Another Day (Every Day 2)

Rhiannon,

Today is a hard day for me, too. The girl whose body I’m in is in a bad place. Hates the world. Hates herself. Is up against a lot, mostly from the inside. That’s really hard.

When it comes to you and Justin, or anything, I want you to be honest with me. Even if it hurts. Although I would prefer for it not to hurt.

Love,

A

I try to return to normal. I try not to imagine where A is, what that body looks like. Justin has work, so I’m on my own after school. I check my email again and find a cry for help.

I really need to speak to you right now. The girl whose body I’m in wants to kill herself. This is not a joke.

There’s a phone number. I call it right away.

I know it’s not a joke. I’m sure there are people who could joke about a thing like this, but I know A isn’t one of them.

I just know.

The voice that answers is a girl’s. “Hello?” She sounds a little like me.

“Is that you?” I ask.

“Yeah. It’s me.”

“I got your email. Wow.”

“Yeah, wow.”

“How do you know?”

“It’s all in her journal—all these ways to kill herself. It’s really…graphic. And methodical. I can’t even get into it—there are just so many ways to die, and it’s like she’s researched each and every one. And she’s set herself a deadline. In six days.”

I feel the dredging inside me. I feel the girl I once was reaching out to connect with that. I try to focus on the present.

“That poor girl,” I tell A. “What are you going to do?”

“I have no idea.”

She sounds so lost. So overwhelmed.

“Don’t you have to tell someone?” I suggest.

“There was no training for this, Rhiannon. I really don’t know.”

I’ve been there, I want to tell her. But it’s too scary.

“Where are you?” I ask.

A tells me where she is, and it’s not that far. I tell her I can be there in a little while.

“Are you alone?” I ask.

“Yeah. Her father doesn’t get home until around seven.”

“Give me the address,” I say. After she does, I say, “I’ll be right there.”

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