“Of course, I’m not scared.”
I was lying again. I was terrified. The bridge was enormous, the water was shallow and I was cold. There was nothing even remotely enjoyable about the situation I had gotten myself into. But, when you promise to jump off a bridge for 50 bucks…
“Then why don’t you jump Trevor? Because you’re scared. C’mon let’s get out of here.”
He was a good friend. He really was. He knew I was scared and was willing to let me back out, but I needed the money, and he wasn’t gonna just give it to me. We were 15, you don’t give that much money away for nothing.
“Shut up Jack, I’m doing this.”
I gritted my teeth and leapt out off the bridge. For a second I was flying, soaring above the water like an eagle spreading my wings for the first time, about to finally leave the nest. Of course, soon enough gravity kicked in and I plummeted down to the water, smacked down onto the ice cold surface, and was submerged for what I swear to this day was a half hour. Of course, Jack mentioned it was about fifteen seconds, but whatever he was always a liar.
“Can you do it again? I missed it.”
See, always a liar.
“L-l-like hell I’m d-doing that again!”
He knew damn well I wasn’t about to do it again, so he admitted defeat and paid out my $50.
“C’mon, let’s go home before I throw your ass in that lake.”
“Yeah one sec Trev, lemme count this out for you again so I’m sure I have it all here.”
The bastard had one $50 bill.
“C’mon man I’m freezing, give my money so I can go inside.”
We lived about five minutes from the lake, but I knew Jack was a lying snitch when it came to money. Great friend any other time, but cheap as anything. He’d screw me out of this if I didn’t get it now.
“Dude, chill out; you’ll get it. Later.”
Chill out. Yes he laughed at his own joke. No I didn’t find it as funny.
“I’ll throw you in that lake you bastard; give me my money.”
Okay, if he thinks it’s so funny, then I guess it’s time he gets a little wet too. So as a good friend, I picked him up and carried him over to the side of the bridge. Jack started screaming when I picked him up, making up shit about how it was way too dangerous and he’d give me the money if I just put him down. But of course, as a good friend, I had to teach him his lesson.
“Dude, I can’t swim. I can’t fucking swim do you hear me, put me down now man I’m not fucking around.”
Of course he was fucking around. He always does this when he gets in a bind, lies and lies and…
Shit.
“Two boys committed suicide in Hallister Lake on December 17, 2013. These boys, Trevor McLellan and Jack Reese, leapt off Hallister bridge into the freezing icy waters below. It is currently unknown what drove these two boys to this extreme, more information will be presented as it becomes available.”