Class had ended and Lauren was already feeling the stress of being there on the first day of school. Lauren, then rushed out her homeroom to her first period. The halls were crowded, students were rushing in and out to their next class. " Ouch!" a voice let out as Lauren bumped into a student. " Hey geez what's the big hurry? You do know we have another five minutes left?" said a tall boy with a hoodie. " Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Lauren cried out. " It's nothing, don't worry about it, my name is Anthony." he said. " My name is Lauren, where is the gym?" she asked. " It's over there, down the hall." he answered.

" Thanks." Lauren said with a smile on her face. The day went by just like any other day for a new student. Lauren went and met new people, she really didn't feel like the girl that fit in with the school. Finally lunchtime arrived, basically everyone's favorite period. A place to go and relax with friends, enjoy peace and quiet for a while. Lauren brought her lunch her mom made. Her mom made the best deep fried hot wings with homemade deep dish pizza. Trying to find a place to sit is really difficult knowing you are a loner. After finding a place under the tree, she sat down and enjoyed her lunch. " Mind if I sit here too or is this a reserved seat?" Anthony said walking up.

Lauren let out a small laugh. " Sure, but you'll have to pay a fee." The two enjoyed a lunch together and decided to enjoy the classes they have for the rest of the day. As, the final bell rung, the two walked to the buses and said goodbye to each other for today. The ride home was something that Lauren never experienced before. The bus was loud, and people were all over the place being annoying. On the way home, a few girls found it funny to take soda and gum and splash it all on Lauren, leaving her sticky, messy and upset. " That's for bumping into me you loser." Miranda said.

Tears began to fall from her face as her stop arrived. Lauren ran to her home, where she rushed up the stairs without saying a word to her mother. " Lauren? Lauren?" her mother cried as her daughter slammed and locked the door behind her. " Lauren, what's wrong honey?" her mother kept asking as she tried opening the door. Hours passed and Lauren still hadn't opened the door. Her father walked into the door after work and sat in the recliner watching his television. " Lauren, you home?" her father asked. She came down the stairs with tears running down her face still. " JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Lauren screamed at her father, She stormed back upstairs and cried herself to sleep.

It was around 1 a.m. in the morning. Lauren was sound alseep until she heard loud crashes and noises downstairs in the kitchen. " I'M DONE JEFFERY!" Lauren's mom yelled. " 22 YEARS TOGETHER AND YOU WANT TO CHEAT ON ME WITH T--THIS I DONT EVEN WANT TO SEE YOU RIGHT NOW!" the mother screamed so loud, Lauren slowly creeped down the stairs and peeped into the kitchen. " Oh yeah, when was the last time we even slept in the same bed together?! The last time we even kissed or hugged?! Jeffery snapped back.

" I'm trying to make enough money for us to have a living!" Lauren's mother screamed. She added as she left the home " So don't go there with me, you know what I'm leaving! Goodbye!" " The father seen Lauren staring. He turned and sighed " Lauren, go back to sleep, you don't need to see this." the father said. The next couple of weeks got worse for school. Lauren only had one friend, but remained to het bullied by the other kids in her class. It was a Tuesday, It was two days before a field trip. Lauren was about to leave her 3rd period when her teacher stopped her. " Lauren, stayed for a minute please." Mrs. Lancaster said.

" I...I have to go Mrs. Lancaster" Lauren said with a nervous face. Her teacher grabbed her arm and pulled her to a seat. " Lauren, please listen, I've seen everything that has been going on and I'm concerned. If you need me, talk to me." Mrs. Lancaster said in a soft voice. Thirty minutes had passed as Mrs. Lancaster and Lauren had a long discussion about the bullying. After an hour, Lauren leaves Mrs. Lancaster's room. " I hope this helped things a bit." Mrs. Lancaster said with a smile as she rubbed Lauren's back. Months and months passed, and Lauren's health began to decline as the school year moved on. It was a rainy Monday, and everyone hates Monday's anyway.

Lauren walked to school, when she began to see visions of horrific sites. " Le...leave me alone." Lauren began saying in a panic voice. Lauren let out a scream when she got closer to school. She seen horrific demonic smiles on the student's faces. Same with the teachers, the skies were dark red and lightning flashes ran through the clouds. " I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Lauren kept screaming holding her hands against her ears. The demonic voices kept laughing at her. " Lauren! Lauren! Hey, wake up!" a male voice shouted. " H--huh?" she said in confusion. " It was Anthony standing in front of her looking at her with a worried face, as if he had seen a ghost or something.

" Hey, what's going on ? I seen you walking to school and you were screaming" he asked. " Anthony, you didn't see that?!" she said. " Seen what? you're creeping me out Lauren" Anthony said. " I didn't see anything, nobody's here except us. " Yes there was Anthony! I'm NOT crazy!" she was ensuring herself and Anthony. The school bell rang, and Anthony walked Lauren to the nurse just to see if she was okay. " Well Anthony, I don't see anything wrong with her." the nurse said as she examined Lauren.

" That's what I said, I didn't see anyone or anything." He said to the nurse with a confused looked on his face. The day went by, everyone was looking at Lauren like a freak show attraction in a circus. It was time for gym, which Lauren had switched for her last period. Today, they had to play 1 on 1 basketball. Lauren got picked to play against....of course Miranda. " JUST great, you out of all people." Miranda said. Everyone else was to be seated, the way the game works is the score is to 20 and if both players get the same score by the end of the game, they'll go into overtime. The 1 on 1 game proceeded, Lauren and Miranda were tied up. Lauren had the ball and was making her way down the court when Miranda tripped Lauren.

