Can't Live Without

• Wilson Hua, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2009

Jake stood reminiscing, cursing and regretting his decision. His downcast eyes sailed from one side of the eternally azure horizon to the other. He shuffled his lanky legs with a painful twitch trying to distract himself from remembering that it was only two hours ago that he had to break up with his love, Jessy. He lied and caused her to dissolve into a fit of tears and sobs so she can move on and forget him… with hatred.

His face was a mural of sadness which aged and creased in the last two hours. 'Why, why....why' he whispered than shouted, letting the vibrations drift into the heavens. He asked himself a million times the same question do I have the courage to end it. The answer was yes but if he'd known the consequences his answer would be no.

It was all too late. Even the deceptive feeling of doing the right thing felt distant. His tentative fingers crawled towards his face trying but unable to bring himself back to reality. The pressure from his parents to separate him from his love overwhelmed his courage. He just couldn’t tell her that he couldn’t love her because he was rich and she was poor.

He could still remember the fading moments of happiness that she provided him. Her dreamy smiles and captivating eyes was a masterpiece though it was her tomboyish humour that actually gave him strength. The special moments that they shared together suddenly blurred his vision. The laughter, smiles, hugs and tears all collapsed and mingled into each other. His strength and sanity was breaking and crumbling.

Jake turned his head to shield himself from the wind and in the corners of his pupil an illuminating site ceased him. Two couples laughing innocently underneath a small light, the very place where he met Jessy. Tears crystallised in his eyes and he turned away only to glimpse the lonely reflection of himself on the foamy sea. He couldn't bear it anymore- he wanted to die.

In that small fraction of a second he realised he couldn't live without her. His heart thumped back to life with adrenaline and warmth. The icy chills of winter were released and he asked himself can he live without her. The answer was no.

Jake bit his lips and wiped away the cascading tears before sprinting towards Jessy's house.