Apples Don't Just Mean School [in process of rewriting]

The Last Straw

As we go on, we remember/All the times we had together ~ Vitamin C, Graduation

Emily's POV

I was scribbling down a few notes at my office. I was settling down well, and I fitted into the hectic life of the news journalist perfectly. I was now trusted with the big cases, and I was surprised that most of my new colleagues liked me. My first article had gone fantastically, and I was running out in the van at any hour of the day, really. Did I mind? Of course not. I was definitely loving my new job... Almost as much as my old career.

"Jared, can I borrow a pen? Mine's out of ink," I yelled across the chaos to my colleague. "Sure, Em," he hollered back, winking and throwing a black ballpoint over. I rolled my eyes. What a flirt. But you sort of like the attention, right... I thought you'd wait a while before appearing again. I'm always here. I sighed before turning my attention back to my scribbles. I couldn't concentrate with the noise. It was remarkably difficult to focus in the news office.

I furrowed my eyebrows and pressed the pen so hard that the paper almost broke. One letter after another, I slowly slogged through the article. The disarray raged on in the background. The pen shook slightly as I carved the words into the page. Turmoil reined around me. I strained to not scream at the noise as I did when I taught 9R. The last straw was when an eraser hit my back. THAT did it! I slammed the table and got up, glaring at all of them.

Matthew's POV

I sighed as I riffled through the biology papers. 9R had done catastrophically this time round, and I was worried for their end-of-years. Argh, how could they have missed this? I groaned internally. Well, technically the markers didn't mark the papers very well. True. I'd better confront them or something... I squinted at a question: These macromolecules are usually hydrophobic and include fats, oils and sterols: a) carbohydrates b) proteins c) lipids d) nucleic acids. 

I rolled my eyes. How on EARTH did half of 9R get such an easy question wrong? I could pardon the horrifying biology essay but THIS? No. I flexed my fingers, wincing at the crack and tried to massage the stiffness out of my frozen fingers, before flipping to the next page, dreading the next question. At least only one eighth of the class died at this one... Ugh, so bored. Life is boring. Life's out to kill you... But you always say that Life is BEAUTIFUL! Well, it may be beautiful but not for ME. My friends are gone.

I drooped in my chair, posture aggressively poor, and exhaled deeply. Oh no, Matthew, don't you DARE succumb to cliché 'I'm going to commit suicide and be depressed' spirits! I have to admit, death seems nice now. Oh my God, you are beyond saving. I managed a weak smile to myself. I've been beyond that since... about three years back. I took a deep breath and inhaled in a sandwich. Food~

Emily's POV

"Could you all please just keep quiet for ONCE? It's so hard to focus in this madhouse! Some people are TRYING to work, but you know, it's a teensy bit hard to actually do so when a dozen odd people and screaming over each other!" I snapped in my '9R-you-are-so-dead' voice. Old habits die hard, I guess... "I'm surprised anything gets done at ALL," I continued, staring at everyone in the room, a challenge in my eyes. 

"We're supposed to be mature adults, and here you are. Behaving like three year olds fighting over a beloved toy. This is meaningless! Can we just work quietly and peacefully? I swear that we would do so much better. Okay?" I plonked back down and started typing furiously on the laptop, like nothing had happened. I ignored the hushed whispers and the pointed looks; the quiet scribbles and the tip-toeing around the room.

I waved off the five or so who came over to apologise with a simple, "Don't. It's not me. It's everyone else." Concentrating on my work, I feigned pensiveness and diverted all my attention to the article. It was about a recent body found in a canal. Intriguing, certainly, but not enough to prevent me from eavesdropping. I can't hear anything. Stop being a busybody. Anyway, you should send the document now. I complied and emailed the editor the article for reviewing. I miss SCH, especially Mattie for some reason. But I love it here too...

Matthew's POV

It sometimes feels like life doesn't have meaning anymore... Even the kids are rowdier and all of my friends are distant. It hurts a lot. Matthew, snap out of it! It burns. It's eating me up, day by day. I only find solace in work. I don't even have the drive to game all night anymore... It's just a phase, Matthew Harper! Don't be stupid and insensible! I AM stupid and insensible. I'm a crazy, childish, immature, horrible teacher. But your students love you... I don't love ME.

I picked up a rope. MATTHEW, NO. The harshness of my mind made me drop the cord onto the ground. "Tylenol. Where's the tylenol?" I muttered, rummaging through the cupboard weakly. No, you've been overworking yourself. Don't do it, Harper! Don't you DARE succumb to this stupidity. Pull yourself together! I grasped the small, glass bottle that would end my troubles at the back of the cabinet. Put. It. DOWN. I ignored it, slowly drawing my hand out.

I shook out the entire - yes, the ENTIRE - bottle into a shaky hand. A cup of water stood on the table conveniently, and I picked that up to. Listen, don't do this. You'll regret it. You'll lose your family. Your friends. Emily. Amelia. Arthur. Jeremy. The kids. Drop the pills. No... Life has been too cruel for me to give it anymore chances. I have found a safe haven in death. No worries, no heartbreak... When I leave, it would be better for everyone. And with that, I took a gulp of water and held a pill to my mouth.

A/N: I have honestly been considering killing off Mattie... Because that would be fun ^J^ Aww, don't kill me. I promise Emily will marry someone nice if he dies... Or she'll join him in the grave (nah, I'm not copying Romeo and Juliet, so nope she will live)! Ahahaha, thanks for reading, next chapter soon!