"There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you'd better learn the sound of it. Otherwise you'll never understand what it's saying."

― Sarah Dessen

   Dear Zoey,

   Please don't do it.

   I see how miserable you are, and I'm completely aware of the fact that you may be on your last run in this shit hole called high school. I get it, you don't want to go through another day of basically being ignored and ostracized. But you're not alone if you must know. I'm aware of what you're going through.

   My parents divorced when I was younger, my brother and I don't have the best relationship, and I'm slowly losing my girlfriend to my best friend. Also, I'm not even sure if all the wrong things I've been doing are worth it anymore. I play football, but I find myself falling out of love with the sport. I feel like I should be doing something else, you know?

   But I'm a believer in true happiness, and that you should live your life to the fullest.

   You're a beautiful girl Zoey, you truly are. Not only do you deserve a better high school life but you deserve a better boyfriend too. And in some way, I wish I was your boyfriend but I'm not exactly sure if you'd accept me because we're on two completely different sides of the social class, or status (whatever you call it!), and it'd seem too taboo for some people to ever see us walking hand-to-hand down the school hallway together. But you're a really great person Zoey, and I'm sad no one seems to notice that. I want to reach out to you. I really do, But...

   I'm a coward because I'm afraid of what other people would think if we were seen together. They'd think you were someone you weren't; they'd already decide who you are. And I don't want that. I wish you and me could just live in our own world.

   Just hold on Zoey. You'll get through this.

  —I. S.

:: :: ::

   She had done it around 8:00pm, and I'd blacked out.

   What had Lawson done? My influence hadn't been as helpful as I thought. Maybe I should just kiss Zoey, to make him realize what he was missing. She already was aware he was fucking around on her.

   Currently I was parked in a vacant parking lot, at 8 o'clock in the morning, near this hair product store my mom usually went to—whenever she was getting ready for a date. I didn't know why I parked here, I saw that it was empty and I didn't feel the need to go to school just yet. Besides, right now I was re-reading the letter I'd written for Zoey before I'd gone downstairs for breakfast.

   Instead of picking up my brother yesterday like I was told to do, I'd been sent home early that day for beating up my ex-friend's ass. Yeah, I admit it, he'd managed to get in a few punches, but not before I landed a major blow to his throat. They say I could've injured something in his vocal chords—not that Peyton was a singer, but he would've been temporarily mute. Whoop! Good for me, because that meant I wouldn't have to hear his voice for a long time.

   But I wasn't even able to experience that sort of pleasure.

   Because today was the same day. The same freaking day, and I was beginning to lose hope. Was there more to Zoey's life than what she showed on the surface? Something more depressing, more lonely, than what she showed at school? It wasn't just school or her boyfriend. She had a tough exterior, one that was harder to crack than I'd imagined. She must've had a feeling in her chest, like the one she was experiencing now (except her pain probably soared above mine).

   Why was Zoey sad?

   This letter I'd written for Zoey would have to be one of the best compositions I ever wrote in my lifetime. I hope the letter would make her reconsider. She was beautiful, Zoey was beautiful. Why did Lawson wanna cheat on her? She didn't seem like a bad person. I know she wasn't a bad person. From the conversation we'd had in her car that one time, she was pretty cool. Listening to her own music, not caring whoever heard her.

   I sighed in frustration. The Lawrie Odin guy wasn't helping me at all, you didn't know how much times I've called for this dude's help. He hadn't appeared since that one time, and now that I needed him to help me, the guy wasn't showing up.

   Looking at the initials I signed the letter off with—I.S.—I wondered if she'd know whose initials these were. Would she think it was me? Would she? I couldn't think of anyone else she talked to, or hanged with, that had the same initials as me. I couldn't think of anyone. Not even a single person (that I knew) at Warner had the same initials as me.

   I didn't care if she figured that this letter was from me. I think she'd find it more appreciative knowing it was from me—the guy who noticed her pain, though he really didn't talk to her. But knowing someone was there, was enough, right?

   I made up mind, and decided right then and there, that I was going to have to send the letter discreetly as possible. I didn't wanna hand this letter to her personally, do you know how weird and awkward that would be? Handing someone a letter that was basically telling them not to off themselves. I tried thinking of other ways on how to give this letter to her. 

   I could find someone, couldn't I? They wouldn't tell her it was from me. Maybe I could ask someone who was good at laying low and didn't ask unnecessary questions, and who I know wouldn't go blabbing to everyone saying, "Isaac Stints sent Zoey Graves a letter, saying he'll fuck her. He's being a gentleman guys, because he took his time doing this. Writing a letter and asking someone to give it to her."

   I'd make Zoey's life unbearable, if that managed to happen. The cause of the blackout this time, would be my fault.