" Oof! Hey what was that for!?" Lauren screamed in anger as she felt disrespected that Miranda was playing dirty. " Learn to tie shoes right loser" Miranda said with a smirk. Lauren ran out the gym, grabbed her bag and ran back home. Later that day, Lauren was at home, when she recieved a text from a number she didn't know.

To: Lauren

From: 992-999-0099

-- 6:28 p.m. Feburary 19th 2010--

Hey Lauren, why did you leave like that? I was super worried. Please text me back ASAP.

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To: 922-999-0099

From Lauren

-- 6:30 p.m Feburary 19th 2010--

Who is this? And because I can't take this anymore!! It's too much! You don't understand how depressed I am.

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The conversation went on for hours. Anthony finally decided he had to tell Lauren how he really feels about her. While being scared, he couldn't hold it in anymore.

To Lauren

From: Anthony

Lauren listen, I am so grateful for everything that you've done for me so far. I just can't hold it in anymore. Seeing you like this reminds me of how I used to be when I started in public school again. I have to tell you something, I have deep feelings for you and I want to be with you through all this. I want to share memories with you and be with you for you. I love you Lauren. I really do !

Lauren didn't respond for minutes. Still in shock, she said she wanted to be with him too. The two had the weirdest but most wonderful relationship. But one day, Lauren didn't show up for school and Anthony was worried. No call, no text or anything at all. Everyone began to worry about where Lauren went and began to become concerned about her whereabouts.

Days and days went by and nobody had heard from Lauren still. A police detective came by and asked Anthony had he noticed anything wrong. " So did Lauren start acting weird at all recently?" the detective asked. " Yeah, she started talking to someone that wasn't even there, she's also been really depressed alot." Anthony replied. The detective asked if anything had happened between him and Lauren. " She always cries and runs away when things get bad for her, she also starts drinking and smoking a lot more." Anthony said to the officer. Anthony went by Lauren's house where her parents sat in the living room crying. " What did we do to deserve this!?" her mother crying out. " Um, are you Lauren's parents?" Anthony asked. The parents nodded and asked who Anthony was. " I'm Lauren's boyfriend, well I thought I was before she left me hanging not a single call or text."

They discussed about what could've happened, but Anthony started having feelings that something told him to check upstairs. " Mind if I use the bathroom?" Anthony asked. He got permission and walked up the stairs to be bathroom when he found a note that had Lauren's parent's name on it under their room door. The parents were gone at the father's parents place to get away for a while but how did it get here? Anthony thought.. " Did Lauren come to the house?" he asked himself. Anthony then began to shed tears and covered his mouth, as he began to read the letter left by Lauren which read:

" To everyone, I am sorry but I can't do this anymore.

I wish things could be better but clearly nobody can help me. I can't even help myself. I've been a burden on life and God won't forgive me but at this point I dont care. I just want this suffering to end once and for all. I dont want to put all this stress on you guys. I love you Mom and Dad.

Anthony, I love you so much ! But it's time for me to be free and I know this isn't the way but I have to do this. By the time you find this, It will be too late. So don't even bother looking for me...there would be no point anymore of trying to find me. Goodbye, Lauren <3

Anthony ran down the stairs and gave Lauren's parent's the letter. The mom flipped the paper over and it was a family picture of her and her parents at a park she loved going to. Anthony put two and two together. " She could be at the park maybe?" Anthony asked. The parents and Anthony decided to drive around and look at the park for last. After hours and hours of driving around looking around it was about 7:30 p.m the sun was setting. The trio reached the park and rushed out the car to look for Lauren. After five minutes...the most heartbreaking thing that hurt the most for a parent to ever see... Lauren was hanging from a tree, with a rope she made into a noose around her neck. She had a final note she held in her hand.

The paper read : I'm finally free. Thank you for everything. Goodbye suffering, Love Lauren.

Tears fell as Anthony was hurt, Lauren's parents were hurt the most. They felt like the worst parents ever. The news broke about Lauren's death all over the news even back at her old home where her old friends even heard about it, and the news spread throughout the school. A memorial lighting was held for her and bears along with flowers were left. Sadly, Miranda didn't feel anything at all unlike her friends who no longer wanted to be bullies, they felt so bad and had a change of heart. Miranda didnt cry or even show sympathy for her friends and family. They released balloons in the air and wished Lauren a peaceful sleep.

Lauren was laid to rest on April 10th, 2010. Anthony turned the news on and Lauren's story came up. " Lauren's story is powerful and the message here is that depression is real and suicide is also real, this bullying needs to stop and whoever caused her to do this should be punished." said a news reporter. Anthony walked upstairs to his room where he had a picture of him and Lauren, " nobody could replace you Lauren, Rest In Peace." Anthony and Lauren's parents visit Lauren's grave everyday and talk to her as if she was still here. The talk to the girl that brought them great joy.

This story was hard for me to write. I cried wiritng this because I have lost someone to close to me to suicide. She was like a big sister to me. I felt so lost without her, she was the only one I could always go to when I needed her and I couldn't accept the fact she is gone and I still can't

Remember, there are people that are here to help you and there are other ways to handle your depression. I remember being in this stage, thinking that nobody was there for me. There are alot of people who walk around like nothing is bothering them, but deep inside it's a cry for help, but some people dont pay attention to it. I encourage everyone who is going through that, to please go get the help. Talk with a counselor, a friend, teacher, a parent.

Find hobbies, go hang out with friends, paint, listen to music, go for a walk, or even get a pet. Believe it or not, I may not be all cheery and happy on the outisde, but you'll never know what someone is going through. Bullying, cyber bullying is nothing to play with and isn't important to some people but believe me. If somebody killed themselves because of you're bullying, I have no respect for you. I hope you enjoyed this story and I hope it left a place in your heart