Here's a one shot I wrote a while back and just found and edited. It has been a nice break from the novel I'm writing for National Novel Writing Month. I'd really love to hear what you think about it :)

Emily couldn't remember never feeling like this. Never feeling un-important, worthless, like a failure. She also couldn't remember the last time she sat down and had a meal with her mother. Emily knew she could never compare to all of the problems in the world that her mother dealt with. She had learned to accept it.

But that didn't mean it hurt any less.

And it didn't mean she felt any less worthless.

And she knew that no one gave a damn. No one would care if she just disappeared. If she vanished off the face of the earth.

She would just be a check in the absent blank at school.

And one less car in the fast food line, because The Ambassador forgot they had dinner plans.

Nobody would care if she wasn't there anymore, and neither would she.

And that's why she found herself walking into her parents' bedroom. The bed was made, because no one had slept in it for weeks. She walked over to her father's closet and opened the door. Back in the corner was the small black box that she had been going to for years. She picked it up and the weight comforted her.

She walked back to her bedroom and turned on her favorite CD. After sitting on her bed, she opened the box. The contents took her breath away. She weighed it in her hand and felt relief surround her.

She held the small black gun to her temple. Tears swam in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would not die with that indignity shown so plainly on her face. Her finger played with the trigger, but gave her a moment before coming to the inevitably end.

The end she had prayed for- for years.

Suddenly Emily heard a knock on the front door.

She ignored it and put her finger back onto the trigger. She was ready to end it, to end everything.

But the knock came again, soon followed by shouting.

Emily closed her eyes and pursed her lips. She concentrated on the metal. The cold metal against her head. The one that was going to save her.

Another shout came, followed by a thud as the front door was knocked down.

"Emily!" A boy shouted and ran upstairs.

Despite her attempts a tear escaped from Emily's closed eyes and meandered down her face.

Emily's bedroom doorknob turned, and when it was found locked, the boy on the other side slammed it open.

"Holy shit Em, what are you doing?" Derek Morgan stopped dead in his tracks.

"Derek what are you doing here?" Emily whispered hoarsely.

"I could tell something was wrong." He slowly approached her, "Come on Emily, put the gun down."

Emily shook her head as tears fell down her young pale face. "Don't try to stop me. I've already waited too long to do this."

"No, Emily, you can't do this. Please just put the gun down, let me help you." Derek pleaded.

"I can't do this anymore Derek." Emily's voice cracked, "I can't keep living like this. I don't want to keep living like this." She down casted her eyes.

"Then let me help you. I can help you change things, but please don't do this. There's a whole world out there for you Emily. You can't ruin that. You need to put the gun down." Derek continued moving towards her, and was now coming at her from the side.

"Don't tell me what I need to do," Emily growled. "You're not the one that comes home to an empty house every night or is constantly told that everything is more important than you. You're not the one that prays every night that maybe your dad will call tomorrow, when you know deep down that he won't. So don't you tell me what to do."

Emily gasped as tears choked her throat. Her vision was blurred, but she was better off that way. She didn't want to see Derek's face when she died.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do Emily," Derek whispered, "But I need you to know something. Every day I see you my day is brightened. Your parents may never be here, and that's a damn shame, because you are the most amazing person I have ever met. You are the funniest and most stubborn girl I know, and probably the only other high school student in the world who likes to read Kurt Vonnegut. If you're not here, who is going to understand my Slaughterhouse Five references? I need you Emily. This world may be shit, but I need you. And I can't let you take yourself away."

By now Derek had moved to Emily's side. He stared at her small form and the device in her hand that could take it all away. He took one step closer to her and in a swift motion took the gun from her hand. She put up no fight, but just crumpled into her bed.

Morgan quickly unloaded the gun and threw it on the other side of the room. He got onto Emily's bed and pulled the broken girl into his arms.

Tears streamed down Emily's face and she gave no attempt to stop them.

"Shhh, it's going to be okay," Derek whispered into Emily's ear.

Emily wrapped her arms around Derek's neck and hid her face in his chest. And at the same time she placed her heart in him.

She placed her heart into the one that was going to save her.

If you have time I'd love it if you'd leave a review and tell me what you think, and thanks for taking the time to read this!