Image: Grant-Sud.
“I can see your house from up here,” said the higher to the lower.
“Not if you jump you won’t,” replied the lower looking up at his friend.
“You’ve got pigeon crap all over your roof.”
“Yeah I know dad’s always hunting them away, but they keep coming back.”
The higher boy was where he was because he had failed his Chemistry exam and his parents would be disappointed in him. Right now, he wasn’t ready to deal with the shame they would load onto him. Jumping off seemed a reasonable way out.
“You can sit the exam again you know. In the summer break, they allow kids a second go at it,” said the lower boy.
“I know,” said the higher boy, “but that means more parental scrutiny.”
He took a step closer to the edge, but when his lower friend called out, “What about Maria, she loves you, man.” He hesitated and took a step back. Both boys breathed a sigh of relief.
Written for: https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2017/07/10/fffaw-challenge-week-of-july-11-2017/
Morpethroad 
I don’t think the higher boy really wanted to do it, thank goodness! Great story Michael!
Thank you Joy, have a good day..
All he wanted was for someone to give him a reason not to jump. Ideally his parents should have been the ones to do it, but atleast he is lucky to have a good friend.
He is indeed.
He’s lucky to have a good friend who knows what to say, to -literally, in this case- talk him off of the ledge.
Yes, good friends do come in handy..
I feel like if he’s on the edge over a Chemistry exam, there are probably other issues going on. This isn’t the first time he has thought about standing there. But at least a friend was nearby.
That’s the teacher and case manager coming out in you..lol..but you are right about there being other issues.
Yes. It surely is. I have learned to try to watch for signs.
It becomes second nature doesn’t it..
Nothing worse than getting a call that a 15 year old student is in the hospital receiving surgery after attempted suicide – oh and can you please freeze grades until we know if student can or will returnt to school?
If only they could know that later in life the stress of exams seems like such a silly thing to have worried about so much. Glad he didn’t go through with it.
Yes it all seems such a stressful time over nothing…
We all need friends like that who would use every measure to give up hope.
We do indeed….thanks for stopping by.