   If I was gonna risk the chance of asking anyone to give this letter to her, or someone who could somehow manage to slip it somewhere in her bag or locker without being noticed--Who would it be?

:: :: ::

   "So... You can do it?"

   Fraye Peters nodded simply, and before he took the letter from my hand, he took a puff of his cigarette.

   Fraye Peters was known for being able to lie low ever since middle school. He was great at not being there. Teachers would say his name on the attendance roster and he'd manage an audible "here" but that didn't really mean they could see where he'd said it from. He took seats that no else would take, he noticed things no one else really noticed, and he was pretty laid back—which added to his skill.

   "Uh just know her locker is near the water fountain in the nor—"

   He waved me off. Taking another puff of his cigarette he said, "Zoey Graves... Hottie with the long brown hair and she drives a green minivan?"

   Slightly shocked, I nodded.

   "Yeah, I know where her locker is."

   And I thought Zoey's hot-ness had went unnoticed. 

   I smiled. 

   If she knew Fraye Peters knew who she was, then that meant people really did see her. What I liked about Fraye, is he didn't ask questions. He didn't ask what the letter said, why I was giving it to her, he only required me to give him money to buy himself a pack of cigarettes. Thankfully, I had enough money on me.

:: :: ::

   "Stints!" someone shouted from across the hallway. I was at my locker then, and turning around. I saw that it was Peyton. Honestly I'd been avoiding him all day. It was weird on how He and I had gotten in a fight before the time loop did its thing, and I was the only one who could remember my fist connecting with his jaw.

   He was all smiles, approaching me as I looked his way. Suddenly, I felt someone grab the back of my shirt.

   It was Lawson. I felt my eyebrows furrow at the sight of him. When I got away from his hold, the only thing I bothered to think at this moment was, "What the Hell? I didn't give a second thought that perhaps he'd hated me, before I got platonically involved with his girlfriend.

   "If you wanna fuck my girlfriend Stints, ask her in person." I didn't see what he was getting at until he grabbed a timid Zoey by the arm and pulled her in front of him.

   "Lawson, the note didn't mean anything," she said quietly. The reason why I was able to hear her was, apparently everyone was watching the three of us quietly, trying to take note of the situation.

   I felt my blood boil. This asshole. This was my time to kick his ass.

   Lawson chuckled at his girlfriend's words. "No honey," he said, sarcasm lacing his voice. "I know how inexperienced you are... So I'll explain it to you, the reason why this jackass wrote you this note. Because, let's face it Stints," he was looking straight at me and going in front of Zoey. He looked me in the eyes; we were now face to face. "When a guy writes a girl a letter, that means he only wants to fuck her. Right?"

   That was it.

   I tackled Lawson to the ground, I felt the speed of my beating heart quicken, and the clear foreign feeling in my legs. A good sign that the adrenaline was possessing my body. I kept spewing punches at the guy's face. I was angry. I kept thinking, you asshole, you're the reason why Zoey decides to end her life. You're the fucking straw that breaks the camel's back.

   Lawson wasn't even able to fight back. I kept punching him and punching him. "Stints!" I think it was Peyton, who said my name, and it was as if he were trying to drag me off of Lawson, but I wouldn't let the bastard go this easy.

   "Stints!"

   Lawson was losing.

   I was then abruptly pulled off of the jerk. I was pulled back by Peyton and Simon, I pushed them off of me, and I was about to go at Lawson again until I realized what I'd done to his face.

   I could see the principal and a few teachers coming down the hall, from my peripheral as I glanced back at the crowd. I needed to leave, I couldn't get suspended (not that it mattered)... But I didn't see Zoey anywhere, not even in the crowd. I needed to go to her.

   "Mr Stints!" I heard Mr Benjamin call, right before I made a mad dash towards the school's back doors.

   "Mr Stints!"

:: :: ::

   When I made it to my car, I quickly got in . Considering I didn't see Zoey's vehicle anywhere in the school parking lot, that meant she could've left when I'd been fighting her boyfriend. I figured she felt humiliated. I didn't blame her.

   Who called their girlfriend a virgin in front of the whole student-body? The prick had a long awaited beat down, and I'd given it to him.

   I wasn't angry at Fraye. He did his job. I guess when Zoey had been at her locker, Lawson must've been with her, and when the letter had fallen out of her locker, he must've picked it up, read it, and then quickly identified the initials. He shouldn't have cared who'd given his girlfriend the letter, maybe he should've read between the lines and saw that his girlfriend was in sure need of help. But the asshole, couldn't even figure that out (or he just didn't care).

   Starting my engine, I was about to back out when unconsciousness took over my body.

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Author's Note: Thank you @alpakotori for voting for all the chapters so far. I really appreciate it. XD