Mel: 3:40-3:50 PM

Why was Harmony acting so weird today? Did I say something during Chemistry? I frantically caressed my mind for these answers but to no avail. At least the trees were beautiful. The trees swayed in the wind as my mind swayed thinking about Harmony and why she acted so strangely.

Maybe tomorrow is the day… Maybe I could go over after finishing my Chemistry homework… then I could tell her... When I finally got home, I sat on the plush couch and convinced myself, that I was overthinking everything. I guess she could just be a little moody. I opened my backpack so that I could work on my Chemistry homework. Stoichiometry will be the death of me… As I grabbed my notebook a small, folded up paper fell out and started to open on the floor. I picked it up and it read: “If you love me, meet me at the Golden Gate bridge at 4 PM, today. I’m not waiting around and you won’t get a second chance.” Why does this handwriting seem so similar?

“OH MY GOSH! That’s Harmony! That’s why she was acting so weird!” I looked at the clock as I jolted out the door and my face dropped. It was 3:50 PM and the bridge was a 12-minute run.

Harmony: 3:50-3:57 PM

“Are you really going to do this?”

Yes.

Yes. All you’ve ever heard is comments about how you’re too fat, not smart enough, and there’s not one person on this earth who lo-...

I guess Mel might love me.

You can’t count on that! You’ll know if he gets there on time…

I looked at my pointless, existing self in the mirror and I heard a soft, comforting voice say, “You are not alone. I am here and I’ve-”

Thousands of voices filled my mind, at that moment saying, “You’re too fat for anyone to love you.”, “Why do you even try anymore?”, “Wow, that ‘F’ on your report tells a lot about where you’re going.”, and the loudest of all, “No one will ever love you!”

Tears trickled one by one down my cheeks and I knew it was time. Time to relieve myself of this pain I’d had ever since I was born. I wrote a note to my parents saying, “I love you and I hope I will see you again someday.”

Newfound tears streamed down my face. “Why were you never home?! All I wanted was for you to love me!” I screamed into their perfect wedding picture above the dark, brick fireplace. Once I calmed down, I took one last glance at my home, the one I had been raised in, the one…

“No, Harmony you need to go, it’s 3:57 PM.”

Mel: 3:57-3:59 PM

“Two more blocks! TWO MORE BLOCKS!”

Ok, you can do this!

How did you let this happen?

Why didn’t Harmony tell you any of this?

Ok, you need to focus so you can just get there!

What if you don’t get there in time?

Then will this be your fault?

NO!

Ok, just calm down and get there!

Maybe I should call 9-1-1?

Yes! Then if you don’t get there they will be able to help, assuming she doesn’t hit anything…

I dialed 9-1-1 as I ran to the bridge and explained everything and told them where Harmony was going to jump from. Right before I hung up, they said, “I hope you get there in time, sir.” Fear filled my entire being and a jolt of energy shot right through me.

“ONE MORE BLOCK! God, please help me get there on time! She needs you right now! Please save her from this, Lord!”

Just then I spotted her in the distance balancing on the railing on the bridge, I froze for a moment and then I raced as an Olympian fights for their gold medal. I fixed my eyes on her and screamed with all I had left.

Harmony: 4:00 PM 

I looked down at my bright, sky blue, watery grave and closed my eyes for a moment. “Is it time?”

No, not yet. I’ll give him 15 more seconds. I scanned the dark, black road, the cream sidewalk, the white, sandy looking for Mel. I looked over and over but I didn’t see him. A tear trickled down my cheek and I watched it fall into the ocean with it’s meaningless “splash” and it became just another drop of water. That’s how I felt, just like another drop of water, washed away by the unforgiving ocean.

I took one last glance at the earth then I heard the soft voice again in my mind and it said, “You don’t need to do this. I love you and I haven’t forgotten about you.”

It’s too late… My feet pushed off of the fire truck red, cool railing and it felt like slow motion.

Thank you, world but no one loves me, I need to go and I’ve suffered enough in this life. Goodbye.

A familiar voice flooded my mind and said, “I've always loved you, from the moment I created you and were conceived. I still love you at this moment.”

Tears filled my eyes and I immediately regretted my decision. I’m sorry, God. I should have listened to your voice, now I’m done and I won’t have a chance.

As I took my last breath, a tear walked down my cheek and I whispered,”I love you, Mel, I wish you loved me.”

