lizzie looked at me, surprised.

" How do you feel?" I shook my head to clear it.

" N--not great. Why'd you come?" She frowned, as if it should have been obvious.

" Gordo, I. . . it was my fault you jumped, wasn't it?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry!" I pulled myself into a sitting position, and touched her gently on the arm.

" It's n--not your fault. I--I'm not sure what happened." She sat on the bed next to me, wiping her face.

" Really?" I nodded, and she smiled with relief. Then, before I realized what she was doing, she was kissing me, and I was kissing her back. Then I heard someone in the doorway and pulled away from Lizzie. Miranda stood watching us, holding a Styrofoam container full of soup. She stared at us for a moment, then dropped the soup, turned an ran away. Lizzie smirked, and I realized what was happening, what she was doing, that Miranda had been right all along. I pushed her away from me.

" How--how could you d--do this?"