(Warning: self harm and attempted suicide)

*Texas's POV*

Me and Cali were sitting in the living room in silence as California deleted all of his social medias. Rumors spread quick in a small town... and now everyone knows about me and Cali. Between people calling Cali a slut and friends warning me to stay away, I'm starting to get frustrated. Why can't anyone mind their own business?

While I'm frustrated, Cali just seems numb... I barely see him smile anymore, he downright refuses to eat, and I'd be lucky to get a single word out of him. I don't know how to help him... and it pains me to see him this way.

One night I take California in my arms... he just silently lets me.

"Cali, is there anything I can do to help you?" I ask. He looks up at me, tears in his eyes...

"Kiss me like it's the last time," he says. I kiss him deeply, pinning him against the wall. He wraps his arms and leg around me, and I can tell he was crying despite this passionate kiss. I rub his chest, reaching my hands under his shirt.... when I suddenly notice something.... I quickly pull away and take off Californias shirt to see exactly what I feared. Cuts.

"Oh.... Cali...," I cry. California just looks down.

"It's not that bad-,"

"Cali... n-no... you... you can't do this to yourself... please...," I say... I don't know what to do anymore. California just grabs his shirt and puts it back on, before running off to his guest room. He locks the door behind him... no... I don't want him locked up and hurting himself.

"Cali, please open the door," I say... no response... "Cali, please...," I cry... no response. "California, I'm breaking in wether you like it or not," I exclaimed. I break open the door to see California standing there... holding a gun to his head.

"T-Texas....," California says, shaking.

"Cali, put the gun down," I say, carefully getting closer. California has burns all over his body, and he's shaking and breathing heavily. I can tell he doesn't want to do this... but this is the only escape in his mind. "California, do you know what I realized when I tried to commit suicide? Every single one of my problems had a solution. Every single one. I know it may seem like there's nothing else you can do but I promise there is... please, don't do this to me," I say, tears pouring from my eyes and fogging my vision. California takes a deep breath and lowers the gun.

"I...I don't want to die... but I just can't live like this...," California sobs.

"We'll get through this ok? I know everything sucks right now, but I promise it won't last forever," I say. California slowly puts the gun down, and then crashes into my arms. We fall to our knees, holding each other close.

"I love you," he cries.

"I love you too," I say.

The next week, things finally calm down. California talked to my therapist, and luckily he seems to like it. And people are starting to move on, the news of me and Cali becoming not quite as big of a deal. California still preferred staying indoors, but every time I go out people ask about him. I guess we're all friends again. But still, I can't shake the feeling that something bad is still going to happen... something that will come really soon.