*Angel's PoV*

I think about that day a lot. My sixteenth birthday, when I tried to end my life. The day that a mysterious boy named Andy saved my life.

Apparently, Andy rode next to me in the abulence, and stayed with me until I was in a stable condition. But I was in a coma for eight days afterwards. Andy left on the second day, and didn't leave any contact information, or even his last name. I haven't seen or heard of him since.

I got out of the hospital a week after I woke up. My parents wouldn't let me come home, because I was a "suicidal freak"; I got home and found the doors locked and all of my stuff in a pile on the front lawn. I ended up going to California (I had previously lived in Georgia) to live with my grandmother, who was already raising my cousin, Sarah. Living with Grandma and Sarah was the best thing that ever happened to me; the was the second time in my life that I felt loved.

The first time was when Andy saved my life.

I was able to go to a performing arts school, where I specialized in Music and Writing. At the school, I met a girl named Rose, who quickly became one of my two best friends (the other was my cousin/adopted sister, Sarah).

I also met a guy in my Guitar class. His name was Alec, and he was perfect. He had black hair, brown eyes, and snake bites. He was a very talented musician, and he was super nice to me. We became very good friends, and eventually started dating.

Dating Alec was the best thing that ever happened to me. I almost completely stopped cutting, and I tended to actuallly eat around him. He made me feel wanted and cared for, and I was absolutely in love with him.

But, I should have known it was too good to be true. That it was too perfect to last.

Three weeks ago, Alec broke up with me. He had been growing distant ever since he accidentally saw my scars a few months ago (it's better if you don't ask how he found them, since they were on my upper thighs). He told me when he dumped me that he couldn't be with someone who had that kind of "emotional issues". He called my psycho, crazy, and a suicidal wreck. Then he left me all alone.

Since then, I'm basically right back where I started three years ago. Cutting almost every night, starving myself, hiding in my apartment. I don't deserve to be happy, so I don't even try anymore. The only person I've talked to in person is Rose, since we share an apartment. She makes me food, but I usually just pretend to eat it so she won't worry about me. The only other person I've talked to is Sarah, over the phone.

Today's my birthday. I've officially survived nineteen years in this hell. Whoop de freaking doo. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to make it to twenty.

***

*Rose's PoV*

I was sitting on the couch, listening to Suicide Silence, when I heard a knock on the door. I got up and paused my music, then went to open it. Sarah was standing there, wearing a Pierce the Veil shirt and a worried expression. She was holding a box covered in black wrapping paper, with a hot pink bow.

"Has she even gotten out of bed yet?" Sarah asked. We were both really worried about Angel, I hadn't seen her this depressed since I'd known her.

I shook my head. "She hasn't even come out of her room to go to the bathroom. It's her birthday for fluff's sake, she should be happy."

Sarah nodded. "Well, we'll have to fix that." She set her present on the kitchen table, then headed towards Angel's room, with me right behind her.

Sarah opened the door to reveal Angel, curled up in a ball under her blankets, breathing evenly with sleep. Sarah shot me a look, and I replied with an evil grin. I walked over to her iPod dock, plugging my iPod into the speakers. I scrolled through my songs, finally selecting "Diamonds Aren't Forever" by Bring Me The Horizon.

"We will never sleep, 'cause sleep is for the weak."

The song filled the bedroom, making the walls vibrate slightly. Sarah and I giggled as Angel sat up with a yelp, tangled in her sheets, and almost fell off of the bed. She glared at us, her eyes red and hair tangled.

Sarah and I started dancing around to the music, which normally would have made Angel laugh and join in. But today, she just stared at us, face blank. This will not do.

We went over to the bed, each of us grabbing one of Angel's hands. We pulled her out of the bed and literally forced her to dance. I grabbed her hands and swung them back and forth over her head, and Sarah leaned against her shoulder and started dancing. Angel giggled, smiling for the first time in weeks. She eventually started to dance with us, jumping around and singing along with Oliver Sykes, and basically having a three person mosh pit in Angel's bedroom.

When the song ended, Sarah threw her arms around Angel, hugging her tightly. "Girl, I've missed you so much! It's been forever!" It had really only been three weeks, but that's a long time for us to go without seeing each other. Angel and I live down the street from Sarah and her grandmother, so Sarah's normally over here every day. She practically lives with us.

"I missed you too, girly." Angel hugged Sarah back.

"Okay." I said. "Now that you're back among the living, we're gonna go celebrate your birthday."

"I don't want to..." Angel looked at the ground, tugging awkwardly at her pajama shorts.

"Listen." I grabbed her hands. "You need to live your life. Just because Alec turned out to be a total douche doesn't mean that you can't be happy. We're going out to celebrate your birthday."

"You have no choice." Sarah added. "So get dressed." She handed Angel the clothes that we had picked out earlier ( http://www.polyvore.com/angels_birthday_outfit/set?id=86199730 ).

After Angel got dressed, we sat her down in the bedroom floor. Sarah got started on her makeup, and I started straightening her hair. (Makeup: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=86200771 ~ Hair: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=86201551 )

Finally, we got finished, and pulled her out to Sarah's black VW beetle. We were going clubbing.

It was gonna be an eventful night.