It was an ordinary week day; I woke up and dragged my feet while getting ready for school.
As I got off the bus I met with my friends as we talked about our daily gossip. The bell abruptly interfered our conversation. I walked towards my first hour, which is band. Like any other day we gathered into our friend groups and started to chatter more. One of my best friends had been struggling lately. Going through depression is a physical and emotional roller coaster. But today she seemed to be smiley and energetic; the girl we knew and loved. We all thought that we would have gone through the rest of that day with no major change in our lives.
Around noon there was hustle in the hallways, bodies moving carefully, all trying to help save one girl’s life; that girl being my best friend Samantha. She had gone over the edge, thinking that she didn’t want to come back. Her thoughts all tangled in her mind, combusted and she lost control of herself. Sam attempted suicide. As I sat in math waiting to go to lunch, the texts started to flood in. All the rumors about what had happened, and to find out that not a single one was true. I couldn’t take it anymore; I rushed down to the guidance office. When I got there I saw all my friends faces stained with tears. We all sat around waiting to hear the news.
We were not able to communicate with or see Sam for about 2 weeks. In that time the school was full of support. People immediately sent cards, flowers, and balloons to her. Even those who just had heard her story, but didn't have the chance to meet her were all there for her. Everyone was there for all her friends. It brought people who never really talked, closer. It was astonishing to see one community bond so tightly over such a tragic event. People asked every day for an update on how she was doing. The day she came back she was greeted with huge hugs and sighs of relief that we got to see her again. It may be a long road to recovery from there but in that moment all of our lives simultaneously fell back into place. Our hearts could stop pounding from fear. Our friend who we all loved was back and okay.
Seeing everyone’s hearts open up during and after this tragic event really showed how kind people are. They are filled with empathy and compassion to help others. Seeing people give it their all to people that they may not even know is heartwarming. It shows that even you may not know someone; you can still do a great deal to better their situation. Hearing all of the kind words such as, “I’m sorry to hear about your friend” and “I’m always here for you” I think that is what helped us make it through this tough situation.

The compassion that everyone showed to make sure Sam felt safe at school after the event was incredible. If she or anyone was struggling there were always arms wide open waiting to give you a warming hug. Seeing this compassion to see that one person out of nearly a thousand made everyone else around feel comforted too. Knowing that we could overcome this shows that there is care in the world. It was this compassion that saved my best friend’s life.