Mel: 4:01-4:30 PM

As Harmony slipped off the edge of the railing, my heart felt as if it was being ripped out from my chest. “NO! HARMONY! NO! I LOVE YOU!”  I crumpled to the ground in a heap and tears were coming from every part of my body.

I failed her.

I didn’t get there in time.

“GOD, WHY DID THIS HAPPEN!” I hit the ground with all of my might and cried. Then I felt a strong hand on my shoulder and I stared up into the concerned, wrinkled face. “You didn’t get here in time.” I looked back at the railing and started to cry again.

The man turned me towards him, looked into my soul and kindly said, “If you don’t tell me where she jumped from, she won’t have a chance.”

I suddenly came back to my senses and rushed to the railing where my beloved had jumped, only moments ago. I looked down and saw the limp body of my love. If only I had said, that I loved her… “She jumped from here.”

“Ok, sir, thank you and we will let you know about your friend.”

“No.”

“No?”

“I’m coming with you and you are not going to tell me otherwise. She is my world and I can’t lose her.”

“Are you absolutely sure you want to come? If everything doesn’t-”

“I’m coming with you.” We raced down to the beach and jumped into the coast guard boat, threw our life jackets on, and raced out to my love. Her body floated on the top of the water and I had a feeling of hope. They fished her out of the water and I gazed at her, wishing she would have told me everything. They wouldn’t let me hold her in my arms, that’s what I wanted most in the world, but I knew they wanted to keep her safe. They told me she still had a pulse but she was not breathing. There was hope.

I held her hand the whole way to the hospital, in the ambulance and I prayed that she would come back. I kissed her hand over and over, hoping that true love’s kiss was real. Once we reached the hospital and before I could say “take me with you,” they whisked her away from me and all I could do was sit in the waiting room and wait for the doctors return.

Mel: 4:30-9:00

I called my parents and told them what happened and they called her parents, who were shocked. They both met me at the hospital and we prayed a rosary for her. All of us were tearing up and praying that she would come back. We finished with the sign of the cross and we looked up into the face of the doctor. I tensed and stood up looking at him with open eyes and soul, “Is she ok?”

“Yes. If you hadn’t called EMS, I wouldn’t be able to say the same thing.”

I looked up at the ceiling and whispered, “Thank you, God.”

“Sir, there’s one thing. She’s in a coma and she is showing no signs of coming out of it. I’m sorry.”

I stared at him stunned. I thought I had her back. Tears flooded my eyes and I mumbled, “Can I see her?”

“Yes. Follow me.”

Her parents started to follow me but my parents pulled them back and explained my love for their daughter. They relented and let me go by myself. I walked down the narrow hallway and it seemed like I was walking to my execution. We reached her room and they let me go in by myself and shut the door. My feet felt like lead and I took small steps to reach her bedside. I sat down in the chair next to the bed, not taking my eyes from her. I took her limp hand into mine and kissed it. I whispered, “I love you, Harmony. Please come back to me.”

Seconds turned into hours and her parents came into the room as they had to get back to work. I sat back in the corner but still did not take my eyes off of her. Once they were done, they looked at me and said, “Thank you. Without you, she wouldn’t be here. You are one of her closest friends and she talks about you all the time.”

“She does?”

“Yes. We aren’t home very much but when we are, she only talks of you.”

“Mr. Croft,” I asked slowly, “if Harmony comes out of her coma, would I be able to...?”

“Yes, son. You have my blessing”

I felt a sigh of relief, “Thank you, sir and I won’t leave her side until she wakes.”

“But you have school.”

“I know but she needs this and I need this.”

Mel: 5 Days Later

Hours turned into days. Five days after the accident, I was sitting by her bed, praying the rosary and the nurse came in the room in a hurry, but it was not one of the scheduled times. “Is everything alright?”

“Mel, she’s waking up.”

Joy filled my body and tears filled my eyes. It was time. Her eyelashes fluttered open and stared into my soul. The nurse left the room, after checking the equipment and making sure Harmony was ok. We were alone. “Harmony… I love you.”

“I know, Mel. I love you too.”

“How did you know?”

“God told me when I was in the coma. He showed me all the people who love me and showed me you, especially. I couldn’t believe that you truly loved me but then he showed you sitting by my side, praying. Thank you.”

“So… do you think we can… umm, go on a-?”

“Yes, of course, Mel. I would love that.”

She smiled up at me and I knew she no longer, felt alone.